Final Farewell for Malawi 2012

Our Malawian adventure is nearing its close, and we have had such a productive and meaningful time in this beautiful country, the Warm Heart of Africa. Much as been accomplished. Examples: Cistern Project is now in progress (funded by Rotary Club of Roanoke Valley); Morning Meetings are continued at the school with the LEA component added; students enjoyed letters written by children in Roanoke City and Roanoke County Public Schools; dictionaries were donated to the school (thank you Virginia State Reading Association); pencils and school supplies were provided for teachers and learners at Malemia Primary (thank you Maggie and students at Salem High School); handwashing stations have been repaired and reinstituted at the school; teacher desks have been made; a new group of girls have been selected for the Malawi Chibale Project; girls continue sewing handbags and learned to sew Destinie Pads this year; classrooms were painted by RU students; and the list goes on. A multitude of effort has been devoted to our beloved Malemia Primary School, and it has been such an honor to travel with the fine group of students from RU. I have learned so much from them and I have enjoyed their enthusiasm for service and learning. They are true colleagues and I know their families are proud of them. The groups traveling with us from North Carolina A&T State University and Virginia Tech have been outstanding as well. Teamwork is abundant in this group! As we prepare to leave Malawi, and as I reflect upon all these accomplishments, I know each traveler in our group is leaving a richer, more blessed person than they were before. We have learned many lessons. We have grown as teachers. We leave better human beings as a result of our being here. The love, friendship and spirit shared by our Malawian friends will live on in our hearts for a lifetime. I close with the words of Malawian William Kamkwamba, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, "I went to sleep dreaming of Malawi, and all the things made possible when your dreams are powered by your heart." ....And dream we will!

VIEWS FROM THE CLASSROOM (Caitlyn Ford, RU Elementary Education)

(Written on Tuesday....) Today was sadly our last day at Malemia Primary School. My roommate and I dreaded getting out of bed to begin our day because we never wanted this day to unfold. It feels like we just arrived in this beautiful country, yet we are already preparing to say our farewells. Arriving at the school today was a bittersweet moment. The striking reality that this was our last day with the children and teachers lingered on my heart all day, and I was fervently trying to create plans of staying in Malawi for a longer period of time. I was an emotional wreck upon waking up, and it was only going to get worse. By getting worse, I mean, the Farewell Meeting amongst the Malemia teachers and the Radford Study Abroaders. The farewell meeting is a time for reflection on the past few weeks, and it is a time for thankfulness and mutual respect. The meeting was the perfect representation of what it takes to successfully work collaboratively together: respect, gratitude, kindness, and appreciation. The goodbye speeches given by both parties, the wonderful gifts exchanged, and the delicious cake devouring, together, embodied the true meaning and outcomes of teamwork. Every person in that room had Malemia Pride, and we were all connected with one another. We all know that being loved is a vital aspect of human life, and the amount of love that was present during the Farewell Meeting was phenomenal. The effective collaboration from both sides will make all of us possess Malemia pride forever.             This trip, and especially the collaboration with the teachers from Malemia, has greatly influenced my life already. I quickly learned the importance of teamwork in achieving mutual goals. I wonder if the teachers gain the same inspiration from our visits as I gain from working together with them. I also wonder if teamwork is as influential when we are gone, as it is when we are visiting and teaching together. Finally, I wonder what the children learn from watching the collaboration between their teachers and the visitors from America.             The Farewell Meeting has shown me the importance of establishing heartfelt connections with fellow colleagues. It has also shown me that having pride, such as our mutual Malemia Pride, is an essential element in education. This entire trip has taught me that you have to be passionate and on fire for a common goal, and everyone in the group must feel equally important and involved. I hope that I have inspired the teachers and learners at Malemia in some way, because they have inspired me unimaginably in a multitude of ways.  

VIEWS FROM THE CLASSROOM (Sarah Lewis: RU Elementary Education)

Monday, being one of the last days we would be at the school, we handed out the large quantity of pencils and pens that we had brought here from home. I don’t think any of us will ever take an electric sharpener, or even a hand cranked one, for granted again after sharpening over 800 pencils by hand. We started in standard 7, and to see their faces when we walked into their class was priceless, as were all the other faces in all the other classes. Who ever knew that handing out something as simple as a pencil would get such a warm and thankful welcome. We had some extra time so Ryan, Katie and I went into the kitchen and gave out porridge while we waited for the VT girls to get there so they could see the feeding program and serve some too. After feeding, it was time for the Malawi Chibale Project's stakeholder meeting.   The stakeholder meeting is for the universities and the teachers of the schools that are part of the Chibale Project. During the meeting, we discussed the needs and dreams of the school, accomplishments that have happened at the schools, ways to help student achievement in the classrooms throughout the year and what things we could do in our yearly visits to promote student achievement. All the teachers and students had a lot of good things to put on all the lists. The most important thing I think that was said on the list of how to improve the student achievement was that there should be more structure in the classroom and more time spent in the classroom. I did LOVE playing outside with the kids every chance I get, but the reason they are at school is to learn, and I think that is something that the teachers need to really focus on. Also after reading the list, I saw that many of the things that they need/want aren’t really all that hard to do, like pencil sharpeners and maps.   After today, I came away with an appreciation of what we have in America and the resources that we take for granted so much. In the schools at home, the kids are unhappy if the computers aren’t working right, while kids here simply would like to have electricity. Also, after the stakeholder’s meeting, I saw how important it is that the Chibale Project and the teachers at the school work together to make a lot of the goals happen. Collaborating with each other, which at times I would think would be difficult, being half way around the world from each other, is key. The relationship that has been built at the school really does require work from both sides, and I see it as a good example to us as future teachers who will have to work with other people for success in all areas of our jobs. 

Life Lessons from the Children

Today, I visited a friend at Domasi College, which required a moderate walk through the village and beyond.  As I strolled along on this bright, sunny morning, I observed people humming about completing their daily chores and errands, some running businesses, others walking or biking to various locations.   Chickens strutted about, music played as I passed the barber shop and the sweet aroma of cooked food filled the air.  Children everywhere joined in, walking beside me, observing me from head to toe.  They smiled and giggled, curiously wanting to know my name.  Seeing their precious and beautiful smiles is priceless.  Several little ones wanted to touch my skin.  They gently touched my arm and then touched their own, sweeping their hands from my arm to theirs, from my hands to theirs, finally reaching to hold my hands for the remainder of the walk.  The smiles on their faces were so bright.  I couldn't stop smiling either.      Children notice differences in people, but they welcome these differences, embrace them and find joy in them.  Children seek connections and oneness, not divisions.  What wonderful life lessons can be found through the eyes of our children!

Precious Little Ones

On Saturday, we visited a nearby village community which provides homes and care for orphans, the disabled, and elderly people.  It isn't a "home" but rather a community that has dedicated itself to taking care of those who need it most.  Our group made donations of maize, sugar and other staples that will be needed during the "starving time" here -- December, January, February. The community had prepared a wide array of music, dancing and drama for our group in an effort to say 'zikomo' [thanks] for our contribution.  The skits that were performed were most entertaining.  The music encompassed drumming accompanied by traditional dancing, as well as a rhythm band, which played instruments that were made out of bottles, wood and strings, the tops of soda bottles, etc.  The creativity and thought that had gone into making those instruments was incredible!  Speeches were made, and it was a day of celebration. During the program, various children, all orphans, befriended members of our group.  One by one, they walked to one of our girls and climbed up into their laps.  It was precious.  Our RU girls had their arms full of babies, one of which fell sound asleep in Caitlyn's arms.  (I thought we might be bringing a baby back on the bus with us!).  The little one cried and cried when Caitlyn had to leave.  It made me think how children are the same everywhere -- They just want to be loved....and don't we all.     One little girl named Virginia made her way over to me during the ceremonies.  She looked to be about 7 years old and her little dress was dirty and torn.  She had a beautiful smile.  Virginia smiled, looking up at me and put her little hand in mine.  I know little Virginia and all of her precious friends are orphans and they likely have a difficult life ahead.  They need to be cared for, provided for and loved.  I am thankful that there are communities in Malawi such as this one.

VIEWS FROM THE CLASSROOM: Ryan Costello (RU Elementary Education)

                Friday we had drumming lessons with the standard 7 teacher, Innocent. He is a wonderful teacher in his classroom, and was no different during our drumming lesson. He presented the lesson and the objective before we began the lesson. We had to first learn the song we are going to sing to the teachers on Tuesday. At first we had trouble pronouncing the words in Chichewa, but with the help of Innocent by the end we were able to do it. He broke up the song into sections and had us practice singing that part over and over until we got it right. Then we did the second part of song until we got it right, and then combined them together and sang the whole thing. It was a lot of repetition, but it got us to memorize the song. He then taught us on the drums. He explained the process of the drums before we even started. The different songs consist of “Do” and “ke.” There are also father and mother sounds. After he was done describing all the logistics we began to play. The step by step process that Innocent laid out for us really made it easy for us to catch on. It was set up as a listen, play, repeat method. This made me wonder if this is a method he brought from his classroom teaching, or if this was how he was taught to play the drums. It is a great method and worked really well. This experience will help me to be a better teacher because I saw and experienced how well this method works when teaching. I will facilitate it in my classroom when teaching to ensure that my students are learning the material.  

VIEWS FROM THE CLASSROOM: Ryan Costello (RU Elementary Education)

                Today at Malemia Primary school we used the LEA approach in my standard 3 classroom as a part of our morning meeting lesson. To start the LEA portion of it we read two different letters from students in third grade in America. First we read one in English and then had our cooperating teacher, John, translate it for the students in Chichewa; we then did the same process for the second letter. After words, with the help of John, we asked them how they would like to respond to the letter. They decided since one of the letters from America talked about the game tag they wanted to respond telling American children about the African game of Fly. The game of Fly is very similar to the game of dodge ball that we have in the States. As the students told John what they wanted to say we wrote it on the board for them; one side in English and the other side in Chichewa. After writing each sentence of the letter on the board we had the students read it out loud, first in English and then in Chichewa. When the letter was completed as a class we all read it together. Then the students were asked to write the letter down in their notebooks in both English and Chichewa. We took two of the handwritten letters to send back to the American students.                 During this process I found myself wondering how American children and African children would get along if one day they were both placed to learn in the same classrooms. Two different cultures, who are almost polar opposites, put into the same learning environment. It is weird to think about because a big part of teaching is teaching students new material from the environment around them. The environment in Africa is much different from the environment in America. I am sure the children would play really well together, but the real question is would they learn well together. This thought process then lead me into another thought: What would happen if American students had to go to an African school and African students had to go to an American school. What would their reactions be? Thinking about it now, when I was in elementary school I didn’t even know very much about life outside of my own life. I knew there were poor people in the world but I didn’t know to what extent, and I definitely didn’t appreciate everything that I had. Now that I am older and have seen developing countries I realize exactly how important it is to teach our students about the world in which they live in. The experience today will help me not only become a better person, but a better teacher as well. As a teacher I will teach my students about diversity and different cultures. My goal is that my students won’t grow up to think that their culture is the “right” culture. Instead I want them to embrace the diversity of cultures around them, and learn the true meaning of acceptance.