December 11, 2019

Have you ever met someone and have a brief discussion that laid a foundation for a long-term opportunity for you, your family, or friends?  That’s what happened to me after meeting with Ms. Erin Aylward, an elementary school teacher at the John F. Kennedy School of Canton, MA.

Like many other recent immigrants, I always take parent-teacher conferences seriously. Especially, since at the time, my children were still struggling with the transition from French to English and a new socio-cultural context. One morning, I attended a scheduled meeting with Ms. Aylward. I was very impressed by her level of attention and interest in knowing my son and our Rwandan background. While seated in her classroom around a table and sitting in small chairs, calm and asking great questions, gave me an opportunity to observe all the resources my son and other 3rd graders have access to.

During our meeting,  I shared my personal experience growing up in rural Rwanda and comparing school life to the present: traveling far, going sick and hungry, and with one notebook for all content areas. I don’t recall ever owning a textbook. Thank goodness nature was my book. Despite any challenges, I’m proud to say that I have become one of the top global health leaders. 

My story sounds familiar to many. However, we rarely take a moment to reflect and react to our past and use it to change the present or future. With Ms. Aylward things were different. After our meeting, I left her classroom and headed towards the parking lot. As I approached my car, I heard a voice behind me: someone following me, and then “Mr. Manzi, I have an idea.  Maybe we can do something. We can start with reaching out to students and parents in Canton.” I was excited to hear this from Ms. Aylward. As I began to process my ideas on how to get started, she already had a suggestion: "I will speak with the principal and we can arrange a meeting with the student council.” 

In many instances “maybe we can…” means a low probability for something to happen. For people like Ms. Aylward, Principal Christine McMahon, and the Canton community, “maybe we can…” comes with optimism and compassion. 

Ms. Aylward coordinated with the student council to set our initiative into motion. These young yet strong leaders had great ideas already. They organized a fundraiser and started collecting school supplies for the school I attended in rural Rwanda, Groupe Scolaire de Nyabirehe. Efforts continue to build a formal ongoing partnership; an exchange between teachers and students which fosters a place for learning, compassion, and understanding. 

Future funding will help to bring electricity and equip this school with computers and internet connectivity. This will allow Ms. Aylward, JFK students, and other supporters to connect with my school directly. It will also enable children to have access to online textbook sand health education resources. “Maybe we can do something” — and I can’t wait to get started.

By Anatole Manzi