CIP

These are two of the 4th, 5th and 6th graders at my CIP. I haven't had the chance to see them in weeks because of all the holidays, and only when I am walking around trying to answer all of their questions do I realize I've missed them. There were 7 students today, which I think is a good number because once there were 18 of us in one room and that just didn't work well for any of us. In this photo, Beren is on the left and Kerim on the right. Kerim is probably the most enthusiastic out of all of the students. He never misses the opportunity to learn something new. And because of that, he has a special place in my heart. Beren is a bit shy, but her English is astonishingly good. All the students had their English and Science homework with them. I love helping them with their English the most. Most of them are insecure about how they pronounce words, they need a bit of encouragement. It's great to see the way they push themselves into leaving their comfort zone. I don't like how short our sessions are. They're usually a little over an hour, and time always flys. I'm going to go back tomorrow, even though I should be going once a week, because they were all very sweet (and a few said they liked me!!). Two moms were also in the room, though they didn't interrupt us, it was obvious that they really cared about their children's education. They were both kind and thanked us before they left with their children. I think half of the students were siblings, or at least they acted as if they were. These children make me happy. Hold on to things that make you happy.

Here's a quote from Nelson Mandela. I still haven't gotten around to reading the multiple books about his inspirational life which lay around our house:
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

These 10-year-olds have the key to change the future of the world. Education just helps us discover where the lock is. (When did I become so deep?)

Update: Idilsu still isn't back from her ski trip. I'm craving biltong. Mandela = South Africa = biltong. That's exactly how my brain works.