A Ray of Hope

Working with young students here is one of my favorite things to do. I am certain that I get more from them than they get from me, because they boost my morale and give me hope that this county won’t always suffer from poverty and corruption. I see a light in many of them that shines in spite of the challenges they face on a daily basis. The students that the embassy supports are taking English classes that are supplementary to their ordinary school day. They are choosing to improve their lives by learning a valuable skill that will give them more opportunities. The fact that they are showing up is a major accomplishment in itself, especially in a place where survival, not education, is the number one priority for many families. 

Over the summer, my colleague and good friend at the embassy organized weekly presentations for the English students at the American Corner. The American Corner is a library that is funded and run by the embassy and is used for youth programming. About 30 kids attended the first presentation, but by the last one, there were over 140! The topics included American food, music, volunteerism, and women’s empowerment. The presentations were given by various members of the embassy community so that the kids could meet a diverse group of Americans. It’s also a great way for the embassy staff to get out in the community and see something positive happening. All too often, we are bombarded by negativity here. Life is hard and many of the problems facing this country seem insurmountable. Once in a while, we all need a ray of hope to keep us going. These kids are exactly that.

A few weeks ago, the kids had an idea that they would do a presentation about Angolan culture for the embassy to return the favor for the knowledge they have gained about American culture. They wanted it to be a surprise so we had no idea what to expect. On Thursday morning, 8 of us from the embassy went out to the school, including the Deputy Chief of Mission (this is the position just under the Ambassador) and the Ambassador’s wife. What we experienced was nothing short of amazing.

We entered a large auditorium where the students had decorated a long table and displayed at least 12 different Angolan dishes. As we took our seats and the presenting students, about 30 of them, anxiouly made their last minute preparations, hundreds of students began shuffling in the room. What makes this even more incredible is that schools are closed right now due to elections. All of these kids came to this presentation during their vacation. The MC took the microphone and welcomed us. He flawlessly pronounced our names as he introduced the embassy staff to the growing crowd. After that, we stood for the national anthem, which was led by another student.

Two more students, dressed in traditional Angolan garb, told us about the history, politics, and geography of Angola. They even quizzed us on some of the information, asking, “People from the embassy, can you tell me who the first president of Angola was?”

The next topic was clothing. After showing a few slides of different types of outfits worn in various provinces, the presenter said, “Well I think it’s better to show you.” Music started pounding and the door on the side of the auditorium swung open. Fashion show! Never cracking a smile, the models fierecely walked the runway and showed off their intricate, handmade attire. They paid attention to every detail – the makeup, hair, and jewelry were all representative of the tribe or region in which the model was from.

 

The next two presenters explained the different types of Angolan music – semba, kizomba, and of course kuduro. They showed us pictures of some of the most famous artists. Each style of music also has a dance that goes with it. Again, the students thought it would be best to show rather than tell. Each dance group was dressed alike and had clearly spent many hours coreographing their numbers. One thing every Angolan can do is dance. They move their bodies in ways that I did not know was even possible. The movements come so naturally and the dancers exude a joy that is not often seen here. 

The dancers managed to drag the Ambassador’s wife up to participate and then motioned for several others in my group to get up so that they could learn kuduro. I had never been more releived that they didn’t call me up. For a white girl with very little rhythm, standing in front of 400 people and being forced to dance, is pretty high up on the embarrassment scale. 

I cannot express how relieved I was that they chose her and not  me. 

The students finished the presentation by describing the dishes they had made – fish, funje, beans, greens, caterpillars. Yup, caterpillars. I wasn’t feeling patricularly adventurous that day so I passed, but apparently they are a delicacy. The amount of work they must have put in to preparing the meal almost brought me to tears. 

You want me to eat what?

The most touching part of the experience for me was just how proud they are of their culture and their histroy, however painful it may be. As I sat in that auditorium, I thought, “If these kids in front me are the future of this country, then things are looking up.”