‘My Family’

This week, we received the piece below which we wanted to share with you. It was written by Emily, one of the three volunteers who visited Arise Community School over the summer.

‘My Family’

“One morning in Middle Class, we asked the children (aged around 4 and 5 years) to draw their family. For some children, this may have been a challenging task as family life can often be very complicated in Tanzania. However, still, all of the children managed to draw a family of their own, whether this was a mother and a father, a single mother, an aunt who cares for their niece or nephew or a neighbour who has taken them in as their own.

Family is a place of love and security and does not need to be through blood. Arise School provides this love and security for children, meaning, no matter what their home circumstance may be, they always have a family and safe place to go to. The Arise community has endless stories of selflessness, love and care.

Mama Joshua, also known as Atu, the school cook, can be seen as one inspiration. Her wage is not large enough to afford the school fees for her own child, Joshua, yet, despite this, she still cares for her niece and nephew, Shedrak and Grace, as well as Obedi, another distant relative. Her love and kindness provide these children with a safe home and a full stomach every evening. And it is with thanks to Arise Community School and to the ACE sponsorship scheme that these children are able to gain an education.

In my time in Tanzania, I was overwhelmed by the kindness there. Despite the hardship present, this was always overpowered with things to be grateful for and happy about, that shone through the children’s attitudes. Atu’s home was in complete darkness when we visited, with no electricity. Atu cooked on an open flame and with what little she had she was so generous to cook for us. It is from Atu, as well as many other people I met in Tanzania, that I have been truly inspired. They have taught me much much more than they probably realise”.