MAMBO!!!!! Okay quick update on what's been happening. Had a good flight, picked up right away, met everyone, la dee da all went well. So we have our town tour the next day and I quickly realize that I HATE the town of Arusha. Thankfully we're about a 20 minute Dalla Dalla ride away so we're not in the town. Too much hustle and bustle and people trying to sell me stuff and cars nearly hitting one another, so stressful.
So the day before my placement, I found out my special needs school had to be shut down for two weeks which means I'm at a different school for the time being (if I can leave.) Anyways, the school I'm working at now, Hilcrest, is AMAZING. Oh I just love it, I can't even tell you. There are 24 students from ages 1.5-6...more of a daycare than a school but Isaac and Elizabeth are doing the best they can. Now, keep in mind that when I say school, I really mean two 7'x9' rooms with chalkboard paint on one wall and plastic chairs and tables. Hiscrest is not a government funded school so Isaac and Elizabeth pay for everything from renting the building to buying supplies and porridge for the kids. I have not met Elizabeth yet as she's been very ill with Malaria for the past 6 weeks and will just be getting back to work tomorrow. Isaac is Incredible. More than incredible, he's...I just can't describe it. He cares so much about the kids, and I know Elizabeth does too as the school was her idea when she became a born again Christian. (More about that later).
So a day for me looksl ike this: Wake up at 6:45, leave for placement at 7:30. On the way to the school, I pick up Gracious, a 2 year old boy. Then I drop him and my bag off at Hilcrest, and walk another 25 minutes through the Masai village to pick up Clara, Junior and Flora. I bring them back to the school and we start class. We teach for about 45 minutes and then the kids get a break. While the kids are playing, either Isaac or I supervise and the other makes porridge. For four of the students, this is all they get to eat :(
While the kids eat their porridge, Isaac and I have tea and something he brings from home. Thursday it was plantains and Friday we had crepe-like things. He's great, and I asked a LOT of questions Friday about everything I could think of. And let me tell you, I wish I could be as amazing as Isaac one day. I mean shoot.
He took me to some home visits on Thursday and told me how each of the students we visited got into their particular situation. Talk about a lot to absorb on your first day. But, I say again, Isaac is incredible and I'll expand on his situation more later.
I did a base hike of Kilimanjaro yesterday and it KICKED MY BUTT. SHOOT. I've been wobbling around the volunteer house since we got done. We had the nicest guide, David, and he is going to take me on a coffee plantation tour and to the hot springs sometime while I'm here. Kilimanjaro was absolutely stunning and I can now say I hiked the Kilimanjaro rainforest :) Pretty good for my first weekend here!!
Anyways, I have entries written every day I've been here but haven't wanted to go to town to get a converter for my computer yet. So you'll have to wait for pictures!! Sorry!
I love and miss you all and can't wait to post more about the kids I'm working with. I got lots and lots of porridge to bring into school tomorrow as we're running low and I want to help Isaac any way I can.
xoxoxoxo
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