Reflections as a School Director

We are over half way through our first term of the 2012 school year at our School of Hope. We have grown to 125 students, 3 new teachers, a full time cook, and opening of another classroom. We have survived, and in fact we are flourishing. Many things are the same as schools in the US – dedicated teachers, serious students, procedures, etc. But there are some things that make me laugh and shake my head – so different from schools in the US.

· Children arriving an hour early, riding on the back of their father’s motor bike (no helmets) .

· A mini-bus packed with over 20 kids eagerly arriving and running to where we keep the jump-ropes – the favorite activity while waiting for school to begin.

· Lining up for lunch outside, and trying to avoid the mud puddles.

· Children arriving and joyfully (most of the time) helping to pump and fill the containers of water for washing hands and for drinking, carrying the containers of plates and pots to the meal preparation area, and starting the charcoal fire for cooking lunch.

· Older children helping to serve the food.

· Everyone (including me) eating with their fingers.

· Being the school nurse and putting antibiotic crème and bandaids on a variety of booboos.

· Children standing around the copy machine just watching the papers come out.

· Having to call Uncle Wesley to have him turn on the pump because we have no water, so everyone is using the long-drop toilets instead of the flush ones.

· Trying to solve problems of rats and termites that would destroy so many things we have.

· Getting money from Patrick the accountant so I can send Maureen into Lusaka to buy material for more uniforms.

· Having to decide which lady we will use to make the jerseys (sweaters) for our school, when everyone needs the work.

· Making sure we have toilet paper, cleaning supplies, matches, copy paper, copier ink, brooms, mops, dish washing soap (used for hands as well)

· Using a cow bell to call everyone to Morning Meeting and again after lunch, back to the classrooms. It is nice and loud.

· Watching the teachers play checkers while eating their lunch – different rules than I’m used to.

· Excitement as children try to catch a rat in the classroom, and then holding it by the tail after it was dead.

· Praying about how we can raise money for another building, and how we are going to continue building as we keep adding grades.