Presentation: At the After School Program, Community Library, The Girls Centre, Arusha, Tanzania, June 2025

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Background Information:

In 2017 TGFT initiated an After School Program for primary school students who are our neighbors. We teach them English and Math skills.  For the last 8 years we’ve rented various houses: often the After School Program was held outside under a tent.  None of these students own textbooks so they were also able to do their homework with us. With a few hundred books, we called our library, The Little Library. TGFT staff, Grace, a Montessori-educated teacher, runs this program with TGFT students who help during their residencies (school holidays) at The Girls Centre. 

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June 3, 2025

June is when all schools are closed for a holiday (both government and private). Because of the holiday, we had about 17 students when we usually expect 35 students. We are delighted these students keep showing up, even though it’s a school vacation.

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Although I had read the book on my own before our class, I didn’t anticipate how powerful our focus would be, how a deep quiet enveloped us and a profound gentleness and sense of togetherness.

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Before we settled down, the students were wiggly. Before we started our reading, I asked students to pick out different colors in the room. Some jumped and ran to a book with blue and some timidly touched a book that was yellow. When I chose to lie down on the floor with the children to read the book together, they were a bit surprised by a teacher asking everyone to join in on the floor.

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We quietly followed while I read and a TGFT student translated my English into Kiswahili, I could feel students’ breathing slow down and we breathed in a sense of calm. I believe each student felt the loving purple light, as I did.

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Reflecting on our moment together I’m reminded of this quote from President Obama because I believe children can learn relaxation techniques when they are guided and  can practice together often enough to rely on their muscle memory.

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“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion … People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love … For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite,” Obama said, quoting former South African president Nelson Mandela 

 

Unfortunately, I had other responsibilities while at The Girls Centre and couldn’t repeat the Loving Purple exercises, however Grace, our head librarian plans to begin each class with these relaxation techniques.

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There’s another story which enfolded in another AfterSchool class I conducted. There was one boy who read out loud in Kiswahili  Our Elephant Neighbors while I read each page in English. He read so well, clearly and with a confident voice which impressed me. The next day I spotted him and a few of his friends who were practicing soccer on our playing field. They ran up to me. The next day I watched them play soccer on their dirt field next to The Girls Centre and they came up to me with their happy smiles. While girls and I were leaving the game, I noticed a mother watching. I went up to her and shared how intelligent, curious and polite her son was. She beamed.