Your Voice

“My greatest personal reward is in the ability to use my teaching skills to reach beyond the classroom in ways I had never imagined.”

Kerri Elliott, Special Education Teacher

Antioch Community High School, Mundelein, IL

 

In 2008, two friends and I volunteered for an organization called Cross Cultural Solutions to spend four weeks teaching English at Kilimahewa Informal School in a rural area outside Moshi, Tanzania. Upon arriving in Tanzania, I was struck by the poverty and the need for help. I realized at once that, as an American, my “needs” are truly “wants.” I became convinced that I could help others attain their basic needs: food, water, shelter, and education. I fell in love with the children and families of the community and made a life commitment to assist them. I was determined to share with my American students the pride and spirit of this African community.

 

Following our first trip, we joined forces to appeal to school clubs, sports teams, and classes, church and business organizations, and others from our area. We held large fundraising events attracting people from surrounding communities. We returned to Tanzania the following summer to organize the school curriculum and management structure and purchase much-needed textbooks. We visited families and met with village leaders and government officials. We learned that many families could not afford fees to send their children to school. With very little rainfall and no water source in the village, the community of farmers barely made enough money to survive! We learned that teachers were not being paid; they were volunteering their time while their own families were struggling. We discovered that special needs students lacked services. We decided that when we returned home to America our new goals would be to raise funds to pay the teachers a modest stipend, to bring water to the village, and to start a family support group.

 

My teacher training has helped me in many ways. I was able to teach English to the children at Kilimahewa Informal School, and my teaching style helped reach students who struggle to learn in traditional classrooms. I was able to help families identify children with learning difficulties and teach parents strategies to help their children learn. I used my knowledge of curriculum development to work with teachers to develop a one-year curriculum for the school’s English, math, business, and communications programs and map out future curriculum development.

 

Rewards of these efforts and experiences come in many ways. My American students stay after school to build care packages for children they have never met. Large and small donations come from complete strangers, community and school groups, friends, and family members. Monthly notes and cards arrive from Tanzanian children, thanking us for helping their school. Priceless memories include hours of utter silence as each child in a classroom flipped through the pages of his or her own English textbook. I am witness to countless smiles of hope and joy in the face of hardship and struggle.

 

To learn more about Kerri’s project in Tanzania or to make a donation, visit:

http://projectkilimahewa.weebly.com or email:  projectkilimahewa@gmail.com