Patrick’s PhD Dissertation Project
Patrick Plonski is the Executive Director of Books for Africa and long time friend and partner of PEN Trust. We were honored when we heard that of all the organizations he works with throughout the continent of Africa, he chose PEN Trust to assist him with his PhD dissertation project.
The premise of his project is to see if donated English textbooks from the United States are a valuable asset to increasing test scores in students whose primary language at home is Swahili. Interviews were done with administrators and teachers of all disciplines to see the relevance of English textbooks in their classrooms. Then students were tested in two ways – first through a three minute written comprehension test and secondly through three one minute individual oral reading samples for words per minute and accuracy and pronunciation.
Here are more pictures from Patrick’s visit with us:
Headmistress Nyama Sagara of Msalato Girl’s Secondary School in Dodoma– a school that has received English textbooks from PEN Trust over the past three years.
Girls in the library at Msalato Girl’s Secondary School.
Interviewing a teacher at Mwenge Boy’s Secondary School in Singida. This is also a school that has received books from Books For Africa from various sources.
This is a blind teacher from Dodoma Secondary School talking about the challenges for both teachers and students with special needs.
Giving instruction for testing.
Three minute comprehension test.
Form III students at Dodoma Secondary School.
Patrick visited the Ikhanoda Dispensary during his time in Singida. He delivered medical books to Dr. Irunde as well as scrubs and simple medical devices and supplies from Minnesota donors.
Too much rain this year… the rains were so prolific this year that crops were stunted and did not produce a harvest.
Stuck for two hours… Our car is on the left of the picture – our driver attempted to take the side path around a cattle truck and goods lorry already stuck in the middle of the regular road from Singida to Dodoma.
Welcome to Tanzania, Patrick! The Boys Scouts have a great motto – Always Be Prepared. Here you never know what lies around the corner.