Jo shares her reasons for coming back to the teaching project for a second time
Exactly one year ago, I arrived in Shimoni
to begin a ten week placement as a community volunteer on GVI’s Kenya Teaching
program. Words alone cannot convey this incredible experience; Rewarding,
challenging, enlightening and memorable immediately come to mind, but you
simply have to be here to understand their meaning.
I flew home in April 2011, promising myself
that I would return for a longer period of time, having given up my job. I have
now been in Shimoni for two wonderful weeks, and I’ve lost count of the number
of times my fellow volunteers have asked me why I came back. Why is this
program so special?
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| Jo demonstrates how to be a teapot |
The initial language barrier and
contrasting cultures that intimidate many prospective volunteers quickly fade
into insignificance and the village feels like home within days. Lesson
planning while baboons eat in the nearby compost heap and walking to school
with sykes monkeys play in the trees overhead are novelties that never cease to
capture your attention. The communities here exude an energy and passion for
life that is both contagious and instantly welcoming: The children call out your name as you stroll
through the village, and students invite you to play an impromptu game of dodge
ball during break time. The teachers approach their jobs with relentless
enthusiasm and commitment, and treat volunteers as valued members of their
team.
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| Jo reads to children in Shimoni village |
Teaching has highlighted personal qualities
that I never knew I had, and the sense of achievement that I felt on completing
my first lesson will stay with me forever. Most importantly, I always feel that
my efforts are valued and that my potential here is unlimited, regardless of
how much time I can spend here. I understand that, in six months, I cannot
possibly create a legacy that will endure after my departure. However, the
instant reward that comes from teaching, seeing the expression on the face of a
student who finally understands, is enough for me. Witnessing that gradual progression, day by
day, is what drew me back here.
Jo Knapman
Community Volunteer
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