So time has flown by and here I am, on the
last day of school, trying to contemplate that after today I won’t be coming
back. Tomorrow we are heading off for six weeks of traveling around Central
America, and although I am so excited for this, it is going to be tough saying
goodbye to my life here in Sigua.
The past month has been pretty busy with
exams and making sure all the children know everything they need to, so they
are ready to go into Prep next year. I was a little shocked to hear my 4 and 5
year olds would be having exams as they are so young, but the Honduran school
system relies heavily on exams and lots of focus of rote learning and copying.
Luckily the exams for my children weren’t too intense, and I’m proud to say
they all passed.
I also held a grading, or exam for my
Karate kids. I’m so proud of how far all of these kids have come, from my
naughty little 1st and 2nd grade boys, to the 4th
grade girls who come to my room asking everyday asking for me to teach them a
new move or kata. I will really miss spending my Wednesday and Thursday
afternoons doing karate rolls on the grass or running around with pillows
getting them to duck, dodge, jump and block. They all passed a Karate grade,
from the younger ones getting red belt (1st Mon), to two girls who
worked really hard to get white belt (3rd Mon), which is fantastic
considering we only started before Christmas. Thanks to Dominic Fletcher and
Koko Dojo in Portobello, I had some lovely medals and certificates to give
them. The kids were so amazed to have real medals, as the closest thing to a
medal they had ever seen is a chocolate coin glued to some string. One of the
boys Daniel is sleeping with his medal under his pillow every night. They have
been such a great group of kids, and all worked incredibly hard.
Saying goodbye in general has been really
tough. In 2nd grade one of the girls came up to me last week and
said “Miss, I will miss you very much on vacations” I realized that I hadn’t
told them I was leaving. When I did, they all rushed up and gave me a massive
group hug, and two of the girls started crying. It was so touching. I have
grown to love these kids so much, and love teaching, and I just don’t really
want to stop.
But saying goodbye to my Kinder kids was
the hardest. I have been with them 8am – 12noon every weekday for an entire
year. Not only that, I am completely responsible for them at all times when on
school property or at school events. I have taught them to write their names,
to count, eat food with a fork (still a challenge for a few who use the fork to
scoop the rice into their hand, then put the hand in their mouth) to go to the
toilet by themselves, not hit each other, not kill insects, put rubbish in the
bin e.c.t. Each and every one of them has come so far in their behaviour, I am
so unbelievably proud. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do with out
those little people running up to me each day, giving me a big hug and shouting
“good morning miss!” I will miss all of the singing and dancing and silly
jumping we do in class, and of course all of the great funny little things they
say and do each day that make me laugh and smile. I’ve been trying to convince Erin to let me take all 14 of
them traveling round Central America with us, but she’s not buying it!
On the last day of school, I sat my class
down in a circle and explained to them that after today there would be no more
school for a long time. After that they would be moving to Prepa and have a new
miss, and I would be going back to Scotland and not be in Honduras any more.
This is all quite difficult for these little ones to grasp, but I think they
got the idea, and I few said “no” or “no quiero un nuevo miss, quiero usted” (I
don’t want a new miss, I want you). It was so sad, but I told them I loved them
all very much and there was lots of hugs and goodbyes, and then it was time for
them to go. It’s so hard knowing that I probably won’t ever see them again, and
I just feel so empty without my little band of children making wobbly lines
behind me, telling me how they are going to be transformers when they grow up,
and singing “if your happy and you know it” at the top of their voices.
Yesterday one of the teachers Miss Megan, organised
a farewell party for us at her house. All the teachers had clubbed together to
get us these lovely purses and they had made us each a card, filled with lovely
messages. It was so lovely to spend one final evening with them all talking,
laughing and singing Spanish karaoke.
I have made such great friends here in Sigua, and all the teachers have
been so welcoming and kind to us.
When you hear about Honduras, all you hear
about is murder rates, gang wars, drugs and guns. What you don’t hear about is
how friendly people are. You don’t hear about how “mi casa es tu casa” (my
house is your house), what’s mine is yours. Possessions aren’t the center of
life here, people are. Family is more than just your mum and dad, it includes a
big extended family with aunts, grandparents, second cousins and family
friends. People don’t spend their free time sitting staring at computer screens
but they spontaneously turn up at friends and family’s houses and spend hours
just sitting and chatting. It doesn’t matter how poor you are, you brush your
hair, wear your best clothes and put on a brave face. I have found so many
people here to be warm and compassionate, and I feel so lucky to have called
this amazing country home for a year.