Against all Odds

Our last school visit was scheduled for Helen DeVos School which the Administrator in charge of our visit is rightly proud of.  This school houses grades 7-12 and takes kids from all of the other schools that we have visited that show great promise.  The children coming to this school have a full day, many of them starting with a long walk (miles - and as our parents would say uphill both ways).  The students here arrive at 7:45 and leave at 4.  

We arrived at lunch time and the cafeteria looked much like the others we had visited with a big pot of n'shima on a coal burner, BUT, they had snacks you could buy!  Students were all in uniforms, boys with slacks, white shirts (unbelievable - they must be washed by hand every night), ties, sweaters, girls with skirts, white knee socks, black shoes, white shirts and sweaters.  As we keep saying, "Kids are kids" and they spent their lunch time talking in small groups, etc.  

We visited the library, which was small compared to what we are used to - most of their books were sets of books like a nature series, or each one of the United States, even a set of National Geographics (which I somehow find ironic).  They had 7 computers set up in a row in the front and guess what they were preparing for?  TESTING!  There is a state test that they must pass and it is that time again.  This school has an unbelievable 100% pass rate for the Zambia National Exam!  These children are the poorest of the poor in this capital city - they are going places!

As an aside, I cannot imagine what it is like trying to keep those computers going - sparse internet signals, power outages and the biggest threat - dirt and dust!  Students use brooms found in the corners of every classroom to sweep out the rooms at the end of the day, sweep the walks in front of the doors, sweep the dirt off the dirt. 

Each time we entered a room, all students stood and greeted us in English.  The principal that was guiding us, asked each class if they had any questions for the American visitors.  It never failed that someone asked us our names and we would introduce ourselves down the line.  We have a young girl named Sarah with us....I think they may have just been trying to get her name.  As we were leaving one classroom, a young man called out Goodbye Sandra....and I of course turned flattered, they all laughed, then it dawned on me that he meant to get Sarah's attention, not mine!  

In the 12th grade class, they laughed when I said my name because there was a Sandra in the class, there was also a Suzanne! Each student introduced themselves and told us what their future plans were.  There were kids who wanted to be doctors, accountants, nurses, mechanics, one girl wanted to be the President of Zambia!  It was just like standing in a classroom in the US.  There were kids that were serious, kids that joked, and kids that "busted each other's chops" (a phrase that I had to explain to Tom and he soon turned on me!).  I even felt like, just like their American peers, they enjoyed the interruption in their class and tried to stretch it out!  One student asked us to explain what a "state" was.  One student asked about Obama - they seem to take a certain pride in Obama- and we got into a discussion about presidential terms (our terms are four years, theirs is five).  One girl asked about Chicago-we wondered if she might have family there.   It was really fun talking to these kids, I wished that we had planned more time to talk to them (I wanted to stretch it out too!).