This time Africa greeted me with more rain than usually because I did arrive at the end of the rainy period. Rainy period means green mountains and valleys, trees, flowers, water in the rivers and breathtaking nature views.
Every time Africa amazes me with it’s rapid developement. Like mushrooms after rain new buildings pop up, new roads, new systems and the overall developement is visible. Thanks to being here for so many times some things have become a little easier and don’t suprise as much anymore, but it still can be said that there is a little surprise in each day and that is what makes being in Africa unpredictable. Many things can’t be taken for granted like in Europe and this teaches gratitude. Small town of Soddo already feels downright homely but there are enough suprises here as well. I have gotten used to walking down certain streets which used to be gravel, but by now have are beautifully paved. Shops and kiosks along the streets have aquired a finer look and big colorful banners. Some order has started to set into the chaos.
Our 100 children have just begun a new school year. The new school is divided between three locations. Majority is elementary school and so some classes (1-4) are in one place and other classes (1-8) at another and the highschool at a third location. I did my first rounds between two of the location and looked up our children by face. Great joy was mutual. Even greater was my surprise to see that almost all of the children were present and ready for school. Even greater was my amazement and surprise when I reached our tailor to whom I had left a list of the children in April so the children could come over summer and have their measurements taken so when the school starts the uniforms can be sewn for them readily. Out of 100 children 95 had been to get themselves measured! Tailor had already ordered the fabric for the uniforms from the capital and categorized the sizes for the children. I was standing in the middle of a small sewing workshop and was simply smiling.
First few days passed figuring out childrens situation and needs. I had a big suitcase full of childrens clothes, since it still takes another month to get the uniforms ready. I segregated the clothes based on size, packed them in my bacpack and went to school. Besides the clothes I had a simple schoolbag and a pen for each of them and I bought a pack of exercise books on the way. I layed the stuff out on a table in the principals office and we called the children one-by-one to come and collect their stuff. Great was their joy and even greater mine when I saw that most of the children already had exercise books. In rags themselves and shoes full of holes but the exercise books were clean and brilliant. For the first time it was felt and seen that the parents and children are coming to understand importance of education. Later I heard that all the private schools are full and there are queues outside the gates. Local people have really taken into getting a proper education! After I had given a longsleeve top to one very poor girl who always seems sincerely happy, she took my arm and kissed it out of gratitude. This frightened me and a jolt went through all of my body and I really had to try to hold the tears back and turn away. This kind of unexpected sincerity and gratefulness is what touches you and keeps you going. The following day I was handing out shirts and the gratitude from them was in words: „Annika, I love you!“ and so on one after the other. My response was: „I love you too!“
Most enjoyable for me to see is that our children are present in school!
ANNIKA