I got to join my friend Iris for what she’s recently incorporated into her weekly routine: going down to Bondeni (the valley) to read to the kids (SWAHILI PHRASE OF THE DAY: kusomea watoto = to read to kids). A couple of the kids who live at the orphanage center are from this area, which I just learned is extremely prone to flooding during the rainy season, exacerbated by the fact that some of the houses are within the tidal flood plain.
Having libraries, bookstores, and my own personal stash of books is something that I generally take for granted. Having visited the Central Library in Dar es Salaam the weekend before (stay tuned for more on that story), I can attest to the fact that the reading materials in the country are limited on the national scale, not to mention in poor neighborhoods such as this.
The afternoon of reading the Swahili-English bilingual version of “Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves” was extremely fulfilling, as kids around the circle took turns putting their reading skills to the test. The initial group of ten kids kept growing as the story went on, since word got around that this tutorial session (“tuishen” in Swahili) was actually tuition free. After reading the classic tale together, the older kids eagerly chose books to read on their own for the remainder of the time, while the younger ones practiced writing out their alphabet.
I am so proud of my friend Iris for making this idea into a reality, and for her steadfast belief in the potential of these kids who blossom with encouragement and someone who believes in them.
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