Guest Speaker Rye Barcott

it happened on the way to war

Rye Barcott, author of It Happened on the Way to War and co-founder of Carolina for Kibera, spoke with students at Beaufort County Early College High School through skype on May 18, 2015. Students in Ms. Smith’s Civics and Economics courses have been reading Barcott’s book this semester. In the book the students learned about Barcott’s military service and his work in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya.

The following are excerpt from letters the students wrote to Rye Barcott.

“Your book, It Happened on the Way to War, was really an inspiration to me. It showed conditions in Kibera which really helped me learn to put myself in someone else’s shoes, before saying things like “eww” or judging them,” said Nijaia.

“Reliving your experiences through your book opened up my eyes and made me realize that even though I am young, I can still strive to make a change in my community,” said Perla.

“While I was reading your book I realized that it is important to ask questions, to learn from your mistakes, and to keep moving forward. It also impacted me emotionally that you not only helped the people in Kibera but also established personal bonds with them,” said Andres.

“CFK is a great organization to help and collaborate with young leaders. Without young leaders there would be no future. You taught me that to form a community you have to use teamwork,” said Hunter.

“Your book made me stop and think about how other countries don't have everything like we do here in America…I never thought about how lucky I am to have been born and raised in such a free and giving country,” said Emily.

The books were supplied through a Bright Ideas Grant from Tideland EMC. For more than 20 years, the electric cooperative has offered grants to North Carolina teachers in K-12 classrooms across the state.