The faces of Stella Maris

Children have a way of being able to cut right to the core of what is important and live for the present.  They tell you exactly what is on their mind and how they are feeling.  Maybe it’s because of the way they see the world, but I have truly grown to admire it.  Recently I received a care package from some incredible students of mine from St. Joseph School!  They sent me pictures, told me they missed me, they were praying for me, they said to have fun teaching and sent me lots of candy.   

There is nothing more that I could ask for and I could not be more thankful. I know for certain they are doing well and they are happy because they tell me so.  What is so incredible to me is that every day I receive the exact same wishes and receive the exact same message from my children at Stella Maris.  They smile, tell me to greet my friends in America, we pray together, we say how happy we are to see one another and they tell me they are happy.  The more time I spend in Tanzania the easier it is for me to focus on the things that make our communities so similar rather than what separate us.  Before I ever came here I thought many things about Africa, many of them were wrong.  I couldn’t imagine so many happy children, so much smiling and I did not know they were the same as the children in America.  Through many discussions with people over the years since first traveling to Tanzania I know that I shared so many of the same misconceptions that many people hold about Africa.  The reason I know I was wrong now is because the children told me so.    

    

One of the greatest misconceptions about Africa is that it is a sad place.  There is poverty, and it is greater poverty than anything you can ever imagine unless you have seen “poor” here.  There is greater daily struggle than we can imagine all over the region because they simply didn’t get enough rain, and now they don’t have enough food.  There is hunger and malnourishment which you see in the bony arms and ribs visible through their skin on our children’s bodies.  There is poor support at home where generations of families never make it to secondary school and do not value education.  There is unclean everything, food, water and people that is simply impossible to ignore.  But with all these things Africa is still not a sad place, it just needs help.  When you look upon our school and around the community you do not see sadness.  Around the community you see people smiling, talking with one another and laughing.  In spite of what they face daily, people here are happy.  When I reflect on a day in school, I do not think of the suffering but rather the joy and laughter we shared in the classroom, just like in America.  Our ideas of Africa are so often built from 30 second commercials set to sad music with crying children and stories in the news about African warlords giving children guns.  That is a part of Africa, yes, and it needs to be stopped but that is not what should define Africa.  There is so much joy within this continent and so much more joy is possible with help.  My students at Stella Maris, just like my students at St. Joseph laugh, smile, play, act goofy and are just children.  The reason I know they are happy is because they tell me so, and I can see it in my pictures just like students in America.  Maybe we need to look at our children as an example for how we should view our world and carry ourselves every day.

Over the last 2+ months the children and I have taken many pictures.  These pictures, the faces of Stella Maris, show the children in their candid moments, when they are silly, playing and just happy.  They are not people to be pitied but rather celebrated.  These children did not ask for and do not need our sympathy for their plight but rather our continued support and help to give them the opportunity to succeed.   They do not worry about the past, but smile today because today, there is plenty to smile about. 

 

Next week I will answer the personal question I probably get asked most often: as a 25 year old guy in Tanzania what do you with all your free time on the weekend??  

 God bless all of you and have a great week!

Guests, Review and a new Sponsor for our children!

Due to the tremendous response with messages and emails about my last Pilau Day, we have started discussions on how to establish a donor option for Pilau Day.  I have had people from St. Joseph, the Mailisita Foundation and friends from all over asking how they can contribute to improving the nutrition for our students and I could not be happier!  Obviously nutrition is extremely important in the development of the children, and I have not abandoned my plans for improving the daily meals (in fact I have a whole financial plan already waiting to be approved) but there is no harm in adding a little more pilau to our children’s lives.    I will keep you all posted on the progress we make, but with Mama’s support and Fr. Kitali’s it will hopefully become an established part of our school’s program!  We are now finished with our second week of holiday review with the children and are about to start our third week.  At the hotel we have seen a steady stream of guests coming through, all with positive experiences and encouraging words.  They enjoy staying with us, but most of all they enjoy knowing that their stay at Stella Maris Executive Lodge is directly benefiting the children and community.  We have welcomed guests from the United States, Canada and Lithuania in the past week all thankful for the opportunity to be a part of helping here in Tanzania.  We are also very happy to welcome back our good friend Adam Archer, who will be volunteering at the school and staying in Stella Maris Lodge until next June!  We are all happy to have him back, and I am glad to have another friend here in the hotel every night!

Diana and her beautiful smile

The revision with the students has been greatly beneficial.  I have been working a lot with our P1 and P2 students on their speaking skills and have enjoyed getting to know them as learners.  In addition I have been teaching the Math review for our P3 students who have been learning multiplication and long division this year.  These are all very difficult for the students, but we have really been having fun.  Of course I take my work very seriously, but I do try to keep it fun for the children by involving as many students as I can in every lesson with plays, stories and joking with the children.  The children and staff have responded very positively to the change of pace and change in style of teaching.  Every child learns differently and needs different things from a teacher, in a given day I may have to be a nurse, counselor, father, brother, administrator, farmer, construction worker and of course a teacher. So one of the greatest joys I get is every day is learning what and how to be what every child needs in my classroom.  After my most recent discussion with our headmistress, she decided that it is best if I teach at all 3 levels in the areas of highest need (where our students scored lowest in key subjects of English and Math).  So now I will get to know 116 different learners even better, because I will be teaching every single one of them in a given day!  Of course that is kind of a tall task, but I would not have it any other way.  I’m looking forward to the challenge of balancing 116 students’ educational and personal needs daily and being able to be a part of every class.

Martin reading with some of his new friends

Martin and one of his happy new students he sponsors

One of the best highlights this week was welcoming a great friend, Martin Morgan to Stella Maris.  Martin and I have known each other for two years after meeting in Tanzania while staying at Karanga.  Martin is from Ireland and leads groups of high school students on mission trips here in Tanzania serving poor rural schools.  This previous year he brought all of his students to volunteer for a day of reading at Stella Maris so he could meet our children.  Over the past year he never forgot about our project or our children.  This year I welcomed him again to the school so he could spend a day with our children and see the great progress made at our hotel.  This year was a bit different though because he decided to surprise me and the children with a very generous donation and a commitment to sponsor two of our students! He said he was moved by our story, the project, the success but most of all the infectious joy of the children.  In just a matter of hours at the school the previous year he fell in love with all the students and saw an opportunity to support these children in a more personal way.  Martin has a niece that is a similar age to our students and immediately felt a connection to our students and wanted to become more connected.  I have said this many times but it’s worth repeating; the children’s smiles are contagious and Martin caught the bug right away.  With our students beginning to understand more and more of the relationship between the Mailisita Foundation and the school, they are now more eager than ever to meet or know their sponsors.  Our P3 students have been practicing writing letters so they can begin communicating directly with their sponsors more frequently.  During Martin’s visit he was able to get to know his two new children he was going to sponsor for the next year and the children were able to meet him too.  I wish everyone was there to see the look on Martin’s and his student’s faces as he told them he was their sponsor.  They were so excited, hugged one another and immediately wanted to take pictures together.  To this day I still get the question “when is Martin coming back?”  Every day I am blessed to see these connections made and to be a part of the children knowing how much they are loved by so many different people.  I only wish that every sponsor had the opportunity to experience what Martin did.  With 74 un-sponsored children at our school, I am so happy to see that two more children are sponsored and have them know how much they are loved in another special way.  If you want to sponsor a child like Martin please contact me or the foundation, I am always looking for new sponsors.  For $300 you can help pay for the educational needs of a child at Stella Maris and begin your own special connection to one of our incredible students.

Martin also brought us brand new soccer balls!

We thank Martin for his support and commitment to making a difference in the lives of our children.  I am blessed to call him a friend and his generosity is inspiring.  Every day our project grows a little bit more and although I am so proud of everyone at the foundation I am especially proud of our children here.  They continue to be an amazing example of God’s love for all of us through the way they spread their joy.  They are able to penetrate our hearts and never leave our minds whether we have known them for years, months, weeks, a few hours or only through letters and pictures.  They are a constant example of how we should all act.  These children are all united as a community, working towards the common goal of making it to higher education and caring for one another along the way.  Seemingly every week I bring in new visitors to our school and every time the children are so happy and greet them with the same warmth.  Through just their smiles in the pictures you can see the incredible joy our school brings, but also how blessed we are to know that we have an opportunity to serve them and help them.  The children of Mailisita continue to be an example to all of us about the power of a smile can do and a daily reminder to all of to just smile a little bit more.

Pilau Day!

Setting out 116 plates of rice and meat

This past Friday was the end of the second trimester at Stella Maris.  Our school is in session from January until December with breaks in April, August and December.  They close the school so that children have holiday time but also because most children here have extra responsibilities at home like farming.  Some breaks from school children may spend the whole time planting or harvesting crops (typically this time of year the farms are being harvested).  They have to do this in addition to their numerous other normal chores like fetching water (because they have no running water in the home) and sweeping out their homes (to clean and level the ground because their floors are often dirt floors).  In celebration of the completion of the term, I always like to pay for one big feast for the children.  It started with the first two trimesters I was here in 2010, again last year in 2011 and now in 2012.  Every year I am absolutely humbled by the joy it brings the children to come to school and just eat pilau (rice and meat).  Some bring spoons, but most students just use their hands and dig in to plate after plate of pilau while smiling ear to ear.  It’s amazing the joy a big plate of food can bring here.

All the children digging in!

Sitting around after stuffing ourselves

With my return this term I knew I had to continue this tradition, which my P3 and P2 students fully expected.  All week they asked “We close school on Friday. Will we eat pilau?” and “please Mr. Terry, we want to eat pilau with you”.  They would give me the doe eyes and puff out their bottom lip which proves again that some things are universal regardless of where children are born.  I waited until Thursday afternoon at dismissal to announce that yes, we will in fact have pilau on Friday...the children responded positively, maybe a bit too positively.  They first let out a huge cheer and then the students swarmed me.  They could not contain their excitement any longer and began to hug me, grab on to my arms and dive at my legs.  After years of being with the children I am very used to children hanging off my arms or playing rough, but I was literally knocked to the ground from the force of dozens of children.  Some children were very respectful and simply stood by and watched, but to be perfectly honest I kind of enjoyed all the children who took part in the riotous celebration.  They were happy and I was happy to share in their joy.  Immediately all the other teachers were horrified and started yelling at the children to get back into their lines.  Meanwhile I sat on the ground surrounded by children and just laughed and smiled.  After the raucous celebration was contained, the children stood back in their neat lines covered in dust from the ground as I stood across from them with Madam Gonda, the assistant Head Teacher.  I stood before them covered in dust and dirt as Madam Gonda began a "don't ever do that again" speech.  She explained in multiple languages how it was very bad manners and not ever allowed again.  Even as she explained I could see all the children doing their best to hold back their laughs and smiles, probably because I was already laughing and smiling throughout the lecture.

You can see the various stages too full, still eating and satisfied

On Friday it is customary to have the guardians of the children or family members come to take their report cards.  Sometimes it’s a mother, father, grandmother, grandfather or just an older sibling who come but when they arrive they have an impromptu parent teacher conference.  I have been blessed that I have never experienced a “bad” conference here or in America, but here you would never see a parent disagree with a teacher.  The parents understand that the teacher knows their child as a learner and just sit respectfully and listen.  They go through the grades, their behavior report and then listen to the teacher as they instruct what the parent has to do next to help their child.  All the while the children are in the classrooms reading books until their first break time at 10:30.  At 10:30 the day is basically an unstructured “field day” where we just played.  The children jumped rope, talked, played soccer and just ran around waiting for the pilau.  After spending the morning greeting parents some of which I have now known for years, I spent the rest of the day playing with the children.  After the pilau was finished the children all gathered together in a large group in front of our school.  We prayed together to bless the food, and thank God for bringing us together.  Then our feast began!  Some of the children had brought spoons in anticipation of the meal, but most just dug in with their hands eating handful after handful of pilau.  They went back for seconds and even thirds until they could not eat anymore pilau.  This gave me the opportunity to see one of my favorite sights which is all the children gathered together, laughing, with completely full bellies.  We all joked together at who had the biggest “kitambi” (belly).  They pointed to one another, showed off their stomachs and poked each other talking about who ate the most that day.  At least for one night I could rest easy knowing that every child had enough to eat for a day.  

Sometimes children here can be shy around adults.  They can fear them or just not be comfortable with them, especially children growing up with difficult home lives.  Their fears are often reinforced at school because teachers are not trained to understand how positively reinforcing behaviors you want in the classroom is more effective than reprimanding negative behaviors constantly.  I personally cannot operate in a classroom or be an effective teacher knowing the children are not comfortable or cannot trust me.  I may stand apart many days being the only teacher playing with the children or talking to them one on one, but I enjoy it that way.  One of the greatest blessings of being a white guy in Africa is that I already stand out.  I am surrounded by a sea of dark brown faces, so frankly if I already look so different, I might as well teach and act differently too.  That way my actions and results will be the example for others to follow.  Over the last two months I have been getting to know all of the new students and trying to give the older students the confidence to trust in me again.  I can now say that with the mob attacking me with joy, sitting side by side eating pilau from the same plates and just having fun, smiling I am certainly back.  It cost me 153,000 shillings (about $100) to give 116 students enough pilau to stuff themselves.  It continues to be one of the best single investments I have found in Tanzania or anywhere.  No other investment has ever brought so many smiles, which at the end of the day is more important than anything.  If smiles are the currency of love, then you would be hard pressed to find a richer man than me on pilau day.

God bless all of you and have a great weekend!

St. Joseph visitors check in!

One of the greatest gifts of being at Stella Maris everyday is connecting the children with more people from around the world.  To open their eyes to the world and the opportunities they have here because of our school.  They have the tools and now the opportunity to show others how intelligent and beautiful they are.

There is definitely an added element of joy with visitors of the foundation or St. Joseph because of the near decade of caring and love that we have shared with one another.  I can't say enough about the smiles that were brought to the children and visitors, but here are some of their thoughts:

Ed and Barbara Walters
I've been thinking a lot about what stood out for me. I guess I would have to say that although the children live in crushing poverty, their spirits have not been crushed. They are typical children who have all kinds of hopes and dreams for their futures. We are playing a big role in making those hopes and dreams achievable so that the cycle of poverty can be broken for these children. We know that they are God's children and deserving of opportunities for a better life, but there is nothing like seeing their smiles to really drive that point home.

I'm glad I had the chance to experience firsthand God working in and through the children of Mailisita.

Nona and Greta Duba

Our visitors providing vision screening for the children

Our visitors providing vision screening for the children
I was excited by the progress at the project.  It was wonderful to see both the school and guest house in operation.  The best part was the opportunity to be with the children and learn first hand how well they were doing in school and especially their ability to communicate in english.  Both Greta and I are delighted to have been able to join with the other volunteers at Stella Maris.

Dr. Michael Scheer
WOW!  What a difference four years makes.  I was privliged (and I do consider it a privilege) to be part of the Mailisita project in 2008.  At that time the Stella Maris school construction was nearly complete and we were able to help with some finishing and with equipping the first classroom with desks and decorating the walls with first grade English study aides.  Our main construction efforts centered on construction of the Stella Maris guesthouse.  We were helping to build the first floor exterior and interior walls as well as the center supports for the second floor.  For anyone who has participated in construction in Africa you know it is all done by hand.  The construction blocks are solid and each weigh around forty pounds.  Needless to say it is hard work but with the twenty plus volunteers from America the work progresses rapidly for the week that we are there.

Now four years later, the Stella Maris school has three grades and 120 students eager to learn English and to play with us, the wazungu.  And the Stella Maris Executive Lodge is open for business!  It is a full three story hotel that is five star for Africa with wi-fi, satellite cable, a restaurant, and a swimming pool ( just kidding, see the sign).  What a pleasure to be able to stay at the Guesthouse, have a light breakfast and walk a few feet to the school and work site where the children would be enthusiastically going through their morning calisthenics, professing their love for their Stella Maris school and teachers, and praying "all in English".  What a way for us to start each day!

Our rainforest walk in Kibosho

Our work for the week consisted of helping to construct classrooms five and six and great progress was made, and clearing and leveling the play area for the children.  With 120 children in the school they need a large area for play and they love to play.  The second highlight of our day was the first recess for the students at 10:30.  We would already be exhausted from the heavy labor but when the kids run out with their balls and toys and jump ropes, wanting to play with us, it was easy to participate (and take pictures, they love that too).  Don't know where they got them but they had two American footballs as well as two soccer balls.  The older children would throw the footballs with us while the younger children played bunchball soccer.  It was fun to see how the kids would watch us throw the ball and take our instruction and then quickly improve.  They seem to have a zest for life in everything that they do, whether it be throwing a football, chasing a soccer ball or singing in class!

Another beautiful day

Work is work but play is fun!  After recess we would go back to work and the children back to school until lunchtime.  After lunch the younger children would go home, high fiving us or punching knuckles with us as they would walk by.  The older kids would have a second recess and it would be at this time that we would bring out the futbol (soccer) goals and play futbol (soccer) with them.  As a current and former soccer player, my son and I really enjoyed this interaction.  So much so that on the last day an official game was planned pitting the wazungu against the watoto (whites against kids).  This was a highly contested match that saw the watoto take a 1-0 lead.  Fortunately, Michael Jr. was able to perform his magic and tie the score.  The tie was a fitting end to the week with the children and was played on the field that we spent so much time clearing and leveling during the week.

Although the week with the children had ended we still had Saturday and Sunday prior to returning home and this afforded us the opportunity to visit Dr. Allen Minja at the Kibosho Catholic Hospital for a tour of the hospital and a walk through the rainforest jungle in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro.  It was my fifth visit to the hospital and it was wonderful to see the progress that has been made since my first visit four years ago.  It was my first trek through the rainforest however.
Can't wait to go back!

Beth Keen
I don't think anyone could spend time there without being profoundly changed.
I was especially impressed by the kind spirit of the children. Working as a school counselor here, I spend tons of time on kids being mean to other kids and I was so amazed to watch the Stella Maris students play and work together.  At recess I did not see any children being excluded or treated unkindly.  We Americans need to learn something from the Tanzanians.

Dave and Glenda Braun

Going to Africa the second time I found was more rewarding than the first.  Seeing the growth in the children, both in size and in the English language was so special.  The once kindergardeners who could hardly say a word of English are now P3 who can communicate in sentences with you.  They are still shy, but very well mannered.  Everyone there made us feel so welcome.  The children made us feel like celebrities when we were around them.  There was always someone, or two or three or four or five who would reach out to hold your hand.  Some of the preschoolers would even kiss our hands.   It was so sweet.

On one occasion I was privilaged to meet the mother and baby sister of Lillian, the girl in P3 we are sponsoring.  When she realized who I was her face lit up and you could tell she was so grateful for our help with her daughter.  It was also special to spend time with them in class, to hear them read, see them draw pictures, or watch them do motions to their favorite songs.  I still can't get their Stella Maris song out of my head, but honestly I don't want to.  I want to remember them singing it forever. -Glenda 

Terry- I could not be happier to be a witness of the amazing impact these guests had on our school.  They made a football field, built two classrooms and brought so many smiles!  It was such an incredible few weeks.  Check back in just a few days, when I will write about last Friday when we closed the school for our August break (well sort of closed).  I will explain further, and tell you all about our wonderful celebration last Friday. Check back soon!