That Feeling
We had our first exchange of words, me and a girl named Agnes. We talked Kiswahili, which is not the first language for anyone of us. I and Agnes started a relationship based on smiles and handclaps. A few days ago, after almost a month of getting to know each other, she spoke her first words to me. She is sadly enough not noticed sufficiently in school. She has a few difficulties and therefore supposed to be in a special unit class. Since the school doesn’t have material or money to educate the special needs children, they are mostly in school to get food and to take part socially. So therefore I’ve put it as part of my mission to try and see what this girl Agnes is actually capable of, because I’m sure she can manage more things than anyone or she knows or believes. So the step that she took the other day, communicating with me and also in another language than her mother tongue, was a huge step for us both. 
Our self-esteem project was extended to standard 6 the other day. And we are still going strong. The pupils are now starting to react when they see another child beating a friend with a stick; by taking the stick away from them. They are helping us spreading the word that you should not call us a Mzungu, since it is not a good feeling being treated in a way just because you have a certain skin colour. Some of the students are also starting to understand that it’s okay to be of different religions, to believe in different things or not believing at all. I’m starting to see a change in their pattern of how they speak of and to each other. Slowly by slowly something is happening.
I see a difference in some teachers as well. “Before I used to think that you, who are from the more developed countries are so much smarter and far ahead than us, but I understand now that we are all alike.” This is what a teacher told me the other day, how wonderful is that? Some teachers are also helping us by telling the pupils “NO MZUNGU” when they scream it. Caning has also drastically decreased after that the head teacher took it up with the staff twice, me and Ebba are working as supervisors together with our extra eyes (the pupils), the teachers are reminding one another as well, which I believe is very important in order to change the system.
I’m actually starting to get the feeling that I’m doing something important here. I’m not just planting the seed, I’m seeing it start growing and the leaves are soon to be seen. And I hope when I leave, that the leaves will become a tree and keep growing, bigger and bigger.
