Olly’s Story (October 2002)

"My time at Mwaya was a real adventure, and an unforgettable learning experience."

I had a fantastic experience at Mwaya, and although I was only there for six weeks it was really rewarding and was something I’ll never forget. I was the first volunteer to teach at Mwaya Primary School and was warmly welcomed by all the staff at both the school and the Lodge. I settled in straight away at the Lodge, especially with Harry’s cooking to look forward to each day!

Together with the staff at the school, we decided that I would teach Science and Maths to Standards 6 and 7 (children of around 8 to 12 years old). We chose these subjects as I’m an engineer, so these are my strongest areas. I was introduced to the syllabus, oversaw lessons and gave practice lessons before beginning to teach. Teaching wasn’t always easy, with large class sizes and limited resources, but the children were always eager to learn and teachers keen to help in any way they could. I remember needing plenty of time to prepare my lessons and having to re-learn long division! The science experiments were a highlight of my time at Mwaya, with many afternoons spent with the other teachers planning and constructing demonstration equipment. We had to make things from whatever we could find — for instance demonstrating convection, conduction and radiation using just pots and pans, bamboo, pieces of wire and an impromptu fire just outside the classroom.

My time at Mwaya was a real adventure, and an unforgettable learning experience. I never felt alone, despite being the only volunteer, and I never felt I was doing something that was too difficult, because I received so much support from my friends at the school and the lodge. I’d recommend an experience like this to anyone who can find the time. I’m sure it’ll be something you’ll never regret.

Olly (Volunteer Teaching Assistant, September-October 2002)