In the Days of the Batembuzi
We closed the Christmas term with a musical, Isaza and the King of the Underworld. Based on local legend in the period of the Batembuzi, the script was written by a volunteer and the whole school from reception to year 6 was involved. Students produced the props and were responsible for stage management, make-up and dressing; our teachers wrote the songs, devised the music and choreography.
You can catch a glimpse of the unearthly performance :0) in the video link (after the photos), and in the images above and below. We used elephant grass reeds, spear grass, gourds, bark cloth (cloth made from the bark of the fig tree indiginous to Uganda), goat skin, wild flowers, grasses and leaves to set the atmosphere. The play was translated from English to Rutooro, our local language, in celebration of our local culture and community.
It was so much of a roaring success with our audience that the children were invited to perform it again at Toonda, our local cultural centre; but the biggest honour is that they will be performing it a third time on 28th May to a large city audience at Uganda's main theatre, The National Theatre in Kampala. What a coup and experience this is going to be for the children. At the same time we hope to use it as a fundraiser to complete our IT lab which was partially funded last year, and as a general awareness raising campaign within Uganda about Sadhguru School.
Vocational Studies
We've started vocational classes for Year 6 in carpentry, integrated organic farming, crafts (currently pottery) and tailoring. They have a 1.30hr class in each of the disciplines every week. The classes have become intensely popular; for carpentry and farming some of the kids come back in to school on Saturdays and holidays so strong is their desire to continue with their projects of making a mortice and tenon stool, and designing and planting their own integrated organic vegetable, herb, flower and tree garden.
Tell us of the Days of the Batembuzi
To finish, we thought you'd enjoy this evocative poem, written by a volunteer, sung as the opener to our Isaza musical:
Tell us of the days of the Batembuzi
Tell us of those days of old
Tell us of the days of the Batembuzi
When Isaza was king of the world …
Let us tell you of the days of the Batembuzi
Let us tell you of those days of old
Let us tell you of the days of the Batembuzi
When Isaza was king of the world…
In the days of the Batembuzi, the world was still young
The people were peaceful and sang happy songs
The food was plenty, and no one lacked milk
The people were healthy and no one fell sick …
In the days of the Batembuzi, the sun was always warm
The rain fell without hail and it would never get cold
The trees dripped with honey, the bees didn’t even sting
The rivers were full of fish, the hunters never missed
In the days of the Batembuzi, people loved to get along
The cattle keeper and his kids - kept their cows from the farmer’s fields
The wives would visit each other in the evenings…
The houses had no doors, all because there were no thieves
In the days of the Batembuzi, blacksmiths had the most power
They cut down the forests for firewood and made the best iron
Where they had cleared people came and put gardens and farms
People came together and built roads and towns
In the days of the Batembuzi – the kings were wise,
The kings didn’t start wars they didn’t like to fight
They sold salt and iron to the furthest places to make the land rich
They organized their people and knew how to keep peace
In the days of the Batembuzi there was a young king Isaza
In the days of the Batembuzi there was another king Nyamiyonga
Isaza was the king of Kitara they called him King in the World of the Sun
Nyamiyonga was King in the world of darkness, they called him the King of Ghosts
The King in the World of the Sun, had a quarrel with the King of the Ghosts
That was where the problems began,
And this is how the story goes …
Let us tell you a story from the days of the Batembuzi
Let us tell you a story from those days of old
Let us tell you the story of Isaza Nyakiooto
And the way in which he lost his throne….
Links:
A Performance fit for a King:
On 13th September, the King of Tooro held the annual celebrations to honour his coronation anniversary. Sadhguru School was one of the schools invited.
We quickly put together a drum routine for the occasion, whose performance impressed everyone present, including the King himself. Our performance was the only encore of the day and we all left appropriately humbled by his attention. We had put on a performance fit for a king.
As Ignatius, a year 6 student put it, "I felt amazed that the king was happy with Sadhguru School. We heard that he enjoyed watching us play because of our talent.” The whole team was eager to redo the re-enact the experience to the rest of the school when they next got a chance.
The kingdom of Tooro is a Bantu kingdom located within the borders of Uganda. The current Omukama (King) of Toro is King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. He assumed the throne after the death of his father King Kaboyo in 1995. He was only three years old.
Coach Denis turns into an actor:
On the final day of last term we held a ‘Special Family Workshop’ designed for our parents with teen and pre-teen children. The event marked the launch of an ongoing partnership with parents to work hand-in-hand with our teachers in co-creating a community programme to help our children transition smoothly through the turbulent years of adolescence. Emphasis was on protecting the girl child from dropping out of school due to early pregnancy. Our very own Coach Denis shares his experience:
‘The drama sketch stood out for me because I was a part of the cast, and it was an honour to act in front of the parents. I was happy that they were entertained and that at the same time the message was passed on clearly. Parents opened up and shared their experiences, learning also from our experiences about their children, especially that girls come across different challenges within their communities and the need for intervention. Girls in the Ndali crater area frequently drop out of school due to teen pregnancies and early marriage. I played the rogue of the day - the herdsman that causes chaos and disturbs girls on their way home from school. Afterwards, playing dodge-ball, locally known as Kwepena, was the cherry on the cake. It was nice to see teachers having fun with the parents as we played in a big circle, right in the middle of the school.
Save Soil: The global Save Soil campaign has been running for a while now and Sadhguru School too, has endeavoured to participate. At the end of the last term, the children were invited to the conscious planet event by Isha Uganda in Kampala where they stunned the audience with great performance but most importantly their commitment to the save soil movement. Students and staff also came together at the school to create a beautiful mural. A time-lapse was also created and published on YouTube. Be sure to check it out. (See the link to the video at the bottom of the blog)
Save Soil at the Rwenzori Marathon:
At the Rwenzori Marathon in Kasese, we had the opportunity to raise awareness of the Save Soil initiative. Natasha, a volunteer from Nairobi, Kenya describes her experience:
‘The chilly mist welcomed us as we made our way towards the Rwenzori Marathon. It was my first time in the region, and every turn and bend left me in awe. The sheer vastness of the Rwenzori Mountains, straddling the equator, felt like something out of a movie. Upon arrival, I had only one task: to get as many people as possible to be aware of the current global soil predicament. Not the easiest task, especially since everyone was fully drenched in the marathon unfolding. But as the day progressed, we captured people’s attention. When the save soil videos were played on the big screens (at the end-point of the marathon), it felt surreal. The curiosity that built on people's faces and the way they approached us with the intent to find out more was wonderful. Every person made aware of the soil problem, is a step towards a solution.’
Killing Time:
I am Massa, a volunteer at school teaching English to years 5 and 6. I travelled the 300km from campus to Kampala with my students at the start of half term to see their very first play, "Killing Time," which took the children’s ideas on storytelling to the next level. During the performance, they were on the edge of their seats the entire time, and from among the audience it was they who gave the biggest reactions as the story unfolded. Their chuckles and comments added to the act on stage. I think it excited them the more that the play was directed by one of the school’s volunteers, Amooti Kangere, and as a result they got to meet the playwright and actors at the end. Once back at their accommodation, they spent the next three exhilarating hours re-enacting virtually every scene from memory. Daphine, a year 6 student, exclaimed how amazing it is that theatre performers use their talent and skill to tell a compelling story. For Onesmus, how just two actors could portray multiple characters on stage and make it work was shocking! “I remember them telling us how time waits for no man and is no man’s friend,” she added. The story revolves around the perceptions of rural-urban migration from a rural man’s perspective – the hope of finding a better society without corruption and struggle, only to find worse in the city of Kampala.
Full Moon festival:
The largest and brightest full moon of the year was on 13th July, when the 'supermoon' was at its closest point to the earth. This first full moon after the summer solstice is not only annually celebrated as 'Guru Pournima' - one of the most significant dates in the yogic calendar - but is also an important moon in the ancient tradition of our region in Africa, relating to family welfare.
To celebrate all this we started with 'darshan' and a short meditation from Sadhguru via live stream, followed by fireside dance, drumming, singing, poetry, storytelling and maize roasting; all the while basking in the rays of the moonlight and the dancing flames of the fire. We rounded the evening off with roast pumpkin, coconut curry, and cardamon date energy balls, mmm...
Links:
This season, we would like to share with you a snippet of our yoga curriculum here at Sadhguru School. A huge thank you to our team, especially Chris; our in-house classical hatha yoga teacher, for his tremendous support in keeping the children alive, alert and well alligned throughout all school activities.
Background:
In recent years Yoga and the ethos surrounding the ancient tradition, has emerged as an invaluable solution to many of the modern physical and mental health ailments that we as human beings face. In 2014, the UN created a resolution to form an International Day of Yoga recognizing that health and well being is an objective that requires close international cooperation. As an educational institution, we have the opportunity to address the issue of global health from the formative years of a Child’s early education. Sadhguru school aims to create an infrastructure that supports these objectives and moves our students one step further toward the realization of overall improved global wellbeing.
Why?
Sadhguru School has formed a curriculum including tools of classical yoga in order to equip the students to achieve this goal. We aim not only to prepare them to be successful in the workplace, but to find success in their personal lives as conscious, happy and healthy individuals.
The practice referred to as Classical Yoga has been passed through countless generations and its efficacy proven many times over in various different research institutions. We have sourced the yoga curriculum from the most prominent and high quality institution available today (see attached subject plan introduction) and the students practice a varied set of methods that address a variety of issues related to mental, emotional and physical health.
Stages:
Beginning in Reception class (ages 4-5), we implement the simple practice of sitting in stillness and Thoppukarnam, also referred to as super brain yoga. This is to start introducing the children into the two minute practice of yoga. This practice is beneficial for their mental alertness and ability to simply be still and quiet without external input.
In year one (ages 5-6), we begin with a 15 minute module referred to as Upa yoga or sub-yoga. This practice is to teach the children to move their bodies in more sophisticated ways and to lubricate and strengthen their joints.
In Year 2 (ages 6-7), we introduce the first of the advanced yogic practices called Surya Shakti. This builds flexibility and strength as well as strengthens the tendons and ligaments. Along with Surya Shakti the children begin to practice Nadi Shuddhi or a breathing practice. This helps to balance the mental process and generates a deeper sense of relaxation in the body.
Finally, from year 3 and above (ages 7 and above), we teach the children the final practice in the advanced children’s modules, referred to as Anga Mardana. This enhances their liveliness and tenacity, as well as builds a significant level of agility and coordination. Anga Mardana revitalizes the body on every level from the neurological system to the muscular and skeletal system. Beyond this there are various levels of Anga Mardana from beginner to advanced level, where we increase the number of cycles and introduce advanced postures into the practice.
Until the children reach the age of 14, this is the yoga that is suitable for a child’s system and more advanced practices can be introduced later in secondary school.
Links:
Schools have finally been given a green light to open after two years of lockdown due to the pandemic. We are excited and cannot wait to see the smiling faces of our children back at school this term. We are working tirelessly to ensure that our children continue to love and enjoy learning through a variety of artistic, fun, and creative activities. A very warm thank you to all of our staff who have made this possible!
We have highlighted a few events below; that happened during this period. Enjoy!
Parents open day
We were blessed with a successful open day where prospective parents had a chance to experience our school environment and learning methods. Throughout the day, our children showcased many of the wonderful activities that make up a day at Sadhguru School. This materialised as a day of carpentry, dance, yoga, sport, cooking, science experiments, and more. Parents and children enjoyed a picnic and most of the visiting children wished that Sadhguru school was their school.
Meanwhile, some of our children confidently undertook the role of waiters and waitresses in our newly formed school café. With pen and paper in hand, students took orders, served snacks and drinks, and collected payments whilst our lovely inhouse chef offered guidance. This was a brilliant opportunity for our children to practise their hospitality and costing skills in a real-life context, whilst enjoying our banana and chocolate smoothies, gooey date energy balls, hibiscus honey tea, and home baked cake varieties. Just to share here that all the herbs for the teas and ingredients came from our own organic school garden.
Future projects: A delicious café
Taking inspiration from the success of the open day, we are excited to announce our latest project: ‘The Moon Café’. Thought up by our imaginative Art specialist, the café will serve as a medium for our children to acquire vocational experience in a hospitality setting.
We are fortunate to be getting everything for the café from our Sadhguru School fruit and vegetable organic garden. As well as baking, serving, and costing, the children will also get stuck in with planting and picking to collect the perfect ingredients for our delicious recipes. Yum!
Digital Skills Campaign
We are thrilled to have begun computer lessons for some of our children at Sadhguru School during the two years of lock down. Thanks to the generous donations of four laptops, our inhouse IT teachers have been driving forward one-to-one computer lessons for classes Y4 and Y5. These lessons have explored platforms such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, as well as emailing. We were even able to contact our Education Coordinator - while she took her leave - all the way in England.
In order to grow our online access and digital learning space, we have launched our GlobalGiving microproject ‘Support Ugandan children to learn digital skills’ in time for #GivingTuesday. It is our aim that this Digital Skills Campaign will support us in providing computer access, IT infrastructure, and training to provide IT skills to all of our students.
As part of our fundraising drive, we have offered the first issue of our magazine ‘The Unschooled’ to anyone who donates over $40 to our campaign. We hope that children, parents, and grandparents around the world will find The Unschooled an adventurous platform to learn and explore our corner of Africa, all while supporting our children’s access to digital learning. As a long-term goal, we hope that the digital skills that the children acquire will enhance their contributions to future magazine issues.
Schools may be closed here in Uganda due to the Corona virus pandemic, but that has not prevented our children and teachers from learning and making a positive impact within the local community. Most of our families don’t have access to smart phones and therefore online learning isn’t accessible. In order to keep our children connected to their learning, Sadhguru school designed home learning projects to deliver to the children with weekly visits by teachers. In teachers’ own words: ‘in addition to other skills, the children have kept up with their literacy and maths skills’.
Below are a few snippets from our children enjoying learning within the comfort of their homes during this second lockdown. We would like to appreciate the team that has made this possible for our children.
Art: Toonda Community Centre and Sculpture Project(s)
A selection of our children have been getting involved with a local sculpture project at Toonda Community Centre. Local artist, Albert led the children in creating a permanent sculpture of a dancing lady at the centre, before German volunteer Leonie helped the children to add a splash of colour to the impressive artwork.
Meanwhile year 4 and 5 have been learning about human anatomy and armatures, creating smaller scale sculptures from wire and plaster of Paris bandage, during home workshops led by teacher Lily. The children hope to exhibit their sculptures at the community centre and lead their own workshops to teach local children how to make sculptures of their own. We can’t wait to see their final sculptures revealed!
Keeping up with sports
Our inhouse coach has taken a step ahead to ensure that the children keep up with their sporty skills in tag rugby and soccer. Ongoing sports trainings are happening at the community football pitch on Ndali estate and the training includes both Kasenda Sub county community children and our own children that live in this area. These children are keeping up with developing and enhancing their soccer and tag rugby sports skills during the current lock down as schools remain closed. Coach Denis in his own words: ‘’ it is exciting to see the fun, excitement, passion and big smiles on these kids faces’.
What’s hiding in the garden?
This period has created an opportunity for Early years to check for what’s hiding in their gardens with the support / guide of their visiting teachers, parents and older siblings in a more structured way. This activity is helping the children to perfect their reading and descriptive writing skills. As a result, some children have been able to observe different plants and animals and describe / write facts about them, identify their favourite plants and describe the different parts of a plant, their uses and what these plants need for proper growth. The children are happily working together and sharing knowledge with their siblings, peers and parents.
Attempting maths creatively
Both boys and girls have made great effort with their maths during this period. Various projects like cooking, have brought maths to life in the homes of our children in a rather interesting, creative and fun way. i.e. the children have been making good use of sticks picked from the nearby bush for their mathematics tasks, some were excited about writing instructions and demonstrating how to prepare their favourite food.
The children are also sharing their personal interests and challenging situations that happen in their daily lives with the teachers during weekly visits. This provides an opportunity for us to teach and guide outside the curriculum, all the while shaping children’s minds in a way that's relevant to their individual and communal living.
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