Every moment of the past two days in our town, Plaines des Papayes, has been incredible, but the highlight of my week here was definitely visiting our Education Center Wednesday afternoon. After spending months visualizing and discussing the center during a particularly cold New Haven winter, it was amazing to visit it for the first time as a group yesterday.
Before we walked into the center we spent quite some time walking around in it’s backyard, thinking about how we would utilize the space in the upcoming weeks. A few fellows, including me, plan on occasionally conducting classes outside. I can’t imagine many students complaining of writer’s block if they’re able to soak up the sun and catch glimpses of the beauty of Mauritius. Gina, who finally arrived yesterday night after two unexpectedly canceled flights, will break ground on the garden on opening day. It will be exciting to see what the student’s choose to plant for next season. There are currently bananas, letchi, and papaya growing in the backyard.
After about twenty minutes outside, we ventured inside and began to explore the Education Center. I think it is safe to say that the center surpassed what many of us had envisioned before coming here, something I didn’t believe was possible. This afternoon, we will return to the center to get started on painting the walls various bright colors, building a stage, and rearranging furniture in preparation for our big opening day on Tuesday! The fellows and I are so excited to begin working with the students in just four days. It looks like our first day is going to be amazing!