Gail Gulbenkian spent two years teaching English in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) as a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1970s
Peace Corps veteran shares world with students
Global lesson A former Peace Corps volunteer teacher shares her experiences with Kipps Elementary School fourth-graders.
By Dawn Baumgartner
dawn.baumgartner@roanoke.com
381-1671
BLACKSBURG - When Gail Gulbenkian would enter an East African classroom, students would stand up and greet her in unison. Gulbenkian was their "mwalimu," Swahili for "teacher," and standing was a sign of respect.
So a few minutes after Gulbenkian began her talk to fourth-graders at Kipps Elementary School last week, she told them how their East African counterparts act. And then she left the room. When she returned, the students stood up and said, "Good morning, Ms. Gail."
Gulbenkian spent two years teaching English in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) as a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1970s. She shared what she learned during her time there - and during another four years teaching English in Kenya - to celebrate Peace Corps Week.
"It was a wonderful, exciting time of my life," she said. Gulbenkian first visited East Africa on vacation in 1971. "I was so taken with the beauty, hospitality and warmth of the people. And I loved teaching, so I earned my certification and used it."
She received her teaching certification from Stanford University and joined the Peace Corps in 1975. After finishing her two-year commitment at a teacher training college in Zaire, she went to teach at a private school in Kenya.
In East Africa, she said, education is valued. "Everyone wants to learn. Teachers are very respected," she told the Kipps students. Most of her Kenyan students spoke at least
three languages: the dialect of their own tribe, Swahili and either English, French or Portuguese.
Gulbenkian taught the Kipps Elementary students a few Swahili words, some the students didn't realize they already knew.
"Who has seen The Lion King? What does 'hakuna matata' mean?" she asked.
Most of the students answered, "No worries."
"Did you know that's Swahili? And the lion's name, Simba, is Swahili for 'lion.' The monkey's name, Rafiki, means 'friend,'" she said. She also taught the students to count in Swahili. One, two, three, four, five is "moja, mbili, tatu, nne, tano." By the end of her hour-long presentation, students had also learned to say hello ("jambo"), how are you ("habari") and fine ("nzuri").
Gulbenkian worked outside major Kenyan cities that had modern conveniences. She told the students that she went to the marketplace, not the grocery store. She ate ugali - maize meal - for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And a white chicken was quite a gift.
"Kids there fetch water, herd goats and help with other chores. Kids are riches. When you grow up, you don't go off somewhere, you live near your family and take care of them. I didn't have any children, and they thought that was pretty weird. Family is the center of life," she said.
Gulbenkian used the fourth-graders to demonstrate how rural East African men and women use colorful pieces of cloth in various ways as clothing. She showed the students a woven basket for carrying ugali, and other items she bought at marketplaces. Students crowded around her table, covered in artifacts, until Gulbenkian left the classroom.
"The children were delighted to hear everything she had to say," said fourth-grade teacher Ann Ferrell. "They like that she's been to a different country. She kept them interested. It was excellent."
Ferrell said she would like for her students to stand and greet her every morning, too, but she is usually already in the classroom before students arrive. Still, she said, "I'm going to try it."
