My favorite number

Zi and Saimoni started school yesterday, at a local English Medium school called Amani (meaning Peace). In Tanzania, there are a few types of school: government school, which is very poor quality but free; English Medium schools that have both day and boarding students, and are taught in English, but are still usually not up to the standard of an average American public school; and International schools, which can cost many thousands of dollars per year, and are roughly equivalent to a fancy private school in the US.

We made the decision to put them both into English Medium school this year, with the goal of finding an affordable international school for next year. Amani has scored highest in the region on the national examinations for the last few years, and last year was just number 22 in the country. So, if they're going to be in an English Medium school, I'm glad it's this one. They also get to go to school with the pilot house kids, three of whom they've known for years and who they hang out with after school every day.

They were so adorable in their little uniforms I couldn't handle it! Especially tiny Zawadi with her backpack that is bigger than she is. It's easy to forget how tiny she is, because she has such a MASSIVE personality. But she is itty bitty. 

So yesterday morning was their first day, and I did pretty well getting them off to school, with Riz's help. I was at the bus stop early, even! This morning? I didn't do so great. We couldn't find Saimoni's sweater, which I could swear we got from the pilot house yesterday, then his backpack broke, and THEN Zawadi couldn't wear her school shoes so had to wear Saimoni's which were WAY too big. She has a blister on one ankle, so the shoes that normally fit fine were too painful. She got a bandaid and extra socks and off she went! We literally had to run for the bus, which was ridiculous enough without Zawadi clomping along in shoes that were WAY too big for her. 

Sigh. But they're learning, and thriving, even if I might not yet have done my son's fly in the picture above (I got there eventually!). 

Conversation with my daughter after her first day of school:

Me: Zawa, how was your day at school? What did you learn

Z: I learned numbers! 

Me: Oh really? What numbers did you learn, sweetheart? 

Z: Blue!

... Hmmm. She might need remedial number lessons. Well, at least they're thriving? 

We're also supposed to shave her head, which kills me, because she's been in an orphanage with a shaved head her whole life, and she LOVES her hair. So for now we're just sending her as she is and hoping nobody makes a fuss. I know rationally that her education is much more important than her hair, I do, really. But I will miss it a lot if it's gone! Plus she looks like an alien baby with no hair - one of her many nicknames from back in the day. 

I rest my case. Now if only the headmistress of Amani would see it like that!