When was the last time you were truly amazed? For me, it was the summer of 2003 when I participated in the Teachers Without Borders, South Africa program. So much was compressed into such a short time that the thoughts and feelings became like a tightly coiled spring that is only now starting to relax and reveal so much. Just seeing one picture now can evoke a flood of memories.
The people of South Africa are most amazing. I was fortunate to meet teachers who taught me so much about being a teacher. They showed compassion, patience, understanding, enthusiasm and optimism. Teachers traveled hours and kilometers, spent their own money, spent their vacation time away from their families, just to learn to be better teachers. I so admire all of them! Working together with the teachers was an incredible experience. I have never been so moved by singing as I was when I heard the South Africa teachers sing their national anthem, with such passion and possession, at the closing ceremonies of our first workshop. I cannot begin to describe the feelings evoked. Tears in my heart. Even now I get chills when I recall that experience.
I was fortunate to have Moji guide me through Soweto and the home of Nelson Mandela. What Nelson Mandela did for South Africa can only be described as a miracle. The Apartheid Museum chronicled the past in haunting detail. How did the world allow such gross atrocities to happen for so long?
I was again confronted with poverty in the extreme. I have seen it before in the Philippines, but it still shocks and disgusts me. "Challenging" is a poor euphemism that doesn't even come close to describing the abject conditions of millions of people there. Yet, for so many, despair is not part of their vocabulary. I met some of the most impressive people I have met in my life. I will mention Yunus Chamda, Pauline Duncan, Razvi Ahmed, Gora Peer, and Mr. Brown," but the list is so much longer.
Most impressive about these people is their uncanny ability to be so positive and forward looking, only occasionally glancing at their rear view mirror to see that nothing bad from the past is approaching. Their faith that plenty of good lies ahead continues to inspire me. What a gift they have given me!
One day I was walking along a beach and a young girl in a tattered dress came up to me and gave me a necklace made of shells and said, "present". When I offered her some money she protested, "no, present". I insisted and also gave her a cookie that she ate immediately. I asked if I could take her picture and she smiled. Every day I look at that necklace and picture and think, "Little children should not have to sell shells in order to eat."
South Africa was also the stage of my most memorable teaching experience. We were planning to do a teacher workshop in Lusikisiki, but there seemed to be a greater need and a perfect opportunity to work with students. I remember so vividly listening to Yunus explain to the TWB team, "Look, things have changed - instead of working with the teachers you will be working with students, all 750 of them, we start right away." No time for stage fright! I walked into a large auditorium with seats going up to the sky and wall to wall with students. I could not believe I was doing this. During the next 3 days we worked together on the matriculation exam. Sometimes a student way in the back would write a question and pass it through the students below and then I would look at it the problem with 200 sets of eyes upon me. What a thrill! Amazingly, I actually began to know these students and make connections. They were such nice kids! I recall two girls stopping me between sessions to show me the work they had done on a problem. It was a difficult problem and they had solved it correctly. I only said, "This is very good." They beamed!
On the final day of that week, we were to meet with several groups of students. I noticed one young lady who kept showing up in the classes. She kept following me from class to class instead of going to her assigned classes. In the final class, she asked a wonderful problem which we successfully solved. Time expired and I was preparing to exit, when she raised her hand and asked the teacher for permission to speak. She stood and hesitated for a brief moment as all became so very quiet in that large room. Then she said, "We want to thank you for coming from the other side of the world to help us learn our maths. We enjoyed it very much." The room erupted in applause. Many tears, running down my cheeks, and in my heart. I cherish that moment and I shall never forget it. It was as close to a perfect day as I have ever known. We teach for years for one moment like this. I had my moment.
No narrative of this experience would be complete without acknowledging the many people who made everything possible. Yunus Peer spent months of preparation and constantly looked after us. More than once Hank saved me by noticing an error I had made or agreeing to discuss some odd topic like linear programming. Oz was good company. Yunus's mother was a wonderful host to us and prepared delicious food for us. Yunus's good friend Razvi and his wonderful wife Firdoz and their delightful children were a real comfort to us each evening for more than a week. They prepared wonderful meals and we greatly enjoyed our conversations. The good Doctor Razvi nursed me back to health when I was sick. Yunus's brother Gora was the best guide and one of the funniest companions anyone could have. I enjoyed his company immensely! He showed me some of the most strikingly beautiful places on the planet. He and his wife Cecilia and their two children Adam and Sarah hosted us in their fabulous home overlooking Port Shepstone. They fed us and cared for us for a week.
On Monday of our final week we were with the students working on the matriculation exam. At noon Yunus announced that we would break for 45 minutes to have lunch. Two students approached me with a math problem they wanted me to solve. Suddenly three more appeared, wanting to see the solution. Not ten seconds later six more came, and suddenly a crowd of students surrounded me. I suggested that we work at the board. No fewer than 30 students stood around to see us work on the problem. When we finished, I said, "Don't you know that this is your lunch time?" They said, "That's ok. We can eat later. We want to learn now."
The world can take a lesson from the people of South Africa. Whereas apathy grows from our comfort, hope grows from their struggle.
James Metz University of Hawaii KCC