Here's Rachel! Fresh from Minneapolis, she arrived safe and sound Thursday night in Tanzania. Rachel is our first solo volunteer and a member of our home church (Peace Lutheran). She is giving recorder and music lessons to students at St. Margaret's Academy, a primary school near Arusha. St. Margaret's was just celebrated for having the 4th highest test scores in the nation--test scores are the only measure of a school's quality, so this was a big honor for them.
Although the students in Tanzania can sing beautifully and effortlessly, they have little formal music instruction and no opportunities for playing musical instruments. They were so excited to learn that a music teacher was coming!
Like all students, it's hard to resist the tooting and honking that seems to go on in every classroom, but they are enthusiastic and very keen to learn. These are the Standard 6 and 7 students, most of whom are between 12 and 14 years of age. In one 40 minute lesson, they have learned that old stand-by "Hot Cross Buns". The Standard 1 and 2 students (6-8 years old) will need a bit more practice!
Rachel will be teaching 3 days a week. During each week she'll see all 350 students twice so that all students will get at least 7-8 lessons. The recorders and music that she's collected will be donated to the school in hopes that they will be able to somehow continue music there.
In case you're wondering, St. Margaret's is not a PHF-sponsored or affiliated organization. Rachel will also be working on PHF things as well; however, she had been awarded a scholarship from her college and because we had known her, we were able to establish a connection for her. She is a unique case in that respect. We are thrilled to see a familiar face here and her first two days have been great! Check in and you should see her guest-posting about her impressions and experiences while she's here.
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