And So It Begins...

Programs have now begun, and life is a lot more fun because of it.

Today at Homework Club we had a group from Kenya come. They talked to the kids - who were totally mesmerized - and sang some songs. All the kids thought they were from Jamaica, no matter how many times I told them otherwise. They had a ton of fun, dancing around and singing. It was sweet that the group sang songs that the kids already knew (they had called ahead to ask which ones we sang with them, so that they could involve them more). When they were leaving, a group of our children surrounded them and gave them a big hug.

Helping the kids with homework is much tougher than I thought it would be before I started this job. 9 times out of 10, they have assignments involving skills that they have not learned in school (although they should have). I am not a trained teacher, and so I don't know how to teach kids to read and do math. I try my hardest, but usually end up feeling inadequate. I'm starting to think that I should take classes on the subject.


Please pray for our wonderful volunteers. They sign up for the program with an idea of the kids that is not really accurate. The first few days, they usually get a little worried - the kids are much tougher than they expected, and their academic needs are greater than they feel prepared for. Most of our volunteers are successful professionals and college students, who expect to excell at whatever they do. It's hard for them when they are faced with children who they don't know how to control, and who don't seem to be learning from what they are trying to teach them. Eventually - if they stick with it - they will begin to see the fruits of their labors. The bonds the children form with them and the improvements they make academically (however small) change their lives immensely. It just takes time to get to that point. So they need to be tough and ride through the getting-to-know-you phase. Sometimes they don't make it. Pray that the ones who are here now stay here.