A couple of months ago I wrote a series of blogs about Invisible Children’s Teacher Exchange program. Ugandan educators were spending six weeks in the U.S. team-teaching in American classrooms and we were publishing their insights on experiences inside and outside the classroom.
In sifting through their journal entries and photos, I felt a kindred connection with them. They were so candid and observant and clever. There was one in particular who consistently had me cracking up, and her name was Florence.
Hi Florence!
Florence is an English language and literature teacher at Keyo Secondary School, one of Invisible Children Uganda’s partner schools in Gulu (through our Schools for Schools program.) She had previously hosted an American teacher in her Gulu classroom in the summers of 2009 and 2010. In a reciprocal exchange, she was one of six teachers who traveled from Uganda to the U.S. and taught in classrooms with American teachers from December – February, 2013.
Reading her observations of America, through her eyes and in her words, was fascinating. I laughed, teared up, laughed some more and wanted to meet her in person so badly (it makes you want to read her entries, doesn’t it?) And then I got the opportunity to visit Uganda and my wish came true.
Me with my new best friend Florence
I met Florence. In person. And she was as joyous and lovely as I thought she’d be. Why am I telling you all of this?
Because Ugandan newspaper, The Observer, recently acknowledged just how joyous and lovely she is and published an article about her. It came across my desk and I got to re-live all of her glorious Florence-isms. The article discusses her history with Invisible Children, her background, her travels to America, and definitely goes into her fascination with American dogs – “They go on walks with their owners! They go to church! They go to the cinema!” Oh Florence.
You can read the article in its entirety HERE. But consider yourself warned – to know her is to love her.
Think people should hear about this?