Electricity!!!

I just returned to school from over a week of traveling to help with Peace Corps training.  All the buzz around school is about the electricity that was finally connected.  Until now the boarding students have huddled around two parafin pressure lamps in the evening and early morning.  These break all the time, causing them to go off during the middle of the study periods once every two or three days.  They also require a student to prepare them for about thirty minutes prior to every session and they do not provide very even lighting for the room.  Now the florescent tubes have been installed in the classrooms and one of the tubes lights the room better than one of the pressure lamps used to.  

The principal also installed two halogen flood lamps outside of the classrooms, which helps the watchman to monitor if students are sneeking in and out of school.

I walked past the classrooms during the prepatory period last night, and was met by students who appeared like deer caught in the headlights.  Instead of the typically murmering, they were silent, and they looked as though they have been stunned.  Looking over their books, it appeared as though every word was captivating.

My guess is that, at most, one or two have electricity at home.  Most of them have mud floors at home.  This is huge for them.

It also seems to be huge for the teachers.  This morning, when I returned from administering a form 1 mathematics exam, they had clogged mine and Mr. Mutia's desks with a Sony sound system.  

In the office I had to set up a computer for them.  Among the problems were a monitor that needed to be plugged in and two power buttons that needed to be pressed.  It is so new seeing people with no computer experience and being the only person within a few kilometers who knows who to help them.  I am happy for them, but at the same time I wonder why they have a computer if nobody knows how to use it.  Thus far it seems like more of a status symbol than a helpful tool.  Hopefully they will learn.

My dream is to start a computer lab in the school for the students.  I would love to be able to teach the students how to type and use a computer.  It would definitely give them an advantage when seeking employment, and would increase their access to information after they finish secondary school.

Of course I am also very excited to have electricity.  In fact, I am writing this blog post using the electricity.  I can now charge my cell phone without dropping the battery off with the barber.  I am able to charge my ipod, and I can use the laptop computer that I bought in Nairobi back in April.  Best of all I can share educational movies that I have with my students.  An example that I am very excited about is the Planet Earth series.

Maybe I will even keep up my recent trend of writing blog posts frequently.