My last week in Nkokonjeru was bittersweet. After having spent 12 weeks with the girls at Stella Maris Boarding School, it was difficult to say goodbye knowing that I will not be able to return for a while. After some tears and many hugs, I said my final farewell to the girls. About 30 girls, all from different classes, wrote me goodbye letters. Those will make for some good reading on my plane ride back to the states.
Recently I have started teaching at one of the local nursery schools, St. Anthony. Two of the nuns, Sister Lucy and Sister Immaculate asked me help teach phonetics for both their students and teachers. So far it has been a wonderful experience. I have been teaching in the Top Class, which just means they are the kids who will be entering Primary School next year rather than having another year of nursery school. There are 14 students in my class and they are all so sweet. Even though I know little Luganda and they know little English, we have taken a liking for each other. At recess five or six students, all of them waiting their turn to tell me a story in Luganda, surround me. I just shake my head and say, “kale,” which means “ok.” Who says you need to speak the language to listen to a child?
The girls at Stella Maris Boarding School recently had their midterm exams in preparation for Guardian Visitation on March 16th. While I do not know all the results, so far I have heard that they did very well. When their parents, caretakers, and guardians come, they will have the chance to meet with the teachers, look over their progress reports, and then spend the day with the girls. My students are very excited for me to meet their parents and continuously check that I will in fact show up for the visitation.
I have been teaching Primary Three and Four at Stella Maris School for three weeks and am amazed by my students everyday. Their determination to succeed shines through with every lesson. Many girls strive for perfection. It is also evident that they genuinely want to learn. Never have I heard anyone complain about course work, as I believe is typical for nine year olds, but rather they ask for more problems to do on their own. One of my favorite conversations with my girls occurred after we finished a math lesson early. I asked them what they wanted to be when they grow up. Among the most popular responses included the following: doctor, lawyer, businesswoman, bank manager, nurse, and pilot. A sad reality of being born into an impoverished family is that it can be nearly impossible to attain these dreams; however, for the girls at Stella Maris, and more noticeably, for the CARITAS girls who otherwise would not be able to someday live these dreams, a new reality is formed. All of my girls know that they will have successful, prosperous lives, and for those receiving CARITAS sponsorships, they know they will be able to end a circle of poverty.
My name is Samantha Slimmer and I am currently interning for CARITAS for Children here in Nkokonjeru, Uganda. I will spend most of my time teaching Primary 3 and 4 at Stella Maris Boarding School but will also have the opportunity to meet and visit with children who qualify for sponsorship.
