First Impressions- 7/12, 7/13, 7/14, 7/15

Leaving the U.S. on the first plane ride out of the country is usually when it hits me that I am going on another life-changing journey. For some reason on this trip it hit me in the van on the way to the house. Lisa Marie started talking about the culture and telling us to take in everything we were seeing. We passed tons of agriculture, dola-dolas, and so many different people. I was trying to go into the trip with no expectations or ideas so I wasn’t surprised when we were driving just more stunned by the amount of beauty and culture Tanzania had to offer.

            On day two we took a tour of town and were completely immersed in Tanzania’s culture. It was hot and there was a lot of walking but being able to experience Tanzania like that made the sweat and blisters worth it. Sunday we went to Cradle of Love, a children’s home for abandoned babies. It is about as close to heaven on Earth as it gets. Happy babies literally swarm around you and their eyes are just telling you to pick them up and give them love. It is absolutely adorable and heart melting. You see these big guys like Tate and Kevin holding two little babies and the cuteness looks almost set up. Our first weekend here really brought me closer to Tanzania and gave me a true understanding for their culture and we hadn’t even gone to the school yet.

            Monday, July 14, 2014 was our first day at the LOAMO School and it was incredible. You drive through a slum-like neighborhood and out of nowhere pops up a blue gate. Inside is one of the most amazing learning areas I’ve ever seen. In Cambodia and Nicaragua they try to teach the kids but learning isn’t exactly a number one priority, or they just don’t have the tools to provide proper learning. At LOAMO, that is not the case. It is a structured and disciplined learning school. I was assigned to Class 1, which is the equivalent to first grade in the states. There were about 31 students, give or take a few, and each is filled with energy and excitement. It’s different from most experiences because the kids are very happy to see you and have you be there, but you have to earn their trust.

            Today, I helped them with their English and Math. The teachers are very happy to have you there, but you have to ask them if you can help or what you can do. I graded papers, sharpened pencils, wrote lessons and filled out notebooks. Their pencil sharpener is an exacto knife, which happen to be broken so it was just a knife blade. The teachers and students laughed when I tried because I was so bad but I kept going and eventually got decent at it. My hand was sore and cut but it truly makes you appreciate the little things. My first graders were extremely smart and I rarely found a mistake in their work. We did math (multiplication and addition/subtraction), science (air pollution and water pollution), and English/phonetics (writing and drawing). We did fill in the blank work and finally ended with ICT, Information-Communication-Technology, where we learned about drums. It fills me with joy to know that they are truly learning. Watching them finally understand something is like understanding or finishing a problem you’ve worked on for so long. It is incredibly rewarding. I was so impressed with LOAMO and their ability to teach these kids.

            Day after day I earn more and more trust between the students and teachers. Day 1 I just graded and sharpened pencils. By day 2 I was writing lessons on the board, grading, sharpening, and individually teaching kids. On day 3, I will be doing all of that plus I got the privilege to finally teach two lessons without help. Going up in front of 32 kids and 2 teachers not knowing their first language is so nerve-racking. But once you do it the first time it gets easier and easier. The kids start to respect and trust you more, which means they love you even more. But most of all earning the respect of the teacher was amazing. It wasn’t just given to you, you had to work for it which makes the reward so much more impactful. Working/teaching these kids is so fulfilling and makes me proud to see them improve, I cannot wait to continue with them.