Saturday, July 12, 2008

I have finished the first week

It seems like I have been here for so long, but yesterday marked the end of my first week in Dar Es Salaam. It seems hard to believe.

I have been having a hard time posting photos on the blog so I put them up on flickr. I have not added all of the pictures, only a few, but I will be adding more soon! Here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24414765@N07/

Yesterday, the kids in my group at the orphanage moved from learning the abc's (in and out of order) and upper and lower case letters to learning small words. I'm so proud of them and amazed at how quickly they are picking things up! I have been using zoo phonics to help them learn the words and it seems to be working. Who knew that the same program that helped Kristina learn how to read in kindergarten/ first grade is helping my kids learn how to read! Its a good thing I was paying attention all those years ago! On Monday, I am bring in some of the books that I brought with me to see if we are at a point where we can start to read them. They are simply books filled with three letter words so I think my kids are up for the challenge. Maybe I will get cookies as a surprise.....

It is a very quiet weekend here. Most of the people have gone on weekend trips. Some to Bagamoyo and Saadani Game Reserve and some to Zanzibar. But I decided to go to the orphanage today for the morning and afternoon and I am really loving having the hostel all to myself. It is so quiet- amazing!

I'm sorry I have to make this posting so short. It took me a while to get the photo's uploaded and now I am almost out of internet time. But expect a longer post tomorrow with some service reflection. :)

Namaste!

4 comments:

Tiffany said...

Thanks so much for posting the pics! I LOVE seeing where you are the kids you are working with.

Unknown said...

oh, jen! i had to play catch up and read all of your posts since leaving and now i am crying at work!

i am so proud of you and everything you are doing. i know it is exhausting to be alone and strong all the time, but you are doing such wonderful things so wonderfully!

take care and stay strong. i love you and miss you and am looking forward to seeing you back in memphis. i hope that you will remember that you are so inspirational to me and to so many others.

Unknown said...

Hi jen! It does feel like you've been there for longer than a week. We all miss you over here in FL. I hope you're having a great experience.

-Demos

Unknown said...

Hello Jenny,

I loved all of your pictures. It is all in the smiles:) Time goes by so quickly and soon you will be looking back wondering how the weeks went by so quickly... It must be very rewarding to see the children make such progress.

We love you and we are proud of you!

Mom