The last thing I said to Graydon Baker when we left his safari camp in August 2018 was, “we’ll be back.”  I said it with hope, but without any plans.  Well, here we are two years later, planning to go back and fulfill those words.  Last time we were there, we helped to build a house for one of the weeks.  The second week we were in the Rufiji, Graydon asked me to lead an ESL (English as a Second Language) class for adults and children in the village.  Because that’s what I do everyday, I was happy to put one together; one with very few resources.  If you haven’t visited Baker & Sons Safari Lodge, you won’t know that it’s far from the big city and doesn’t have the resources teachers are used to.  It was a challenge to put together enough items to run a class.  Although, it’s been a real bragging piece when I tell people what we did.

But now….  we’re going back to teach and THIS time, I’ll be prepared.  Hopefully.  My wheels are turning as I think of who we’ll teach.  What we’ll teach.  How we’ll teach it.  What to bring.  How to get it there.  It’s easy to prepare in Canada, when I have bookshelves full of resources and a photocopier down the hall. Always ready are a closet full of textbooks, pencils, paper.  A Smartboard and computer at my beck-and-call.  But now I must plan BEFORE I get there.  I have time to plan, plan, and plan some more.  Maybe that’s good OR maybe that’s bad.  I’m beginning to think that “spur of the moment” might be a better way to go.

March Break is coming up soon for us in Ontario.  While most teachers will be vacationing in the warmth of the sun somewhere, I’ll be sitting at my desk, making lists, checking them twice and three times.  I’ll be planning, writing, crossing off, second guessing, and wondering what I’ve gotten us into! 😊  Although I may sound a bit apprehensive, I’m more than excited.  I’ve asked Dale more than once, “What have I gotten us into?” but I know the end product will be amazing and I can’t wait to begin!

Note: Karen Elliott, the author of this article, is part of the ‘Chatham 5’ team that will be leaving for Tanzania July 2020 to join The Rufiji Lighthouse at Baker & Sons Safari Co, offering free English (ESL) education to all ages in the surrounding villages. To learn more about Karen’s team and this project, visit eastarm.net/chatham5