As one of our ways of transparently wallowing you into our Tofauti experience, we would like to look into a brief snippet of Lady Bethelhem Dejene's, from Africa's Hub Addis Ababa, testimonial. She interned with us from the first week of January 2015 to 15th February right after valentines day. Miss Dejene worked in the Education Sector as part of her internship program at 'Faith With Action' orphanage, situated in the rather harsh environs of Embakassi slums, Nairobi.
She worked as a teacher, teaching various elementary subjects like mathematics, social studies etc; and also as a mentor to the disadvantaged kids. It was a privilege working with her as she was methodical, organized, time conscious and very adaptive. Her ability to connect people, and inspire the audience were exemplary...
This is her unedited story,
"
'My Experience at Tofauti'
My experience at Tofauti has been amazing so far. I have
contributed small but I have gained a lot. Teaching at faith with action
school, and spending some quality time with the kids has made my life
completely different. I have learned a lot from the kids. They know how to give
love and receive love. These kids know what they want in the future and they
are working hard to get there. And the
best part is these kids know that they will definitely get there. They know how
to play life game and win. Now I know how to play mine. Now my confidence is
high and I am louder than ever. Tofauti , in general have made me come out of
my shell and brought out the best in me.
'My Expectations before coming'
I honestly didn’t want to have an expectation because I
wanted to be surprised.
And yes definitely, I was surprised.
'My project'
Tofauti on the move Project at
Faith with action school is targeted towards orphanage school working with
children in Kenya. I have been working in a school for street kids/orphans or
children with one parent that provides them with education, food and shelter. I
was teaching English, mathematics, social science and science. I have also
prepared a report of the activities that were running in the academy. I also
used to support the English teacher in language education focusing on
presenting his/her own culture to raise cultural awareness amongst the
children. I was also
helping the children have a global mindset and make them aware that there is a
great big world out there and that they can be part of it through education.
'Way Forward and Improvements to the project'
Tofauti on
the move is a revolutionary project for Africa. It’s a project that has a
massive contribution for youth empowerment and better education for Africa.
These
projects should expand to all parts of Africa. And since Africa is still
struggling to have a better quality education, Tofauti on the move should at
least 50% or more focus on quality education for Africa.
Kenya, the Intern house, people and food
Honestly I love the intern house. It’s a smart,
beautiful and very well furnished house. I don’t even want to leave the house.
The best thing about the intern house is the surrounding. It’s quiet with a
pure fresh air, very clean and perfect security. Eagle’s plain estate is a
place to be! And Kenyan food is really awesome I love all. Especially,
Ugali, chapatti and a meat and a chicken stew. It’s my favorite Kenyan dish.
The people of Kenya are very outgoing and
lovely. People are very friendly and neighbors are not strangers in Kenya.
You will arrive as a visitor and leave as a friend. They treat each other with
respect and love.
Being here and experiencing a different
culture, a different lifestyle, and a different language has changed my
perception of life. I am so much more aware of the world now especially Africa,
and when i get back home, i can't wait to pass on all of my new knowledge.
Being put outside of your comfort zone is a scary thing, but I've realized now
that really it is just an opportunity to try new things.
