At 8:20 this morning, Ione and I walked into our classroom to set up and be ready for a 9am start and this is what we walked into – The kids were halfway into playing ‘Wiggalo’, a game we taught them yesterday, our first day with them. We immediately dropped our bags and joined in! At the end of the day, exhaustion got the better of us, but I will never forget the energy and enthusiasm we walked into this morning! Its contagious and addictive.
The kids are just wonderful!!! Even though there are challenges, they make it easy! Being in their midst makes me forget the whirlwind of a weekend we had. We are two days in, and are already amazed by the incredible writing and material they have generated. There is an openness and receptiveness about them that makes me want to work harder, encourage further and push deeper. Oh, and, I have never known bathroom breaks to be over with such lightening speed!! They cant wait to get back to class!
We give them a good laugh when we attempt to speak in Swahili!
St. Margaret’s Academy is in the Kesongo district in Arusha and is a constant work in progress. The story of its creation and growth, all helmed by the powerhouse Mama Tesha, is an inspiring one – I will have to devote another post to her.
We are in a brand new building on the 2nd floor that has a stunning view of hills and nature; lots of natural light and newly painted walls. I love the simplicity of the room and do not miss the over stimulated classrooms that I am so used to. No blasting air conditioners, just a cool breeze blowing in; no walls full of vocabulary and grammar and Science and Math and English, just a fresh coat of paint.
We leave early in the morning when its chilly and foggy. By the time we are on our way back, processing the day and decompressing, the sun is out, shining brightly. The biggest treat for us is driving back at the end of the day with Mount Meru on our left, majestic and magnificent. It looks different every day. Today clouds circled around the lower half of the mountain and bordered one of its slopes.
Looking forward to what tomorrow has in store…
Farah Bala 