gmhTODAY 17 gmhToday Nov Dec 2017 | Page 103

This year in South Africa we sang for a packed house at a festival in the township of Tembisa at the Moses Molelekwa Art Centre . This event was seeded years ago in a friendship with Oupa Malatjie , the founder of the Tswelopele Performing Artists , when our students gathered with his in a small room to sing together . Eight years later a student writes :

“ The performance of the final show might be the most fun I ’ ve ever had doing a performance of any kind . The crowd was so full of life , clapping and cheering at every opportunity … When we sang a South African-ified version of ‘ Stand By Me ,’ I sang a duet with one of the Tembisan girls named Ellen . The crowd cheered so loudly during it that I could barely hear myself . By the time it was over , I didn ’ t want to get off the stage , but I had to … This trip has been packed with eye-opening experiences , but our three days at Tembisa might just be my favorite ... So many things happened with us and those kids , and I feel like I ’ ve known them for months . They welcomed us into their musical world , and I ’ ll never forget what that world truly is . Music is the heartbeat of South Africa , and I hope I never stop hearing it .”
– Carl Ward , 11th grade
From an earlier experience , a classmate writes :
“ Another moment that stuck out to me was when we were walking through the Langa township near the LEAP School . We walked into one of the rooms where three families were living … In the room , there were two twin beds with about one and a half feet in between . We learned that the older woman sitting on the bed had lived there for 40 years . My heart sank to find this out . I had read and heard about the townships , but until I was standing in one , it never truly sank in … To hear that 30 people were living in such a small space with so little made me feel useless and unsure of a way to help . The moment of looking into this woman ’ s eyes stuck with me the whole trip .”
– Sienna Clifton , 11th grade
Juniors meeting a longtime resident of Langa township .
In a similar way , a student writes about our visit to a rural women ’ s cooperative in the Punjab state of India .
“ After our inspiring interview with Dr . Metre , we split into two groups and went into the villages to see some of the selfhelp groups … Once we arrived , we walked toward a group of about 20 women . They arranged a line of chairs for us and asked each of us to introduce ourselves , which we gladly did … We were all surprised when they wanted us to sing … In response to our song , the group sang their own . Some of the women stood up and started dancing to the song as we clapped along . They took Izzy , Savannah and me by the hand , put us in a circle and asked us to dance . We tried our best to do the dance moves they had been doing moments earlier , but their laughs and chuckles told us we weren ’ t quite doing them right . Although I won ’ t remember that trip to the village for our stellar dance moves , I ’ m never going to forget how much fun we had and how connected I felt to the women .”
– Caroline Smith , 12th grade
The relationship threads on these journeys are the same for life in general . Many studies show relationships , and service to something greater than ourselves , are the two main determinants of happiness or fulfillment . This is underscored by Bella ’ s words from our engagement with India ’ s Pardada Pardadi School .
“ After we returned to the school and had a short activity , it was time to go ... Everyone embraced their new friends . Jassi and Anu grabbed my hands ... Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged the two girls . We stood for a few moments putting off my inevitable departure . Jassi promised to never forget me and I promised the same as I climbed into the bus , with tears now streaming down my face . I looked out the window where Jassi and Anu stood with similarly tear-stained cheeks . As the bus pulled away we waved goodbye to each other … I had only known these girls for a little over 24 hours , yet I made connections as strong as those that I have with friends I ’ ve known for years . I had no idea when we first pulled through the gates at Pardada Pardadi that I would leave with a new kind of love in my heart , and an appreciation for the openness of a young stranger .”
– Bella Bettencourt , 12th grade
Before our learning journeys , relationships open the doors to extraordinary opportunities . During the journeys , relationships provide much of the meaning we take from our experiences . It is also true that the relationship of our students to each other deepens in their shared triumphs and challenges . Afterwards , even our relationship with ourselves and our purposes in life are often transformed .
Ward Mailliard teaches at Mount Madonna School and is the creator of the Values in World Thought ( 2-year social studies ) course . He has been leading national and international Learning Journeys for decades .
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017 gmhtoday . com
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