The Super Powers of Global Youth
“My super power is…empathy”
Nihal
Age 14, Zanzibar
Nihal’s first poem, like many of her classmates, was about what she wanted to be when she grew up. Many said doctors, teachers, or pilots. We worked with the students to look inside and think about the qualities that make them unique. Nihal surprised us all with her super power of Empathy. Next we pushed the students to really expand their imagination. As a result, Nihal’s 2nd poem about her empathy became alive, full of imagery, lyricism and compassion.
“Overcoming obstacles is my super power”
Nufayla
Age 14, Zanzibar
Nufayla is in Mr. Mwalim’s English class at Highview School near Stonetown, Zanzibar. Over the course of 2.5 weeks, we had the privilege to work with his students and watch them progress with critical thinking and creativity. When the first round of poems were mostly about desired vocations, Nufayla already stood out because she was writing about something more internal. Her super power of overcoming obstacles.
Thanks to Zanzibar’s extraordinary tidal patterns, the beach provided us with an unexpected opportunity for Nufayla’s portrait shoot. We had been working making images during low tide when the water is very far out and one can walk on the seabed for at least a mile. Suddenly, after warnings from Teacher Mwalim, the water starting returning quickly. Nufayla suggested we shoot her portrait right away as she fought the waters to demonstrate in real time her super power of overcoming all that rushes her way. As soon as we snapped this pic we raced for the shore, several students coming to help as Nufayla and I came toward the shore balancing the cameras overhead as we carefully walked/paddled out to dry land. What an experience for all of us!
“Our shared super power to care…”
3 Schools
Zanzibar
In Zanzibar, we worked with 3 different classes from 3 different schools, one of them was a class for special needs children. We had limited time so while we were able to do portraits and poems with one of the classes, with the other classes we decided to do a group Super Power of Me project. Through the first workshop with the government school, the students impressed us with their poems that focused on caring for their environment, for their teachers, for orphans, and for forests and animals. As a group, we quickly identified that the common theme running through all the poems was a strong, well defined power to care. One of our volunteers suggested that we pick one theme—the desire to care for the environment and “ourselves”—and make an activity around it. What resulted was a joyful day of exercise and beach cleanup, as well as self and marine life discovery.
