Ever since I was young, I knew that there were two things in my life that I wanted to accomplish, one was becoming a teacher and the other was volunteering in Africa. I have been fortunate enough that both of these goals are now accomplished. I am so grateful to Debra Marra for giving me the opportunity to gain a new perspective and have an experience that I only dreamt about at one time.
I left for my time in Africa in a whirlwind of motion. I had previously graduated from Saint Joseph’s University the day before and was boarding a plane to start my adventure on May 15th. There were no possible words to explain the happiness, excitement and joy I was feeling about my trip and the opportunity I had been given. I knew one thing as I was boarding that plane to South Africa: I would do anything in my power to impact the lives of the children in Khayelitsha, South Africa. However, I would later come to find out that these children would have a larger impact and teach me more during my time there.
Upon my arrival at the Cape Town Airport on May 17th, I was greeted by Miss Vicky’s husband and taken to Khayelitsha. Momentarily after leaving the airport area, I was able to see the abject poverty that surrounded beautiful Cape Town. At those moments, I knew exactly why I was there and the differences I would experience during my time. Prior to my departure, I had researched Khayelitsha so I would have an idea of what to expect, but the poverty that faced me was unlike any I had experienced before. After a short drive from the airport, I arrived at my destination, my home, Miss Vicky’s Bed and Breakfast. I was immediately greeted my Miss Vicky and welcomed to not only Khayelitsha, but also her family. From that moment on, I knew that I would be taken care of during my time there and be truly integrated into her family in all aspects. Soon after I was greeted by Miss Vicky, I met her children and gave them the presents that Tanya Anderson (who went to Khayelitsha two years ago) have given me to hand out to the children. The children immediately lit up at the gifts, but more importantly that Tanya remembered them.
The purpose of my trip to Khayelitsha was to teach English at Vuzumanzi Primary School, which was a short walk from Miss Vicky’s Bed and Breakfast. As I walked to the school with Miss Vicky on my first day of teaching, I took in my surroundings, familiarizing myself with my new community. I met the principal of Vuzumanzi, Mr. Mnconywa who was welcoming and excited about my time at his school. During my time, I worked with grades 4-7 and assisted in teaching English and Math.
Due to my background in education and training from SJU, I was aware of challenges in school systems and issues of poverty that schools and students face. However, I had never experienced such poverty in a school before. The lack of resources that these students and teachers faced were unlike any I have ever seen. It broke my heart to see my students without chairs so they had to stand all day, teachers without chalk so they could not write on the board, books that were tattered and outdated being shared amongst five students and classrooms that were crumbling. The greatest sight of all however, was the smiling faces of all of the students.
Every day, was a new experience and a new lesson. I was excited every day to see what I would encounter at school and the students that I would interact with. I was overwhelmed with how welcoming and open everyone at Vuzumanzi was to me. I immediately immersed myself in the culture of Khayelitsha, knowing that it would benefit help me relate to my students. The curriculum was different than that of the American school system. During a school day, students took classes in English, Science, Social Science, Arts and Culture, Math, Computer, Xhosa, and Life Orientation. My students were amazed about America and were interested in why I had chosen to come to visit. I wanted to constantly express that I was the lucky one to be there and become a part of their lives for two and half weeks.
During a typical school day, I would arrive at school at 7:45 am for a morning meeting lead by the principal. I would then go with my assigned cooperating teacher for the day and assist the teacher wherever possible. I could not help but smile back at the bright faces of my students throughout the day and want to teach them everything I knew. Each period would last roughly 45minutes and I would at times direct a lesson or move around to small groups of students to assist them with their work. English was a challenging subject for my students to do the differences from their native tongue Xhosa. At Vuzumanzi, students did not really start learning English until third grade and were expected to know English well by fourth grade since they were expected to not only learn but also speak English in all subjects. This was a challenge for not only my students, but also their teachers. I assisted by students by trying to use pictures or associate the English words with objects of concepts that they were familiar with. During breaks, I would talk to the teachers and trying to learn everything about Khalyelitsha. After school, I would spend my time with Missy Vicky and her family and community members that would come through the Bed and Breakfast. Every member of the community that I met was so welcoming and greeted me with open arms. I would help Miss Vicky’s children with their homework at night and after a day; I felt part of the family. I was lucky enough to even learn how to cook during my time! With each passing day, I grew closer to Miss Vicky’s family and felt more at home in Khalyelitsha. I did have the opportunity to explore around Cape Town one week, but as soon as I left my home in Khalyelitsha, I was always so excited to return “home.”
This experience and my time spent with the community of Khalyelitsha has changed my perspective on the world and education. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” I truly believe that we can impact and change the lives of the students at Vuzumanzi Primary School. The power of education helps move the world and arms children with the tools that they will need to become successful in life. I am truly grateful that I was able to help shape the lives of those students. However, I am more grateful for the gifts they have given me: perspective and love.
Caroline Kerns
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