The first day of Project Shine was terrifying. I walked into the classroom, full of people I had never met, and I was immediately asked to teach English to a young man from Sudan. I was forced to dive into the water, without any previous experience or tools. Lazarus, the young man I tutored, had fled from Darfur and left his entire family. He sends money back every month for his siblings, he works at Dunkin Doughnuts, and he likes chocolate. I go to a school that costs $40,000 a year to attend, I work four hours a week at the post office, and I love chocolate.
Lazarus and I came from two different worlds. He missed his mother because he hadn't seen her for eleven years. I missed my mom because I hadn't seen her in a month. At first, I wasn't sure how to relate to Lazarus; I didn't think we had any common ground. I was only able to focus on the scare on his forehead, a scare from fleeing his country. I tried to picture myself smiling like he smiled after enduring so much pain. I asked seemingly innocuous questions at first: "Do you have brothers and sisters?, What do you like to do for fun?" But even these questions rendered answers that only highlighted the differences between us. Many of his siblings had died, and he didn't have much free time because of work. I felt stuck.
Chocolate brought Lazarus and me together. Teaching requires trust between the teacher and learner, especially when learning a language. Lazarus and I both loved chocolate. After we found something we both shared, Lazarus felt much more comfortable asking grammar questions and asking for help when he was unsure; I felt more comfortable helping him. All it took was chocolate, milk chocolate. We talked about hot chocolate, chocolate candy bars, chocolate milkshakes, chocolate covered raisins. I corrected his grammar while he told me about the type of chocolate doughnuts he liked
"I eat chocolate yesterday," Lazarus said.
"I ate chocolate yesterday," I corrected him
Having something in common made a huge difference. It was like we finally got the wheels attached to our car; we were able to move forward.
I learned more than I can fully express during Project Shine. I learned how to communicate effectively. I learned that Dinka is a tribal language in Sudan. I learned how to be more patient. I learned that the "f" and "th" sound are difficult to say for some non-native English speakers. I learned that I love to teach others. I learned that helping others is fulfilling.
I am grateful for my experience at Project Shine. Although each week I felt exhausted after teaching, I felt like I had succeeded. Whether I taught the future tense or explained the difference between the two different types of "glasses," I helped Lazarus. I helped him learn a language that he needed to know to help his family, to help himself.
Many people have written that in helping others we help ourselves; many people have written about this idea because it's true. Lazarus helped me as much as I helped him. He showed me how to be patient when giving the pronunciation of word, how to be confident in my abilities to teach, how to find the energy within myself to make learning more fun. I feel blessed for my experience at Shine, I feel blessed to know Lazarus.
