Syeda Daniyah Ali, Grade 11
UWCEA (Moshi)
“...the establishment of a new kind of school where young people of all nations and backgrounds could live and learn together...” - Prince Charles HRH.
The United World Colleges as an educational system is not just a school. It is a home, a movement for all of us and then some. Each day I woke up, walked to breakfast and strolled out of the crowded dining hall with two bananas because I knew I would meet someone who was running late. I often woke up to my friends standing over my head, waiting to take me to the gym in the evening, because they knew I wouldn’t otherwise. On my birthday I walked into the kitchen to see my friends setting up a cake and simultaneously screaming at me for ruining their surprise. That same day I got thrown in the pool twice with another person jumping in too because I don’t know how to swim. It is all these moments that make me realise I have a UWC family.
Reminiscing about the year I spent at UWC East Africa, I treasure one memory the most: Halloween. Being overly enthusiastic about Halloween, we celebrated it a day later, on a Saturday, to have the whole day for living the traditions of our school to its fullest. We spent the whole day decorating our teachers’ cars to make them eerie for the kids. All the cars were parked around the football pitch, like spooky little booths. We dressed up as mythical creatures, trying to scare the kids yet failing miserably as they giggled and ran off. All the 11th and 12th graders supported the children’s costume parade with utmost vigour and excitement. As the sun set, the theatre students changed into their spine-chilling costumes. They were split into different groups and created rum but intriguing scenarios in various classrooms. Waves of laughter and shrieks coming out of the rooms filled up the hallways as the Halloween bus arrived, ready to take us on a rather grand tour of our town: Moshi. The UWC East Africa community consists not only of the students but also our ever-loving parents and teachers. The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) made their houses terror-struck and welcomed us with open arms for some spooky storytelling. From drinking blood disguised as grape juice to getting attacked by a person with a missing eye, the students, teachers and parents united to make our first Halloween at UWC a memorable one.
A rather ambivalent memory that I hold is the passing of our dear friend, Faith. Faith was a bright student and the friendliest soul on campus, so it wasn’t a surprise that even the people who were remotely acquainted with her, were stunned. Amidst grieving a fellow dorm mate and a supportive senior’s demise, I realised how every girl in our dorm was there for each other. We were making tea for, giving hugs and hopeful sentiments to the ones closest to Faith. Everyone went to Faith’s funeral, but I volunteered to help out a teacher who wanted to set up a small, immediate memorial for Faith. As we decorated our dorm with pictures and flowers, parents dropped by to pay their respects and brought in comfort food for the ones returning from the funeral later that day. When all the students came back, tired and even more devastated, all of us sat in our common room and shared the memories we had with Faith. We poured our hearts out and shed tears but most importantly, we listened to each other. The PTA organised for a minister of Faith’s religion to come in and help us pay our respects to her departed soul. Even in the time of utmost sorrow, the students, parents and every single person on campus became a pillar of hope for one another.
United World College has a list of values it embraces. But the one I find truly and widely being practised at our campus is unity. It allows individuals to have a place they can call their own all around the globe, because of the unbreakable bonds that we form. Parents and teachers take us in as their own, nurture us and provide a safe space for us to grow in. The unity between the students, teachers and parents, to live up to the UWC values, is extraordinary. These events made me realise that the UWC community engages in forming a community in its true sense; a home, a family.
The United World Colleges as an educational system is not just a school. It is a home, a movement for all of us and then some. Each day I woke up, walked to breakfast and strolled out of the crowded dining hall with two bananas because I knew I would meet someone who was running late. I often woke up to my friends standing over my head, waiting to take me to the gym in the evening, because they knew I wouldn’t otherwise. On my birthday I walked into the kitchen to see my friends setting up a cake and simultaneously screaming at me for ruining their surprise. That same day I got thrown in the pool twice with another person jumping in too because I don’t know how to swim. It is all these moments that make me realise I have a UWC family.
Reminiscing about the year I spent at UWC East Africa, I treasure one memory the most: Halloween. Being overly enthusiastic about Halloween, we celebrated it a day later, on a Saturday, to have the whole day for living the traditions of our school to its fullest. We spent the whole day decorating our teachers’ cars to make them eerie for the kids. All the cars were parked around the football pitch, like spooky little booths. We dressed up as mythical creatures, trying to scare the kids yet failing miserably as they giggled and ran off. All the 11th and 12th graders supported the children’s costume parade with utmost vigour and excitement. As the sun set, the theatre students changed into their spine-chilling costumes. They were split into different groups and created rum but intriguing scenarios in various classrooms. Waves of laughter and shrieks coming out of the rooms filled up the hallways as the Halloween bus arrived, ready to take us on a rather grand tour of our town: Moshi. The UWC East Africa community consists not only of the students but also our ever-loving parents and teachers. The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) made their houses terror-struck and welcomed us with open arms for some spooky storytelling. From drinking blood disguised as grape juice to getting attacked by a person with a missing eye, the students, teachers and parents united to make our first Halloween at UWC a memorable one.
A rather ambivalent memory that I hold is the passing of our dear friend, Faith. Faith was a bright student and the friendliest soul on campus, so it wasn’t a surprise that even the people who were remotely acquainted with her, were stunned. Amidst grieving a fellow dorm mate and a supportive senior’s demise, I realised how every girl in our dorm was there for each other. We were making tea for, giving hugs and hopeful sentiments to the ones closest to Faith. Everyone went to Faith’s funeral, but I volunteered to help out a teacher who wanted to set up a small, immediate memorial for Faith. As we decorated our dorm with pictures and flowers, parents dropped by to pay their respects and brought in comfort food for the ones returning from the funeral later that day. When all the students came back, tired and even more devastated, all of us sat in our common room and shared the memories we had with Faith. We poured our hearts out and shed tears but most importantly, we listened to each other. The PTA organised for a minister of Faith’s religion to come in and help us pay our respects to her departed soul. Even in the time of utmost sorrow, the students, parents and every single person on campus became a pillar of hope for one another.
United World College has a list of values it embraces. But the one I find truly and widely being practised at our campus is unity. It allows individuals to have a place they can call their own all around the globe, because of the unbreakable bonds that we form. Parents and teachers take us in as their own, nurture us and provide a safe space for us to grow in. The unity between the students, teachers and parents, to live up to the UWC values, is extraordinary. These events made me realise that the UWC community engages in forming a community in its true sense; a home, a family.
www.unitedworldwide.co