FROM ANAHEIM TO AFRICA, WITH LOVE

 
- Liane Weintraub, Editor-in-Chief

The other evening, after a long day at Disneyland (in the rain … which I don’t recommend, but we’ll address that some other time), my 3-year-old daughter was dozing off in the back of the car, mumbling semi-coherent things to herself.  I tried to make out what she was saying in her Princess-saturated state, and I thought I heard her say something about Africa. 

“Ava, did you just say you want to go to Africa?” I asked, not believing my ears.

“Mmmm,” she nodded as her eyes were closing.  “I need to go there to visit the children who

need help from us.  I want to go, but it’s very far away and I’m so tired right now.”  And with  that, she fell asleep.

I kept driving, quite stunned that after a day at a theme park which involved rides, live Disney characters, sugary snacks (yes, I gave in to churros) and a plethora of retail opportunities that would make any staunch Capitalist blush, this is what was on her mind.  And I have to say that I was deeply moved.

When Ava started preschool this past fall, I learned that the school had established a relationship with the Devon Valley Primary School in Stellenbosch, South Africa.  I knew that the children would be making holiday cards for the African students, and that they would collect plastic and aluminum for redemption and recycling in order to send the money to Devon Valley, but I assumed that most of the message behind these efforts was geared towards the parents.  It just hadn’t occurred to me that 3-year-olds could really absorb much about what was happening on the other side of the world.

Boy, was I wrong.

Devon Valley Primary School started in 1942 in a barn and later moved to a church hall.  It serves about 220 children, grades 1-7, whose parents are local farm-workers.  (There are also 2 classes of children under the age of 6 who are sponsored by the church.)  The school employs

7 educators, a foreman and a secretary, and the children all wear uniforms – crisp white collared shirts and dark pants, shorts or skirts.  Most of them speak Afrikaans and some speak Xhosa, but all are learning fluent English at school.

The goal behind a Malibu preschool having a Sister School in South Africa is to support the children and staff of Devon Valley (parental donations are encouraged) as well as to give our privileged children a glimpse of the rest of the world.  As any parent knows, it is a challenge to get a toddler or young child to understand that theirs is not the only way of life, and that there are other people – other children – who are not nearly as lucky as they are. 

What amazed me about Ava’s comment was that the
message had clearly penetrated her psyche.  In fact, when

we spoke about it later on (Africa is now a recurring theme in ourconversations), I realized what a profound effect hearing about the plight of these African children has had on her.  She is
highly motivated to help in any way she can, and she has obviously grasped the fact that other children are facing major challenges – financial, environmental, physical and in many other ways – that she does not.

It really is remarkable to watch a small child begin to piece together the world and how it works, delighting in a day at Disneyland even while she is processing the concept that there are far less fortunate children a world away from here.

Read more about Devon Valley Primary School