Ethan - Update 7: Debrief Blog 1

Journal prompt: What is one lesson I’ve learned from my East African friends that I will never forget?

There are so many stories from this summer that could be used for this prompt, but the one I’m going to go with is a story from one of the bandmates this summer. They talked about their desire to go to school and the difficulties that came with that. They had dropped out of school in grade 9 because their mom got sick and there were no funds. This story hit me because they were 19 and in the US that is college-age. The thing that hit me hardest about this story was this person’s disposition of shame attached to not being able to go to school and how in the US there’s no thought of not having funds to attend school. This story will now serve as a lesson in me about how valuable school is, and to not take for granted the opportunities given to me.