Cultural Exchange in Gara Dima The World Family's cultural exchange program is a cultural enrichment program through meaningful work and service learning. We invite students, educators, health professionals and other volunteers to work with us at the community center in Gara Dima, Ethiopia. Andrew Kleindolph and Melissa Prest Kleindolph   The beginning of our relationship: Andrew: I'm a high school electronics teacher at Lick-Wilmerding High School, a San Francisco school committed to being a private school with public purpose. Last spring a parent, Leslie Arnold, saw an article about the World Family. She invited Emebet and Joseph to our school to brainstorm how our school could assist their cause. During our first meeting, I demonstrated a solar charging LED lantern that I was developing with some of my students. We had a plan to design and build these LED lights to send to communities without electricity. Not knowing where the lights would end up, I asked the World Family if they were interested in taking some to Gara Dima. Emebet responded positively and proposed bringing the parts so the people of Gara Dima could build some for themselves. We both agreed that involving the community in creating something instead of just giving away would be a great way to build strong relationships and lasting skills. A project was born. Mel: I first heard of the World Family from my husband when he returned from work. He was so excited about the project and meeting Emebet and Joseph that I knew something was going to happen. I remember after days of talking about them and how amazing they were he asked me what I thought about going there and doing some teaching. I said I wanted to go too, though I was nervous, not knowing what to expect about being a white American in Africa. I know what the media shows us; war, famine, disease, many people at risk and I wasn’t sure that I was prepared to experience this. Once I met with Emebet and Joseph, I knew that I wanted to join them and be a part of their project. Andrew: Soon after our meeting, Mel and I booked our trip to Ethiopia, planning to meet with Emebet and Joseph, and run summer workshops for the kids of Gara Dima. We spent time over the next two months trying to figure out an easy way to teach a group of high school kids, whose language we don't speak, to build rugged, LED solar charging lights. We also worked on the planning painting and drawing classes for the younger kids. The biggest challenge was the lack of electricity at the school and quality battery powered soldering irons are hard to find. Andrew did a lot of research and found tools that would be durable and rechargeable. We put together 35 kits of LED solar lights, extra parts, hand tools and rechargeable batteries and boxed them up for the trip. We also packed paint, brushes, drawing pads, canvas boards, colored pencils and other art materials for the school. We had 150 pounds of luggage altogether! Joseph got a letter from the Ethiopian consulate explaining our purpose in Ethiopia and why we had electronic supplies that could have been mistaken for bombs or whatever else airport security screeners. Wonderful and enthusiastic students: We are a married couple and understand a bit of what each other does—so we put it to the test by co-teaching all the classes together. We had planned to do drawing and painting with younger students and teach electronics to older students, expecting we would have about 20-25 people in each section. In Gara Dima there are over 500 children and at least 100 had come to class the first day. Luckily we’d brought a lot of drawing materials so this was our first class. We were amazed that students were so patient with us, with our lack of language. We’d learned a few words of Amharic but because Gara Dima is in the Oromo region the language is Oromiya. Most of the teaching was done through pictures, demonstrations, and gestures, which was initially difficult but by day two everyone seemed to understand how to get ideas across. We also had the assistance of Hassan, an older student who speaks English well and Sheera, the guardian of the school (who is also a talented artist). The students were amazing in many ways. First, the level of enthusiasm is not something you see in an American school. The students were always in the classroom in growing numbers and willing to wait when we were over an hour behind schedule. They were quick learners and always willing to experiment, developing all kinds of modifications to the circuits. When things didn't work, they were determined to solve the problem, even if it meant trying things like hooking the circuit through your ear (one boy really tried this!). Mel leads drawing and painting: In the art classes, our first assignment was to draw one another and they came up with some beautiful portraits; everyone was excited and we put them up so we could look at them together. Each drawing had an individuality and unique focus that I don’t see so much when teaching at home; often students in America will copy one another’s work rather than trusting their own vision. Another day we painted and this was the first time many had seen or used paint. Again: more students than materials but people patiently waited to share a paintbrush—this is not something I’ve ever seen happen in an American school. I did a demonstration of the color wheel and color mixing. Quietly they watched and repeated the English names of colors as I called them out. Then we were mixing colors and they painted whatever we could think up. It was super fun and there were lots of stunning paintings. At the end of the painting class we had a small “show” where everyone lined up their works outside, since there’s limited light in the classroom. Some adults were around and liked the paintings too—and students talked about the paintings they liked a bit. At the end, everyone tried to give the canvases back to me! I couldn’t believe that they wanted to share so much that they’d give me their own works. I feel like I’m the one who learned so much in Gara Dima and I can’t wait to return again for more art and painting classes. I’m still seeing how this trip has changed me and how I see the world, how I appreciate things I’ve taken for granted, how I am more patient with my American students now. Andrew leads electronics: Building the LED lights took three, three-hours sessions. As word about the project spread, even the teachers were showing up to be part of the class! We started with some basic circuits and then moved into the actual solar lights. The kids showed no trepidation to this project. Once a student had grasped the idea, he/she would then assist the other students in reading the diagrams, wiring and troubleshooting. When it came to soldering the circuits, the soldering irons barely held up to the heavy use: I was taking them apart and repairing them in the middle of class! We also had to pray that there would be electricity at our motel so we could charge the batteries for the soldering irons each night. In the end about 30 students went home with working solar LED lights. I won't vouch for the construction quality of every one but I think the experience is going to yield some future Gara Dima electrical engineers. I also know there are now some homes that have some safe renewable light sources, thanks to their enthusiastic sons and daughters. Meanwhile, Mel and I are thinking about the next wave of summer workshops to offer in Gara Dima. We can't wait. Thanks World Family! For more specifics about the light: http://www.extrasleepy.com/solarlight.html Also, see more pictures of the teaching : http://www.extrasleepy.com/garadima.html