BN Book Excerpt: Something is Happening to Our Planet and Homes by Toluwalola Kasali

“I need some water to cool down,” Samuel said. He carried in the last welcome box his family had received upon arriving in a new town called Liberty. It was a sweltering day, and Samuel had been moving boxes as he settled into his new home with his family.

Samuel had moved to Liberty with his grandparents, parents and siblings. This was the third time he had moved homes, and he hoped he and his family could stay here much longer. He was happy to finally have a place to call home after being resettled in a new town with his family.

Samuel set the box down on the table and began to feel anxious. He was worried about his parents, who would have to walk a long distance to a farm in the scorching heat so that they could feed their family. He also worried that his grandparents were not getting enough water in their bodies. They needed to stay hydrated in the heatwave. Samuel looked out of the window and also remembered that his younger siblings had been playing football outside the house with no one watching them.

After a few minutes of draining himself with worry, Samuel said, “Well, I better call it a day and get some sleep. I need to be awake bright and early tomorrow for my first day at the new school.” After all, worrying never solved anything, he thought. 

The next day, Samuel arrived at school early. The new school was located close to the country’s southern border and had been donated by the community. Samuel and his family had been forced to leave their home at the northern border, which was dealing with conflict and climate-related disasters.

As other children arrived in class, Samuel noticed that not all of them looked like him. Some of the children had been displaced from other towns within the country (like Samuel), while others had been resettled here from other towns and countries across the border as they searched for safety. Liberty Town was known for welcoming everyone. 

Samuel was happy to be back in class and learning after being out of school for so long. He still wanted to be an astronaut and hoped to get that opportunity someday.

On the second day of school, Samuel noticed a young boy sitting alone in the playground. Samuel walked up to him and asked, “Can I join you, please?” The young boy nodded his head. 

So, Samuel stretched out his right hand and introduced himself with a smile. “Hi, my name is Samuel. What is your name?” 

“My name is Joseph,” the young boy said. “My English is not very good, and I don’t want anyone to find out, so I would like to be by myself.”

Samuel smiled at Joseph knowingly. He remembered how different he had felt at every new school as his family moved around searching for a new home. He was determined not to let anyone else feel that way.

As Samuel sat quietly beside Joseph, his mind drifted off a bit. He remembered sitting at the back of the lorry with his family as they travelled across different towns, looking for a community willing to accept his family. 

Samuel saw other children with their families cramped in cars, buses and lorries – their belongings packed up as they tried to leave town.

He closed his eyes and imagined that there might be many more children across the world who had been forced to leave their homes just like him. 

Samuel wondered if Joseph had also come from far away. However, he thought it might be better not to ask any probing questions until Joseph was comfortable enough to share.

The school bell rang, and Samuel jolted back to reality. He held Joseph’s hand, and they walked back to the classroom together. Samuel made his first friend that day.

At the end of the first week, the teacher announced a class project to help the students get to know each other better. The project, called “My Life’s Journey,” would allow every child to make a presentation about their life and share their stories with the class.

The teacher hoped that they might be able to learn about each other. They could learn from each other’s experiences and build understanding and empathy towards each other along the way.

Mindful of the diverse circumstances of the students in her class, the teacher gave them the flexibility to tell their stories in different ways. They could use pencils, pens, crayons, colours, cardboard, paper or computer presentations. 

When the teacher asked who wanted to go first, Samuel raised his hands quickly. 

“Alright, Samuel,” the teacher said. “We look forward to your class presentation in three weeks.”

Samuel was excited and nervous at the same time. People will finally be able to hear my story, he thought.

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Excerpt from Something is Happening to Our Planet and Homes by Toluwalola Kasali.