Some of you may remember how disappointed I was when I heard that due to a student strike that we were not going to be sending teachers to Atanga SS. Today, we had a conference of all the schools, specifically to talk about KOBS. KOBS is an emotional literacy class that all Invisible Children schools are in various stages of implementing. When the speaker of the seminar showed a slide that showed a not insignificant percentage of the students surveyed had seen houses set afire with people in them, then maybe something else has to happen in the lives of these students before we can teach them how to simplify the square root of 8.
The KOBS program seems to be a step in the right direction. I believe any student cannot learn without feeling good about themselves, and understanding how truly remarkable they are. The KOBS program works to get traumatized students understanding what has happened in their lives and how to understand and manage the pain, but still move on.
Later in the day, when I saw Jacob from the Rough Cut on the street, he again turned his Reds cap backwards, so the big C was not obvious. If so much can happen in Jacob's life to move him in such a powerful direction, and he is such a smiling and happy young man, then there is hope for all of the students affected by the conflict.
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In the early morning beginning of the conference, I was greeted by two warm handshakes and two familiar voices. Ocwa Alfred Jackson and Obonyo Sam had come down to the conference from Atanga. They were crushed and terribly disappointed that Atanga was not getting American teachers this year. They had both worked so hard for their students and both worked so hard to suppport Invisible that I feel in some way, I have let them down. In the wave of the violence at the school, and thinking of the safety concerns for our teachers. I think the decision not to send to Atanga SS this year was probably the correct one.....Yet from their voices I heard two men talk about their school, imploring me that the school was never shut down...that there were working hard to make sure that students were continuing to study throughout all the chaos.
I am not sure what exactly has happened at Atanga, or at least I am not going to share it on record, but the bottom line is this...maybe one man let the school down.
What would you do, as a young student who saw your one shot at a future drift away due to the actions of an adult who should know better. Reacting with violence is never the answer, but then again what happens to a dream destroyed? what happens to a dream deferred?
And through it all, these two teachers Sam and Alfred were doing their very best for their students. Making sure that the school did not close, and making sure students who showed up were given instruction, were given knowledge, study sessions for their placement exams continued......
And what about the students who did not participate in the violence, who just want to move forward and conquer each year, and each subject in stride, what happens to them? I know some of my words here might be confusing to you, and I will have to fill in more details when I get home.....but it is amazing how many good people here are doing their very best to triumph through all these adversities and obstacles......
The bottom line is that there are no Teacher Exchange Teachers at Atanga SS, this year and this hurts everyone. The students and teachers of Atanga, who are doing amazing work, the American teachers that did not get a chance to see Atanga SS, and my two friends Alfred and Sam who care so much....
I have decided I am skipping the Safari to visit the teachers and students at Atanga SS....Hopefully, I can let them all know that they are not forgotten and there is still hope....
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