Snapshots.

I snuck away for three hours today and nestled into a corner of the French Connection, plugged in my iPod and spent my time reflecting on the day but what happened was a reflection on the whole day at Talibo Dabo, the school for students with physical and cognitive impairments.

I want to capture it all I want o keep snapshots of emotion, of laziness, of hope, of beauty, of resilience, and most of all I want to bring them all home.

My day in snapshots.

We planned a morning lesson of teaching the stages of the caterpillar into a butterfly, in which we would crate a butterfly out of tissue paper and clothes pins with markers to spread color by a water squirt bottle. However like many things in Dakar  there happened to be a ceremony for a donation given to Talibo Dabo shortly after we arrived so our lesson was postponed until Monday (fingers crossed) so off we went to a ceremony that greeted us with lively music and tons of lawn chairs for the students. Snapshot.When it was time to make our way outside the teacher up and left to find her own seat and didn't care about the kiddos who were put in chairs at the beginning of the day and needed a wheelchair to be able to be transported. The kids will literally sit there and hope their classmates will come back and help them. There are a couples kids who always get stranded and although we cannot communicate in the same language their eyes say it all. Their eyes speak nothing short of allowing the dam of tears behind their eyes to give out and let loose. Their posture tenses and an uneasiness is evident. It's heartbreaking to witness.

And to add to it the teachers are no where to be found --- its sickening. Although the government here does dictate a lot of things it does not chose peoples professions, the teachers chose to go into teaching, I would love to assume they have the same burning desire to teach as I do, today it was evident they do not. They're lazy. I wonder if they possess compassion.

Snapshot. The little boy is always left I learned today has no  lower body mobility and was literally lifted from his seat by his classmate no older than 7 years old the whisked away on rims that have no rubber tires and then transferred to yet another chair to make sure other kids can be transported. Mind you all of this is going on while the teachers are sitting in chairs covered by shade while a group of fifty or so children with Down Syndrome come out of a classroom not found within the building that my kiddos are in.  Snapshot. If you want to see segregation clear as day you should have seen the sight. Children with Down Syndrome of all ages young and old came running out shaking my hand and hugging and latching on to the hug, only to find occupied seats and teachers making students give up their seats for them. It was sickening, outrageous at that. There was a sense of panic because the kids didn't know where to sit, I grabbed some kids and lead them to the front where we sat on the ground. Both Adriene and I had little girls nestled in our laps and other little ones surrounding us. One peanut played with my hair and loved all over me. I wonder what runs through their minds. Prior to the presentation beginning I grabbed my guys hand, that is always left, and danced his shoulders around the last think he needed was to feel alone again but in a crowd. I got a smile on his face and carried on to more greetings and hugs. Snapshot. The little peanut I helped walk the other day was escorted and sat down by Sarah and Adriene, and soon after she was greeted by a smile fro a girl who has Down Syndrome where she picked her up and set her on her lap, they stayed put the rest of the program. Precious. 

The whole ceremony was in honor of a donation from DHL which donated plants and food in order to empower the student that they can be contributing members to society and make a difference. The director of the school said "It's not about the battle, its about the fight." Sarah was able to talk to with the head guy from DHL in West Africa and he is interested in forming a partnership in which he would supply Talibo Dabo with what we think would help benefit and better the school and the students. I am crossing my fingers and toes that this is followed through and words are put to action!

Snapshot. What really made the kids appreciate the ceremony was the presence of the DJ which played their favorite tunes in which everyone was dancing. Music is so powerful and unlike many people who surround the students at Talibo Dabo , music doesn't discriminate. And that is awe-inspiring. Those kids know how to boogie. There were also juice tins for the students, which is a big deal these kids come to school lacking their basic life needs and regularly ask for our water. I was so excited for the thirsty kiddos from my room to get refreshed. But much like all the other disappointment it continued to prevail. Barely half the students go drink and many teachers did, to top it off the kiddos needed help getting the tops off and when asking their teachers for help they were told no ---Adriene and I took off a lot of bottle tabs and had sticky hands.

Snapshot. As the program ended the teachers took a new seat inside the school while the kids scrambled around juggling between the limited wheelchairs to get everyone inside. Imagine teachers sitting inside the school while three children are stranded in their seats crying feeling like their going to be left there with tears wheeled up and flowing down their cheeks. And the only people concerned are me, Adriene, and the two ladies from Canada all of which are visitors to the school. We were the ones trying to get the kids inside safely and to the right class. While looking for a wheelchair for one of my favorites a teacher asked if I knew the dance that is popular here, this is what I could've lost it. Hell no I don't know the dance I'm worrying about the ones you should be concerned with. I became disgusted and through the tears we got everyone in the room and situated. Only to find that the teacher had left the school...

Snapshot. Now here Adriene and I are with 15-20 children and nothing to do. Thank goodness for the children's book 'Rio' and Toy Story coloring books and crayons --- our saving grace. Our Canadian colleague left with a low head and disbelief of the convenience that the teacher felt to leave a classroom full of Kindergarten and first grade children.

Snapshots. A little boy trying to say 'toilet' who has no lower body mobility was asking me to use the bathroom, how was I to take who was wheelchair bound to a pit toilet? Luckily we managed to communicate to the two oldest boys in class and designated them to helping him in the bathroom. Mind you on the way they passed '3' helpers to the school who were adults. The initiative and helpfulness of the children i work with is phenomenal and unmatched. 

Snapshot. Another boy with his male body part out with it in a bottle, yes bottle! While his classmates tug on my arm saying "Madame (pointing to boy) toilet," figuring he was trapped in his seat by his classmates in wheelchairs listening to the 'Rio' book during our spontaneous circle time I rushed to free the 'toilet' boy only to find the bottle filled with pee. His classmate took care of it... 

Is it a crime to allow children with disabilities the right to a bathroom? Why is it that someone has allowed children who are around the corner from a restroom to pee in a bottle? Why is it that children are allowed to walk around wet from their own urine, and terrorized by flies because of their feces? Why is that a child can be escorted back to class with his pants around his ankles? Why is it that someone cannot wipe snot from the noses of children and the drool away from their mouths? Why is it okay for children with cognitive impairments to be classified as not capable of a school book? How is it that children sit all day and not be acknowledged by their teacher?

Snapshot. The boy who was burned and skin graphed and another student were tackling each other while Adriene and I grab both strong willed and strong boys and pull them apart all while glancing out to other classes in hopes our faces show desperation for assistance and order. The teacher laughed. Laughed at our attempts to contain chaos. Speechless. More tackles later we settled back into coloring and the teacher returned to tell us good job and to depart again.

Snapshot. All the students calling Madame and holding their crayola masterpieces in the air for us to ooh-and-ahh at the beauty they can create when given the opportunity. Their faces  show something they are proud of , the rub on their backs given by the two of us are absorbed and genuinely appreciated, followed by a smile that radiates their inner beauty. Before we admire all the art work Madame is called again from the first artist and the chain reaction repeats itself. It never gets old, they need the encouragement and I need the smiles. 

Snapshot. The final seconds of our day come to a close and we departed. We return on Monday and we begin our good-byes. And while the protocol is handshakes to greet and say goodbye I dismiss it and pull each kiddo in for a hug, they deserve it, they need it. There is nothing better than embracing the kids in my class. They absorb it in, they appreciate it, they're genuine. With both the greetings and goodbyes I feel complete, I've met my purpose here. 

And while my heart still aches I am making the most of my time with them. Their faces, their being fills me up and transports me into another state, a state of gratitude for the opportunities and the life I live, along with a love at first sight that I will carry forever. Although they need me, I need them. I needed to come here and although its not been an easy journey I have always wanted to come to Africa for a reason and looking into their eyes and holding their hands or offering a hug is why I was beckoned to journey here. I am forever changed. I am forever blessed by those beautiful souls. Time to make a change.