Earlyact/Interact Trip

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing” Mother Teresa.

Last week, 18 Braeburn students set off on a journey to deliver some 130 pairs of donated shoes to the Mother Teresa Home in Mburahati. This year, we joined forces in Primary and Secondary school in merging the Earlyact and Interact clubs so as to have a greater impact in our school and our local community. This service learning experience greatly moved our students so much that they shared the following.

“Visiting the home inspired me to want to help the community” (Denise). “I really liked meeting the people” (Zawadi) and I saw that “we are not all the same” (Meng’oru and Anita). I know we may look different and “function differently” (Olivia) but I learned that “even a little bit of affection can make someone’s day” (Liese). “No matter how we look, we all have value because we have all been created by God” (Lisa). “We should help the poor” (Kenneth) as “it is important to give back to the community and to support the less fortunate” (Ethan) because “we should always help each other” (Aurellia). “We shouldn’t be afraid of the disabled” (Louigerald) because “helping the community is a blessing from God” (Sophia). “It was very sad that the little babies don’t have mums” (Adley) and “it was very nice to help them” and play with them (Mikaela). Visiting the home “taught me how to be thankful for what I have” (Katalina) because this visit “was a heartwarming experience” (Ashley). As Braeburn students, “we should always be happy to help and volunteer” (Aisia) and we should learn to “prioritise others before ourselves” (Nyasha).

Mrs Kaaya, Mrs Jana and Ms Kiran (Representative for Rotary Club Bahari Beach) are extremely proud of and moved by the compassion, bravery and kindness of our students. As responsible citizens, our students embodied the spirit of Braeburn in their interactions with not only the orphaned toddlers whom they played, cuddled and coloured with but also the disabled men and women whom they played chess with, read newspapers to, painted nail polish with, and talked with. As we could not take pictures of our interactions with these wonderful new friends to protect their identities or the Sisters and carers that run the Home, we hope you will ask these students about their experiences. We also hope to visit the Home again and to facilitate a clothes drive in the near future to support this community.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples” Mother Teresa.