I Found Something I Love Even More Than Tennis by Serena Williams
I don’t know who was more nervous, the kids staring at some strange woman that came from far away or me, never having teaching experience teaching these adolescents life lessons. ‘Hello Class! I am Miss Williams and I am here to teach your first class in your new school! ‘ Just a half hour ago we officially opened my 2nd secondary school in as many years in Africa. And here I am here to teach these kids one of my favorite life lessons. My goal is simple. Give these kids something to hope for and smile about. Something that they can believe in without fear. Give them a chance they would have never had. Give them an education. I decided to open up the new school in Wee (pronounced Way), Kenya about 3 hours away from the nearest city in Nairobi. 3 hours away from electricity, showers, and everything we would consider normal. This secondary school will cater to about 250 to 300 students of boys and girls, ages ranging from 15 to 18 years old. It will have 3 bathroom facilities. Mostly everyone in the village have none. This school will help many to become somebody. This school will help kids who thought that leaving their hut and village was a myth, a legend. When we first arrived to the Wee village there were ladies there to greet me with traditional song. I danced with them trying to feel the rhythm with my hips and shoulders. As I danced they crowded around me draping me with African cloths, and showering me with home made bags.
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Kids ran in the streets with palm branches chanting my name saying ‘Yes we can Serena, Yes we can!’ Thousands of people have traveled 15miles by foot – most without shoes. One girl said it was 2 weeks before it was her bath day. But she cleaned up and took a bath 2 weeks early. This was an occasion for them. This was also an occasion for me.
This time for this school we added more. We added a hearing impaired class with a teacher to work with the deaf students. My heart was moved, and my eyes became swollen with tears when one boy named Maythia as he frantically signed to me. ‘I will finally be able to talk and speak all the things that are in my head!!’ He will be able to do this because the secondary schools are all equipped with the latest HP computers and printers. These kids have only heard of ‘machines that show bright colors’ called computers, but now they have one to pursue every goal in their lives.
As I stand to cut the official ribbon of the school opening I think ‘Wow we did it- again!’ Never have I felt this excitement- this tingle in my belly…not even while holding up the Wimbledon crown. I found something I love even more than tennis – helping kids.I asked the class- ‘How many of you have a dream?’ No hands shot up. Fear was holding them from speaking. I asked them if they new what a dream was. Again silence filled the room.
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Finally I relate to
