(This post was slightly delayed by the World Economic Forum excitement. Thank you for your patience, Melissa! Meghann will be back with her final reflections from Davos shortly.)
After a busy holiday, the TFFT team in Tanzania got together for our first collective effort of the year—bringing back the kids to school for the start of the new academic year at Usa River Academy. There were actually three back to schools days this year—the one for Usa River Academy, where most of our kids attend, and two for Star High School, where Form 1 kids had to start a week earlier than the rest of the secondary kids attending the school.
On the day of back to school for Usa River Academy, our new volunteer, Philip Hochsprung came to join me, Hedwiga, and Upendo in school to receive the kids and hand out their care packages for the term. Daniel and Erasto of course were busy shuttling to and from school in the TFFT truck bringing the kids from their homes. Some of the older TFFT primary kids also came to join us in the Full Circle Room (our “distribution centre”) to help in packing the care stuff in individual plastic bags ready for picking up by the other kids. I had a fun time with Sophia and Sarah, undergarments consultants extraordinaire (they advised me which underwear fits certain students who come to me for their underwear supply)—I laughed at their protestations to giving white underpants to the boys (because they said the boys can’t “manage” white). I loved making the children laugh with my antics as I joked about giving them extremely small or extremely large underpants. I can see the boys, now on the cusp of puberty, squirming as I hand out the undergarments.
The start of a new school year is always a time for wondering where the years have gone. I had that moment in the truck when Helena reminded me she is joining Class 6 this year (she was in Class 3 when I joined the organization). They are growing up so fast, and their personalities are also becoming more complicated as they grow older. No more are they kids who accept docilely what we deem are best for them—now they have their own preferences for hair tonics and shoe styles. I salute Erasto and Daniel for being able to accommodate and keep up with these changes—a hard task especially when you are dealing with 86 individuals. As a mother who by default has to go through such moments with my son, I think of how these experiences are shaping my younger teammates’ personalities and how through their engagements with our beloved TFFT kids they are also “growing up” to be caring, responsible individuals who would one day become great parents.
We hope you have had a great start to the New Year and to the new term. We look forward to another year of working with you and sharing our thoughts and TFFT experiences this 2013.