Chargers' Pride

Hello all,

I have been slacking on the blog updates for a few reasons. I moved to
my permanent site about a month ago and this is the most crucial time
to form bonds. Typing on my Blackberry or going into town to use the
internet cafe doesn't exactly scream happy to be here. Haha. Either
way, I promise to send some new updates in the near future and post
some pics of the awesomeness of my village.

Before I do any of that I would like to send out a special hello. Much
of the reason why I am here in South Africa serving with the Peace
Corps can be traced back to my early days at St. Mary's in Berea, OH.

At St. Mary's, I lived and breathed community. On a daily basis, I
learned the importance that each individual plays in making th world
go round. The thought provoking and mission driven instruction made a
lasting impact on how I would come to approach any future teaching
experience, formal and informal. Through service-learning experiences
at the Aristocrat, St. Augustine, and many others, I learned that my
work is not done when the time stamp says so. That I am called to be
attentive to all needs at all times.

Serving others lifts my spirit higher than anything else in the world.
When I heard the awesome 8th graders at St. Mary's wanted to help my
service through a book drive, I must admit I got a little choked up.

South Africa is an amazing country and should be studied by all US
citizens, but my students struggle. Water shortages, no electricity,
rampant alcohol abuse, and loss of family member due to diseases like
TB and HIV/AIDS way heavily on my students before they even step into
the classroom. Yet every morning, students are ecstatic to learn.

One of the major battles all Peace Corps volunteers face is teaching
English as another language. The books you send will provide a
literature rich environment that is greatly lacking in my village. It
will allow me to model lessons for teachers in how to increase our
students literacy skills, provide a world of imagination not yet
examined by students, and provide a leg up in this ever so increasing
global economy.

On this beautiful morning as I type away on a phone I never thought I
would use in the Peace Corps next to the mosquito net that I always
thought I would use in the Peace Corps, I can't help but smile
thinking about teaching cause and effect with If You Give a Mouse a
Cookie or predictions with Too Many Tamales. I look forward to working
with you Chargers. Please email me any questions at
sean.asanowicz.omalley@gmail.com. Stay happy.