Living the African Proverb

This year, I was very excited for my son. A fresh grade 9 student, he brought home his school time table showing that he was scheduled to have Ms Money for English.  Kama Money is a secondary school teacher and an enthusiastic social activist. She recently made headlines by winning a volunteer trip to Africa with Red Rose Tea. When student-teacher interviews came around (after talking about my son, of course) I quickly highjacked the conversation to try to get to know Kama a little better, learn about her trip and live vicariously through her stories. The experience, and more impactful, her reflections on it, strummed my "village raising" heart strings. I was delighted that despite a busy schedule of teaching and finishing her Masters Degree in Community Development, she agreed to be interviewed.
Enjoy,

Tracy

Tell us about your recent experience of being selected to travel to Africa with the Reach Out with Red Rose Campaign. 

Who'd have thought that I would win an all-expenses trip to Africa? One morning, on the news, I saw that Red Rose Tea was sponsoring a 'humanitourism' trip to Africa to connect with communities and to build schools.  This got my wheels turning; my classes talk about Africa all of the time, but I have no direct experience with a third world/ developing/ economically south country.  (Note: all of these terms are considered to be problematic by various academics). I then submitted a picture and a short essay, explaining who I was and why I wanted to go, and sent the call out to family and friends to place their votes.  For the next month and a half, the support for this campaign snowballed and the entire community became involved, including several media outlets. The race was a close one, but we won in the end!  Port Alberni proves itself again and again to truly be 'the community with a heart', and fights to support its own. A big Asante Sana to everyone who voted for me-- it's safe to say that both Kym Cyr (who teaches at 8th Ave. Elementary) and I woke up every morning in Kenya, humbled by the fact that our community sent us there!

My travel blog can be seen here: http://kamainkenya.tumblr.com/ I met such a diverse group of people, including Maasai and Kipsigi mamas, babas, elders, warriors, and children; software designers; community mobilizers; Canadian youth; a toymaker; a magician, several teachers; Craig Kielburger; Entertainment Tonight Canada; The Canadian Tenors; The Kenyan Boys Choir; and other fascinating people. 

What did you see in Africa that made you think of the proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child?”

Everywhere we went, we were surrounded by the concept of 'Me to We'.  The focus on multi-generational interdependence and strength in numbers was clear every day, with every interaction.  Free the Children's international 'Adopt-A-Village' model coincides with the idea of 'Raising the Village to Raise our Children' to be healthy, contributing members of society. Though Free The Children was started to raise awareness and address child labour, it has now expanded its focus to involve community members of all ages. How can we free the children if their parents are not free as well? 

I think of a village as a loving, collaborative network; we saw this in Kenya.  Despite the poverty, there was a real sense of mutual care and child honouring. For example, though the government hasn't funded school-building in the area, fifty years ago the community chose to build its own out of sticks, mud, animal dung and scrap metal.  Because the rains regularly wore away the walls, these schools needed to be constantly repaired-- which the community takes on itself.  In Kenya, it takes a village to build--and to maintain-- a school. And they continue to do so. 

Similarly, Craig & Marc Kielburger describe the concept of a minga, the process of selflessly banding together to help a community member-- kind of like a 'barn-raising'.  They sum up: "Community, at its core, is about cooperation: on ideas, on social issues, on rearing our youth, on encouraging our society to create workable solutions to the challenges of our new century" (Kielburgers 214). 

   What brings you a “sense of community”?

In Kenya, they have a saying:"Tuka Pamoja--We are together".  This sums it up for me. 

It's funny; community is so 'common' in the Alberni Valley that I almost take it for granted. My eyes were opened when I had a few teachers from Vancouver staying with me; as I was driving them around town they were shocked by the number of people (mostly students) who wave at me as I drive by.  We then went grocery shopping, and again they couldn't believe the dozens of people who greeted me, using my name.  For me, community involves a sense of 'rootedness'-- of being from this place and of its people. I've been told that it's difficult for 'outsiders' to fit into our community, as there is such a strong sense of 'us'; I find that locals can be wary of people who have not lived 'here' for a sufficient amount of time. Although it probably takes a few years, this process can be sped up through genuinely getting to know the place and its people. 

 The concept of 'community' is necessarily dynamic, and alters according to circumstance, social mores and historical context. Ken Banks describes:” Community developers tolerate ambiguity in the meaning of community, knowing that tight, finite, and rigid definitions will not serve well, though they might work in certain specified (and probably rarefied) surroundings” (14). When discussing community, we need to accept and expect a pluralistic definition; the definitions all work together to created a multi-faceted picture of what community really is—and also what it can become. The Tamarack  website describes: “Community is about place, spirit, belonging and connection. It is about joy, fear, love and hope. Community is also about friendship, caring and being cared for”. Similarly, Paul Born describes the shared paradigm of“Ubuntu – This African term, widely used and rich in meaning, describes the interconnection among people – ‘I am human because I belong’” (Tamarack). Finally, Michael Ungar states, “The common element among communities that cope well is their capacity to respond when adversity strikes.  A community that works is one where each person, young and old, feels a sense of place and purpose in that community.  There is mutual and assured dependency” (197).

How can people who are working together in communities with a focus on the early years make a stronger link with the bigger issue of social justice?

Although I work with 14-19 year olds, I firmly believe that the key to a more equitable, inclusive society is to start with young children.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Our lives begin to end the day that we become silent about things that matter". Our communities need to provide opportunities for its members to learn about social justice issues and to be prepared to engage in respectful dialogue surrounding ethics, morality, and personal beliefs. People who have been historically and systemically marginalized need to have their voices included in economic, cultural, and political conversations.  Social justice doesn't have to be forced down people's throats, in fact, it will never be successful if it is presented this way. We need a sustained conversation with diverse people of all ages, which involves deep listening and consideration of others' viewpoints and values. Social justice is most effective when it takes on a holistic approach, and is enjoyable--playful fun is so important! Children's books, games, plays, films, songs, and experiential activities are great resources-- even at the high school level! I agree that “social justice is both a process and a goal. The goal of social justice is full and equal participation of all groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs.  Social justice includes a vision of society in which the distribution of resources is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure” (Bell 1). We need to demonstrate to our children what safety looks--and feels--like. 

What little things do you do locally that help you feel that you are “raising a village?”
 

I like the phrasing of this question; it's the small things that count. It's not about having no plan and being aimless; it requires constant openness to feedback & self-reflection. It's about working with others to achieve your goals.  It's about asking questions and deeply listening. It's definitely not about being perfect; it's about trying to make connections, even ones that may seem insignificant. As unfortunate as it is, teachers are sometimes the only positive adult in their students' lives at a given time.  I feel that myself and my colleagues are contributing to 'raising of the village' by getting to know our students, by celebrating their successes, and by supporting them when things are tough.  As corny as it sounds, a simple smile and greeting--including their name-- can be a students' only caring interaction with an adult that day. Our principal, Mike Ruttan, stresses the fact that connections with students is most important; if we have established a respectful relationship, the academics will follow. I often wear my 'Be the Change' shirt to school; community leaders (at all levels) need to try to live in ways that reflect how they want the world to be.
 

  

Works Consulted

Banks, Ken. MAIS 603 - Community Development Course Guide. Athabasca: Athabasca University, 2009

Bell, L. “Theoretical Foundations for Social Justice Education”. In M. Adams, L. Bell & P. Griffin. Teaching For Diversity and Social Justice. (2nd. Ed.) New York: Routledge. (pp. 1-14), 2007.

Kielburger, Craig & Marc Kielburger. Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World. New York: Fireside Books, 2004. 
 

Tamarack: An Institute for Community Engagement. 2009. 2 Oct. 2009.  http://tamarackcommunity.ca/index.php

Ungar, Michael. We Generation: Raising Socially Responsible Kids.Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2009.