Walking Miracles

                Poverty is a nearly impossible cycle to break. One of the only ways out is an education, and one of the only ways to get an education is to be financially stable. In Tanzania, public primary schools are taught in Swahili, but secondary school is taught in English. Because of this, many students that could not afford private primary school do not know English, so they drop out of school after class 7. As a result, they are less educated, which means they make less money, which means their children are more likely to drop out of school, putting the cycle on a never-ending loop. That is, until a miracle happens. A child is able to skip a grade, and as a result, their family scrapes together enough money to send them through form 2. That child then gets a higher paying job, and with the help of a sponsor is able to send their own child all the way through form 6. That child then grows up and is able to send the next generation all the way through university. In this way, a child with a great grandmother that that never finished grade 7 can earn a university degree. But this process takes generations and requires multiple miracles to occur.

                One of my favorite songs reflects this with the lyrics, “The world waits for a miracle”. I loved those lyrics until today. Looking around my classroom, I realized that my students are not looking for miracles, they are miracles. These children have every possible odd pinned against them. Many come from homes with no electricity, no water, and a million other excuses not to finish school. Despite this, speaking to the students and seeing how hard they work every day has made it clear that they want nothing of the sort. I have spoken to students who want to be teachers, doctors, or engineers, and speak of this as if it is their certain future. They are not waiting for a miracle; they are creating one by doing everything in their power to shape their future. They don’t think anyone will do it for them, and they wouldn’t ask anyone to. They demonstrate motivation, determination, and resilience in the rawest form.

                Every student at L.O.A.M.O knows a song with the lyrics, “I’m walking power, a walking miracle”. I hope with all my heart that these children believe those words, because they are the some of the most brilliant and capable people I have ever met. I know it is likely that many of them will never see their dreams come to fruition, but they are all bringing their families one step further from poverty. If their dreams do not come true, they will be passed on to their children, their grandchildren, and so on until they are achieved. I dream that in this way, the hope in my student’s eyes will never be lost, only transferred. They truly are, and always will be, walking miracles.