Marie-Ange Guiraud

October 17, 2014

Can Teachers be Learners?: My Experience with the Street Children of Djibouti

My perspective of the world changed the moment I got off the plane at the International Airport of Djibouti. This summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Caritas, which is a Catholic NGO that provides education, healthcare, and food to the street children of Djibouti. As an intern, I taught French and English, designed art workshops, and created games. Being with those children who only spoke Somali and Amharic, I learned to be flexible especially in finding ways to communicate with them inside and outside the classroom. Working with the children, I discovered the complex cultural identities and social issues that exist within the Djiboutian society. Walking in the city, traveling to the various villages and experiencing the mélange of cultures were both fascinating and unknown. This experience has allowed me to look at education in a new and totally different way.