Montessori in Africa
Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
Chief Seattle
To all who read this article I challenge each and every one of you to do what we Montessorians do best, to show empathy and compassion, to reach out and assist, in bringing Montessori education into the lives of the children in the Maasai village in Africa .
On a recent trip to this wonderful continent I had the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. From climbing Kilimanjaro, safari trips to Lake Manyara and Serengeti eco system national parks, a visit to the Ngorongoro crater, know as the ‘cradle of Mankind’ – the beginnings of human life, I was amazed at the vastness of the land and the opulence of wildlife. Watching these animals in their natural habitat, they displayed the divine plan, the ability of all creatures to live together harmoniously just as mother-nature intended. The huge herds of zebra, gazelle and wildebeest roamed the vast planes of this beautiful crater the second largest in the world measuring 264 square kilometres, which locals say was the largest mountain in the world even above Mount Everest . The patience and concentration of the lion as she surveyed her prey the wildebeest, the cunningness of the black rhino as he refused to entertain us and cross to the water hole most certainly due to the scent of tourists and gasoline filled jeeps, the elegance of the giraffe and zebra amalgamating on the planes, the serenity of the hippo and elephant families as they grazed and feared us not, the monkeys who seemed to smile as they investigated each other’s fur for insects, baby monkey and mom who cuddled and caressed and fed, and the vultures and hyenas who waited hungrily, all worked together in painting an extensive lush landscape. The image brought me back to a time long ago when dinosaurs reigned, animals migrated in herds, and vegetation was plentiful. From the cheetah to the tiniest of insects all lived with purpose, a need for survival, and yet somehow succeeded in sustaining a balanced eco system.
I couldn’t help but ponder the role of mankind in this seemingly flawless creation and questioned our purpose, the superior intellect of man, in this incredible existence. The extensive banana and coffee plantations now controlled by Coffee Unions, who export for profit. I also wondered what we can do to protect this environment; where is the most amount of effort needed; what is necessary to provide the next generation with the skills to rise above the problems of today and make this world a better place for living; and realised very quickly that the decisions made today are crucial to shaping our future? I wondered why humans had such difficulty accepting the diversity of others and lacked the ability to empathize, to stand in somebody else’s shoes and look at life through their eyes. I also questioned the role of education and the Montessori method, one of the longest standing and globally far reaching systems of education, with a unique ability to flourish in lands of poverty and dissention.
Arriving in the small town of Kilimanjaro at the base of the mountain climbers meticulously prepare for their 6 day climb of the largest mountain in Africa and I wondered what glorious thoughts of courage and accomplishment would fill their heads standing at the summit. I recalled President Obama’s speech calling every man to serve, to come together to meet the challenges of our new Century, and President Kennedy’s famous quote “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” – great words of action and accountability. Perhaps it is now time to extend this call to action to include all who inhabit this planet we call earth.
Daniel Pink tells us in “A Whole New Mind” that “the keys to the kingdom are changing hands”. He states the future belongs to economies and societies built on inventive, empathic, big-picture capabilities, all of which are fundamentally human abilities. He emphasises a new approach to life involving the ability to empathize with others, to understand the subtleties of human interaction –“the ability to understand what makes our fellow man and woman tick, to forge relationships, and to care for others.”
There are many issues facing all nations as we enter the new century - from children recruited for warfare to climate crisis, global economy to health care, and education to family structures, none of which most countries have not endured at some point in history. The situation of children in nations that have experienced armed conflict or natural disasters is particularly dire. We have only one choice and that is to work together to give children the best possible start in life. Ensuring they have adequate food, shelter, healthcare and education, and are free from violence, abuse and exploitation. I will not attempt to pretend to offer solutions to world peace or the climate crisis facing us globally but I would like to address the role education plays in this very big picture and venture to suggest that its importance stands alongside some of the most crucial concerns today. To create a better world and one that will survive, we need to begin with the children – help them to create a world of their own making, where walls are replaced by bridges and generational differences are replaced with peaceful solutions. To accomplish such a task we must begin with education - educating children and families from birth.
In the words of Michael Jackson’s beautiful song for peace:-
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving
There’s a choice were making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me
The big problem facing education today is that of ensuring every child has the opportunity to receive an education, an opportunity to gain knowledge and sow the seeds of change for future generations. How can this be obtained when the achievement gap between low-income, mostly minority and third world children and those children who are more fortunate is growing daily? There are many world organisations working tirelessly to help make a difference. One in particular the global organisation Save the Children's first global campaign called ‘Rewrite the Future’ is focused on securing quality education for the millions of children out of school due to war and armed conflict. In conflict-affected fragile states one in three children is out of school. Without education, and without protection, they are being denied both their childhood and hope for the future. World leaders have pledged to bring about universal primary education by 2015, but around 75 million children are still missing out on school for unacceptable reasons, such as being female, coming from ethnic minorities, having a disability or needing to work. Save the Children strives to make education accessible and safe for children, focusing on those who are hardest to reach. Another organization concentrating specifically on implementing the rights of the child, as laid out by the UN convention is OMEP. This World Organization for the Education of Young Children, coordinates national associations in almost 200 countries, and as a non-governmental organization (NGO) is represented at the United Nations. In the United States and other countries, its membership joins with other associations at their conferences and endeavors.
What can we do as individuals, organisation leaders, communities, or government officials to provide education? Prior to this visit to Africa I would have reassured you that there is little for an individual to do because the task at hand is of such magnitude. Well I now confess to a change of heart. Having witnessed first hand the smiling faces of the little ones, the beauty of the children, the desire to succeed mixed with frustration in the older teenage children, and the hope-filled anxious faces of the elderly, it is clear that this is the time for change, the time for sharing the educational wealth to all children around the world.
Despite our differences culturally, and even the differences between the many tribes in Tanzania and Kenya, technology has now opened the doors for all people to witness the lives of their fellow inhabitants, and whether the elders and tribe leaders would like to continue their rich culture and lifestyle, they too are becoming aware that it is increasingly more difficult to contain their young growing adults in a time bubble, and something must be done to help. Unfortunately at this stage, technological advances have taken hold so quickly that it is difficult for the older generation to keep up with and understand the needs of the new world both economically and culturally, and find themselves at a loss as to what is the next step towards progress.
One such example took place when visiting the Maasai boma tribe on the outskirts of Moshi, 50 klms from Kilimanjaro, and 30 klms from Arusha a bustling down in Tanzania on the mid-eastern coast of Africa . The drive there took over an hour with limited visibility as the dirt roads with deep troughs created enough dust to cover the windows. Our driver and guide seemed oblivious to the driving conditions and continued jovially to teach my daughter Leah the nuances of the lyrical local language Swahili. Leah is volunteering for three months in the town of Moshi teaching English to the very young children in the mornings, and the adult Maasai tribe people in the afternoons. The Maasai, a very tall and slender race had gained great respect as warriors during the British reign, and similar to the Apache and Cherokee, as lands were conquered the tribes became restricted to reservations.
Upon arrival at the village we received the most welcome of welcomes. The children ran to the car waving and smiling to meet us and the elders followed suit. The wind had picked up so the parched dry earth was blowing in circles and I wondered if perhaps this was the cause of the children’s seeping eyes. Our guide was fluent in Swahili and the Maasai dialect, and his English conversation was good, which was of great assistance to us, given that none of the Maasai tribes people spoke any English at all. This was our first indication of the lack of education, as most of the townspeople in Moshi; particularly the teenagers and young children spoke broken English and were very conscientious to learn more. One of the elders of the tribe, a very tall man, dressed in a blood-red ‘shuka’ and carrying a long spear was very proud of his 10 wives and his many, many children living in the hardened clay-dung huts spread across the surrounding land. He cordially asked if we could make babies together, and was quite taken back when I explained Leah, my daughter was 21 years old, and making babies with one man was my belief. Their huts were a cramped, pitch dark space with a five foot high ceiling, where the family cooked, slept, and kept newborn calves. It appeared manhood was demonstrated by how many wives and children a man could produce. Once the children reach puberty the father builds another hut and he and the sons live there to learn hunting and survival skills while the mother stays and educates the girls in ‘womanly things’. The fate of these young ladies without an opportunity for education is to be sold for 20 cows. Despite the leader and elder’s contentment with their lifestyle and perhaps belief in its value, there was an undeniable recognition, that for the children at least, they needed help. They seemed to realise that for their children to survive they needed to learn new ways, ways that they as leaders were unfamiliar with. It became clear from Lyza the leader, that their need to prepare the children for the future took priority over any need to preserve the tribal traditions. However, I can’t see them abandoning their traditional dancing and jumping rituals. Perhaps it is wise to celebrate the similarities and connections rather than emphasising the differences and build new worlds together while maintaining respect and dignity for other cultures.
As we communicated through our guide, while dressing in tribal costume, they discovered we were teachers and immediately the tone changed. They rapidly called everyone together and explained that we were teachers and Leah was a volunteer and would like to help. This was followed by cheering and clapping and smiling faces and more dancing and jumping, and the announcement that they had a new school which was about half a mile away over a field, which we then proceeded to hike to. Upon arrival we found a beautiful new - 3 year old school named O’Brien School for the Maasai with 5 classrooms housing 250 children. Through Maria Montessori eyes, I could see the vast surrounding area used for agriculture and farming and a ‘green approach’ to environmental education; while involving the children in the care and nurturing of plants and animals may nurture a life-long commitment to caring for the environment, which in turn supports other areas of development (Wilson, 2008). We peeked inside as the children were on summer holiday and even though it was a Sunday morning, the principle Edward was immediately called to come and visit the touring teachers. I explained that this was an ideal location for Montessori education and he excitedly proclaimed that he had hired a Montessori teacher but did not have any of the materials. He invited us to return the following week when school opened for the new-year.
On my repeat visit I was once again warmly welcomed and taken on a tour of the school. Beginning with the 3-5 year old potential Casa students, we visited 5 classrooms that progressed through elementary and up to Jehovah aged 11 who quickly told me he was the oldest in the school. All the children wore uniforms, sat at desks, which housed their books, since there was no were at home to store them or conduct homework. Most of these children are needed to help with the cattle chores at home, and do so after a day at school. Edward explained that the length of a school day in Tanzania was determined by whether the children were fed a lunch. If not, the school ended mid-day to enable the children return home for lunch. If they were fed lunch, as in many Christian schools the children were able to continue and concentrate on their studies until 4.00pm. The children at the O’Brien School for the Maasai received lunch, which was supplied in mass by Kellie and supporters from U.S.A. and could continue full day schooling as long as supplies last. Research clearly states that children who go hungry in kindergarten are noticeably behind their peers in reading and math by third grade (Partnership for America ’s Economic Success, 2008).
I was quite surprised to see every child stand when we entered the room and recite in unison “good morning to you and how are you doing?” and when I replied with “I am fine thank you and how are you” they responded with “we are very well thank you Mam”. Despite the sheer sparseness of materials and up to 50 children per class with one teacher, they were impeccably well-mannered and exceptionally normalised, with the ability to continue working unsupervised for up to 15-20 minutes as Edward and I and the classroom teacher conversed. Two of the 5 teachers were mature male teachers one being Edward the principle, who taught all subjects including English and French to the advanced classes. Two of the remaining teachers were somewhat aware of Montessori and the third teacher Evelyn had completed a 2 year Montessori training course in Kenya and asked if I had brought bean bags, and the math stamp materials. I suggested she and the ladies of the Maasai make the bean bags, and perhaps the Maasai could assist her in making materials such as the number rods etc. I also suggested she bring her Montessori manuals to school to show the other teachers how to display, in a more accessible manner, the few teaching materials they had thrown in a big basket on the floor. With assistance and support Evelyn has the potential to model Montessori teaching to the other teachers. Edward’s concern is offering Evelyn support and a competitive salary to keep her at the O’Brien House. An alternative approach is to raise the funds to send one of the teachers to a Montessori training school in Kenya , which may be the preferred approach.
If you are planning for a year, sow rice;
If you are planning for a decade, plant trees;
If you are planning for a lifetime, educate a person.
Old proverb
After much discussion and repeat visits dropping off supplies we brought with us, and more meetings and emails back to U.S and Canada that week, we are now currently working on limited Montessori teacher training, teacher mentoring, inviting volunteer Montessori teachers from abroad and Kenya, and of course ‘fundraising’ the catalyst for providing materials. Building upon Maria Montessori’s work in peace education we may also contribute to the spiritual development of the children by helping them to develop a sense of caring, respect, and empathy for plants and animals (Montessori, 1972). We discussed the natural habitat and surrounding farming, the ability for the Maasai tribe’s people to make Montessori materials, and Leah with fellow volunteers teaching the children sports and dispersing the donated basketball uniforms from our home town. To my great surprise there is a piano in one of the rooms and as a musician I’m sure Leah will have much fun teaching English through music. Edward’s passion and drive is blinding, particularly as a strong male role-model for the children, and he proudly mentioned that he has challenged the children to work hard and perhaps some of the students will earn the honour of attending the well documented Oprah Winfrey School in South Africa . The pride beamed from his face as he spoke.
The story of the O’Brien Maasai School is even more a miracle of chance than our meeting with the Maasai and the discovery of Montessori together. In 2006 Kellie O’Brien and her daughter Heather travelled to Africa during the Christmas holidays. Their overwhelming urge to help the community lead them to volunteering at a local convent and returned home with a promise to build a school for the Maasai children of Sanya Station, Tanzania. That promise has grown and in 2007 they returned for the opening of their first three classrooms and to create a soccer field. Today, the school has three additional classrooms, a 4,000-book library, a women’s center, and a clinic used by a visiting doctor. Thanks to Sister Dona, Mother Superior of the Franciscan Cappuchin Sisters, and Gabriel, a leader of the Maasai tribe, and the many generous people for their assistance, the O’Brien School for the Maasai is a reality – and a source of great pride to the village. This past year, due to donations and support from family and friends in America , Kellie and Heather filled two containers to ship to Tanzania . These containers, packed with school supplies, teaching materials, desks, library shelves, books, sports equipment, and other essentials were then transported to the village. A team of locals were on hand to unload them and to present their contents to the Maasai on behalf of their friends in America . They set to work to build library shelves and picnic tables, organize books, and complete the many projects planned. Village women made curtains for the new library with sewing machines that were also supplied.
Many things were accomplished this year, but there are always unforeseen needs. They continue to work to solve the water problem, with the understanding that two wells are an acute necessity – one near the school to provide fresh water and hygiene needs and another to irrigate a planned 4-acre community vegetable garden. “Finding and keeping good teachers is so important to the success” says Kellie. Feeding the children a healthy diet and treating AIDS and other diseases are also high priorities. The women of the village want to learn to read and write and to find a way to become more self-sufficient. To this end, a sewing room filled with kindly donated sewing machines is now in full swing producing jewellery and carry bags made by the Maasai women. The sales of these products help to empower the women of the village as they strive to provide education for their children. Leah and the volunteers of Art in Tanzania hope to help with this goal; while it is my hope that no child will ever again need to be sold for 20 cows. The website for the school is www.obrienschool.org and Kellie can be reached at (630)382-1021 in Illinois , U.S.A. for more information.
The similarities in this story and that of Maria Montessori’s school in the slums of Italy bare resemblance. While the Maasai children are taken under the wing of the families and tribes and taught the ways of their fathers and grand fathers, there is an absence of basic skills needed to prosper now and in the future. In the beginning Dr. Montessori provided the children with the everyday survival tools for self grooming and learning. She may have offered instruction without the beautiful pink tower, or bell materials, and perhaps practical life materials were made from local sources as the children were taught the life skills needed for that time. The philosophy of Montessori education is timeless, the materials ever evolving. Montessori education has the unique ability to go back in time and educate the tribes of Africa , bringing them into the 21st Century, and offering hope for the young ones of tomorrow. Montessori can create the leaders of tomorrow, Montessori must create these leaders.
We are very excited to incorporate the Montessori approach to education and are working together to implement strategies such as Montessori teacher education, volunteer Montessori teachers from abroad, on-line Montessori instruction for those unable to leave Moshi, or funding for enrolment in the neighbouring Montessori training centre in Kenya, and materials. It is my belief that we have a collective responsibility to commit to global education and give all children a reason to hope for the future, one child at a time.
In the words of President Obama who recently spent time in his homeland of Kenya-
“With the right education, a child of any race, and faith, and station, can overcome whatever barriers stand in their way and fulfill their God-given potential”
“As neighbours, we have a responsibility to each other and to our citizens, and by working together, we can take important steps forward to advance prosperity and security and liberty”.
Obama (2009)
Montessorians I tell you that we are each the authors of our own lives. This is the opportunity to make a difference, to support the belief we hold so deep within our hearts, the passion that drives us to share knowledge everyday of our lives. Paula Glasgow from the Canadian College of Teachers has offered the language materials made by one of her teachers. Thank you so very much Paula and staff. Please contact me and share your ideas at www.montessorimozarts.com and perhaps together we can bring Montessori education to these beautiful children of God.
As I glance around the town and countryside of Moshi, I make a promise to myself to look outward to all of God’s creatures and work tirelessly to remind my colleagues and friends that one person truly can make a difference. It takes each and every citizen to make an effort and reach out, knowing that we are needed and can help, and the willingness to develop empathy – seeing each child as our own.
To all of you passionate Montessorians, I thank you,
Maureen
Montessori, M. (1972). Education and peace (Helen R. Lane, Trans., original work published 1949). Chicago : Henry Regnery.
Obama (2009). Historical collectors Ed, #06. Patricia Ann Pub. Inc. NY .
Partnership for America ’s Economic Success. (2008, November). Reading , writing and hungry: The consequences of food insecurity on children and our nation’s economic success. Viewed online atwww.partnershipforsuccess.org/docs/researchproject_foodinsecurity_200811_brief.pdf.
Pink, D.H. (2005). A Whole New Mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. Penguin Group Inc ( USA ) NY p.2
Wilson, R. A. (2008). Nature and Young Children: Encouraging Creative Play and Learning in Natural Environments. London : Routledge.
