After just three days of work the GETZanzibar 2014 students are already beginning to share their stories and shape them. Read some of Ashley Hamilton’s experiences from the first few days:
What an incredible honor it has been to work with the students of Kiembe Samaki this week. These are some of the most kind, generous and sweet souls I have ever met, let alone gotten to teach! It’s really just incredible. I have had the chance to work with students all over New York City and in all sorts of different facilities (prisons, half-way homes, homeless shelters) and I have just never met a group of humans so kind, giving and eager to learn – eager for an education. YEARNING to be valued and YEARNING to be heard. Today one of the students walked up to me at the very class and said, “I feel so good to be in this class!â€.
Today we created image scenes (based on the techniques of Theatre of the oppressed) about issues in Zanzibar. How fascinating it was to hear what issues are top on their mind. We ended up breaking it down to a few top issues to explore – poor education, poverty/lack of jobs, HIV and AIDS, government corruption and drugs. The students created scenes on these issues and the scenes will be a part of our play next week. It was so exciting to watch them perform scenes on issues they are passionate about.
One of the female students ended their scene, about government corruption, with this line: “If you can’t fly then run, If you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then climb, but do not stop fighting for your rights!” And she is right. She is so right.