What's a Bibi?

Bibi is Swahili for 'Miss'. During one of my last days with my 7th graders, I gave them a Swahili mini lesson. With this lesson, students wrote Swahi-lish (Swahili -English) letters to my future students in Tanzania. One of the translations I gave my students was Bibi Nemec for Miss Nemec. During those final days together, I was constantly referred to as Bibi Nemec or just Bibi. Most of my farewell letters were addressed to my newfound alias, as if Miss Nemec was already a name of the past for them.

However, this fun nickname symbolized much more. It was a right of passage for me, their student teacher. We agreed it was easier for us to separate knowing I was leaving to become a part of a greater cause. "Bibi" symbolized the part of me that they had to share with the world, the part that would come back and then share the world with them. "Bibi" was their 7th grade way of reminding me that there are students in Tanzania, Africa waiting for a Bibi to come and change their lives.