To retire , or not to retire ? That was the question I faced in 2005 . What will I do with all the skills I had acquired over my thirty-five years of teaching ? What a waste to not make use of them ! Substitute teaching would be an option . So retire I did , and life hummed along — a wonderful mix of work , play and travel .

But then one day in 2007 , an interesting email from a fellow Friendship Force member travelling in Africa sparked my interest . She said that they desperately needed native English-speaking teachers to help them set up an English school in Burundi , and to conduct two-week Math and English workshops for the teachers in Tanzania . “ WOW ! ” I thought , “ I could do that for one month !” I had the skills , the time , the means , the health — and now I had the opportunity . So I called a teacher friend and put the bug in her ear because having a partner would be much more fun . Well that bug began buzzing ! She had received the same email and , in time , became involved with the school project in Burundi through the sender of the email , who had established an organization ( Tanbur African Aid Society ) to get the projects going .

I decided to accompany my friend to Burundi for three months instead of going to Tanzania for one month . Tanzania I had knowledge of , but where in the world was Burundi ? I had never heard of it !

Burundi is a very small country located near the equator , bordering Rwanda , Tanzania and Lake Tanganyika . The country , known as the land of a thousand and one hills , covers an area from Vegreville to Spruce Grove and then south to Red Deer . In order to advance the economy of the country , Burundi has joined the East African Economic Union . To become a member , English had to be adopted as an official language .

Eight million people live in Burundi , most of whom belong to one of three tribes — Hutus , Tutsies or Twa . Major discord and even genocide has occured between the first two .

Safety was a big concern . But I was assured by the Burundian founders of the school that the problems were over and that Burundi was safe . Once I came to terms with that , it was all signals go : booking flights , applying for a visa , getting vaccinations , preparing a Grade One program to teach there and then deciding what to pack . We knew we would be living in a secure house and that there would be a gardener and a ‘ houseboy .’ All would be provided for us . After packing two suitcases , each with fifty pounds of school supplies , there was little room left for clothes . Mosquito repellent and sunscreen were a must .

On the day of departure at the beginning of September 2008 , I was off to the airport laden with 100 pounds of checked luggage , a carry-on packed to the max and a ‘ purse ’ loaded to overflowing . After a tearful goodbye to my husband , children and grandchildren , I flew to London , then Nairobi , and finally to my destination , Bujumbura , the capital city of Burundi .

My first sense of being on an adventure came when I was in the Nairobi airport . I was distinctly aware that I was the only white

ALBERTA RETIRED TEACHERS ’ ASSOCIATION News & Views Volume 19 21 , No . 32