Alhamisi baada ya vipindi, chumba cha design kilionekana kama mtu alikuwa amejaribu kuchora shule nzima ukutani. Karatasi kubwa ya kahawia ilining’inia mbele, na Bwana Raza alikuwa ameandika kwa marker: APPLICATION → ELIGIBILITY → SHORTLIST → INTERVIEW → RESULT.
Chini ya kila hatua kulikuwa na mishale, majina ya forms na watu waliokuwa na access.
Mariam alisimama karibu na Kelvin na Asha. Bi. Halima alikuwa upande wa pili wa meza, akiwa na copies za process ya mwaka uliopita.
Raza akagonga ukuta kwa marker. “Forum imeomba temporary solution. Hatutengenezi constitution leo. Tunatafuta pilot inayoweza kutumika bila kuvunja timetable yote.”
Kelvin akasema, “Na bila kutengeneza rule ambayo inaonekana nzuri tu kwa sababu Mariam yuko hapa.”
Mariam akamwangalia. “Asante kwa warm welcome.”
“Ndio kazi yangu.”
Asha akasema, “Kazi yako ni welfare rep, si professional irritation.”
Kelvin alitabasamu. “Roles overlap.”
Halima aliwarudisha kwenye ukuta. “Tuonyeshe sehemu ambazo influence inaweza kuingia.”
Mariam alisogea mbele. Kwenye APPLICATION, jina la candidate lilikuwa juu ya form, pamoja na class, clubs na referee. ELIGIBILITY ilikuwa na attendance na discipline record. SHORTLIST ilikuwa na statement ya sababu ya kugombea, lakini jina bado lilionekana.
“Kwa nini first statement inahitaji jina?” Mariam aliuliza.
Raza akasema, “Ili tujue ni ya nani.”
“Baada ya scoring, ndiyo. Kabla?”
Hakuna aliyejibu mara moja.
Kelvin akachukua marker. “Candidate code.”
Akaandika C-01 pembeni ya statement.
Asha akasema, “Na parent relationship?”
Halima akaonyesha interview stage. “Tulikuwa tunafikiria disclosure kabla ya interview.”
“Too late,” Mariam alisema. “Kama selector ameona jina wakati wa written round, blind imeisha.”
Raza akavuta pumzi. “Anonymous systems si magic. Watu wanaweza kutambua writing style, activities, hata issue ambayo candidate anaongelea.”
“Najua,” Mariam alisema. “Blind si perfect; lakini inafanya mtu aonyeshe sababu ya kuondoa blind.”
Kelvin aliandika sentensi hiyo pembeni ya karatasi. “Hii naiba.”
“Weka citation.”
Walianza kuunda version mpya. Student affairs ingepokea forms na kutoa codes. Panel ya first round ingeona statement bila jina, parent role wala donor information. Eligibility facts zingekaguliwa na staff tofauti. Baada ya written score kufungwa, identities zingefunguliwa kwa interview na conflict disclosures zisomwe rasmi.
Asha aliinua mkono kama yuko darasani. “Appeal iko wapi?”
Raza akasema, “Candidates wanaweza kuuliza result.”
“Hiyo si appeal.”
“Unataka nini?”
“Masaa ishirini na nne ya kuonyesha procedural error. Si ‘sikupenda score’. Kitu kama selector alikuwa na conflict ambayo hakudisclose, score imejumlishwa vibaya, criterion ilibadilishwa baada ya submission.”
Kelvin akasema, “Na mtu akitumia appeal kuchelewesha result?”
“Deadline. Evidence required.”
Mariam akatikisa kichwa. “Hiyo inalinda process bila kufanya kila loss kuwa case.”
Halima aliandika APPEAL WINDOW kwenye mshale mpya.
Kisha Kelvin akaanza kutafuta loopholes kwa furaha iliyokuwa karibu ya kukera.
“Candidate akiandika ‘kama editor wa newspaper’ na kuna editor mmoja tu?”
“Statement instructions ziseme usiweke identifying titles,” Mariam alisema.
“Candidate akitaja project ambayo kila mtu anajua?”
“Redaction before panel,” Asha akasema.
“Parent committee member akiwa si selector lakini anaongea na selector corridor?”
Raza akasema, “Conflict declaration inajumuisha advisory contact. Na selectors wanathibitisha hawajapokea private advocacy.”
Kelvin akaandika tiki.
“Headteacher akiwa anajua codes?”
Kaseke hakuwa chumbani, lakini Raza alicheka. “Mkuu hatapenda hili.”
“Ndiyo maana ni swali zuri,” Mariam alisema.
Waliamua code key ishikwe na student affairs administrator ambaye hafanyi scoring. Kaseke angeona identities baada ya first-round scores kufungwa.
Kwa mara ya kwanza tangu screenshot, Mariam alihisi tatizo likipungua kutoka kitu kilichokuwa kimejaa uso wa mama yake na kuwa seti ya decisions ambazo watu wengine wangeweza kujaribu, kukataa na kurekebisha.
Lakini kulikuwa na gharama ambayo hakutaka kujifanya haipo.
Halima alisema, “Anonymous first round ina maana panel haitajua kwamba Mariam amekuwa newspaper na debate isipokuwa statement yake inaonyesha experience bila kujitambulisha.”
Kelvin akasema, “Same for me.”
“Ndiyo,” Halima alisema. “Personal recognition advantage inapungua kwa wote.”
Mariam alifikiria miaka ambayo alikuwa amejenga reputation yake. Baadhi ilikuwa yake kabisa. Baadhi ilikuwa imepata access kupitia mama yake. Blind process haingejua tofauti. Ingeifunika yote kwanza.
“Sawa,” alisema.
Asha akamwangalia. “Sawa kweli?”
“Ndiyo. Kama nataka rule ambayo haihitaji watu waamini intention yangu, lazima nikubali isinisaidie pia.”
Raza aliweka draft mezani. “Pilot inaweza kuanza na current selection. Lakini kila candidate lazima akubali restart ya written stage.”
Kelvin akasema, “Nakubali.”
“Haraka sana,” Mariam alisema.
“Nina confidence.”
“Una ego.”
“Pia.”
Asha akacheka.
Walipitia forms moja baada ya nyingine. Conflict declaration ilikuwa na boxes: parent/guardian on committee; staff relation; donor liaison role; direct advocacy received; other relevant relationship. Haikuuliza kiasi cha donation. Haikuweka connected child kama guilty. Ilisema tu nani anapaswa kujiondoa kwenye decision.
Halima akasema, “Hii ndiyo sehemu muhimu. Recusal ni ya decision-maker mwenye conflict. Si automatic disqualification ya student.”
Mariam akakumbuka score sheet yake iliyovukwa. “Andikeni hiyo bold.”
Raza akafanya hivyo.
Saa moja baadaye, wall ilikuwa imejaa arrows mpya lakini process ilikuwa fupi kuliko mjadala. Raza alipiga picha ya map na kusema angepeleka kwa Kaseke kwa approval ya pilot.
“Na forms za candidates?” Kelvin akauliza.
“Tukipata approval leo, mnarudisha kesho asubuhi.”
Mariam alichukua blank statement form.
Nyumbani usiku, aliandika kwa mkono kwanza. Hakutaja Wema. Hakutaja scandal. Aliandika kwa nini commuter students walihitaji feedback channel, jinsi scholarship students walivyoweza kuogopa kucomplain, na kwa nini welfare rep alipaswa kuchapisha response times za issues.
Alipomaliza, alisoma kama angekuwa stranger. Ilikuwa nzuri. Si perfect. Lakini ilikuwa yake.
Kesho yake, Raza aliweka envelopes sita kwenye meza. Kila candidate alipewa code bila kuiona code ya mwingine. Mariam aliweka statement ndani, akafunga flap na kuisukuma mbele.
Hakuna jina la Sengo juu yake. Hakuna committee title. Hakuna donor history. Hata Kelvin hakujua envelope yake ni ipi baada ya Raza kuzichanganya.
Mariam aliweka form yake kwenye envelope bila jina, na kwa mara ya kwanza hakuna mtu mezani aliyekuwa na ruhusa ya kujua ni yake.
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