School Supply Shopping is Different in Mozambique.
There are other things to like school clothes shopping, and well....you'll see what I mean. It's different!
We finished school supply shopping for our boys on the
weekend before their first day back to school. We had to get the final details,
like a protractor and ruler, markers and more dry-erase markers for each of our
three boys.
It’s so different shopping for three kids in Colorado,
instead of shopping for notebooks and pens in bulk in Chimoio. In Chimoio, we
know some of the shop owners where we frequently bought materials for the Iris
Chimoio ROG children center, missionary house, and annual school materials. We
spent time making sure that the notebooks would be enough for the children
according to their grade. That seems similar to school supply shopping here.
Then there were textbooks to buy, not for first through 6th grade. But,
we did have to purchase books for the kids who had passed primary school
grades. That is very different from what I see here. The shopping process is
very different too!
I remember walking down dusty roads looking at the books
laid out on the sidewalk. Some of the vendors had a stand with books up off of
the ground, others laid a tarp on the edge of the street to mark their ‘area’.
We tried to get enough books for our kids to have one each if they went to
school at different periods.
The public schools in Mozambique have early morning period,
late morning period, and afternoon classes for minors. There is also an evening
class offered at most schools for adult learners. We requested many times that
our children have the same class periods, but sometimes that wasn’t available.
Our kids who have morning classes would pass their textbooks over to the kids
who have afternoon classes. They shared their textbooks to do homework. It wasn’t
because we didn’t want to purchase more textbooks, there were lots of shortages
in textbooks. The textbooks were also renewed pretty regularly, so older
versions were no longer wanted in the classroom.
I just ordered my university textbook online, it will be
shipped for free by the website to arrive on Saturday. There weren’t enough
textbooks in my campus bookstore, so I bought it online. I don’t have to wait
into the semester until a shipment of textbooks arrives in our city. Its so convenient.
I didn’t have to barter with a vendor, or find a student who
took the class last semester to wrangle a deal with in order to secure a copy
of the text. Its actually kinda refreshing. I miss the dust sometimes. I really
miss the smells in the air, but only some of them.
I really miss the children. Their laughter and smiles as
they opened up new backpacks filled with new notebooks, pens, protractors and
colored pencils. It was always a highlight of our year gathering backpacks from
the market.
We tried to find the least worn, newest looking second hand
bags available. We wanted sturdy bags – hoping that some of them would last
more than one school year. We would beat off the dust and make an offer to the
seller. Some of them were students themselves, or the age of other students.
They sold merchandise that comes in large bundles from shipping containers. We
buy from them.
This year my hubby and I bought three brand new backpacks
for our boys, from a store. We only bought three backpacks and school is just starting over
here, while the school year is moving into a final trimester in Mozambique and
soon enough exam season before summer (December) holidays.
It’s so different, yet so much the same. Summer break. Fall
Start to new school year. Kids anxious to get back to their friends, some kids
a little timid about making new friends. They’re happy to have a nice backpack
with school materials inside. Their thrilled about new shoes for the new year.
Our kids have a few new outfits to wear to school, but no uniform is required.
We have to have our kids in Mozambique fitted for a new school uniform every
year. If they change schools, we need to buy two new uniforms. The kids wash
their shirts every afternoon since they are required to wear a button up shirt
with the school emblem on it, a tie, a pair of long pants, or a skirt for the
girls. Its routine to hand wash the shirts, and trade them out each day.
Our boys are really happy they don’t have to wear uniforms.
And the other thing that is really different about the schools in Colorado and
Chimoio is haircuts.
Our youngest son has a Mohawk/mullet. It’s not a problem. I
remember getting notes from the schools in Mozambique about hair length. One of
our Mozambican sons came home from school with a chunk of his hair cut out by
the professor. They are only allowed to have short trimmed hair – no flat tops.
His professor turned his flattop into a mess that required short hair all over –
acceptable for the school he attended.
It’s different.
I like the liberties we have here with the school. The
clothes, haircuts, and available textbooks are something to celebrate. They don’t
replace the joy of bulk shopping, market strolling, dust battling, Matewe learning, and a
successful barter, but they are worth celebrating. Of course I miss it, I will miss here when I'm gone...
Where ever you find yourself, there is something worth
celebrating. It may be really different than somewhere you spent time before or
not. Celebrating doesn’t require a list of comparisons and contrasts; but it
does require stopping a few moments and recognizing the smooth things, the easy
comforts, and the conveniences that give you more time to do the things you
really love.
I really love our kiddos enjoying school. I really love our opportunity
to gain a broader education in Colorado. I really love that our kiddos in
Mozambique are enjoying their holiday as our kids holiday ended. I love that we
get to chat with them on facebook, because the contrast of realities isn’t so
distant. Our teenagers have cellphones with a facebook app installed on them.
They ask us for help with their school work, their issues, or just say, “Hi, I
love you.”
I really love that our kiddos are so well cared for, and so
loved. I’m so thankful that there are hands to hold them when we are far away.
I’m learning a lot more than just textbook material. I’m learning to celebrate
the good things and get back to the essential things that I wanted to do in
Mozambique, but just didn’t have this kind of internet connection…..I did what
was essential there, now I want to write about it.
I’m posting a blog again, and it’s random. I’m just writing
to celebrate, to remember, to evaluate, and to encourage. You are more blessed
than you know.
Me too.
Lots of love and blessings,
Missionary Momma Mia