My first two months in Tanzania were spent at KYGN; undoubtedly the most valuable and rewarding experience of my life so far. After a year and a half planning this trip, I was so very happy to finally meet the kids and staff that are at the heart of all KYGN's work. The combination of smiles and hugs and enthusiasm from these children is the best remedy for a sleepy mind in the early mornings of a school day; and it wasn't long before I had mastered the skill of staying upright with so many kids hanging from each arm.

The other volunteers and I spent the majority of our time giving one-on-one lessons to the kids from nursery class who were struggling to keep up with their classmates. Needless to say, this was a real challenge for someone who had no previous experience in teaching and a very limited knowledge of Swahili, but I quickly learned to improvise on these communication difficulties, figure out which learning method suited each child and do my very best to work to their strengths while improving their weaknesses. The one-on-one attention was understandably tough on the children's attention spans and we often had to stop our lessons a bit earlier than the other teachers, as the kids would tire quickly. However, the change we saw in them over two months was so rewarding. I never imagined I would take so much joy from a correctly drawn letter 'e' or a correctly identified number 8 - but it still makes me smile uncontrollably to think of these moments.

Break time was always good fun, when we would help to distribute the porridge and bananas to many very eager kids, then use whatever time was left to play the day away with them. I have absolutely fallen in love with these kids, miss them sorely, and cannot wait to return and see them again someday. For them, I hope that KYGN will be allowed to continue and to grow with help from their supporters around the world. Asante sana to everyone who makes it happen!