Saying Farewell

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The final day at school brought very strange feelings. Usually I'd be frantically labelling drawer units, sorting schemes of work etc. However, the work was done and the preparations were for the farewell ceremony that took place in the afternoon. The children were busily composing their own songs, with only a little help from a teacher, and running round with leg rattles attached practising their dancing. The staff were to be found rolling out chappatis on a stool, using a bottle of Nile beer as the rolling bin. Children were bring extra firewood to make a hot fire on which they were fried.

The proceedings were due to start at 2pm so typically got underway at about 3.30pm. The ceremony followed the now familiar pattern of prayer, introductions, reading of agenda and then speeches by the key stakeholders: headteacher, chair of SMC, chair of PTA, chair of local council, Atenyi and then myself. I spoke initially in Runyoro, but then in greater depth in English. The speeches were interspersed with songs and dances ( one of which I was dragged up for!).

After the formal ceremony all the adults went through to one of the classroom for a meal and then on to admire the new P1 classroom. The ceremony concluded with the planting of two trees, one of which is to be called the ' Madam Tamsyn Akiiki' tree.

It was very sad to say goodbye to the staff, parents and the children. They kept saying that they would contact London and say that I needed to stay for longer. It's hard knowing that these children won't be popping in from their high school to say hello. Saying goodbye to Atenyi at the Link farewell lunch is going to be extremely hard.

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