Tuesday was the day we toured the local slum behind the school. We had to hurry and finish because it had started to rain. Several of the families had mentioned that their roofs leak, so when it rained all night, I was worried about the kids getting sick. But, Wednesday morning, the kids were just as happy as always. I heard singing and drumming, so I went to investigate the 8th grade class. They were singing a song that invited someone to dance in the middle. I walked in just in time to see them invite Ginger to dance. Right after that, they invited me to join in. (and, of course, I did!)
Once the kids got settled in their classes, we were invited to sit in on them. I chose the 7th grade class just as they were learning Kiswahilli. I couldn't understand a word, but I could still tell how engaged these kids were. Here they sat, after fighting a hard rain the night before, coming in without a meal since lunch the day before and waiting for their porridge at 10am, but they were completely involved with the lesson. With every question, hands raised up and they each had an answer. If a student really was struggling, the teacher encouraged them and then the class clapped.
Then, I went over to 5th grade to sit with Charity. They were learning English and the teacher let me sit at her desk. The teacher had them take turns reading a story aloud and answer the first question together. Then they were left to work by themselves on the other questions. These little sweethearts were sharing the books, sometimes three to a book. They shared pens, erasers, and notebooks, but were working very hard. During the break, the kids all wanted to pose for the camera.
After lunch, the students assembled for a presentation of some choirs and traditional dancing for our enjoyment. It was a beautiful day and the students did a great job.
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