PASSPORT to TANZANIA

1. PASSPORTtoTANZANIA

2. On the very first day, we went to visit the village chief. “He welcomed us warmly and shared his rat that was hanging from the shed as a warning to other rats.” – Ms. Bell

3. The girls were also welcomed with a big game of sharks and minnows with 300 orphans from the Kimnyaki Village

4. “At first James quietly observed our group but once he got to know us, he was a warm, funny, and caring man. He really took care of us and made us all feel comfortable and welcome in his country.” – Ms. Bell

5. “When you think of Africa, you tend to imagine a savannah and dry grasslands; but it was the opposite: with lush rainforests and massive amounts of rain and mud.” -- Kelly

6. “ “Every afternoon we would go and play soccer with some of the kids which was awesome for the girls that play soccer back in the states.” -- Dylan

7. “This was in the Olevolos Village. The first time we went there, it seemed like we were walking in a place you would see on TV as an advertisement – views like these were really eye-opening experiences.” -- Gina

8. Here the kids from Alfayo’s are receiving one cup of porridge from the volunteer-teachers at the nursery school. For many of the kids, this is the only food they eat all day.

9. “Many of the children we saw in Tanzania aren’t sure if there will be food when they wake up in the morning…

10. …People always reference the starving children in Africa but actually seeing them there makes you think about simplicities of every-day life in a different way…

11. …The kids were so grateful when we shared our food with them and they made sure everyone had something to share.” -- Miranda

12. “The kids were teaching me words and numbers. It was so much fun. I was really bad so they were laughing their heads off.” – Ms. Bell

13. “They didn’t have much but they never stopped smiling.” -- Kelly

14. “This is Naomi. She was very sweet and tried to teach me Swahili. We had a lot of fun laughing together.” -- Sarah

15. Each day the girls did different activities with the kids. Here a local boy is playing tug-of-war with his friends against a team of Laurel girls. Laurel won!

16. “They were really surprised that a girl could play soccer and actually be good at it. It was one of my favorite things to do with the kids.” -- Kelly

17. “This boy seemed so comfortable with me. It made me feel really special.” -- Olivia

18. “Spending time with the orphans really taught me to be appreciative of everything. They orphans have so much to teach you and I can’t wait to go back.” -- Miranda

19. All of the girls came up with their own lesson plans to share with the orphans. Some taught numbers and others did colors and days of the week. Everyone sang songs together.

20. “It was so cool how you could go up to any of the kids and they would come over and sit on your lap. There was a language barrier but it didn’t seem to matter.” -- Dylan

21. “This girl’s name was “Light.” At first she wouldn’t talk to anyone but after I started tickling her she came and sat on my lap and almost fell asleep. I made me feel like what we were doing there was affecting them.” -- Kelly

22. “I miss the kids and playing with them and exchanging our languages together. I would love to see them again before I graduate.” -- Sarah

23. “I think about these kids when I’m complaining about stupid things. I think about how happy they are and how trivial my complaints are.” -- Emma

24. “Singing with the kids was really cool because I sing so much here that we had an immediate connection there, even though we didn’t know the same songs.” -- Olivia

25. “He was so cute. We brought him a brand new Oxford shirt and he wore it for the next three days – he loved it.” -- Gina

26. “It was really good to see that progress is being made to give the orphans from the Olevolos Village a better chance.” -- Olivia

27. “These are some of the kids who lived in the village. As we were walking by, they ran up and grabbed our hands and walked with us to Alfayo’s.” -- Emily

28. “This is Happi (short for Happiness). I loved spending time with her because she soaked everything up – words, laughs, and love – she took it all in.” -- Miranda

29. “We taught the kids different games and songs that we were taught when we were younger such as I’m a little teapot and Head shoulders knees and toes.”--Alexis

30. “The elders from Alfayo’s were so hospitable to us. They made sure that we felt welcome and even presented us with kangas on our last day.” -- Miranda

31. “I really wasn’t expecting the gifts at the end of the week. But it shows how generous and grateful they really were for us coming to spend time together.” – Gina

32. The Laurel girls were the first big group of Westerners to ever visit. “The kids were so curious and all they wanted to do was hold our hands.” -- Kelly

33. “The food was great. Rice and beans is one of my new favorite meals!” -- Sarah

34. “Adiele was the son of Mama Adiele – we became really close with him over the time we were there and we taught him a lot of Western phrases. It was fun to play with him and bond.” -- Alexis

35. “Erique was one of the boys I played with every day. He was really quiet, but even though he didn’t talk much we were still able to communicate and in ways that made our bond even more special.”- Emily

36. “Being at Shimbwe with the older kids was a totally different experience. We were actually able to converse with the older kids and learn about their culture.” -- Gina

37. “When we were at Shimbwe painting one of the classrooms, we really enjoyed not only spending time together with the Laurel girls but also with the Shimbwe students. Nelson is in front of this picture. He brought a lot of energy and helped us paint the high ceiling. He also loved singing Bob Marley.” -- Dylan

38. “After a long day of painting at Shimbwe, it was great to let loose and have a paint fight together.”--Dylan

39. “The Laurel community provided so much for Shimbwe School. The faces of the people we met really showed their thankfulness.” -- Emma

40. “It was awesome to be so close to the wild animals in their natural habitat. Even though the safari was an interesting experience, everyone really benefited from the service part of the trip and being able to help others in the way that we did.” - Dylan

41. “The wildlife in Africa is so diverse. I was amazed at the animals and how they interact with each other.” -- Emma

42. “Seeing the herd all together was absolutely surreal. It was hard to believe that those animals were right there.” -- Gina

43. “Even though Ms. Gannes thought that the hyenas were ugly, I thought they were really cool. They were so close!” -- Sarah

44. “They were so close I could have touched a zebra if I had wanted!” -- Kelly

45. “I learned so much about making relationships with people who speak a different language. Playing and hugging and coloring together becomes a new language that we can share.” -- Emma