Elizabeth Babalola
YYAS 2014 Instructor
Nigeria
 |
| Elizabeth and Amy enjoy a cup of coffee in Ethiopia |
It was my first time in a city
where English is neither an official language nor a lingua franca. The
billboards and signs bore Amharic letters that fascinated my brain and confused
my eyes while Helinna’s conversations with bus drivers, customs officers and
housekeeping staff all flew over my head. Although I felt out of place and
limited by English amidst the rich cultural history of Addis and Debre Zeit, I
was excited to meet the 50 students attending our Ethiopian YYAS program. They
had written clear English essays and applications and I was hopeful that my
discomfort would disappear once I met them…Wrong, to my dismay, many of our
awesome kids responded to my enthusiastic greetings with whispers, lowered
gazes and shy teenage smiles. They quickly coalesced into groups and once again
Amharic surrounded my head.
My hope of connecting with our
amazing students would have been completely shattered if they had not returned
my beaming and heartfelt smile. As each student walked in, I found that the
smile on my lips was soon mirrored on his or her face. Next, I tried out my
newly discovered trick with smaller groups of kids, launching our conversations
with a sincere smile. Each time, my effort was rewarded with an ability to
communicate that matched and surpassed my expectations. We encouraged them to
‘speak up’, voice their thoughts, and share their opinions with an assurance
that there were no ‘right or wrong answers’. As our scholars settled into the
rhythm of rigorous seminars, lectures and assignments that ran from 9am – 10pm,
their voices got louder, and my ears adjusted to the beautiful accents of
fellow Africans. Our smiles got wider bursting forth ever so often into
cheerful laughter. In seminars, they now spoke louder and quickly learnt to
criticize ideas and concepts from international NGOs, peers and instructors.
Our smiles and gentle nudges had worked!
By the end of the week, I was
reassured of the power encapsulated in a smile. It had broken barriers for me
with our venue’s staff, housekeepers and waiters. Most importantly, it had
ushered me into the world of our scholars and past the language barrier that
threatened to shut me in. When it was time to say goodbye, the parking lot was
aglow with heartfelt smiles, a few tears, hugs and promises to stay in touch
with new friends and mentees.
