June 30, 2009

Today was our second day of school visits. We even stopped by Keyo Secondary School (Noble High School’s partner school!) - although since it is Keyo’s first year in the program no projects have been started, but the contract to build new classroom blocks will be signed this week. It’s really such an exciting thing, we can’t give up on Keyo because after seeing their school first-hand, I can honestly say they need as much support as we can give them. 

Today I was a little less upbeat and a little more somber. I think it has to do with the fact that I’m extremely tired and maybe even still a bit jet lagged. Whatever it is, I thought about home more today. 

Reality kind of set in today when we were visiting all the schools - all these kids have such big hopes, dreams, and aspirations. But they don’t have the means to get there. They want to be Doctors, Lawyers, and Teachers. They want to be Pilots, Social Workers, and Nurses. They have goals that require a great deal of hard-work - but they’re just struggling to survive and get through day-to-day life. I live in a country where hard-work will get you where you want to go - yet many aren’t as fortunate. As much as I tell these kids, “You can be whatever you want to be”, there are forces out of my control that factor into their fate. Our job is to help them, by raising funds to build their classrooms and fund their education - but as hard as we work we can’t control their home lives, we can’t control the war - we can’t promise them that the terrible situations they’ve suffered through will never happen again. But we can try, and try we do. 

It’s just hard. 

I live in a land of privilege, who am I to say anything is possible when I’ll be attending one of the best College Prep schools in the world this coming fall? It really just makes me think... What makes my dreams more important than theirs? (nothing) Why should I have so much opportunity when they have little to none? (I shouldn’t)

I am sitting outside as the thunder begins to clap and the wind picks up. It’s almost symbolic for the way my mind feels - booming with questions while thoughts blow around.

 Dinner is just about finished. Time to start eating.