A Day of Celebration

This past Wednesday was International Day of Persons with Disabilities (http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1620). Wednesday’s are usually my day off, but instead I spent the day celebrating with the students and teachers at Semafi, the school for deaf students where I am a teacher. When I arrived, the day felt just like any other day I have spent at Semafi. We went from the yard by the house where the students and some teachers live down the hill to the building for school and had a short prayer service. As usual, I didn’t understand much, but at the end of the service instead of going outside to raise the flag, the students were separated into 4 groups and each given a Malagasy tribe name. Then, we headed back up to the house and the students got ready. There was face painting and the students put on their nicest clothes. By 10, we were ready for the dancing to begin. With the bass turned up and the volume high so the students could feel the beat of the music, the teachers began leading dances. We danced to Azonto, a very popular song around Madagascar right now, among many others. Then, the students split into their groups again and prepared a dance that was based on the tribe that they were given. After each group danced, we played a few games in the yard and it was time for lunch! We had a feast of potato salad (potatoes, carrots and green beans with mayo), pasta salad (pasta and ground beef served cold), and then rice with chicken as loaka (side dish), fruit juice, and mangoes for dessert. Everyone pitched in to help clean up and wash dishes outside after the feast. And, there was a soccer match in the afternoon. The day was filled with laughter, picture taking (once the students found out I had a camera, each one had a million picture ideas), a sunburn for me, practicing Malagasy and sign, and lots of celebration.

Some of the youngest students got their faces painted, but smiles are hard to come by!

One of the oldest students paints the younger students faces.

The boys had fun with all sorts of face paint designs! 

There are smiles!

I got my face painted too!

And the dancing begins!

Tired from dancing? Time for a piggy back ride!

I even dressed up in clothes from a tribe in the south of Madagascar.

And, all the students wanted a picture with me all dressed up!

The teachers too!

They ate all the rice! 

The feast ended with mangoes, of course!

All of the students and most of the teachers at Semafi!