On Selflessness

It has been one week since I arrived in Tanzania, and words cannot express how much I have learned from the students and teachers already. The energy and excitement here is truly incredible. Every day that I go to the school, I feel invigorated, and I am filled with a drive to work harder, appreciate more, and be as selfless as possible.

Yesterday AJ, Keelin, Evan, Nikko, and Lisa Marie went to visit the home of Benard, a twelve-year-old who is in Class Four at LOAMO. When we discussed their visit later that night, I was inspired beyond words.

Benard grew up in or around Arusha. He lived with his parents when he was very little, until his father passed away. His mother, for a reason unknown to the home visit group, was not able to care for him, and he was passed into the care of his aunt. While living with her, he attended a basic primary school in the village, but he spent most of his time doing manual labor at a local university, bringing home money to provide for himself and his aunt. Richard, a teacher at the university, saw him working and took an interest in him. Benard made him question why the students at the university were able to be educated, but Benard was not. Selflessly, he took Benard in, got him a scholarship to an excellent private school, and now Benard attends LOAMO.

What is amazing about Benard’s story is that he was separated from his parents, given a minimal education, and required to work to support himself at a young age, and now, due to one family’s selflessness, he was given a chance. Since Richard took him in, he has learned to speak partially fluent English and has not only academically caught up to the others in his class, but he is the best out of all of them at math.

The group’s amazement at his hard work has excited and inspired me. His dedication to learning and to working hard to help himself and others is an extremely welcome change from what I am used to seeing in the United States. There are so many twelve-year-olds that I know who have never given a thought to anyone but themselves, yet here Benard is, waking up early in the morning to milk the five cows that they have, and staying up late at night to finish his homework. It warms my heart, but at the same time it frustrates me that children his age in America are so selfish.

Every day, I have been growing closer and closer to the children at LOAMO. I didn't realize how big of an impact our short time there was until the end of today, when I was walking Janeth, a sweetheart in Class One, to her bus. I leaned down to kiss her cheek good-bye, and after she reciprocated, she said to me, “I love you so much, Teacher!” and ran off. Six words had my feet glued to the dirt in amazement. I felt warmth spread throughout my whole body, and for the rest of the day I had an enormous grin on my face. What we’re doing here is so important, whether it is teaching, helping the teachers in the classroom, or just giving love to the students. Janeth today reminded me of how much we mean to the people at LOAMO, and I am so excited to give my all at the school next week.