The first visit- Annika and Catriona
Our thoughts
We feel that the opportunity to build a link with a school in Tanzania will enable both of our schools to benefit. A few benefits we can begin to imagine already but are fully aware that many of the benefits will become real as the link develops. Through our link we hope to be able to understand more about how life differs for people especially children in a culture totally different to our own and deliver this to the children. Developing international links allows students to overcome prejudice and lack of knowledge. Many stereotypes exists in the media that only exposure to another culture can help overcome.
The government is increasingly recognising the importance of schools developing international links. They support the International School Award of which we have attained the intermediate level. In order to achieve the full award, we must demonstrate that a global knowledge is being spread. Having a link with a school in Tanzania will give us the chance to do this, we will be able to learn from each other and share our knowledge with our children, thus broadening the minds and knowledge of us all. The award is a high-profile award that requires schools to submit a yearlong action plan in which internationalism is shown to be part of thee curriculum in the school.
Outline of the Visit
Since December last year, our schools have been emailing one another with joint project ideas and hopes for the future. Both have also sent and received pictures of each other and our schools. George Mbesigwe is the Head teacher of Lilungu Primary school and he is just as excited by our visit as we are about going:
“May I say thanks to GOD for helping you find LEDBURY PRIMARY SCHOOL to us. We are very happy. . . I wish you the best in the coming Christmas and NEW YEAR 2010.”
George Mbesigwe December 11th 2009
Some of George’s hopes for our partnership:
“ We are very happy to have link and partnership with your school, the main purpose for our partnership is as follows,
To have a joint curriculum projects among our schools
To exchange ideas on how each school performs in several school activities.
To conduct visit for teachers, students ant other members of school community
My school have made a special Committee to coordinate our partnership”
George Mbesigwe June 30th 2010
Catriona and myself will be flying out to Tanzania on the 29th July 2010. We fly from Heathrow to Dar es Salam before getting another plane to Mtwara. Here we will be staying for a week with the sisters of St Michael’s Church Mtwara, whilst working in partnership with George at the school. Catriona and I see this experience as an opportunity to personally live life in another culture as a local rather than from a tourist’s perspective. Through this we feel we will become more equipped to deliver a global curriculum to the children and instil the value of humility, as well as many others, to a greater level.
Preparations
On arrival it is customary for visitors to give a speech of thanks, saying a little about themselves and how they feel to be here- This speech is given to the whole community. We are going to attempt to deliver our speeches in Kiswahili as this is the native language. Here is a snip it of what I shall be trying to say (The black is what I would say in English, the red Kiswahili and the green is the actual translation.):
Since discovering I had been given the opportunity of coming here, I have been looking forward
Kwa vile nimefuma hicho nimepatiwa ya faragha kuja huku, nimeangalia kwenye
Since I discovered that I had been given the opportunity to come here, I have looked toward
to forging new friendships and learning about a new culture.
uundaji warafiki wapya na kujifunza kama taaluma wapya.
To making friends new and to learn about new culture.
As well as showing our appreciation through words, we are taking gifts to show our thanks.
For the school Ledbury Primary is giving:
A parachute, pens, pencils, paper, school bags, hats, tea towels, tennis balls etc. Ledbury Church has also contributed some wind up torches and donated money towards the cost. Mrs Toya also gave some balloons for us to take so we could have fun with the children.
Other small gifts like scarves and soaps have been bought by Catriona and I to show our personal thanks for the hospitality we are sure to receive.
To keep everyone up to date we will keep the Annika and Catriona page of this blog as updated as possible, depending upon how frequently we can access the internet.
