Summer 2022 J-Term Blog: Arriving at Nkume Primary School

South Africa J-Term Blog #2

We’re finally here! Wednesday was our first day at the Nkume Primary School, and it was nothing short of incredible.

The kids and teachers at Nkume are the sweetest people I have literally ever met. We got welcomed with a huge opening ceremony with traditional dances and songs, then got to work at the school!

We set up the 24 computers that we brought with us and gave a workshop on using them to the teachers, bought and assembled fans for the library, unboxed six chess boards for their new chess club, and more.

Most importantly, we finally got to see the kitchen that we funded was completely finished! It was a very emotional moment for our organization, and it felt so, so good to see the project finally come to life.

Later that night, we went to our first dinner at a local country club and got served some traditional African dishes — like curry! More fun to come!

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Thursday was our first full day at the school, and boy oh boy were we tired by the end of it!

Nkume opened with another assembly in which we all got to join in with the kids and sing and dance. The teachers event had a song and dance prepared for us! Then, into the classrooms and to work we went! We officially set up the new computer lab and then held a workshop later in the afternoon to teach interested teachers how to use the Chromebooks. 

Most of the rest of the day was all fun and games — playing tag during recess, getting and giving lots of hugs, and more.

Thursday was a day that was hard to put into words. I have never met happier people, who are so kind and genuine. They ooze joy, love, compassion, and so many other amazing qualities. Saturday is our last day at the school, and we are so sad to see our time end so fast! I definitely see myself traveling back here in the near future.

— Morgan Tracy ’22

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About the study tour

Service Learning in Communities — Nkume Primary School

Travel dates
May 23-June 6, 2022

Instructors
Prof. Michele Hancock (education)
Prof. Jacqueline Easley (education)

Description
This study abroad trip begins in a rural region of South Africa where our outreach work at Nkume Primary School continues. Students will have the opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of the students who attend the school through education, school maintenance projects, and planting new crops in the recently established vegetable garden.

The next part of our adventure takes us on an exhilarating safari experience to search for the Big Five (leopard, lion, elephant, rhino, and buffalo); a moment of solace in the ancient Drakensberg Mountains; and a journey along the Eastern Cape’s iconic Garden Route and complete the experience with a trip at one of South Africa’s most sought-after coastal towns. Learn more