Unfortunately Sauti on Zanzi plans were set when this date was decided however the EFL (Education For Life) team planned together and the available EFL staff, Naomi, Pauline and Anastazia shared the morning with Moonshine Class. They met and shared the day with the elderly and disabled people the Sunshine Class experienced in November last year during our final 2011 Community Outreach activity.
Delight, intrigue, anxiety over coming fear of the old people and those who were disabled, sharing stories, building friendships, enjoying music and dancing, cleaning their environment…sharing their day!
Anastazia sharing time with the girls and the elderly
Cleaning the environment
Sharing stories.
The elderly always have wonderfully interesting, long and detailed tales to tell and our girls listened intently to all of them!
The experiences were similar yet different but the impact was just as powerful. Form 1 didn’t cook lunch, instead they helped clean their environment and took gifts to assist them with cleaning in the future.
Degrees of emotion are difficult for Tanzanians to describe accurately as the Kiswahili language is not as varied as the English language. However, the stories the girls have shared with me since their visit is have given me an insight into how much personal growth has occurred in both the Sunshine Class and the Form 1’s (Moonshine class) because of the opportunity our Community Outreach program has given them to better understand and acknowledge and appreciate an almost forgotten group of people living in our own communities.
Listening to the carer of the Elderly explaining about life at the Home.
The boxes on the table are soap which the Form 1's took as part of their sawadi (gift)
“I am very happy to be given the opportunity to be with the people in my community. They show me their lives and some are hard. How they can get food sometimes and when they can’t they are hungry. So I know I can make them happy just for some time. I can listen to them and then I can share with them about the things I learn at SEGA…nutrition, cleanliness, Astronomy and other subjects.” Pendo.
“When we went to Funga Funga where the elderly and disabled people were, I learned how a blind man can read and he is happy that he now knows me. I didn’t know how blind people could read and now I know. I want to meet many people in my community like him and help them learn and feel good when I visit them. I can do this with SEGA because Community Outreach activities give me this opportunity. I hope when I leave SEGA I can continue to meet people like Thomas the blind man so I can bring happiness into their lives.” Lucy.
“I know that if I had not met the elderly people and disabled people at Funga Funga I would not know about them and how they live and what they need in their lives. I know also when I return to my community I will be confident to look for the elderly and offer to care for them and spend time with them. Having met them and shared time with them I look forward to looking after these important people in my community. One day I will be old and I hope the young people are like me at SEGA and have the opportunity to do Community Outreach activities so they will know how to treat the disadvantaged in their lives too.” Rhoda.
“I want to help with people like Thomas who can’t see but can read with his fingers. He was a very nice man and taught us how you can be happy even if your body is not strong and you have many difficulties. I didn’t know that blind people can see. He has taught me a lot and I know I can be strong.” Agnes.
And so another successful Community Outreach Activity had taken place bringing happiness, a greater understanding between the generations and a sense of belonging to everyone.
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