Week Six

Our last week here at the Aba Gebremichael project. It only seems like five minutes ago since we drove through those big green gates and nervously scanned the faces of children high with anticipation, anxiety and immense excitement.

This week has been one of winding down. Informal chatting, reading and playing replacing the formal organised lessons of the last few weeks. Anna’s husband had sent some story books for the children. They loved them. One of the children describing them as little dramas with words. They had never seen books like them. It doesn’t matter if the children are 8 or 18, they get the same joy and wonder from new things and they were in awe of these simple stories. There is an undercurrent of excitement here and it transpires that a farewell party is being ‘secretly’ organised. It will combine our leaving with the celebrations of the graduations and the recent marriage of a member of staff. Some of the boys kept disappearing into the music room where they have been rehearsing both traditional and some hip hop dancing. The hip hop being choreographed by the boys themselves from bits of videos that they have seen from MTV through the windows of shops or bars where satellite television is available.

Having been delivered by horse and cart a marquee of sorts had been erected by some of the older boys. It is an investment the Sisters made last year and it is used for Christmas and Easter celebrations, and we were so glad of it, the rain bucketed down relentlessly all day. There was a real carnival atmosphere as the boys in the band played and the children all danced and laughed and ate their injera. It was great to see them eating and relishing every morsel of food.

Some of the children were called upon to tell everyone what they had learned over the few weeks. It was great to see and hear some of the children, especially the quieter ones, speak in English in front of the crowd, with new found confidence in their ability. We were then presented with cultural dresses, which we quickly changed into. We were now Habisha (local) and not Faranji (foreigner) so with massive support and much cheering it was time to join in with our version of Ikista. It was a fantastic end to an amazing six weeks.

I came here to teach English. I have learned more than I could ever teach. I have received love and acceptance by strangers who have become like family to me. I am going to miss them all very much. They will be with me forever, and I pray that they reach their full potential as human beings and that they stay healthy. They so deserve it.