As Klisch works to train teachers in early childhood education, she is working to earn respect from and become accepted by the natives so she can start working on self-esteem issues that would lead into HIV-AIDS work. “With 70 percent of 14- to 19-year-old females HIV positive, there will be no future generation to teach in no time at all,” Klisch said. Depending on which school she's headed toward, Klisch spends one to three hours walking to school each morning. She brings teachers homemade materials to teach them how to make and use tools from rubbish. Often, the teachers ask Klisch to teach them certain things. “They are totally responsive to me, which I find absolutely amazing,” Klisch said, adding it “gives me the strength to endure the many hardships.” By midday, Klisch usually goes to an HIV-AIDS orphanage where nine children, ages 1 day to 3 years, live. They want nothing from Klisch but the love she is there to give, she said, calling the experience therapeutic. Moving to Africa has had its easy aspects, such as doing without the luxury of running water and electricity, its surprises - the friendly, happy people - and its challenges: the lack of anonymity. “I stick out everywhere, get stared at and approached constantly,” Klisch said. “It is also hard to be yourself when you are trying to speak another language.”
Nearly eight months ago, Denni Klisch traded her teaching job for a two-year commitment to the Peace Corps in Lesotho
Teacher lives out dream of joining Peace Corps
By Ashley Rhodebeck
Daily News staff writer
Published: Friday, July 18, 2008 12:17 PM CDT
Klisch works in Africa training educators and informing the public about HIV-AIDS
Nearly eight months ago, Denni Klisch traded her teaching job in Beloit for a two-year commitment to the Peace Corps.
She awakes each morning in a one-room thatch house in Lesotho, Africa, which she tidies before leaving for one of the 11 schools where she trains teachers in early childhood education.
The 33-year-old admitted joining the Peace Corps didn't exactly boost her r�sum� because employers are wary about hiring someone who has moved around every few years, but it fulfilled a lifelong dream.
“I don't want to have many what-ifs when I grow up,” Klisch said via e-mail.
Before leaving for Africa last November, Klisch had taught early childhood education and kindergarten at the School District of Beloit for two years at Hackett and Todd elementary schools and served as a substitute last fall for a Burdge Elementary School kindergarten teacher who was on maternity leave.
Meanwhile, Klisch said she felt she was meant to do more than what she was doing and sought an opportunity that would challenge her professionally and personally.
“I wanted to be able to teach without tools so that I could rely on my creativity,” the Sussex, Wis., native said.
So, despite her family's and friends' opposition - they worried about her physical and emotional safety - Klisch joined the Peace Corps.
Upon arriving in Lesotho, Klisch and about 22 other volunteers received HIV education training in addition to lessons about the native language, Sesotho.
For nine weeks, the volunteers lived in three villages with families. This became Klisch's favorite aspect of the training because she was placed with a family she became close to. They gave her a Sesotho name, Paballo, which translates to security.
“Little did I know that I was the one given security with them as a family,” Klisch said. “Here in Lesotho, most people have cell phones, and my 21-year-old sister has been my lifeline via text messaging.”
As Klisch works to train teachers in early childhood education, she is working to earn respect from and become accepted by the natives so she can start working on self-esteem issues that would lead into HIV-AIDS work.
“With 70 percent of 14- to 19-year-old females HIV positive, there will be no future generation to teach in no time at all,” Klisch said.
Depending on which school she's headed toward, Klisch spends one to three hours walking to school each morning. She brings teachers homemade materials to teach them how to make and use tools from rubbish. Often, the teachers ask Klisch to teach them certain things.
“They are totally responsive to me, which I find absolutely amazing,” Klisch said, adding it “gives me the strength to endure the many hardships.”
By midday, Klisch usually goes to an HIV-AIDS orphanage where nine children, ages 1 day to 3 years, live. They want nothing from Klisch but the love she is there to give, she said, calling the experience therapeutic.
Moving to Africa has had its easy aspects, such as doing without the luxury of running water and electricity, its surprises - the friendly, happy people - and its challenges: the lack of anonymity.
“I stick out everywhere, get stared at and approached constantly,” Klisch said. “It is also hard to be yourself when you are trying to speak another language.”
Following her move, Klisch kept in touch with the kindergarten class she taught at Burdge. Once the children learned Klisch's classroom contained only a chair, they began a school-wide supply drive and sent her about 450 items, such as paper, folders, crayons, glue, scissors and markers.
She hopes to continue to bring awareness, especially about the HIV-AIDS pandemic, to people here.
“So many are dying, and it is becoming an accepted way of life here,” she said. “We could just as easily have been born into these circumstances. Our blinders have been up for too long. It is extremely hard here to see the poverty, malnutrition and death due to HIV-AIDS. It is real, it has a face, it has heart.”
Visit Klisch's blog, dennifluttersbyeafrica.blogspot.com, to learn more about her work in Africa or how to help.
