Back to School (part 2)

The second event in the end of year celebrations was the speech and prize giving ceremony on Saturday.  I was on my own this time - Dawn didn't make it.  The ceremony was due to start at 10:30am (‘prompt’, according to the invitation!)  By 12:00, when about half the invited guests had gathered in her office, Mrs Nji (the school principal) decided we should move over to the hall and make a start.

The programme eventually got under way at 12:30, with the arrival of the graduands.  (In Nigeria, as in the USA, pupils ‘graduate’ from school as well as from college or university.).  In true Nigerian style, they danced in, led by one of the senior teachers.  As previously mentioned, the school colours are purple and white, and the graduands made a striking entrance in pink mortar-boards and gowns with purple facings.  The school is relatively large, with over 1000 pupils this year, and 146 were graduating.

After the opening devotions we were led in the National Anthem and the School Anthem by the choir, who were back to their basic school uniforms – no straw hats on display this morning!  As we had started late, some of the music had been cut, and we moved swiftly on through various speeches.  The next major highlight was the launching of the school yearbook.  This was in effect a fund-raising drive, with various guests (not me!) competing as to who would pay most for their copy.  Top place went to the chairman, who purchased his copy for ₦150,000 (approx. £600!)

After some more speeches, the event concluded with the prize-giving.  In addition to class prizes and subject prizes, there were awards for those involved with the Fellowship of Christian Students and the choir – one graduand who had been in the choir since he started in first year was presented with a guitar.  There were also special prizes supplied by a group of young men who had started a maths club at the school.  I was very pleased to see that they included an award for the most improved student in the club.

Three of the students (Ivoren Iyuwa, Joy Anum and Benjamin Yusuf) at a science fair in Lagos in May

Ivoren Iyuwa, Joy Anum
and Benjamin Yusuf

Ivoren Iyuwa, Joy Anum and Benjamin Yusuf

Despite the late start, the whole ceremony was over by about 3:00.  What struck me most was the informality on display – in some ways (such as the dance in of the graduands) this was quite refreshing.  However the down-side was that at no stage of proceedings (neither for the speeches nor for the prayers) was the audience ever quiet – the whole affair took place against a background of constant chatter.  As this didn't seem to put any of the speakers off, I assume it is normal for Nigeria.

Back to school

As well as the theological college there is a TCNN secondary school at the far side of the campus here.  It's mainly for boarders which is common in Nigeria but every day we see pupils passing the house in their smart purple and white uniforms making their leisurely way to school. We haven't had any previous contact with it so were quite surprised when Fraser was given an invitation to the end of year dinner and speech day.  Not knowing what to expect, he and I set off on Friday night, got lost on the way among the TCNN staff houses but eventually arrived in good time to be ushered into the headmistress's office to wait with the other special guests.
The invitation said the event started at 5pm.  At about 6pm we were taken across to the hall which was huge and beautifully decorated with the school's colours and guided onto the top table (actually there were quite a few top tables for 4-6 people up on the stage, we, thankfully, weren't at the very front).  I've been to quite a few speech days and formal meals but I've never been to one with armed guards at the door before.  Here the sight of men with machine guns is just an ordinary part of life.
By 6:30 about a third of the many tables in the main hall were occupied by parents and the graduating class had taken possession of the far side of the hall so the programme began.  After the opening prayer and welcome when all people on the top table were mentioned by name, the school choir in their purple skirts/trousers, white shirts and girls in straw hats performed.  They were the best choir singing non African songs that I've heard so far in Nigeria.  We then had speeches and an amazing hiphop dance by some older boys which involved an aerosol and matches.  Fraser and I were then particularly glad we were at the back as the flame shot out towards the table with the most important guests before being turned and, I hope not intentionally, coming extremely close to the decorations.  It was only the unreliability of Nigerian matches that prevented the display being repeated at the end of the dance.  The aerosol-wielder was reduced to unignited spraying as the troop left the hall.
British health and safety would have had nightmares for years - it was very refreshing - as all the graduates also had their own candles to light, one from the other, started by graduates from previous years who'd returned to pass on the light.  At various points in the evening the power went off which only added to the fun.
At about 8:30 the ceremonies were over, we'd toasted the graduating class with the fizzy grape juice on our tables, they had been prayed over and encouraged to stick close to Jesus and it was time for refreshments - fried rice, chicken portions and coleslaw.  Eating a chicken portion with a spoon is be challenging but here it's most acceptable to use fingers. 
We left soon afterwards.  Unfortunately we'd forgotten to bring a torch (basic requirement when out at night in places with few street lights) so instead of attempting to find our way back across the campus in the dark (the moon hadn't risen) we decided to walk along the road and go back in through the grand new gates at the college entrance.  I was glad only to step in one puddle on the way but it was great to be able to walk home.

When I was at university my friends often thought my inspired ideas were, shall we say, somewhat impractical.  To me they were common sense but perhaps my sense was on an alternative wavelength.  It's been a delight to me in these past few days to have my good ideas appreciated by people in Nigeria.  Does this mean I'm actually getting more practical in my old age or is the rest of the world catching up?
In Nigeria you usually find that a fruit stall sells fruit, a vegetable stall sells vegetables and seldom are the two combined.  Admittedly mainly for my own convenience but also because it should help her business, I asked a fruit seller I like why she didn't start selling vegetables as well?  "That is a good idea," she said.  She's been admiring the wicker basket I bring to avoid the ubiquitous plastic bags so we decided that she should buy some herself and make up gift baskets to sell as well.  Today a shop in Rayfield, tomorrow the world!

My next gratifying experience was at BRICC this morning.  Monday is the sports co-ordinator who liases with the BRICC Unity Fitness Centre (UFC) in Jos.  He was talking about how difficult it is to get people to go, despite the fact that Baba who runs it was once coach to one of the Nigerian national sports teams and has a good selection of gym machines.  Christians are very wary of going to that particular area of town.  They have the idea in their heads that it's too dangerous for them.  Such ideas are very hard to remove but have to be overcome if lasting peace and relationships are to be rebuilt in Jos.  The limits people set on themselves are the most durable.  As Monday said, he regularly goes to the UFC without any trouble with security.  He has the Great Security Man with him and doesn't need to be concerned but wishes he could convey that to others.  My simple idea was to gather a small group of Christians and Muslims and take them on a BRICC trip to UFC.  "I hadn't thought of that.  It's a very good idea, I'll do it next week," Monday told me.  It's a wonderful feeling to be a channel of encouragement and such fun.

Ruth's talent for doing things first struck again yesterday morning.  She woke up to find an inch and a half big cockroach looking down on her from inside her mosquito net.  If it had been me you'd have heard the shriek in the UK but Ruth just came through to the kitchen and announced there was something large and unpleasant inside her net.  Perhaps if it had jumped down on her the reaction would've been different.  I failed to catch it, it scuttled off down the side of the bed so I resorted to my preferred means of chemical warfare.  Baygon is great.  Within seconds the beast was writhing on its back ready to be wrapped in newspaper and incinerated, a job well done.

Today's been somewhat frustrating.  The power hasn't been on at all and most of the gadgets have run out of charge (hooray for solar panels that can keep phones going).  Of course it's the day I need the electric blender in my attempt to make masa (I put the rice to soak last night when we had electricity - you have to plan ahead with this recipe).  I tried grinding the rice in the hand blender but it set like cement and I've now broken the blender so my first attempt is not going to be successful at all.  On top of this the roofer has been around all day replacing the mouldy ceiling panels which is allowing a whole heap of unidentified droppings to fall into the house. He assures me they're old and he's seen nothing living up there since he killed a large creature which had taken up residence in the roof before we moved in and I've decided to believe him, it's better for my peace of mind.  His presence means we haven't been able to relax and the prospect of clearing up in the dark or by candlelight is not one I'm looking forward to but perhaps we'll have power by then.

As if all this wasn't enough, today we brought home our new puppy, Luach.  Toby our other dog is lovely but he's old and scared of thunderstorms (a huge disadvantage in the Nigerian rainy season).  Luach, we hope, will not be so handicapped and will be happy to stay outside and watch the house whatever the weather.

Toby & Luach

The rains seem to have arrived properly now.  Yesterday afternoon I was in the BRICC office as the conversation ranged from Scottish soldiers wearing "skirts" to the ins and outs of Hitler's death when the heavens opened.  After about three-quarters of an hour I decided I'd better make a dash for it - I didn't want to be trapped by rising water.  Most of the streets in that part of town have deep drainage ditches along both sides but these were already full to overflowing and in some cases gushing over, flooding the roads.  It was an interesting drive back, illuminated by lightning with a crashing soundtrack but I overtook the storm on its way from Jos to Bukuru and got to experience it all over again, this time from inside the house but with our own personal stream coming down the wall and across the floor from another hole in the roof.

Another first for Ruth

Ruth has had the honour of experiencing many things first whilst we've been in Nigeria.  She was the the first to be treated for malaria, the first to get protozoic dysentry, the first to register with a doctor and the first to get the painful spines of a huge hairy caterpillar stuck in her skin.  Today she did it again and was the first to incubate a mango worm of her own.  For those of you who've had the good fortune never to experience these creatures they're the reason that all our clothes have either to be ironed thoroughly after drying outside or left for forty-eight hours before being worn.  Flies lay their eggs on them during the rainy season and these are then hatched by body heat so the resultant maggot can burrow under the skin.
A few days ago I noticed what looked like a mosquito bite on Ruth's back.  This afternoon she showed me what looked like an extremely revolting abcess with what seemed to be a small hole near the centre.  I squeezed.  Nothing happened except a yelp and complaint from my daughter.  Next I reached for the trusty vaseline and sticking plaster in an attempt to suffocate the beast (worm, not daughter).  Having put a dollop over the hole I stuck on the plaster and we waited.
After tea I investigated.  There was a small white thing poking out of the hole.  It wasn't moving so I tried squeezing again.  This time the maggot emerged, looking like a fat grain of rice and thankfully already dead.  Great sense of relief and achievement all round.  Ruth wouldn't let me take a photo of the hole in her back to post on the blog but if you really want illustrations just put mango worm into google images but beware, it's not for the squeamish.

Doors

We have a great house here at TCNN but one thing that drives me mad is the doors.  Here are selected views of our creatively hung doors and our solution to one of them.         

  

Recently I was told something that emphasises how great a need there is for good theological colleges here.  A monkey lives on the rocks within the campus. We suspect it was once a pet which was released or escaped.  It does no harm except to eat a few crops and is not often seen.  I saw it up on the rocks one day and naturally was quite excited by the experience but not everyone views it in the same way.  Some of the students here, students studying Christian theology, are calling for it to be killed as they say it's possessed by the spirit of a Muslim sent to spy on the college.  It's heartbreaking to think that these are people who will go back to their churches and preach Christianity.  We pray they will be set free from their superstitions to learn and understand the truth.