Thursday, June 21, 2012

A school unlike you've ever seen...


While we were in Ethiopia, we visited a school.
To say the LEAST...it was humbling.  
Look at this first photo.  First of all, this is the wall...they were THRILLED to take turns reading off "lion", "Tiger", "Elephant"...in their little ethiopian accents....take a moment...look at the yellow sheet on the wall...26 males, 29 females...55 students...in grade 1...in one classroom.
let's put that in perspective.  More than 18 students in a classroom in the U.S. is a lot.
At one point I had 28 second graders (more mature than 1st graders)
and I thought I couldn't teach another day.

These children were quiet, excited, well behaved....
They were responsive.
The teacher asked a question and they were dying to answer.
It was amazing.  I wish I could teach there.
Our friend Woudneh asked me to teach....for free :)  Wish we could make that work...
What do you think the thing next to the "animals" is? I couldn't figure it out...

 This is Kindergarten.  They were so sweet...attentive...

 I wondered why he was up front....was he in trouble, or was that the only place they could find for him? Look at that beautiful desk.  Wouldn't you take it home for your house?? I would!
Just amazing....these children with tattered clothing, dirty faces....

 Remember the video from a while ago..."You like chocolat? I like chocolat..."...THey were singing that....and this one girl just couldn't figure out who I was or what I was doing....


Shewww....
These kids get out at lunchtime, because most of them can't afford to bring lunch, so they have to let them go home for the day.  Most of these children should be adoptable because they are so poor/destitute, but aren't for legal reasons, etc.  This school is full of need.  We were there when school got out and they surrounded us and just touched us. I hugged and kissed all of them.  I had groups of them around me, and I just kept kissing their dirty hands and faces.  They couldn't get me dirty.
These sweet children were beautiful and worthy of love and kisses.  
It was one of those moments that made you wish that love would solve problems.  It sometimes will...but it was a tough moment too.  I can't solve all these poor children's problems...
But I can take one child home. I can love him.
I can give him a home and a loving family.
And even in these transitional moments that are hard...that are confusing...I will choose to smile and remember the children that I couldn't help...and that a life with food, water and shelter, even amongst some stress...is much better than the alternative.
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Posted by Brooke at 8:40 PM

2 comments:

  1. Lacy RipleyJune 22, 2012 at 6:18 AM

    Clearly they've been watching National Lampoon's Vacation movies because they made an exact replica of the car and hung it on their wall!
    What a beautiful heart you have, Brooke. These children are each so precious. The fact that they are the unadoptable ones makes me want to put together some sort of covert operation and go kidnap the lot of them.

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