Thursday 8/23 was one of the most memorable days from my time in Africa. I'd heard a little about Thompson, a former CCS guard who had built a school, and I'd heard that a visit to his school was well worth the trip. It could not have been more true.
Thompson had helped build the CCS Home Base. After the project was complete, Thompson approached Mama Simba about getting a permanent job there. She told him that the volunteers who come there do not speak Swahili and that in order to work there he would have to be able to speak English. Knowing that this could be an excellent opportunity for him and his family, he was determined to get that job. Supporting a wife and 3 children, he could not afford to take classes. He bought books and "rented a teacher" (hired a tutor) and studied for a couple hours each night. After he had learned just enough of the greetings and pleasantries to get by, he went back to Mama Simba and she hired him as a guard. Just from having that job and from spending time talking to volunteers, his English continued to improve. Realizing how beneficial learning English had been for him, he decided that his children needed the skill too and started tutoring them after they came home from school. A couple kids from families nearby in his village started coming over to take part, and then a couple more, and then a couple more. Before he knew it, he was building classrooms outside his house.
Thompson is one of those people who smiles with his eyes and whom you cannot help but to like, so it is easy to understand why many past CCS volunteers became friendly with him. Through volunteer contributions and assistance, Thompson has built 2 classrooms and has gotten desks and tables and chairs for the kids. He named the school Hopeful English School, and he now has around 50 or more kids separated into 2 classes of younger and older kids. The kids who come there are the poorest of the poor whose families would never be able to afford private schools where they are more likely to have a better quality education. They give the kids porridge at the school, and some of them might not eat another meal some of those days. Thompson was able to find a fantastic teacher for the school who receives no payment other than occasional meals with Thompson and his family. The teacher is there because he cares about the kids and loves what he does, and it shows. The kids love to come there so much that they show up on holidays and days when there is no school. They hang around and play just because they love being there.
Visitors to Hopeful English School are treated to a first class performance. We went into the classroom and sat while the teacher lined the kids up at the front of the room. Even just lining up they laughed and had fun, and the rapport the teacher had with these kids was apparent. This was so refreshing after hearing the stories of how dry and dull school could be in many of the government schools. Once they were in place, every kid stepped forward in turn and told us in English their names, where they went to school, and what they want to be in the future. The most popular answers were teacher and nurse, and we even heard journalist and soldier. After we learned everyone's names they performed several songs with dances for us. It was funny how quiet and shy some of them were when they had spoken, but not one of them was afraid to dance and sing out strong and loud. I watched these kids with wide smiles in dirty and tattered clothes who may or may not have had a decent meal that day, so proud to be performing for us and thrilled be there, and I was moved in a way that will always stick with me. The pillar of strength that I am, I could not help but to cry. There was a little boy of about 11 named Elijah who spoke particularly good English and obviously loved practicing it. He stuck close to us and talked to us the entire time we were there. He asked me why I was crying, and I smiled and before I could answer he said "Is it because you are happy?" I told him that was exactly why. Elijah wanted to be a journalist, and he was eager to try to use Michelle's camera. He seemed to pick it up pretty quickly too. I hope he gets the opportunity to try again in the near future.
Unfortunately Thompson was no longer working at CCS by the time we arrived. Mama Simba had approached him one day a couple weeks before we came and suggested that he had been disloyal to her and/or to CCS. As of the day we visited him he did not know why she made this accusation, but he did not feel comfortable continuing to work there and feel distrusted when he had been there for so long knew his loyalty. Therefore he was unemployed at the time of our visit. CCS has a policy that forbids staff from accepting tips from volunteers. Some volunteers were speculating that the contributions he had been given by volunteers for his school may have somehow been what caused Mama Simba to suggest this. Again, this is purely speculative and I don't know her reasons. But I know that I feel lucky to have visited his school and to have seen what he has done. Seeing his face beaming while the kids sang and danced was as moving as seeing them perform.
Thompson's school is the perfect illustration of the residual effects of volunteerism. This was one time in Africa when I was most inclined to empty my wallet. The efforts of Thompson and the teacher and their effects were undeniable. I did not view this as any sort of unproductive handout but as a most valuable and worthwhile movement whose accomplishments I had been able to personally witness. Thompson's story is also one that is telling of the importance of education. More specifically, it exemplifies how beneficial it is for kids in Tanzania to learn English. It promotes their success in secondary school, and it provides the plain advantages of being able to communicate with such a large proportion of visitors, tourists and otherwise, to the country.
Here is some video I took of the kids singing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f26rfYeA0J4
Here is some video another volunteer, Christy, took the same day that I just happened to find on YouTube when I posted mine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7m9EQFj-yM&feature=related
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