My Day at Neno Girls Mission Secondary School

Last week, the Head Master of the Neno Girls Mission Secondary School (NGMSS) asked me to come speak to the girls in his school. So, this past Monday morning, that's exactly what I did. It was one of the coolest experiences I've had since I've been in Malawi. I showed up at NGMSS around 9 am and met the Head Master (HM). He and my good friend Ruth (one of the students at NGMSS) took me on a lovely tour of the school campus. I saw the 4 classrooms-one for each form (grade)-the library and all of the living hostels. The campus was very nice and the girls there were soooooo happy! After the tour, the HM gathered all of the girls in the courtyard and I spoke to them for about 30 minutes. I explained what brought me to Neno, a little bit about my job here, and then mainly just gave many words of encouragement. We talked about the importance of a good education (both personally and for national development). We talked about their career and life aspirations and what it is going to take to get there. They were all so happy to have me there, but I can assure you that I was much happier to be with them! They thought I was teaching and inspiring them, but I can assure you that they were teaching and inspiring me so much more! These girls are truly incredible! Not many people in Malawi are fortuante enough to attend secondary school (roughly equivalent to junior high and a few years of high school). These girls are extremely lucky, and they NEVER take their education for granted. They study at least four hours every single night. And when they're not in class, studying, or cleaning the campus...they all gather together and sing the most beautiful songs (in Chichewa) that I've ever heard in my life. Fortunately, I always hear them singing from my guesthouse. They are so wonderful, and Monday, July 16 was one of the best days of my entire summer!!!