A Love Story

As I’m sure you noticed, last week’s post was filled with some pretty strong emotions. Sometimes it surprises me how stressful this experience is. Before I left for Africa people told me over and over again that this will be the hardest thing I ever do, but no one can prepare you for what it’s really like. You might be able to prepare yourself for the physical hardships that you will face living in a small village, but there is no way to prepare yourself for the emotional roller coaster that is your Peace Corps service. The smallest thing can make me feel like I own the world, or it can bring me to my knees; I kind of feel like I’m losing my mind sometimes. Last week I was really struggling with the idea that some people obviously don’t want us here. My desire to help people within this area is tainted to some because of the color of my skin, and emotionally that is hard for me to comprehend. Sometimes I look at my classroom and wonder what the hell am I doing here? Kids on one side of the room are hitting each other, while kids on the other side are sleeping, and it makes me wonder if these kids are getting anything out of me being at the front of the classroom.

Then something small happens. Something I wouldn’t have thought twice about in the US, but here it was different, and it showed me just how much these kids will get to experience by having me here. The 14^th of February was Valentine’s Day. As a kid I loved Valentine’s Day. Back when you got to spend the day at school doing crafts, and everyone got a valentine from everyone I thought it was awesome. However, kids here have never gotten to experience the joys of getting little cards from everyone else in their class, or from anyone for that matter. Valentine’s Day was just another day of school with a ten minute lecture about the history of Valentine’s Day before school. There was no bright colored cards, no shy smiles as people tried to sneak notes to each other, no love in the air, until today. It might have been a few days late, but today my grade 5 and 6 class got to experience a little bit of American culture. My wonderful Aunt Nancy surprised me by sending a huge envelope filled with handmade Valentine’s Day cards from the students of Pine Ridge School. There were enough cards for each of my 100 learners to get their first American Valentine.

I went into class as if it was any other Monday. I started both my classes off with their warm-up questions, and then went into continuing my lesson from last week. Twenty minutes before class was out I had everyone put their books away, and explained that today I had a little surprise for them. I explained that in America my aunt is a teacher, and that her students sent a little something for Valentine’s Day. When I pulled out the stacks of red, purple, and pink cards the kids went wild. I never thought a 16 year old boy would get so excited about a heart shaped card that said “Be Mine?” on it, but every single learner couldn’t wait to get their hands on those cards. Some learners wanted to show the whole class their cards and brag about them to everyone who would listen, while others didn’t want to let anyone anywhere near theirs. They opened their cards, read them, and then slid them into the protective plastic cover of their notebooks where they would be safe. It was by far the cutest thing I have seen here. To see the look of pride on their face as they read the cards and put them somewhere safe was heartwarming. To most of us a handmade Valentine would mean nothing. We would look at as if it was cute and then probably not think of it again, but for them you could just see that it meant so much more. It was theirs, someone made that for them and that meant so much more than I can really comprehend. One small act of love and kindness showed these kids that other kids half way around the world know about them, and are thinking of them. Maybe it will help them see that they aren’t alone, and that the world can have some really great things to offer them.

So, thanks to the students and teachers of Pine Ridge I got to spend the day watching kids show their friends their first Valentine’s Day card and trying to explain what “cutie pie” and “U R GR8T” meant. I couldn’t have asked for a better Valentines gift. 

Grade 6

 Grade 5