This is the story of me being a persistent trouble maker and some deflated balls....... Since I first came to my school dorm to work, there have been several large cardboard boxes underneath the computer tables. Early on I tried to find out what was in them... big mystery.....
Turns out these were boxes full of great donated items (which I believe my PC predecessor acquired for the dorm students). After a couple months, one of the teachers reluctantly allowed some of the items to be taken out for use by the kids. These included books, some games, etc. The boxes were then taped back up and returned to their lair....
At one point during the cold winter months, I took out many jump ropes for the little kids to play with. After a few days they disappeared. I am not sure but I believe staff put them away.
I recalled many brand new balls in those boxes.... basketballs, volleyballs and soccer balls. When I asked several times about getting them out, I was informed we don't have a pump.
Now that spring appears to have arrived, I started a quest for a pump. You would think it wouldn't be that difficult to find a little hand pump, but for me it certainly was. Two weeks ago while visiting my friend Sharaya in a neighboring town (5 hour bus ride) we saw in the market hand pumps!!! I was so excited that I bought 2; each costing the equivalent of $2. I decided one for me (and my bike that I need to be riding) and one for the dorm kids and those balls!
Earlier this week after the English class I told my counterpart Altai I bought a hand pump for the balls and would bring that evening when I returned for our life skills class.
And that's just what I did.... I brought the pump and started getting balls out of the boxes. Sometimes I just do stuff instead of really thoroughly thinking it through. Occasionally I need to check my attitude and motivation .... However this time I think what I did was ok. I applied the philosophical questions of "if not me, then who?" and "if not now, then when?" and concluded the balls might sit there and rot before the children they were intended for, derived the pleasure they should, from them!
The young teens in the life skills class were so excited at the new balls...and quickly pumped them up and began tossing them around. During a break in the life skills lesson the kids chattered excitedly about the balls, putting them under their shirts, etc.
Later, Altai told the kids they must leave the balls in the big room and I was both angered and dismayed, though reluctantly agreed. Knowing that Altai has worked with these students way longer than me, and figuring she had some pearl of wisdom about the situation, I told the kids and Altai I would stop by tomorrow..... (even though I did not have anything scheduled at the dorm Tuesday, I told the kids that I would get the balls out ...)
I did return Tuesday afternoon and went to the big room...where both dorm teachers were locked inside discussing the "ball situation". They did let me in and when I asked about taking the balls outside, they reluctantly said ok. I took 2 basketballs, 2 soccer balls and a volley ball out and gave them to the dorm students who were out on the playground.
Feeling somewhat devious and smug about it, I left... The next day Hajid explained to me that they would keep the balls in the teachers office (good idea) and kids would have to ask and come get one to play with. She said they are concerned students will ignore their lessons/homework if allowed to have open access to the balls. Imagine my excitement to find that I totally agree with her, and my pleasure at seeing the dorm students have some new equipment to play with !
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