restoration

Hey! Africa is continuing to go well as God keeps stretching me so much. I wanted to let everyone know that we are striving to use our resources to participate in restoration and better the community while we are here. Our first priority is purchasing uniforms for children who cannot afford them. School here is free but if a child cannot buy the uniform, they cannot attend. We talked to our headmasters (principals) and they provided lists of 22 kids at my school, North Campus JHS, about 40 kids at North Campus Primary, and we are still waiting on the list from Don Bosque Primary. So we are purchasing uniforms for these kids so they can attend school, because without an education, these kids have no chance at improving their place in society. They will most likely end up selling things on the street in a rough life of poverty without an education, so this is an opportunity we have to give these children a chance. Next, I asked my headmaster what our school needs because the last thing I want to do is arrive in arrogance and proclaim what I think the school needs after only two weeks…so I told her that she is here all year and knows the needs, and we want to help as much as possible if she will alert us to needs. She (her name is Madam Teresa) told me that JHS needs more benches and a water basin, which is a wooden stand that you place a bowl of water in so the kids can wash their hands. We are also going to purchase some nails and she is bringing us some hammers and we are going to repair some of the broken desks either one day this week or early next week. Some of the desks are safety hazards because of nails sticking out or falling apart so that they can barely hold together. That is a small expense but a great way to serve them…her face just lit up when I said we would do that for the school.