New Brainstorm Primary School

 

 



          One of the projects involved going to a primary (equivalent to kindergarten through early middle school) called New Brainstorm Primary School. This school is sponsored by Empower A Child, and provides free education for children whose families are unable to pay the school fees for education provided through the government run schools.

 

 



We would go there once a week to conduct a program involving praise & worship, a Bible story, and games. Then the older children would go to class for an extra teaching session, taught by EAC volunteers, while the little ones continue to play and hang out with the other volunteers. My first time there an older girl named Rose came up to me and she instantly attached herself to me.

Rose and me

 

 



Rose stuck by my side, introduced me to her best friend Nakato and Nakato’s twin brother Jonathan.

Rose, Nakato, & Jonathan

 

 



When it came time for the older children to go to class, she brought me along, and I ended up sitting in with her class, observing, and helping the EAC volunteer teacher.

Rose's class

 

 



New Brainstorm is placed in a small sectioned off area with 2 very small classrooms built with cement, and 4 other very small classrooms built with broken wood.

 

The cement classrooms

 

The wooden classrooms



These classrooms consisted of little faulty benches and tables where there was certainly not enough room for all the children. Even with little space, to the point of every child having their left and right side touching each other, dirt and dust ground, unstable walls and roof, no lighting, broken pencils, small flimsy notebooks, and terrible ‘chalkboards’ the children were thrilled to be in school learning and having the EAC volunteers excited them very much.

 

Auntie Kelsey's class

 

Auntie Emily's class

 

Auntie Shannon's class

 

Chalkboard

 



          As I observed my fellow EAC volunteer teach her class, I thought to myself, “I could do that; I could teach a class here. Certainly, I could. Look at these children; they are soaking up every bit of it.” For anyone who knows me, I am certain that thought came as a shock, as it did for me; I remember later asking myself, “Who was that person talking to me?” Surely it was not me claiming I could teach a class. Also, earlier during the Bible lesson, when one of the EAC volunteers was teaching the whole group of students, I too found myself, telling myself “I could do this; I could teach the children a Bible lesson. It’s a children’s Bible lesson, in front of children who are eager to listen.” Again, who was that talking to me? Certainly, those thoughts were not my own; I am not one for standing before people, and most certainly not one for teaching. I have always turned down teaching, and insisted upon being a helper in classes. I am a ‘in the background kind of person;’ not a front person. Well, later I realized those thoughts of “I can teach” were not my own, and they were the Holy Spirit’s assuring me, I am capable. At my first weekly Friday planning meeting, I had volunteered to teach the Bible lesson for the students at large. Crazy and unbelievable, that I willingly volunteered to teach? Absolutely! I was quite shocked myself; however, I was excited. At our next visit to New Brainstorm, I taught the children about Zacchaeus, and it went very well!

 

 



And sure enough, my last week there I ended up teaching a P1 (kindergarten) and P2 (1st grade) English class. That was a little more on the side of unwilling, because though the Holy Spirit was telling me “You can do it” I was not so convinced; however, with the help of 2 EAC volunteers and friends, it went well!