Hit It Straight On

Yesterday was a truly amazing day at the school. At school we had sports day where you could do any activity that came to mind. I taught the kids how to dance, we had a running competition, and we had a huge soccer game.

During sports day Tate thought he was the best at soccer, but come on, we all know he’s not. The kids loved watching Tate and Kevin play soccer. Evan and I did “The Macarena” with the kids, which was very exciting. The kids also loved hearing stories about Barack Obama from me, and how much they love him. At the end of the day we said our goodbyes, but Sophia, Gitte, Mallory, Krissy, and I did not say goodbye to a young girl named Noela.  We all did our first home visit of the trip, and it was very inspirational. A home visit is where you go to the homes of the less fortunate children in the school and ask their parents about their story. Driving to Noela’s house was very nerve-wracking because I didn’t know what to expect or how to react once I arrived.

Once we all arrived, we were greeted by Noela’s grandmother, aunt, and father. Noela’s father really opened up to us, even though he had just met us. Noela’s story was truly inspirational and heart-warming to hear. The story that hit me the most from the house visit was hearing about Noela’s health. Her father told us that she is HIV positive and doesn’t even know. Noela’s father also told us that her mother died when Noela was three months old, and that Noela doesn’t know how her mother died. Hearing that really put a dent in my heart. Personally, I believe she should know about her own life to keep herself safe. Even though she is sick all the time, she is always coming to the school with a smile on her face and you could never tell that she was sick just by looking at her. Noela was also diagnosed with a skin disease that looks like she has light patches all over her body. Noela’s dad said they couldn’t afford both the medication for skin disease and the medication for HIV, so they are only getting medicine for HIV. It is amazing to see her living her life to the fullest while being sick very often. Noela’s father told us she is coming home everyday always in high spirits about school and is always studying when she gets home. In my experience, after teaching her for a week, she is one of the most joyful girls ever and is always trying to live life to the fullest. Noela is truly an inspiration to me, showing that even though life might throw a curve ball to you, you just have to hit it straight on.