As a child, I was fortunate enough to be raised in a family that could send me to a Waldorf school. My elementary and middle school experience was marked every morning by a short drive through a redwood forest to a school that prides itself on its garden, nearby redwoods, open playing fields and devoted teachers. My class was led by one teacher from first through eighth grade with other teachers leading classes like knitting, gardening, physical education, and science. I wouldn’t trade this educational experience for any other and I know it shaped who I have grown up to be.

This past week, our group had the opportunity to visit the Anani Memorial International School in Nima, Ghana. Driving through one of Ghana’s most densely populated cites, I found myself wondering where there would be enough open space for a school. We eventually parked and were greeted by the headmaster and a few other teachers and led to the school.  We followed a narrow pathway that wound in between houses and over the drain gutters until arriving at the front door of the school.

Once there, we were greeted by a young boy who was eager to shake our hands and welcome us inside. We filed through a small dirt school yard and entered a classroom to sit at desks on an elevated stage. I was immediately shocked by the number of students who were crammed in the back of the classroom to watch the performances. It reminded me of the small sizes of my own classes and even then, how hard it could be to learn. For roughly the next hour we were treated to an arrangement of dances, songs, and poems accompanied by drums and other percussive instruments. Towards the end of the students’ performance, our group was ushered off the stage and into a circle to dance. It was wonderful to be a part of their dancing and forget about our differences to share a moment together.

The smiles of the children and their eagerness to stand beside us or shake our hands is what will stay with me the most from our visit. We had the opportunity to interact with the students and take photos of each other. It moved me to see how excited that got about seeing themselves on the camera screen. Our interactions caused me to think deeply and reflect on the little things that I took for granted as a student and how I’ve grown up because of it. I thought about the creeks and forests that I was able to explore and how raising plants and being in nature was an important part of my school’s curriculum. I loved how much enthusiasm they had for everything that we did together, and I hope to get a chance to connect with them again.

A group of the Anani Memorial International School students and myself, taken by one of their classmates.