Thank You Africa

When asked to reflect on my time here in Tanzania, the feeling of gratitude comes to mind. The service trip has been, by far, the most rewarding and empowering experience of my life. I am overwhelming grateful for the community of LOAMO, Children's Global Alliance, and the role my sister has played on this trip.

LOAMO staff and students welcomed us into their school, granting us with love and compassion. With a drive to learn, students acted with authenticity and respect in the classroom. The teachers, kitchen staff, and workmen all were dedicated to their jobs and were filled with joy when I assisted them in what they were doing. Being asked to teach was an incredible privilege, one that I will hold in my heart forever. Through teaching children through interactive lessons, which enabled every student to understand the lesson, I realized how much love I feel towards working with children. I was made for volunteering and teaching. And it is was LOAMO that empowered me to stand up and teach with confidence and grace. I will never forget the laughter, love, and joy I have experienced when speaking with both staff and students at LOAMO.

I feel as though it is very important to express my gratitude towards Children’s Global Alliance chaperones, Lisa-Marie, Karlie, and Fiona for granting me the opportunity to volunteer in the developing country of Tanzania. Whether it was bringing us to a Maasai village, taking us to a baby orphanage, or providing us with crucial feedback to our lesson plans, these women have invested every part of themselves to inspiring American student volunteers, while changing the lives of Tanzanian students. Not once did I feel unsafe of uncomfortable, thanks to the CGA chaperones. I am truly blessed to have been a part of this organization.

My sister, Eleanor, and I knew we were lucky to receive the privilege of traveling together, but never imagined to bond and come together like we have in our short time here Africa. Having had a broken relationship due to unfortunate situations in the past year and a half, Eleanor and I have been able to bandage our wounds and talk about subjects that have been silenced for quite some time. For this, I am grateful. Both myself and Eleanor received student of the week and she has had the most positive attitude on this trip. I am beyond proud of her. Eleanor connected and ignited hope in many of the students, leaving a mark on their hearts forever. Eleanor pushed me to stay positive and provided me with insight when teaching children who struggle with reading comprehension. Eleanor and I have come a long way in three weeks. This trip has honestly been the best thing to ever happen to us.

I am full of gratitude and love, because I know that Tanzania will affect me forever. Everybody has a destiny; everybody feels called to do something, mine is service. I was made for this and know that I will carry LOAMO and CGA with me for the rest of my life, allowing my to continue my volunteering career. This trip has taught me an immense amount and the lessons I have learned here will be a part of my character forever. For this, I am humbly grateful.

A Very Challenging Day

Thursday, July 23^rd, was easily one of the hardest days I have ever experienced.

On both Thursday and Friday, every student in the school took exams, marking the end of the second term of the school year.

As prep class began to take their exams, the students grew quiet and focused. Half way through the exam, however, the headmaster opened the door, with a sad and disturbed look on his face. He specifically picked out two of the students and brought them outside and into his office. I haven’t seen either student since.

As the morning continued, I grew very confused, for I saw a group of male students leave the school. I was baffled. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew in my gut that something was not okay.

I couldn’t sit still, so I walked outside the classroom and into the courtyard, only to find two girls crying hysterically. One girl, Brightness, is in class six, while the other, Lisa, is just a toddler in baby class. I held both girls in my arms and then proceeded to ask Brightness what was going on.

As tears streamed down her face, Brightness explained that many students had been asked to leave the school because their parents didn’t pay school fees for the second term. These students were asked not to return to school the following day.

For many of these kids, education is their only possible ticket out of poverty, and now, due to the fact that her parents were unable to pay for school, they will no longer attend LOAMO and will be forced to continue their education at a government school, which does not provide the students with  the same level of support and sustainability as LOAMO.

An education is a priority for all students here. Their parents are dedicated to the children’s academic career, but on Thursday, some were robbed of the opportunity to learn at this English speaking primary school.

 The pain I felt when receiving such news was indescribable. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t think straight and I couldn’t begin to imagine the horror, which the parents must feel, unable to provide for their children. It is not the child to blame, but it the child who suffers.

I am still distraught about this, but know that the headmaster has done everything in his power to try and have the students stay at LOAMO, sending home letters and asking the parents for any amount of money for school fees. There are also many scholarship opportunities available.

Children's Global Alliance has given so much to this school and the organization is smart when it comes to distributing money. Great patience, carefulness, and attention is given when providing individuals with money. Furthermore, it is an investment in one’s life, rather than a donation. CGA is very selective when making such investments, and it wouldn’t have been right to donate money to every child whose parents couldn’t find a way to pay for school fees. CGA hasn’t been able to see every child’s home, every child’s background, comprehend every child’s living situation and family dynamic. It is crucial for CGA to invest in the most worthy children and teachers, making it close to impossible to allow all children to continue studying at LOAMO.

I want to help, and I am reassured by knowing in my heart that I have given my all into teaching and bonding with the students and teachers. I can’t pay for every child’s school fees, but I can absorb every experience I have connecting with each student and allowing them to understand and appreciate that they are more than the amount of money their family has. 

Prep Class

Time has flown by here in Tanzania, for we are already on our final week of teaching. The fact that time is running out both saddens me and encourages me to push myself in giving my all, 100% of the time.

I am no longer teaching in class four, and now am in prep class for children ages five though seven. Prep class has been quite different than class four, but I still love every minute of teaching.

Beginning on Monday, I have taught interactive classes where both the students and I find ourselves laughing and learning with joy. Unlike class four, however, the knowledge attained by the first student to finish their work and the last is greatly varied. The teachers here work hard and are dedicated to their work, but often find themselves having to prioritize for the sake of the majority of the class, leaving behind the children who struggle.

It has become a goal of mine to help those students who find themselves unable to read and comprehend the material. Working one on one with the students has allowed me to realize the different ways in which children learn and reminds me of how important it is to teach with many different methods, enabling every student to grasp the concept.

Because I am going to be a senior in high school, I often receive the question, “what will you be studying in college?” There have been times where I have spoken about becoming a lawyer or doctor, but now, thanks to the service trip, I can conclude that I would like to work with children.

Each child learns differently, each child excels at a certain subject, and each child is affected by what they learn. This concept intrigues me greatly.

Another thing that I am eager to learn more about is the students’ past. Every child is born into a different home, each full of personal challenges and unique family dynamics. Learning about the student’s backgrounds before teaching them is crucial, for it adds purpose to education and value to your role in their lives.

It is close to impossible to learn every child’s past, for we only have a few more days here in Tanzania, but I have received information regarding the disadvantaged kids at LOAMO and have had the privilege of visiting the homes of a few of the children.

Knowing that most of the students at school live below the poverty line while working incredibly hard in school has only increased my respect and gratitude towards these students. Some students are HIV positive; others are currently suffering from malaria, while others only receive one meal a day, living in extremely vulnerable and poor conditions.

Despite these unfair predicaments that so many students find themselves in, the entire prep class is excited to learn and is overwhelmed with joy when answering questions correctly. It is an honor to be surrounded by such positive kids.

The students here at LOAMO have taught me so much, including how to find hope even in the darkest of times, to work hard, and to invest myself in education, for it will only help me in the long run. 

Noela

When applying for Tanzania, I wrote an essay in which explained why the quote "I am not a product of my circumstances, I am a product of my decisions" illustrated me as an individual. To me, this quote means one is not defined by their personal obstacles, but by their actions taken to overcome such challenge. Some people may choose to dwell in self pity in uncomfortable and unfair situations, while others choose to wake up every day full of hope and selflessness. The students in class four at LOAMO have chosen to act with optimism and courage during their journey through life, uncertain of their next meal.

Since the first day at the school, I have noticed one young girl's constant smile and kindness, her patience and compassion, and her all encompassing laugh. The student's name is Noela. Noela is a tall, yet skinny twelve year old girl who is very bright and quietly participates in all subjects through the day. She is shy, yet loving.

Thursday, I received the priveledge of traveling to Noela's home after a long day at school. Noela was estatic to welcome me into her home, even though it was nothing more than two small rooms with a metal roof. When visiting Noela's home, we met her father, Ernest- a man who loves Noela very much. We never saw her mother and she wasn't mentioned. I was confused and asked Noela where her mother was. The answer I recieved startled me. When Noela was just three months old, her mother died. Soon after, both Noela and her father were diagnosed as HIV positive.

While Noela was sharing about her current health situation, she held back tears growing very sad. Noela is often sick and must take medication which is extremely expensive. Because her father is HIV positive, employers deny him work and he struggles immensely to make ends meet. Noela would like to become a doctor but is held back by her health, she wants to journey to school every day, but fails to due to her sickness. Despite the terrible circumstances in which Noela finds herself, she continues to study hard and laugh with hope and grace. Noela is not a product of her circumstances, but a product of her decisions.

I have gained much knowledge from Noela. I have learned to act with optimism whatver the challenge may be. Noela has reminded be of how lucky I am to be alive and healthy and has taught me how to act with patience and selflessness. I will carry these things with me upon returning home in less than two weeks and will always have Noela's beautiful laugh in the back of my mind.

Noela and many other students suffer by either being HIV positive or living in incredibly poor conditions. I am only in Africa for three weeks, but I am commited to empowering the students to maintain hope for the future and to continue to work hard in their academic carreer.

I am so grateful for this opportunity and know that I am commited to giving my 100%, 100% of the time.

Teacher Meaghan

Tanzania- a country full of gernerosity and beauty. I am thrilled to finally share that I have arrived in Africa. It is currently Wednesday and I have been working at LOAMO Primary School since Monday. I am teaching in class four, an energetic class of nine through twelve year olds, eager to learn.

School began at eight, after a morning assembly. For the first few classes, I sat quietly, observing both the teacher and students.

After English class, the students began to quiet down, requesting for me to teach. With thoughts that another teacher was on their way, I respectfully declined. There, I waited for four minutes, with twenty eight sets of patient eyes staring back at me.

It became clear to me that there was not another teacher coming, it was only me, Teacher Meaghan.

With that, a sense of great relief came to me. I knew in my heart that this was the moment I had been working towards for the past two years, this was what I was made for.

I began teaching, leading the class in lessons that eventually ended in relevant games. Time ticked on, but still no teacher. I, however, didn't mind. In fact, I was grateful. I was a teacher.

I taught the kids about tricks in math, United States history, and ended in having the students write letters of gratitude to one another, teaching them to value, appreciate, and love each other.

As I was teaching, I was learning. Learning how to put names to faces, how to keep the class intrigued, and how to act selflessly when in the attention of others.

After the first day at the school, I was granted the oppurtunity to go to Madam Juliet, a third grade teacher's, brother's house for a home visit.

In order to reach the house, we walked thorugh a long ally, scattered with trash among other things.

The house itself consisted of around four, extremely small rooms and a hot plate located outside for cooking.

Because I have been on service trips with Children's Global Alliance before, I have been exposed to extreme conditions of poverty in the countries of Cambodia and Nicaragua. However, I find that I continue to possess the knowledge to appreciate the terrible living conditions where so many find themselves.

Knowing that most of the teachers and students at the school live in "homes" about the size of my bathroom with many other relatives saddens me, for they truly deserve more.

However, it is amazing that the people in this country have so little, but want to give so much.

They offer to give you everything they have, hoping to make you as comfortable as possible. They are community oriented and truly selfless. The people here are the most generous nation that I have had the privledge of meeting. Despite being economically immobile due to their financial situation and living meal by meal, people are excited to give, they are intrigued by our wellbeing, rather than their own. It's incredible.

I have already learned quite a lot in my short time here and am eager to learn more. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity to both teach and empower in Tanzania and know that the next few weeks will be extrodinarily rewarding.

Fears and Goals when Volunteering in Tanzania

I think that whenever travelling to another place or diving into something new, there is great fear. Fear, however, can be overcome, and, in my opinion, makes experiences exciting and simply worth it. Without fear, one would never be humbled or taught. One would never be able to admit that they worried over the feelings of being nervous or uncomfortable. Fear reminds that we are human beings with feelings and imperfections. Admitting your fears is an opportunity to move past such feelings, conquering obstacles and developing character.

Tanzania is becoming more and more of a reality than a dream, for it is less than a week away! I have great expectations for the team going on this trip, but I also have fears. My greatest fear is disappointing Children’s Global Alliance volunteers and chaperones, along with the students we will be working with. I aim to do my volunteering to the best of my ability, but what if that doesn’t cut it? What if I don’t teach correctly and misguide the students? What if I don’t act with leadership, integrity, and grace?

These thoughts follow me as I approach the trip, but I am not willing such fears to stifle my work. I will overcome these anxious nerves. How? I will do this through analyzing my thoughts, asking myself if the thoughts are rational, self-deprecating, or true. I will empower myself to see that most of my fear is only in my head, and by working my hardest and spreading love, I am not failing nor disappointing anyone.

Along with fears, I also have goals for my time spent in Tanzania. My greatest goal is CONNECT and LEARN from the students. My goal is to open my eyes, wide, witnessing everything that goes on. I hope to experience everything to the fullest, becoming empowered. Having travelled to two other developing countries with Children’s Global Alliance, I am aware that the connections with children are rare, but are powerful and fulfilling. It is a goal of mine to act with authenticity and humility, connecting with the students in Tanzania, being their teacher, friend, and mentor. I am also going to try my best to learn and take away from every interaction, every trip to the market, and every minute spent in Tanzania. These goals are large, but I have been preparing for this trip all year and excited to push myself when volunteering in Africa.