The Cisarua Refugee Learning Centre (CRLC) is a place of hope, a place where the most dedicated people come to learn.
When I stepped inside the school for the first time, I felt butterflies in my stomach. My face lit up and my heart was dancing with excitement. I stepped inside the gate, where Khadim was clicking shots with his camera, a group of boys were playing basketball, and a group of 12 to 14 year old girls were greeting each other with kisses.
On my first day, I realized the depth of emotion at the school. Positive energy was evaporating in the air. Every time I turned my face around, I could see a face smiling at me. It felt like home.
Outside the school motorcycles and cars go up and down. Children run from one side of the road to the other. People who live nearby spoke of a child who was killed on the road after being hit by a motorcycle. Noise, a sense of insecurity and never-ending urgency float outside the school gate. The inside is different. It is peaceful. You feel protected and secure. Two people sit near the main gate keeping an eye on the children and making sure they do not go outside the school during class hours.
The teachers and management team say – “our main priority is the students; their safety and their education.” They have been trying hard to put these words into action and today they have fulfilled their collective wish.
Today was the beginning of a new educational year for the students of CRLC. Teachers came early to school to organize their books in to neat categories. The management team was busy making sure that everything is going smoothly. Parents started to step inside the gate in order to show their support for their children. Early morning, everyone was waiting for the bell to ring – to set off the beginning of a new beginning.
The bell rang. Everyone gathered. It was time for the students to give their speeches. Arezo, Omid, Fatima, Matin, Nazanen and Amir had been practicing for the past three days. Last week, on Thursday the 28th of December, the management team went to each class searching for five volunteer speakers. Around 30 students signed up. All of them were eager to speak. At the end we decided to have a competition to make a selection.
On Friday the 29th of December, 30 students were crammed up in one room, ready to speak. I could sense nervousness in their body language but their eyes were shining with enthusiasm. Girls and boys from the age of 9 to 16 were there, waiting to deliver their message in front of everyone.
Each student spoke on the importance of education for two minutes. I was amazed by their confidence and the content of their speeches. It was difficult for me to choose the top five because all of them spoke well. After the selection, a nine-year-old girl came to me with teary eyes, asking for another chance. Fatima who had one of the highest marks started to cry, saying, “I should have done better.” I asked her to stay back and so we decided to have six instead of five speakers.
The chosen speakers decided to work in pairs. I started putting them in groups of one boy and one girl. One of the girls raised her hand in disagreement saying, “Miss, let’s put one boy and one girl in a group” and others nodded in agreement. We acted democratically and let majority rule prevail. They came up with their own topics: Omid and Arezo decided to speak on “happiness”, Matin and Fatima on “the importance of education”, and Amir and Nazanin on “the necessity of having an aim in life”.
Stay tuned. I will update soon, posting scripts of each group’s speech here. Trust me you will be inspired like never before.
Hope amidst darkness 