Prefect Elections at Keyo

Monday, June 22, 2009 – Today, afternoon classes were cancelled so that Senior Level 3 could hold prefect elections. I had to leave early because it was taking so long and I was out there for two hours. Wild. But the elections were held behind the staff room under a big tree to avoid the sun. I sat with the other teachers on the bench and about 200-300 students gathered under the tree on the ground and in desks that they had taken out of the classroom and placed in the shade. The group of prefect candidates was seated off to the side on a series of benches.
The current head prefect got up to introduce the candidates. He said that each candidate for head prefect would go first (there were three) and they would have a maximum of five minutes to speak. All other candidates (there were 15 total positions) would have a maximum of three minutes to speak. Then, he called out the first candidate.
As he got up to speak, I thought that this was going to be a very long, boring event because he was not the greatest speaker. I wanted desperately to tell him to just stand still, keep his head up, and talk loud enough for everyone to hear. But that is something that I say every day. The Acholi people speak so softly. I feel deaf all the time. After his five minutes were up, the head prefect took questions for the candidate. There were none. No one seemed to care about his speech.
However, the next candidate was announced. This boy I recognized because Florence and I interviewed him last week. He is 21 years old and is in senior level three (the equivalent of ninth grade). The reason, though, that he is so old and still in such a low level is that he was abducted when he was 13 years old. Shortly after he returned from the bush, both of his parents died of HIV/AIDS. So now he is the oldest sibling left to care for his brothers and sisters.
He rose from his candidacy bench with great poise and resolve. His face was stone. He is about 6’5” and as skinny as a rail. He wore a suit and tie, but I am not sure whose suit it was. The sleeves of the blazer were about five inches too short for him. On anyone else, I may have laughed. However, his intent was so clear that I had no choice but to give him respect. As soon as he stood, two young girls in school uniform jumped up to accompany him on his walk to the center of the grass, carrying two colorful umbrellas over his head. A comical scene, but one that deserved much admiration. He gave a great speech…very clearly stated, reserved, and analytical. He gave numerous reasons in his “manifesto” for the need to “mandate him into power”. I thought, surely, this candidate could not be beaten. However, the final candidate was one that I recognized from his repeated participation in class. Odong Magellan walked to the center of the field, also accompanied by two ladies with umbrellas. I was very proud of him and I am anxious to see who will come out on top tomorrow in the voting process.
Their speeches were all delivered in English. I was surprised at how clearly they spoke. However, there were a few candidates throughout the speeches that got some words confused. With so many categories of prefects, the speeches all ran together after a while. But the entertainment prefect speeches were funny. When the first candidate was called up to speak, he immediately abandoned the formal introduction that all the other candidates had followed. Instead, he jumped up and started running into the opening of the field with a piece of rolled up loose leaf paper for a microphone, his pants pulled down low, and he started rapping. He also had three other boys join him as his entourage. All holding rolled up pieces of loose leaf paper, occasionally yelling “yeah”, “uh huh”, “right”. Amazing. Actually, one of them...one of my favorites of all the students I have spoken to at Keyo…Mandela Nelson, had his pants pulled down low and was sticking his belly out as far as he could. Now, Mandela is about 5’3” and tiny in the waist, so there is not much of a belly to stick out. But he was trying the whole time and kept scratching it as he jumped around yelling. Any idea who he is imitating? My first instinct was maybe Lil’ Jon? All in all, it was an entertaining performance. And the first of a few that were similar.
I thoroughly enjoyed the speeches and was sad when I had to leave early. But I did get to talk to a few of the students before I left to commend them on their performance. It is funny to me that people are the same everywhere you go. Of course there are drastic cultural differences. But as far as personalities go, so similar. There is always a range from the sweet, shy, quiet ones to the loud, comical, need for attention ones.