WGEC Gunjur teacher visit 2016
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- Published: Wednesday, 23 March 2016 11:48
After 3 years of sifting through photos and personal accounts of trips (some going back 30 yrs), I finally get to see for myself what it is all about. It was surreal at times, visiting places I was already so familiar with, but it didn’t take long to feel genuinely welcome and at home in a place that has been in my psyche since childhood.
The first night was predictably a bit nerve racking, although the experienced host families took it all in their stride and the busy schedule for the week ahead does gear you towards just getting on with things. Toilets and food were the main topic of conversation on the first morning (and indeed for the rest of the week). We had a range of toilets from very basic to positively luxurious, I wonder if the Gunjur Link Committee (GLC) intuitively know who should be placed where in regards to personal challenges and development?
As a group, we paid our customary courtesy visits to the senior elders in the village, the Imam (head of Islam in the village), the Nyansimba (head of the women) and the Alikali, the mayor. The significance of these visits became very apparent to me later on in the week. It was a unique opportunity to listen to these highly important figure heads in the community and to ask questions. The Imam spoke very frankly about Islam and how it is perceived across the world today. I was touched by the respect shown to these elders by the entourage of young men who joined us that morning.
