Revisiting the Schools

We returned last night from four nights at the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti with no internet access, so I will have to play catch up in my next few entries. I will start with our return to the primary school in Moshi.

There are a few days in your life that you know will have changed some small part of who you are forever. Those are the days that you just do not remember the events that took place, but the emotion you felt imprinted on your heart. Today was one of those days.

We returned to the school to teach a lesson. I was assigned with two other teachers to a 4th grade class. We had a little over 40 students who did not speak English. We introduced ourselves and showed them a world map to show where we were from and where it was in location to Tanzania.

I love singing songs with my 4th grade class in Athens, so I thought it would be fun to teach them a few songs in English – Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes and the Hokey Pokey. They already knew those songs and so they taught US how to sing them in Swahili! We ended up teaching them one of my classroom’s favorites – The Banana Song (or Wimbo Ndizi in Swahili!).

We gave the students index cards to write notes to our students back in America. I can’t wait to read over all of them! Despite the language barrier, the students participated in the lesson with such gusto. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Each child wanted so badly to put their whole heart into what we were doing.

Before we left, we each brought the students some simple gifts – gum, pencils, pens, bracelets, candy, etc. I was overcome with emotion by how grateful and excited the students were for each gift. They cheered and clapped with such thunderous applause for each present, you would have thought that we were giving them gold and diamonds. I felt incredibly selfish as I passed out the gifts – instead of worrying about cramming in that extra change of clothes for my trip, why didn’t I cram in more things for these children and their schools?

Visiting the school that day reminds me of why I love being a teacher and how much more I have to give not only the children of my school, but the rest of the world. Tears stung my eyes as the bus pulled away that day, wishing I could do more. The gifts exchanged that day seemed so unequal. I felt there was so much more I could give, and yet every child at that school was so quick to give me everything they had.

If you were as inspired by the story of these children as I was by spending time with them, you can join me in trying to send supplies to this school. I am hoping to start a pen pal program with my class in the fall and send boxes of supplies with the letters. The school could really use and supplies – from small ones such as pens, crayons, and paper to larger donations like computers.

Principal: Christopher J. Akaro of Moshi Primary School
P.O. Box 8446
Moshi, Tanzania