Friday, June 20, 2008

Munali Girls High School


Today we went to Munali Girls High School. We were bombarded and overwhelmed with friendly faces and bubbling laughter. No one was too shy to say hello. We were automatically greeted into their school with open arms. Then we each got a buddy and went to classes with them or walked around the campus. My buddy was Eunice an extremely friendly girl who never stopped smiling. She did not wait long to tell me about everything in her life. She has four other sisters and wished she had a brother. Also she wanted to become a scientist someday if she can make it through high school. Eunice sounded like one of the fortunate few in Zambia who are not below the poverty line in society. Her father works two different jobs, her mom works for NGO's and she travels to Dubai to buy clothing which she sell back in Zambia. I learned all of this within the few steps we walked outside of the computer lab to her class room. Eunice had been studying with the same girls since grade 10, the girls never change the teachers cycle in and out. Eunice and I left the classroom and walked around the campus. Another school group came to Munali to use their grounds for a race. There was a large crowd drawn to this event, full of friendly faces cheering as loud as they could. Eunice and I left the crowded event and toured along the rest of the compound which was possibly the largest high school campus I have ever been to. The buildings were small yellow rectangles with blue trim on the windows. Some of the teachers actually stayed on campus; Eunice never knew the reason for this. We walked and walked around the campus all the way until the end when the campus met the main roads on all sides. By the end of that my feet were stained with the red dirt with the roads which blended in with my skin. After that Eunice and I returned to their class room where her next subject was math; which I would actually call physics. There was no teacher in the room but I recognized one other familiar face which was Cheray; she automatically was like , "Sophie come sit down here with me!" It seemed as if she was trying to end a taboo topic conversation. All of the girls begged Cheray and I to sing for them they wanted a song by Beyonce. We were extremely hesitant to do though they said they would reciprocate and sing for us. Then right when we were deciding what song the teacher came in and class begun. Cheray and I had to leave so we could have lunch and go onto our next exciting journey of the day.
-Sophie
I miss y'all back home and love ya!
P.S.-Happy early birthday Madre!!!
P.P.S-Nick says hello to all.

3 comments:

小寶日誌 said...

Hi Melinda,
I miss you guys. Thank you for sharing the story.
Love Vickie from Seattle Academy for all of you!

小寶日誌 said...

Hi Sophie,
Happy that you met friend there and thank you for sharing the story. Good story! Hope to read more from your journey.
Vickie from Seattle Academy

heather vail said...

Your logs are interesting to read, keep the observations going (loved the red dirt blending on to feet one)! From Miranda's whanau (family) in New Zealand.