Recently, some of our students had the chance to have a live Skype session with a classroom in New Jersey. Below is a letter from two of the students in New Jersey reflecting on the experience.
Learning to Shine in the D.R.C.
by Lauren Russell and Yasmine Raouf 8th Grade, Primary Prep School, Jersey City
“Having the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak with children from the Congo was absolutely magical. Earlier this year, Mr. Alexander came to Primary Prep and spoke to our Geography class about life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the work of the Georges Malaika School. We then had the privilege of a video conference call with the young girls from the Georges Malaika School.
“Watching each other on a big video screen, we exchanged names, ages, and plans. Everyone was curious what life was like on the other side of the planet. When asked of their future aspirations, the young girls of the school mentioned professions including “doctor” and “foreign minister”. Needless to say, we were thoroughly impressed.
“We learned that music is a universal language, spoken by everyone. When asked if they could speak any English, the girls brightened the room with their spotless rendition of “This Little Light of Mine”.
“As students who plan to focus our energies on humanitarian efforts in the future, we were nearly brought to tears because we were so moved. It was beautiful to watch girls allowed to let their light shine because of education. Thank you to Malaika for giving us a wonderful opportunity to make connections across the globe. Seeing children from the other side of the planet was very strange at first, but we soon came to the realization that they are not so different from us.”