Gugu blog

I created a similar blog to this for the Gugu Learning Center. Please check it out if you have a chance:

Gugu Center Blog

A Donor Update

I just wanted to take the chance to thank everyone for their continued support and donations. I want to take a second to tell you how your donations have made a difference. Here is what the money has gone towards:

- Gugu’s rent and utilities for 1 month

- Much needed teacher’s salaries for 1 month

- Art supplies for children’s programs

- Books for the teachers

- Transportation costs

- White boards for the classrooms at 1 adult school

- Books for the adult education program

- Dictionaries for the adult education program

- Music and videos for the children

- Some of my personal living expenses

While this is not a solicitation for more donations, much of my donations have already been used to cover these things. Continue to pray that I will receive the assistance I need personally and more importantly, the costs to keep these programs running

After School with Angels

I think I should buy myself a t-shirt that says “I Survived the After School Program at Gugu Learning Center.” After climbing Mt. Sinai a few days ago following a 10 hour bus ride both directions, one would think that the next week would be simple. This false hope is soon shattered after one tries to have 25 children make a bee hive/ bee-havior foam craft with many small pieces.

Actually, the program is going well. The craziness is a bit of an exaggeration.

I have started this after school program at Gugu as an incentive program for the children who are performing well in class. I developed the curriculum last September and this is the first opportunity I have to use it. The staff and I chose about 5 kids from each of the grades based on their efforts in the classroom. However, as always, not choosing everyone causes problems. Fifteen minutes before the program began, there was a mob of children outside of the school waiting to get in. You would think that they were waiting for the front row of the largest rock concert to take place in a decade. I then had to pull the kids who had been selected out of the crowd and allow a select few to enter as well. I would love to take all of the kids, but the space and resources are limited.

The children were incredibly attentive for about the first hour. Then attention spans started to vary as the students are ages 6-14 years old. Frustrations mounted as the glue wouldn’t stick to the foam or a bee wing fell on the floor.

Let’s not forget the language barrier. I asked some of the older girls, “Do you want some more?” referring to the glue. One of the girls then asked me if the glue bottle was called, “some more.” It’s easy to take for granted teaching in English sometimes.

The difficulty I find teaching children here is that the kids don’t get to have fun regularly. This is such a sad thing to consider. It’s amazing to hear them laugh as we play a game, smile as we sing a song, or show off their new sticker. This one second grader gets so excited about the smallest things- it’s so cute. However, since the kids lack these everyday experiences of “fun,” things can get out of hand when they do get it. To play the game of “hot potato” creates an overwhelming excitement that soon turns into chaos. Coloring with crayons turns into a hectic party. If you give them some fun, they take it too far. I hope as I continue to teach, I will find a balance.

I will be having this program every Monday. Fortunately, I have some assistance. As the program continues I can only pray that it provides an environment for learning, laughing, and loving for these children.

Some answers...

I received an email from the Pemberton Township High School Future Business Leaders of America recently. I just want to thank them for the great work they have been doing. They will be presenting their organization, "Second Chance for Darfur's Kids" at the state competition soon and asked me the following questions in preparation for this. I think that these are questions some other people might have as well. Thanks again for everything you are doing!

1) What inspired you to go to Egypt and work with the refugee?

I never thought I would end up in Egypt working with refugees- that wasn't in my "plan." However, in January 2006, I went with a group of students from my university to Egypt to study Christianity and Islam for 3 weeks. As part of our tour, we visited an organization called Refuge Egypt which serves African refugees. I didn't really know about the refugee situation facing Sudan and especially their lives in Cairo until that point. I was so inspired by the visit, that I helped my professor organize a returning trip the following January, with the intent of just working at Refuge Egypt. We spent 3 weeks working in different departments of the organization and I fell in love with the youth team there. I began teaching English and doing some gang outreach. Through this time, I established great friendships and a desire to serve refugees. This led me to return shortly after my graduation in June for a month. Yet, again I decided that I liked this so much that I deferred law school for a year and returned in September. The people I have met, the things I have done, and the opportunities I have experienced have inspired me to serve the refugees and continue to do so.

2) How has our donation helped?
FBLA's donation has helped tremendously here in Cairo and even back in Pemberton. The $850 has gone to paying rent and electricity bills as well as giving teachers the money they haven't received for several months. This has helped boost their morale as they were becoming frustrated with not receiving a salary. The money they received will keep them teaching at Gugu for a few more months. The largest expense at the school is rent and your money has gone to helping that process as well. The refugees have been extremely grateful for these donations. The money came at the right time too. The school was facing many uncertainties during the holiday break and wasn't sure how it was going to continue. This money allowed them to have a fresh start beginning in January.

Your donation has also had a positive impact on our community. Pemberton doesn't have the reputation of "helping others." I've talked to some people and your work has given them a positive impression of our high school and students. It has even inspired others to start doing some work as well. It shows that Pemberton students do care and can make a difference.

3) What impact has this type of community service made on your life?

Community service is my life. I don't think it always comes in the forms of participating in an event, joining a club, or donating money, but rather having the desire to help others. I have learned much more from serving others than I would from serving myself. This type of community service - giving a year to just volunteering- has helped me refocus my goals, develop long lasting relationships, and view the world in a new lens. I know that a lot of people say that volunteerism can change your life, but it is absolutely true.

The Sudanese have taught me to love whole heartedly, to be grateful for everything that you have, and to never lose hope. Sometimes I'm having dinner with a friend and I'll think to myself, "This person has gone through the same things that we see everyday on the news about war in Africa, yet we are sharing pizza and sharing laughs- we are the same." These people are not just distant figures on a late night news channel, they are my friends, my coworkers, and my second family. It's going to be hard to say goodbye in a few months, but I know that I will continue to serve others in different capacities. I can no longer sit back and ignore the situations of those around me who need help.

4) What impact has this type of community service made on the refugees' life?

Refugees have faced hardships unimaginable to any American. Not only are they forced to flee their home country, but then they come to Cairo and face racism, discrimination, and poor living conditions. However, it is the help of community service organizations, coupled with their ambitions and outlook, that is their survival. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees only can provide so much assistance. It has become the responsibility of grassroots non profits to help with the rest. For example, refugee children cannot attend Egyptian schools because of the harassment they will face, so the only alternative to receiving any education is through schools like the Gugu Learning Center. Jobs are linked to nonprofits as well as medical care. Community service by those outside the community and other refugees is the backbone to life in Cairo. Even though the refugees are live a life around the service of others and themselves, there is never a moment that they aren't grateful.

Also, thank you to the Pemberton Soccer Club for supporting my work. You can visit www.pembertonsoccerclub.com to see their write up about what I am doing here.

It is so encouraging to know that people back home are supporting me.

An update

I realized that I have been posting a lot of different things, but nothing really qualifies as an update. So here's one...

It's Monday. That means it's the start of a new week- kinda. Fortunately, or unfortunately sometimes, I have now lost all of my free days. There is a program every day of the week for me now. However, I came here to serve and I should spend my time doing it. Here's a glimpse into my schedule.

Sunday- English tutoring, children's program, sports program (when it begins)
Monday- 3 classes at Gugu, children's after school program
Tuesday, Wednesday - 3 classes at Gugu, adult English program
Thursday- 2 classes at Gugu, adult English program
Friday- church, cell group, sports program (when it begins)
Saturday- 2 classes at Gugu, adult English program

This certainly isn't a form of complaining or posting. I just want to give you an idea of what I've been doing each day.

I really love teaching (which is good since I do alot of it). My students are starting to behave better. It's been really hard discipling them because they are used to being hit as a form of punishment. Rather than hitting, I have resorted to positive incentives. It's amazing how far a sticker can go. I hope my supply lasts a long time! I also allow them to listen to music when they behave. They sing along with the music the same way we do in the car- we don't really know the words but we try anyway. I will try to post the videos on this site, but of course uploading anything here takes forever! Not to mention the loss of internet we had in Cairo due to that cable that broke.

My adult classes are going well too. We have more students than I expected which means I have to get more books copied. This is a good problem though. My advanced classes have been interested. Math really is a struggle for them. We even have to review the basics of addition, subtracation, multiplication and division. Our curriculum for the first half is based around October Sky. That means our science unit is about space. It's really hard teaching about the universe and planets when some of my students didn't even know that there was anything beyond where we live. I've been asked questions such as "Can you feel gravity when you are a plane?" "How do cell phones work?" " How can we go into space- do we hit a solid shell as we try to leave?" These are all great questions, but sometimes they catch me off guard. We'll be watching October Sky this week so hopefully that will give them some of the answers. We also are learning about the 1950s- an era of transition for the world and Sudan as it gained its independence in 1956. The students are so willing to absorb everything and willing to take risks in class so it's been great. However, I will never be able to fill the gap they have in their education.

I'll have to give an update about the other programs in a later post. I hope everyone is doing well and thanks for taking the time to read this!

P.S. Cortney is here now which is great. Of course, the landlord raised the rent because there are two Americans in the apartment.