November 14

WAISAL

SBC Week 5- Let’s talk school

My school has the privilege of being part of the West African International Schools Athletic League (WAISAL) that happens every year for swimming, volleyball, soccer, basketball, and math counts.

Who is part of WAISAL – Members

Burkina Faso — International School of Ouagadougou   

Cameroon — American School of Douala

Ghana — Lincoln Community School Accra  

Mali — American International School of Bamako  

Mauritania – American International School of Nouakchott

Nigeria — American International School of Abuja-Nigeria     

Nigeria — American International School of Lagos-Nigeria     

Senegal — International School of Dakar  

Cote D’ Ivoire-  International Community School of Abidjan

Togo- British School of Lome

Cameroon- American School of Yaounde

Tournaments (Happen every year however, not every school participate at each one)

  • High School Volleyball
  • Middle School Soccer
  • Swimming (Grades 4-12)
  • Middle School Volleyball
  • High School Basketball
  • Middle School Basketball
  • High School Soccer

Reasons why I personally love WAISAL

  • You get the chance to meet new people over the course of each tournament
  • Not only do you get to play if you make the team but the atmosphere of when WAISAL is being held at your school is overwhelming
  •      Pep rallys
  •      Team Cheers
  •      Finals (if we make them)
  • ALL of it is simply amazing
  • If you do make the WAISAL team or teams it gives you the opportunity to travel to another country and get a sense of what other International Schools in Africa are like
  • Last but not least families get to host children from all across the world and some of my long lasting friendships are with some people I met at WAISAL.

 

Personally, I look forward to every single WAISAL tournament whether I get to play or not. It’s one of the funnest opportunities offered at ISD.

Here is a link to the WAISAL official website: https://sites.google.com/a/isd.sn/west-african-international-schools-athletics-league/

And here is a picture of playing during Volleyball WAISAL this year.

 

November 5

Collateral Damage

SBC 4 – Free Choice

It’s crazy how we allow society and the people around us to define who we are. Sometimes it’s people that we don’t even know that we listen to because their “voices” or opinions are listened to by others. Some of us even as young teenagers dress like social media stars or public figures just to be “cool” and to please others. Is this why we live? There’s a line between living to please yourself and wanting to please other people, which one are you choosing?

Recently I found out about somebody close to me that wasn’t doing so well to the point where they started to harm themselves. I felt terrible to the point where I was in tears. I was blind and didn’t see them suffering. Truth is, self harm is a way that people choose to deal and cope with inner pain. The person might be dealing with emotional issues such as, school, sexual confusion, bullying or low self-esteem, and many other factors come into play however, it all connects back to the societal ideals were meant to live up to.

I titled this post Collateral Damage because I don’t think celebrities, brands, or individuals have a primary motive of lowering others self-esteem or making them feel bad about themselves. Still, it is done naturally and results in people wanting to be just like them. Seeing people with fresh clothes and pretty faces that seem to be getting all the attention makes one wonder if they could potentially be like them. Personally, I’ve built up an “I don’t care attitude” in terms of the clothes I wear or pictures I post. However, it’s not easy for everyone to face their insecurities. If you do know anyone suffering please take the time to talk to them or contact https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/  in the USA.