Being Grateful...

This is my host Mom and her Grade R (kindergarten) class in Leyden.


Each day brings with it a new lesson and a new perspective on life. I have spent a day at four different schools so far, one high school and three primary schools. To draw an accurate picture is impossible. To list the challenges would take forever. All I can say is that every child sitting in a chair at a desk in any school in America is extremely fortunate to be where they are. I have yet to visit a school with a computer. I've sat in on classes with over 70 students crammed into the classroom. I have visited a sixth grade classroom where the students couldn't find the country they live in on a map. I've talked with teachers who's voices are full of desperation for resources and basic teaching materials. As an educator my heart breaks for these teachers who are so hungry for knowledge and direction but are getting no support from their government. The whole education system here is an unfortunate state of affairs. The legacy of apartheid continues to show it's ugly face in the schools of rural black communities. Bantu education was the "black education" during apartheid. It was full of corporal punishment, rote memory, "cramming" and unfairness. The victims of this terrible and haunting system are the teachers of today's youth. They are doing the best they can with what they know and have. But think about it... how can anyone become a good teacher if they never had one themselves? How can someone learn to be a good teacher if the teachers teaching them to teach are also results of bantu education? It's truly a vicious cycle that is bigger than any one generation. I have spent a lot of time thinking about this problem and trying not to take it on as my own. It is beyond the power of one person to change what the past four hundred years has left behind. But with each day brings new hope and hope can start with one person. I have so much to offer in this area. I have already helped some teachers create lesson plans and activities to make teaching and learning more fun. My secondary project will definitely be focused on education. The details have yet to surface but I have faith that the who, what, when and how will become clear. I have set it as an intention. I know the answers will present themselves at the perfect time.
Hermann Hess said, "Whether you and I and a few others will renew the world some day remains to be seen. But within ourselves we must renew it each day."
Thank you Allie for sending me this quote on the back of one of your letters. I ripped it off the envelop and it hangs on my wall providing me with new hope everyday.