I LOVE MKWIRO!!!

So as you know I have been placed in Mkwiro and am the community staff member here.  I am now about to go into week 3 of my staff placement and I freaking love it!!

Dealing with volunteers can be tricky and a lot of work, but this village is so amazing I just don’t care!  I have made some great relationships with the teachers at the school and the village chairman.  I walk through the village and feel so welcomed it is amazing. 

My first week of teaching was really hard, as with all children the students really played up and tried my patience immensely, but I worked through it, and thank fully they are working with me know!  It is an amazing feeling , when I walk through the school I get lots of students calling ‘Madam Jo!!’, greeting me and asking about my day.  They always ask when I will be teaching them next and are always trying to get me into the classroom when I am not supposed to be teaching.  I got dragged into a Kiswahili lesson the other day and was serenaded with a traditional song – absolutely loved it!!

I have also been asked by the headteacher to try and coach their team to victory in Netball, football, volleyball and debate competitions.  Not sure how much I will be able to help, but I will don my head scarf and do the best I can.

So on to week three and looking forward to what I have planned.  I am starting Adult English classes, will be tutoring some students in reading club and am starting my science club.  It is such amazing work and I love this community! It seems strange that there are only 8 more weeks of work left and so much to do.  It’s going to be tough leaving this island.

me and some of my standard 6 students