Farewell Tanzania

Arusha, Tanzania where happiness is the first choice. Where love is found around every corner. Arusha there will always be a place for you in my heart. This journey has taught me to never dwell on life, to love and accept everyone no matter what they have been through or where they have come from. I was constantly being reminded of this during our final moments with the kids.

            Our last days at LOAMO were not easy. Saying goodbye to Prep Class was like saying goodbye to kids you have known your whole life, when really it was only two weeks. Prep Class was filled with love and laughter the moment you entered the room; whether, it was the teachers or the students, I knew that they took every moment we spent with them to heart. As the minutes dwindled down, I cherished every high-five, knuckles, smile, and talk with the kids. Even though the kids were only five or six years old and probably wouldn’t remember us for long, that didn’t make any one of the 42 goodbyes any easier. All of the kids from Fidad to Dawson made one more tear drop with every squeeze goodbye. The kids in Prep Class taught me to never take any moment for granted and to treasure any one that comes into my life. Prep Class of 2017 at LOAMO will always have a hand print on my heart that I will never forget.

            Class 6, thank you for never making fun of me when I didn’t know how to answer the simplest math question. Thank you for dealing with my overwhelming eagerness about teaching you basketball. Last but not least thank you for teaching me more than I would ever be able to teach you. Every single student in that class showed me that no matter what is going on in your life you can always choose to be happy. They taught me to never take myself too seriously, and to not be afraid to let loose. On Saturday at our farewell party,  I have never seen so many kids so excited just to dance and have fun. The moment thy stepped off the school bus out of their uniforms, I could not stop smiling and laughing. Whether they were dressed like gangsters or back up dancers for Beyonce every single kid in that room was dressed like they had been waiting to wear that outfit for months. As the clock went from 2:00pm to 4:00pm I couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to some of the sweetest kids I had ever met in my life.  The music eventually stopped and the tears began to flow. One by one the kids and the teams said their goodbyes. Every goodbye was different; from the hugs that Esther gave when you could feel her heart beat. To the simple smiles that beamed across the room and into your heart. As we walked the kids to their buses I felt all the feelings a person could feel in that moment. Happy for the chance to meet them, sad that we have to say goodbye to them, and proud of what they were going to become. I am extremely humbled and thankful for the opportunity to have taught, learned, and gotten to know Class 6. Naku Penda “I love you.”

            Last but not least I would like to thank everyone back home and in Tanzania from the bottom of my heart. Without the love and support that has been shown to us we would not be here. Thank you to the Founder of LOAMO, Maria for allowing the CGA team to come back year after year. Madam Maria has continued to perform miracles for kids that need it the most, even after having had brain surgery this March. Thank you to every family that was kind and loving enough to allow us to come to their home and experience another way of life. Without the experience of home visits we would never get the chance to see what life is really like in Tanzania. I will forever be grateful for the support and love that I have been given to continue doing what I love summer after summer.

            With every step I take in life I will never forget the lessons I have been taught in this truly incredible country. Arusha, Tanzania and LOAMO School you will be forever imprinted on my heart. Asanta Sana “Thank you so much”