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The Bethany Project Trip 24th July – 8th August 2006
St James’ group report
Our recent youth trip to the Bethany Project in Tanzania was an amazing experience. Although at times challenging, I have learnt so much about myself and grown both spiritually and emotionally.
On arriving in Africa after an eighteen hour journey, I was surprised by the poverty and lack of amenities. When we arrived at Bethany, it was so modern; brick buildings compared with the small mud huts in the village. I was unsure what to expect but the children gave us an amazing welcome, running alongside the Land Rover and clutching our hands as soon as we got out. Our exhaustion was soon forgotten as we began to settle in and get to know the children.
Before going to Bethany, I was slightly apprehensive about the food. I was totally wrong however as the food, although basic, was good and there was always more than enough. For breakfast, homemade bread rolls, and rice or potatoes with beans or cabbage for lunch and tea. One day we even got to try goat, which we had seen being killed earlier in the day.
During the two weeks we spent at Bethany, we taught English for around three hours each day to all the primary school children (Standards 1-7), who had two weeks off school especially. The education system is totally different in Tanzania however as children only move up into the next year if they pass the exam at the end of the year, which means there was a variety of ages from 6 to 16 at primary school. The teaching was challenging as we had to prepare and teach all the lessons in teams of 2 or 3 people, with little or no experience. I found this stressful at times as we could only speak basic Swahili so the younger children couldn’t understand what we were asking them to do! At school, the teaching methods are similar to those 100 years ago in England – copying sentences out of books with little interaction. We made the lessons more interactive with an emphasis on spoken English which is essential for getting a job in Tanzania, the children found this difficult at first but I know they learnt a lot during our time there which should benefit them in the future. Although challenging the teaching was very rewarding as the children were so enthusiastic and keen to learn.
One of the highlights of my trip was sleeping with the older girls in their dormitory. They were all so excited for me to be there and wanted me to sing English worship songs; I even got the opportunity to learn some of their awesome dancing! Several of the girls joined me on my bed as I read stories from the bible, then they read to me from their Swahili bibles. I had a peaceful sleep and felt so privileged to have such an amazing opportunity.
My most enduring memory will be of the services which took place each evening. The children sang hymns and prayed, often led by children as young as seven years old. It was overwhelming to see all the children praising the Lord so openly and passionately. Their faith is such a big part of their lives, and this is reflected in the loving and peaceful atmosphere at Bethany. There are now 105 children there and they all manage to live together in harmony with little conflict. The older children comfort the younger ones when they are upset are all the children are so supportive and caring to one another, it really is like one huge family. It is so easy to forget that they were all vulnerable orphans as they are the happiest, most loving children I have ever met.
At the end of our two weeks there we all found it difficult to say goodbye. We had formed such strong bonds with the children and they have taught me so much about life, and God. I will never forget this life changing experience and hope to return to Bethany some time in the future.
The most touching memories were often the simplest of things:
- A child insisting on giving me half of her biscuit,
- The children running to greet you when returning from a trip out,
- The look on a child’s face when given a bottle of Coke,
- An older boy picking up a toddler and soothing him when he was crying,
- Seeing all the children joining in with line dancing outside, enjoying themselves
- The beautiful sound of the choir which could be heard the all around the compound in the mornings
- The amazing night sky
By Rebecca Dyer
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