The school Johnson worked at had 1,700 students, 41 teachers, and only 14 rooms. To deal with this enormous disparity, the school split its students into morning, afternoon, and nighttime classes. The nighttime classes were for adults and younger students who couldn’t otherwise have the opportunity. Even with this system, Johnson says students sat two or three to a table. Johnson’s time wasn’t all work and education. She helped start an English-speaking theatre group that competed with other provinces in Mozambique. Johnson’s theatre group outshined all others in taking first place throughout all of Mozambique. With a slideshow presentation that brought the audience into the countryside, her village, and her home, Johnson spoke about Mozambique’s challenges. She says there’s little running water, it’s oppresively hot for much of the year, men don’t work much, and women are treated badly. Even with all these problems, Mozambicans still have a deep desire to learn -- Johnson tried to fulfill that need.
Jill Johnson speaks about her Peace Corps Experience in Mozambique
Jill Johnson speaks of Mozambique, Peace Corps
By Matt McCabe, Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 11:47 AM CDT
Caption: Jill Johnson spent over two years teaching the English language in Mozambique.
Living and working in a place that experiences flooding every year, has on average one crocodile attack a month, and is even susceptible to hippo attacks may not be everyone’s idea of a great experience. But for Jill Johnson, Peace Corps volunteer, the events are just part of a once in a lifetime adventure.
Johnson shared those experiences and much more with junior and senior high students from Butterfield-Odin on Tuesday. Her experiences stem from a Peace Corps teaching assignment in the African republic of Mozambique. For over two years, Johnson taught English in the Sofala Province of Mozambique. She says she gained a unique perspective of the world by working and living closely with an entirely different culture of people. She also learned to overcome extreme hardship.
The school Johnson worked at had 1,700 students, 41 teachers, and only 14 rooms. To deal with this enormous disparity, the school split its students into morning, afternoon, and nighttime classes. The nighttime classes were for adults and younger students who couldn’t otherwise have the opportunity. Even with this system, Johnson says students sat two or three to a table.
When Johnson wasn’t teaching the Portugese-speaking Mozambicans English, she helped bring culture and education to the poverty-stricken country. Mozambique has a country-wide HIV prevalence of 17%. This epidemic, along with poor health care puts these people’s average life span at age 40, according to Johnson. So part of her visit was spent educating girls with the REDES program.
The REDES?program brings Aids awareness to the forefront. Part of that education, says Johnson, comes from realigning girls’ self-image.
“It’s easier for girls to contract AIDs,” said Johnson. “We wanted to help these girls, so that they don’t make unwise decisions.”
Johnson’s time wasn’t all work and education. She helped start an English-speaking theatre group that competed with other provinces in Mozambique. Johnson’s theatre group outshined all others in taking first place throughout all of Mozambique.
With a slideshow presentation that brought the audience into the countryside, her village, and her home, Johnson spoke about Mozambique’s challenges. She says there’s little running water, it’s oppresively hot for much of the year, men don’t work much, and women are treated badly. Even with all these problems, Mozambicans still have a deep desire to learn -- Johnson tried to fulfill that need.
