I remember my first day of kindergarten in Colorado...standing outside in line waiting to go inside the classroom. I would like to say it’s because I realized the unbelievable opportunity that I had in day 1 of a FREE, quality education in America. But really, I remember it because the kid behind me in line was so nervous that he threw up into his brand new backpack. I wish that I would have realized all of that time how privileged I was to have an opportunity to go to school, an opportunity to have teachers who cared to do a quality job teaching, who cared to invest in our lives, a blessing to have parents who pushed me to do my best,
It hits me in a different way every year, but as I help hundreds of kids prepare to start a new school year here in Swaziland, I realized again this morning another reason that these kids amaze me... At their effort, their perseverance, their trust & dependence, and their hope...that through getting an education, their lives will be different than the generations who have gone before them. Here is a glimpse into the reality that I was unaware of when I rode a school bus each way to school in Colorado.
~ Two of our best students at a carepoint get up at 4am each morning to do their chores (fetch water, cook over fire, take care of animals) so that they can leave by 5am to walk to school each morning. They walk over 4 miles to school, go to school all day, and then walk 4 miles home in the afternoon to do more chores & study.
~ Many of our students walk 1-2 hours each way to school, often in really hot temperatures (it’s supposed to be over 100 this week), or not dressed warm enough for the cooler weather (in the 50’s).
~ One of our students failed first grade last year because she had to stay home so many days to take care of her half-brother who was about 6 months old while her mom worked.
~ One of our students left home for a month to see if he could find a job somewhere...he didn’t find a job, but after missing 20 days of school, he still was position 3 in his class!
~ One of our students is successfully working her way through high school...and last week a doctor told us that she is so blind she should probably have someone help her cross the road because she can’t see oncoming traffic far away.
~ One of our students failed in 2012, so because of our policy we couldn’t pay his school fees in 2013. But his family compiled their resources so that he could go to school, and he passed & we are privileged to pay his school fees for the 2014 school year!
~ One of our students worked piece jobs in the farms over his summer break so that he can pay for the transport fees & uniforms for his child-led family.
~ One of our students stopped going to school last year because his mom is too sick to care, and he has been going back & forth between extended family members who don’t want to parent him but will give him a place to sleep. He is back in school today...and he is 8 years old.
In a country where far too many of the children drop out of school way too early, it is a blessing, a privilege, and a responsibility for those who do have the opportunity to get an education. My prayer for them this morning is that through their education, they would grow to love the Lord with all of their minds, grow in wisdom to better understand the Lord’s will for their life, grow in hope for their future as they believe they can do the impossible because of their education, grow in their belief in God’s provision as they are able to go to school because of the donations of people across the world.
It hits me in a different way every year, but as I help hundreds of kids prepare to start a new school year here in Swaziland, I realized again this morning another reason that these kids amaze me... At their effort, their perseverance, their trust & dependence, and their hope...that through getting an education, their lives will be different than the generations who have gone before them. Here is a glimpse into the reality that I was unaware of when I rode a school bus each way to school in Colorado.
~ Two of our best students at a carepoint get up at 4am each morning to do their chores (fetch water, cook over fire, take care of animals) so that they can leave by 5am to walk to school each morning. They walk over 4 miles to school, go to school all day, and then walk 4 miles home in the afternoon to do more chores & study.
~ Many of our students walk 1-2 hours each way to school, often in really hot temperatures (it’s supposed to be over 100 this week), or not dressed warm enough for the cooler weather (in the 50’s).
~ One of our students failed first grade last year because she had to stay home so many days to take care of her half-brother who was about 6 months old while her mom worked.
~ One of our students left home for a month to see if he could find a job somewhere...he didn’t find a job, but after missing 20 days of school, he still was position 3 in his class!
~ One of our students is successfully working her way through high school...and last week a doctor told us that she is so blind she should probably have someone help her cross the road because she can’t see oncoming traffic far away.
~ One of our students failed in 2012, so because of our policy we couldn’t pay his school fees in 2013. But his family compiled their resources so that he could go to school, and he passed & we are privileged to pay his school fees for the 2014 school year!
~ One of our students worked piece jobs in the farms over his summer break so that he can pay for the transport fees & uniforms for his child-led family.
~ One of our students stopped going to school last year because his mom is too sick to care, and he has been going back & forth between extended family members who don’t want to parent him but will give him a place to sleep. He is back in school today...and he is 8 years old.
In a country where far too many of the children drop out of school way too early, it is a blessing, a privilege, and a responsibility for those who do have the opportunity to get an education. My prayer for them this morning is that through their education, they would grow to love the Lord with all of their minds, grow in wisdom to better understand the Lord’s will for their life, grow in hope for their future as they believe they can do the impossible because of their education, grow in their belief in God’s provision as they are able to go to school because of the donations of people across the world.
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