My students are bright and eager and incredibly fun to teach. I like my level 1 class in particular, which is a class with eight women and two men-- a welcome change from the reverse situation that I often found at MALI. But what really won my hearts was when I asked them what they wanted to do when their class at CLC was finished in a year. I ask all my students this question, and was used to either a money-oriented answer that I got at Yemen or a totally non-committal answer that I got in Samoa. Instead, these kids spoke with excitement about going to university when their time at this school was finished. When asked about what they wanted to study, their answers varied from talk about being a nurse to studying community development. All the girls expressed a desire to return to their village or refugee camp to help their communities. Some of them talked about coming back to CLC to become teachers. And they all had a strong desire to peacefully better the situation that they were in. It was an inspiring start to the school year.
Without question, Rosy is competing for my affections as my favorite student. Rosy is an incredible girl. Only sixteen, her father started this school two years ago and then suffered a major motorcycle accident which left him incapacitated for a few months as he had surgery. He had already sunk his life savings into the school but without him there was no one to run it. His wife was willing but she spoke no English to talk with the NGO's that supported the school. So the responsibility fell on his fourteen-year-old daughter, who was one of the schools first students.Although her father is almost fully recovered, Rosy serves at both star student and Academic Dean (and does a hell of a lot better job then the 30+ Academic Dean at MALI, I might add.) She plans the classes, sets out the schedule, coordinates the volunteers (it was her that I spoke with when I was coming up) and even schedules shopping visits into town to buy blankets and sweatshirts for the students that need them.
When I asked Rosy about what she wanted to do, she spoke with passion about the future of the school and her plans for it. Rosie plans to study education and community development at University and then turn right around and continue the running of the school. She is very aware that this school is one of the limited opportunities that people of Burmese, Kareni, Chan (and other ethnic groups that are being persecuted in Burma) have to get a decent education. Without this school, they would not receive any education at all. Without an education, they are at high risk of becoming one of the thousands of workers who slave in sweatshops, mines, or who turn to prostitution. To risk a clique, while most girls her age are covering their walls with teen-band posters and worrying about who will as them to the prom Rosy is more concerned about the future of the people around her and weather her friends are warm enough at night and are getting enough to eat. Needless to say, I have no questions about leaving Yemen and the USA and coming to this place.
And while I was working on this, I heard a chanting and went out to investigate. I crashed a Chinese class in progress that was being given by one of the other students, Parn. It was standing room only as the students eagerly repeated the sounds of the different Chinese characters. Even after 5 hours of school and 3 hours of work and chores the students still found the energy to sit down and learn yet another language in addition to the Burmese and English that they are currently tacking. I was amazed and their devotion and energy and hoped that I would be able to match it.
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