This week the LEAP students have the opportunity to go to school (even though it is their break) to participate in workshops that we (the TWA fellows) designed for them. I was really curious to have a better understanding of how the students connect with nature. Since I am involved with incorporating environmental curriculum in into our classes in the US, I was curious as to how the students would perceive similar lessons here. After spending a little time in the townships, I noticed many of the same environmental problems that were in the village I lived in during my Peace Corps stint in Benin. There is a lot of trash on the ground, lots of toxic dumping, trash burning and, in the townships, there are very few trees or plants.
There were 11 girls that participated in the workshop. I asked students to go outside, observe a living organism for 10 min, take notes on a sheet I provided with sentence starters like “I feel like…I look like…I am surrounded by…I can be harmed by….” Then the students were asked to come inside and write a poem from the perspective of the plant. This was my first time working with the LEAP students, so I did not know their writing skills. I was not expecting too much, but boy was I wrong. The minute they came back from their observations, they just started writing up a storm. Some students had their poems finished in 10 minutes, so I encouraged them to write another. We had poetry reading at the end of class. Not only did the girls write beautiful poems, but they made personal, political and scientific connections in their poems. Here is one of the poems from a girl named Happiness. She wrote about a mimosa tree.
I am a resident, a neighbor, and a citizen of the nature of South Africa.
By Happiness Poma
I am a resident, a neighbor, and a citizen of the nature of South Africa.
I look like a baby’s hair brush,
with red hair covering my green silky body
with my red, spiky soft hair,
so wild, observing the goodness of my home.
Immigrants think I am an awareness of danger,
for they do not know that I am a spark of beauty.
I am an outstanding individual,
flexible with small, tiny round nails at the edge of my hair.
I stand up straight with not even a loop,
for I am confident, even success is the blanket of my soul.
I am a resident, a neighbor, and a citizen of South Africa.
I am happiest when the sunshine heats my hair.
I glow and shine. I open my arms
and stretch my entire sparkling body so proudly,
for I am a resident, a neighbor and a citizen of the nature of South Africa.
I am truly loved by that specific person that had a thought of building a tree here.
I know that I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him/her.
I am also loved by my neighbors- trees, grass, leaves and branches,
for they are residents, neighbors and citizens of the nature of South Africa.
I enjoy moving when the wind approaches to dance with me
when I am happy, enjoying and appreciating my life.
I am proud to breathe, the amazing breath
that was breathed by my beloved ancestors,
for they also were the residents, neighbors and citizens of the nature of South Africa.
Yes, they were. Yes, I am. Yes, we are. Oh yes, we are
the residents, neighbors and citizens of the nature of South Africa.
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