Sapwuahfik

“No plane on Sunday; maybe be one come Monday.”

Jimmy Buffet ran through my head as the plane’s arrival to take us back to Pohnpei kept getting pushed back from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to maybe 2:00.  But, that’s the end of the story; it began five days earlier.

Lin and I and another Peace Corps Response Volunteer were invited to travel with a couple of other Pohnpei Department of Education folks to do some staff development work on the Sapwuahfik atoll.  Considered part of Pohnpei State, this atoll is about 90 miles south of Pohnpei.  There are some 10 small islands around a large lagoon.  The only inhabited island is Ngatik, which is about a third of a square mile and contains around 400 or so pretty isolated folks.  Its population is of mixed origin.  There was a well-documented massacre that occurred here in the 19^th Century when the crew of a British ship, along with some Pohnpeian ne’er-do-wells, landed and killed all the males.  Apparently a bunch stayed on, intermarried, and developed their own unique language based in part on Pacific maritime jargon.  Many generations later there remains a unique group of people who speak their own distinct version of Pohnpeian.

There are two ways to get to Sapwuahfik—either by a small six-passenger plane that comes and goes twice a week, or more commonly, by an FSM ship that arrives every 2-3 months en route to the outer islands of Pohnpei and the other states of the FSM.  As you might expect, the arrival of the ship is a big deal.  There is no dock here, so the ship anchors outside the reef and people take small boats out to the ship to bring back or drop off cargo—everything from pigs and household supplies to food and clothing.  Apparently, it’s like a trip to the big city—school is cancelled and everyone heads out to buy and barter.  I’m sorry our timing did not work out to take the ship, but the plane was pretty exciting in its own right.  We (and all of our belongings) got weighed on a scale before departure.  Our captain was not reassuring when he said he could carry six people, although five would be better.  Once weighed and loaded, we took off from the Pohnpei airport.  It has been a while since either one of us have been in a small twin engine prop plane like this—very loud and subject to bouncing around a bit.  However, the view of Ant Atoll and then Sapwuahfik from the air was pretty incredible—well worth the trepidation.  Admittedly, our first sight of the runway at Sapwuahfik was a bit unnerving—seemingly much too short and separated from the island. 

Passenger view of takeoff 

Above and below - Ant Atoll 

We snorkeled in this cut several months ago

Sapwuahfik Atoll showing the small islands and lagoon 

Approaching the runway...yikes! 

Ngatik Island, from the runway

Kids greeting new arrivals

As described in previous posts, living on Pohnpei takes some adjustment; living on Sapwuahfik, even more so.  There are no motor vehicles, no roads, no stores, no electricity (except for some areas served by solar panels), no internet access.  Except for the school, a Sapwuahfik municipal building, and a couple of churches, there are no structures to speak of other than homes.  It is even closer to the equator, so all buildings are pretty much “open air,” taking advantage of any breeze off the ocean.  There is a wide “boulevard” around the island that is beautifully maintained by families and communities along its path. On the ocean side there is typically a stone (coral) wall separating most homes from the water and, we were told, to keep the pigs apart from the houses.  Wheel barrows and bicycles are in abundance, transporting everything from small children to coconuts.

The "Boulevard"

Coral walls

The people were wonderful, greeting us with a smile and in all ways generous.  Three adolescent girls were assigned to us, accompanying us around the island and making sure we had whatever we needed.  Parents are very much involved in their children’s education, with PTA representatives often attending classes, cleaning the grounds, and helping the principal deal with truancy or tardiness.  The PTA and teachers honored us with a couple of pot-luck dinners which consisted of various fish (both cooked and sashimi), bananas, taro, breadfruit, coconuts, and rice (the latter being the only food of choice that is imported).  All of these ingredients are offered in a wide variety of combinations—mashed, baked, raw, etc. 

Our tour guides

Traditional outrigger canoes carved from large breadfruit trees

The school principal and traditional boat builder 

The Sapwuahfik Elementary School is pretty much the only show in town and serves as both the educational and social hub.  It educates children from pre-school through grade 8.  Older children must leave the island to continue their education on Pohnpei.  In addition to the school building itself, the campus includes a cement basketball court, complete with solar lamps.  It was in use most of the time we were there.  Surrounding the area are five or six thatched nahs that are used for eating lunch or simply relaxing.  We provided several workshops on various educational topics and strategies.  I was not always sure we were hitting the mark—the assumptions that drive most of the work we do are not always accurate for a school in this setting.  But, teachers and principal were unfailingly appreciative!

Sapwuahfik Elementary School

First grade teacher "checking for understanding" as taught by Linda

Kindergarten kids' post-lunch clean-up

Lin and I stayed in a hut about 40 yards from the ocean, built on stilts.  We had a visiting pig underneath for a while, but he wandered off.  Most nights there was a nice breeze off the water.  The bathroom and (loosely defined) shower accommodations were down the road a bit next to the school.  We were pretty comfortable, although sleeping on the floor might best be left for younger folk.

Our "Hut"

As suggested by the above, our trip home was delayed a bit, but we made it safe and sound.  Another unforgettable experience!

The Caroline Islands Air Inc. weigh-in terminal

Waiting for our flight at the departure lounge

 

Peace Corps Goal #1

“…to help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.”

So, 10 months into this one year gig, how are we doing?  As one of our several Peace Corps Country Directors put it, “’Go slow’ is the mantra of development.”  And, “slow” certainly characterizes our progress.   But, we are making headway, and we do seem to be appreciated for what we bring to the Pohnpei Department of Education, so there is room for optimism.

From school-based positions designed to help individual schools meet accreditation standards, our Response roles have evolved to the point where we facilitate, coordinate, and deliver staff development opportunities to teachers and administrators in all schools on the island.  In the language of Peace Corps, we are attempting to “build capacity” among those we serve.

Roger’s focus is leadership.  He has designed and delivered workshops and retreats for principals on topics that run the gamut, from broadly defined concepts related to leadership such as accountability and leadership styles to nuts and bolts topics such as running faculty meetings, time management, and budgeting.  A modest example of recent progress was the establishment of an advisory group of principals who have been charged with helping to identify future subject matter for these workshops.  Most recently, Roger convinced one of the skilled Pohnpeian principals to provide training to his peers—a perfect example of building capacity.  Roger has also been working with the Director of the Pohnpei Department of Education (akin to a superintendent of schools of a large US school system).  In this capacity he developed and delivered a strategic planning retreat for central office staff which has better defined district issues and plans to address them.

Linda’s focus is teacher performance.  Soon after she arrived she began working with a Response colleague (who has since completed his service) to develop and deliver teacher training workshops, traveling to schools all around the island.  Topics have ranged from lesson planning and teaching strategies to assessment and classroom management.  She has followed these presentations with teacher observations—the goal being to observe and reinforce the application of these concepts within classrooms.  Just last week Linda and Roger combined forces to provide what may be the most promising endeavor yet.  With the help of the district’s newly minted staff development coordinator, we delivered a two-day retreat to principal-designated “Lead Teachers” from each school.  Our goal was to provide initial training in areas of leadership and staff development strategies to these teachers who, with the support of their principals, will become teacher leaders within their schools, helping to improve teaching and learning among their peers.  During our last couple of months, Linda will again be traveling around the island, helping these newly designated leaders to get started with some initial action plans.

So, progress certainly—although all of this needs to be viewed within the context of a school system that is badly in need of material and human resources.  Some days we make progress, other days, not so much.  We do feel that we have gradually gained credibility and achieved a comfort level with many of our counterparts.  Relationships have changed subtly.  People are more at ease with us, and we with them.  After 10 months we are comfortable sharing thoughts and opinions.  Our counterparts, in turn, are more willing to accept (or reject) our counsel, knowing that it is given honestly by Peace Corps friends and colleagues.

If there is a downside it is that this development takes time, of which we have little remaining.  Ideally, others would continue what we have begun.  Unfortunately, however, the future of the Response program in Micronesia is uncertain, subject to a review by the Peace Corps—but that’s a whole other story.  In the meantime, it has been a great privilege to represent the Peace Corps in a capacity that, for us, has been an incredible experience!

Education Day  One thing the Pohnpeians do well is celebrate (even modest) success.  This week we celebrated “Education Day.”  School was cancelled (the irony was not lost on us…) and staff members and selected students all met at the gymnasium complex of the College of Micronesia.  Awards were given to students, recognizing attendance and academic achievement, and to staff members, in the form of Teachers of the Year awards.  Those schools that recently achieved accreditation status were also recognized.  Lots of speeches, applause, and songs, with the staff members of most schools and the District Office flaunting their own “uniforms,” i.e. identical Hawaiian shirts for the men and muumuus for the women.  Students representing pre-K through high school age levels also performed.  As usual, the little ones stole the show.

Early Childhood Education students in traditional costume.

Bigger kids performing

Pohnpei's overall "Teacher of the Year"--one of our Lead Teachers!

Peace Corps Response Volunteers in uniform