Four strings and a nail.

Day 12 -- Friday, July 9
Today what struck me as rather interesting is that we were focusing on recycling and reuse, and yet there is so little waste here…I mean there is definitely a trash problem because of the ineptness of the government in providing trash bins and trash removal, but as far as being a wasteful, consumerist society, they’re anything but. Their lifestyle seems to necessitate the reuse of many things. It's still a good message for them to hear, especially the info they learned about the bad effects of burning plastics (which they often use to start fires in their township), and many of them were motivated to try to do something to improve the trash situation -- writing letters, having a festival to educate people in their town, etc.
What got me thinking about this was that today, when everyone was practicing/finishing what they would present, one of my students, Mongezi was sitting in a chair just outside of the barn with a couple of his friends trying to play a guitar…as I got closer, I could see that there were only 4 strings, strung through and knotted to keep them in place, and he was using a nail as a pick. They don’t throw things away just because they’re broken, and they use things even when they're beat up a little or they aren’t perfect, and they improvise a lot. Quite different from SoCal. They use a combination of black plastic chairs and old plastic/metal chairs that they carry from room to room or outside, if need be. They use old desktops and have one printer for the whole school. There are very few decorations throughout the school…as creative as these kids are, this is just such a plain space.
Today was Celebration Day! Below is the poem that my students read today all together (me included). Each student chose a verse to read and I thought it interesting how each verse really fit the student who read it.

Still I Rise By Maya Angelou
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise. (Lebo read this one…she also was brave and persistent enough to read one of her own poems during the celebration…and she read it so passionately and emotionally. She’s a very strong and opinionated (in a good way) young woman).

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room. (Namkhitha read this one…this is the girl who didn’t really want to be there at first and was a little “sassy” with me at first, muttering things under her breath, challenging me…I adore her)

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise. (This was my verse…not sure how it reflects me…maybe just that I’m a dependable, hopeful person…)

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries. (This was read by Pleasure…he is a lovely, but struggling young man, trying to fit into and be accepted by his community. I adore him too…his poems were heartbreaking and lovely, reaching out, asking for acceptance and support…one of his poems was titled “Conviviality” – or living well together.)

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard. (This poem was read by quiet, and somewhat “haughty” little Lerato…she keeps her distance and keeps her emotions very controlled and it does come across a little haughty…but man oh man you should have seen how she read her poems…so loudly, courageously, powerfully)

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise. (This verse was read by Mongezi…the verbivore. ‘Nuf said)

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs? (This was read by Mapule…She’s an absolutely beautiful young woman, perhaps struggling with that aspect of herself…she was very adamant in wanting this verse…there must be a story there, but she too is very reserved.)

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. (This was read by Wisani (also goes by Manuel)…he’s a very confident, proud, kind, curious, intelligent, talented young man and a wonderful poet…it just seems to fit him so perfectly)

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise. (This verse we all read together)

I've only know these kids for 4 days, but I love them already and feel like I've known them forever.

After we read this together, the students read their 3 partner/group poems accompanied by the musicians. It was awesome. I will try to find a way to post some of the performance. It was also a really long day. The program went until a little after 4:00…there was acting, a comedian (really good too), a multimedia presentation about trash and recycling in Alex, and a presentation by John/Marc’s kids about the garden, etc. It really only last 2.5 hours but it just took a while to get going. Sarah did a really great job putting the whole week together, and the kids were really appreciative of all her efforts.
I would post pictures here, but I lent my camera to a student who was taking pictures for the school and in his attempt to be thoughtful, he took off all of his pictures fromt he day -- but also took off my pictures from the day. They're on a school computer and I'll get to them eventually, but for now I have no pictures!