Been awhile since Ive written. Oops. Anyway, this day was pretty much defined by Brayn's runny nose and the fact that we are now one day away from our safari. Brayn was going to go to the Lutheran mass since hes kind of a spiritual mutt, and since I had told Sebastian the day before that Id see him today, I went to the Catholic mass with Simon and Godfried. The sermon ran on a bit for personal taste, probably large in part because I cant understand it. However, one word kept coming up that really sounded like "Nintendo" and that would alwas perk my ears. After mass, I inquired as to the word, and was disappointed to discover that the word is "matendo" which means "act."
After church, I said goodbye to Victor, Sebastian, and Johannes (sp?) (you may remember these three from our meeting about the kindergarten) and encouraged Sebastian to come visit us again before we left. As it turned out, he was planning to visit us that afternoon, which he did. We had lunch with him, and he left after he ate, wishing us well. Good guy, that one. By our surprise, Victor and Johanes (sp?) stopped by an hour or two later. Through a student translator, they asked for scholarships, and requested that we write down their names so we dont forget. I cant blame them for asking. They are passionate about education, and it seems they want this more than anything. I dont doubt that they would work very hard as students. They might have caught me at a bad time, because right now Im feeling a bit like a lottery ticket being scratched by an entire nation. I find myself wondering who should get priority for scholarships. There are many people wanting to sponsor students, and certainly it is up to them whom they wish to sponsor. I think for me, priority should go to students who have started school and dont have the means to continue, followed by students who have just finished primary school and cannot go on without assistance. This is not to say that adults wanting to return to school should be ignored. I just think that Tanzania needs to put all of their resources into raising a generation of educated citizens if they are to become self-sustaining. Adults should be given the option of community education, but maybe Im getting ahead of myself. Maybe not. I may be an idealist, but I dont think that Im unrealistic. Brayn and I are working on a proposal which Ill write more about to put this kind of plan into action, if not to at least put the idea into some heads.
Up next: SAFARI!
If this is your first time here, please be sure to read the first entry on this site. Thank you.
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