On Life: Teaching a 40yr Old Iliterate to Read and Write! March 29, 2009

Someone has said that there is no such thing as functional illiteracy; because when a person is illiterate, he is not functional—Theodore Roosevelt

A few weeks ago, I got an email from a woman asking if I would be willing to teach a 40yr friend of her father to read and write.  I had posted my resume on some tutoring websites stating that I would be willing to offer tutoring help for Bio, Chem, Eng, etc. I knew it was possible for me to get emails from parents soliciting help for their kids but I had never anticipated getting one that would require me to actually teach someone how to read and write more or less an adult practically for scratch.

I was a little bit nervous about how to respond to the email. Deep within me I knew there was no question as to whether I would do it. I just had a little self doubt about my own capabilities to achieve this task and what it would mean once I said “yes.”  If there was anything I could be sure of was the fact that by teaching this person to read and write, I would be introducing them to a whole new world. This simple thought pushed me to accept the challenge.

I got a reply shortly after I accepted the tutoring offer, stating that Dan the person I was going to be helping was extremely shy and felt embarrassed about his situation. He was also particular skeptical about learning because he was afraid whoever was going to teach him would think he is stupid.  He had dropped out of high school and got into the work force and never once went back to school. I figured that was a long time ago. Probably before or around the time I was born. I am 21 years old.

Anyways, I would be having my first meeting with Dan in two days. I am very excited about our meeting. I cannot say the same about the help that is being offered to illiterates in the country. According to Chris Hedges, “there are over 42 million American adults, 20 percent of whom hold high school diplomas, who cannot read, as well as the 50 million who read at a fourth- or fifth-grade level. Nearly a third of the nation’s population is illiterate or barely literate. And their numbers are growing by an estimated 2 million a year. But even those who are supposedly literate retreat in huge numbers into this image-based existence. A third of high school graduates, along with 42 percent of college graduates, never read a book after they finish school. Eighty percent of the families in the United States last year did not buy a book.”

Finding the right text and work book to use has been a journey in of itself. I have performed hundreds of searches on the web to get any resources that could be available to no avail. I think there has to be a conscious effort to help people like Dan who are still willing to give themselves a chance to be much more productive in life.  It’s not only important to make sure no child is left behind but also, no adult is forgotten! There ought to be government sponsored programs to help adult illiterates in today’s society. As Timothy Fortune says “men may be spoiled by education, even as they are spoiled by illiteracy. Education is the preparation of the mind for future work; hence men should be educated with special reference to the work.”

On Love: Remembering Grandpa!! March 27, 2009

Every time I think of my grandfather, I feel cheated by “time” for not allowing me more time to enjoy the blessings of his company. My grandfather died eleven years ago today and till this day, I have never ever felt any deeper loss in my life. He had a very kind and loving spirit which people were naturally drawn to. In all the years we spent together, I never once heard him raise his voice at anyone. When he smiled, his dimples radiated so much love and tenderness, his laughter was infectious and brought joy to anyone around. He always concluded everything he said with a proverb which could have you pondering its meaning for days. He treated all his grand children with the kind, gentle and loving tenderness only a grandfather could give. As kids, nothing hurt my cousins and I more than being caught acting mischievous by grandpa; we did not want to upset the nicest person in the world. He loved his grandchildren deeply and showed it through countless acts and we loved him more for that. It did not matter how tall or big you thought of yourself, he would sit you on his lap and rock you back and forth in his old arm chair.

My grandfather was proud of his children and grandchildren. His life had been full of hardships and few opportunities that it pleased him so much that his children and grandchildren were blessed in more ways than one. He grew up in a small village called Lewoh, in West Central Cameroon in Africa. To provide for his four kids and wife, he grew cocoa and coffee in a small piece of land beside a two bedroom mud hut he called home. While struggling to deal with the emerging cultural and political effects of a new post colonial order, he realized education was very necessary for his children. There were many challenges he faced being an illiterate trying to navigate a system whose establishments required knowledge of French and the Queen’s language.

He worked hard to send his children to boarding schools established by catholic and Presbyterian missionaries. Even though he chided his grandchildren for taking many things for granted such as having running water, light at the flip of switch instead of an oil lamp, a comfortable bed instead of floor mat, he was none the less happy that such was not part of our reality. When we had our summer vacations in the village, he would gather us round the fireside in the smoke kitchen every evening, and as we roasted corn, he would tell of stories of the early German encounters with the village. He would tell us about his father fighting the Germans and the beheading of a famous general who dared to underestimate the resistance mounted by the Chief of a nearby village called Fontem. We would be so captured by the stories that sometimes our fresh corn turned into coal under the heat of the fire. Ahhhhhh, the good times!!!

The saddest part about knowing grandpa, and being around him, was to watch his health slowly deteriorate and his memory eroded. In less than no time, a mysterious disease rendered him almost functionally dependent. He grew faint and weak each passing day and then became bed ridden. I started longing for the days when his laugh would overwhelm everybody in the room, when he could lift me up high in the air and place me on his shoulders, when he would give us advice on life etc. Every time I saw him lying on his sick bed, I would sit beside him and place my little head on his chest, hoping by some magic everything would return to the way it used to be.

When he left us that fateful day in August of 1998, I had never lost anyone so dear to me. I cried my first heart torn tears for him and attended my first funeral ever. For the first time, I knew what it meant to lose someone so dear to the heart. I will always miss him!! In loving memory of Talieh Achheanyi, for all the love you gave your children and grandchildren.

On Love: Remembering Grandpa!!

Every time I think of my grandfather, I feel cheated by “time” for not allowing me more time to enjoy the blessings of his company. My grandfather died eleven years ago today and till this day, I have never ever felt any deeper loss in my life. He had a very kind and loving spirit which people were naturally drawn to. In all the years we spent together, I never once heard him raise his voice at anyone. When he smiled, his dimples radiated so much love and tenderness, his laughter was infectious and brought joy to anyone around. He always concluded everything he said with a proverb which could have you pondering its meaning for days. He treated all his grand children with the kind, gentle and loving tenderness only a grandfather could give. As kids, nothing hurt my cousins and I more than being caught acting mischievous by grandpa; we did not want to upset the nicest person in the world. He loved his grandchildren deeply and showed it through countless acts and we loved him more for that. It did not matter how tall or big you thought of yourself, he would sit you on his lap and rock you back and forth in his old arm chair.

My grandfather was proud of his children and grandchildren. His life had been full of hardships and few opportunities that it pleased him so much that his children and grandchildren were blessed in more ways than one. He grew up in a small village called Lewoh, in West Central Cameroon in Africa. To provide for his four kids and wife, he grew cocoa and coffee in a small piece of land beside a two bedroom mud hut he called home. While struggling to deal with the emerging cultural and political effects of a new post colonial order, he realized education was very necessary for his children. There were many challenges he faced being an illiterate trying to navigate a system whose establishments required knowledge of French and the Queen’s language.

He worked hard to send his children to boarding schools established by catholic and Presbyterian missionaries. Even though he chided his grandchildren for taking many things for granted such as having running water, light at the flip of switch instead of an oil lamp, a comfortable bed instead of floor mat, he was none the less happy that such was not part of our reality. When we had our summer vacations in the village, he would gather us round the fireside in the smoke kitchen every evening, and as we roasted corn, he would tell of stories of the early German encounters with the village. He would tell us about his father fighting the Germans and the beheading of a famous general who dared to underestimate the resistance mounted by the Chief of a nearby village called Fontem. We would be so captured by the stories that sometimes our fresh corn turned into coal under the heat of the fire. Ahhhhhh, the good times!!!

The saddest part about knowing grandpa, and being around him, was to watch his health slowly deteriorate and his memory eroded. In less than no time, a mysterious disease rendered him almost functionally dependent. He grew faint and weak each passing day and then became bed ridden. I started longing for the days when his laugh would overwhelm everybody in the room, when he could lift me up high in the air and place me on his shoulders, when he would give us advice on life etc. Every time I saw him lying on his sick bed, I would sit beside him and place my little head on his chest, hoping by some magic everything would return to the way it used to be.

When he left us that fateful day in August of 1998, I had never lost anyone so dear to me. I cried my first heart torn tears for him and attended my first funeral ever. For the first time, I knew what it meant to lose someone so dear to the heart. I will always miss him!! In loving memory of Talieh Achheanyi, for all the love you gave your children and grandchildren.

Introduction: On Life, Love and Politics March 26, 2009

“Our ability to live in peace with one other depends on our learning to appreciate and respect each other’s differences.” The way forward is not by trying to change your neighbor, but by accepting him and recognizing that we are all looking for the same things in life: bread, water, spirit, respect and love.”- Idan Raichel

Hello, and welcome to my blog. My life lives so much to muse about so I decided to share some of those instances with the world. … Ok, to be honest I am also quite opinionated and I am frankly running out of opinionated people to argue with lol!! I believe in the utter randomness and unpredictability that is life, the abstract and complex emotion that is love, the necessary nuisance that is politics. My life’s journey thus far has been full of color, twists and turns, highs and lows and I have so much to be thankful for. I have traveled so many places, been touched by so many people and stories. My spirit is most at peace in my native Country Cameroon in Africa even though my heart is heavy with condemnation for some of the leaders. I consider myself a global person, a lover of culture, people, and this is my this is my testimony on Life, Love and Politics!!