Kampala Quality Primary School

Feb. 23 Thursday 8:45pm

                Last night I hardly slept. I was up all night coughing. I was so tired and worried that I left breakfast to go back to the room and cry. Enoch wanted to take me to the hospital but we decided to wait and see how the morning went. I’m glad I waited for two reasons: one, I had started to feel better and cough less. Two, the school we visited is not something I would’ve wanted to miss.

                We spent the morning visiting classes at Kampala Quality Primary School. Luke and I observed primary 4 and 5 classes while Laura and Emily observed Primary 1 and 3. There were 58 kids in each of the two classes Luke and I saw. The students in the P5 class were discussing the advantages and disadvantages of mountains to humans. The teacher would ask a question and the children would wildly wave their hands. He would call on one and they would stand to say their answer. Then he would say “did you hear her?” The students would reply in unison, “yes we did.” Teacher: “Then what did she say?” The class would repeat the answer together.

                Later Luke and I went outside while the younger kids had recess. This was a truly magical part of the day. I shook one of the kids’ hands which led to a mob of touching. They all came to touch us and giggle. I bent down so they could touch my freckles. Even Enoch and the head teacher had questions about my freckles; they believe them to be an illness caused by being in the sun too long. It is hard for them to understand that I have them all the time, although they do change, and that they are not hurting me. I also removed my sandals so they could touch the pictures on my feet. It was an amazing experience and helped remind me why I came to this place that still feels so strange.