I’ve been at Starfish for almost two weeks now, and the time has flown by! My first day, we traveled to two different villages, Kalimou and Kampant. They were about three hours away, and to get there approximately 20 of us piled into a van. It was a little crowded but a lot of fun, and for part of it, there was singing and drum playing. Once we got to the villages, the people who lived there were very welcoming. It was actually very humbling, because while they did not have much, they were extremely generous and friendly. They let us pump water from their wells, took us on a tour of the village, and made food for us. They had a huge mango tree, some baobab trees, and many cashew trees.
After visiting Kalimou, we went to Kampant, which is where Isatou, one of the mentors, grew up. We met her grandparents and other family members, and they were all very welcoming. They made us a huge meal, which was very delicious. We sat and ate, and then relaxed in the shade. The visit to Kalimou and Kampant is something I will remember and treasure forever. Everyone we met was extraordinarily generous and welcoming, which is so different from people in America, who generally avoid strangers. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome and loved. As one of the men in Kalimou said, if you have visitors, you have everything. The whole experience gave me a greater appreciation for my privilege. I will always remember that if the people I met can always be so loving and kind, then there is no excuse for me to be unfriendly, especially when I have much smaller problems.
Every time a new volunteer comes to Starfish, they have a welcoming ceremony. My welcoming ceremony was very touching; the students performed poems and songs that were amazing. Actually, the girls were all much better at public speaking than I will ever be. The first girl who spoke was introduced as having something in common with me. She shared a very touching story about how her grandmother was someone who fought for her education, much like I was granted educational opportunity because of the actions my grandparents took, in fighting for their educations and moving to America. It actually made me cry, and i thought of my grandmother who passed away earlier this year. The girls then explained the purpose of Starfish and how it has affected their lives. It was truly humbling, and amazing to see how much these girls were learning because of Starfish. I feel so welcomed by the whole Starfish community, and I am so happy to be here.
It rained for this first time this season on Wednesday. It came on so fast and was preceded by lots of wind and flying dust. It was very cool to watch. We all went indoors to get out of the rain, and since we have a fine roof, it was very loud. It was interesting to teach spelling to the second graders without actually being able to hear each other. We used a tablet with some spelling apps, and the students were really good sports about it.
Almost every day, we have a discussion called multicultural. One person asks a question, and we all respond to it from the views of our own culture. They have been amazing conversations, and it is fascinating to see how things are both different and the same. One interesting difference is that, in The Gambia, it is disrespectful to maintain eye contact with an adult when you are speaking to them. That is the exact opposite of American customs, but both make sense. I think these discussions are so important, as it allows us to explore other cultures in a very respectful way. I think schools in America would greatly benefit from this, as it teaches us to respect and appreciate cultural differences, while also demonstrating that we are the same in so many ways.
- This week, we also had two goodbye ceremonies, one for Grandma Ann and Nina, and one for Nashyra. Both were very touching, and everyone was crying. The Starfish family has so much love, and you could just feel it in the room during both good bye ceremonies. I’ve only been here for two weeks, but I have already had so many experiences; I am excited to see what memories we make next!
