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.