ONE PEOPLE

*This blog post follows the same path as the previous one I just posted, however, the sheer influence that the subsequent event had on my life, made me create a new blog post to share it with you.*

My day last Wednesday started like any other. I woke up at 5:30 am, had an apple, prepared my starbucks instant coffee (thanks deb and dean), and walked to school at 6:20 am. My first period class is grade 7 social studies. We are studying the causes of conflicts/violence and how people resolve them, so I brought in some newspaper clippings of currents events happening around the world. I noticed in class that one girl in the back was writing the entire class time, but with a class of 35 kids, I assumed she was taking a lot of notes. I finished my lesson early and quickly headed to my grade 6 where I was administering a topic test on Namibian culture. Midway through the period, another teacher called me outside in an urgent manner. He immediately informed that a girl in my grade 7 class, wrote a suicide note to a friend claiming she was going to kill herself today. With my heart beating fast and my brain going in every which direction, I made him instantly take me to see her. The girl, about 15 years old, was sitting in our make-shift library, huddled on the floor and crying.

I know that suicide is a worldwide problem, and threats happen quite frequently, but I was naive to the issue. I NEVER thought I would be caught in a situation like this. I stood there, watching a girl who was only perhaps hours away from taking her own life, and I am now the adult supposed to help. Unfortunately, due to the lack of education on psychological issues, many of the teachers were unsure on how to deal with the issue. Therefore, I decided that although I was not trained in social work, my experiences in the US prepared me a little more than the other teachers. My first goal was to determine the issue behind her threat. Since she was not speaking, I decided to bring my laptop into the room and have her listen to music and show her funny pictures of me throughout my time here. With her laughing now, she was more open to talk. She translated each word into English. The note spoke about how she does not have a father and her mother currently lives 30km in the bush. She is living with Aunt now, who wants to send her back to her mother for doing poor at school. The girl’s frustration stems from the fact that if she was sent home she would never attend school again because of the location in the bush, and the beatings she would receive from her other family members.

I listened to her talk about the death of her father, the separation from her mother, the beatings she received when she was younger, and her desire to remain at Divundu Combined School and continue her education. I was on the brink of tears, but I had to keep composure to show some stability. By killing herself (which was definitely intended, as she said she had the pills ready), she would not have to deal with any of the issues that confronted her: no family that supports her.

Ultimately, I thought of the one thing that reminds me everyday of who I am and my goals in life: the ONE bracelet I wear. I have worn a white rubber bracelet that just says ONE on it since I was 16 years old. It symbolizes that we are all ONE people, ONE family and the simple premise that ONE person can change the world. An hour into our session, I took off the bracelet and put it on her wrist, signifying that although she doesn’t have her mother and father with her, she is my family, the teachers are her family, the learners are her family- we are ONE family.

The day ended with her Aunt making a judgment to bring her to the hospital for a proper social session with a doctor. In the end, my learner did not kill herself, however a thought like that does not just leave in a day. My goal throughout the remainder of my time here, is to remind her each and every day that someone is always there to help you in a dire situation.

This weekend I saw that same girl at the local bar, with two beers in hand. For this, I know the know the challenges that tomorrow will bring, and the next day, and the next month, and the next year will be the greatest in her life, but at least she knows she is not alone. The ONE bracelet has helped me in hard situations and now it is passed on to her to assist her. Hopefully, when she feels in the right place, she will pass it on to someone that needs her help to.

I learned a great deal from this day, however I hope I will never have to do it ever again.

ONE

Scott