Abukloi School: We Can South Sudan!

Hi Everyone, today ends the first week of school and I am ready for Friday. These bones are a little tired getting up before light with a flash light and returning home just as the night sets in.  We had several teacher interviews, now 5 and meetings with contractors for bids on the new school building. Prices have increased in Rumbek, as all supplies have to be transported into the area. We will have to do some serious fund raising when we return.  Finally today I felt I could understand more students and they could understand me. It is amazing the difference in vocabulary and word meanings from the British to the American.  Today in Agriculture class I was trying to explain the art and science of crop and livestock production to a group that knows only to scatter seed or broadcast and hope it grows. They have very few tools and the cattle and goats roam freely all over the residential areas, paths, and roads. interesting to explain that a goat that eats everything and lays in the middle of the road, may not be a very healthy goat. The goats are very malnourished, thin, and scrawny looking. The government needs a lot of help in the area of Agriculture as very few know how to plant crops by planting.  Clearing land, tilling, fertilizing are foreign concepts. We teach with no teacher aides, like pictures, reference materials, libraries and of course no video because there is no electricity.  Fun Fun Fun!  One must really use your imagination and creativity with no art supplies etc.  Tomorrow is the first test, so I will beable to assess if they have learned anything.  Talk again soon, Bev and Marg