Monday and A New Song and Dance

Several of the students met us at Pan Door this morning and we walked to school.  It took us about 35 minutes.  The school has assembly on Mondays and Fridays.  Today’s assembly introduced the school song.  It was very recently written and recorded by one of the students, David.  The students loved it and started to dance.  Of course, the teachers joined in, even the ladies from the community who make tea started to dance.  Then Ken and I joined the dance.  It was great fun and a wonderful way to get a new week started at Abukloi Secondary School.

Ken and Steve taught two classes on business skills.  Kory and I observed a new teacher of English.  He is also a priest at the Episcopal Church here in Rumbek.  He is an excellent teacher.  Both Kory and I were impressed.

At break I was invited to sit on a chair in the shade to talk to Veronica, Head Girl.  She is 17 years old, one of 8 children in a family whose father died when Veronica was just 6.  She is also the top girl in grade 11.  She said her grades were not adequate so she talked to her family and they agreed to limit her tasks at home so she has more time to study.  She is now 5^th in her level and is very proud of that.  One of the issues she shared with me is the competing expectations of her family.  Her parents are educated people and want the same for all of their children.  Her father was a banker and her mother is an X-ray technician.  But her uncles want Veronica to get married so she will bring more cows to the family.  They believe she can bring 300 cows.  She is afraid they will force a marriage on her even before she can complete secondary school (next year about this time).  If she is able to complete secondary school as a single person, she is afraid she will then be forced and not able to go to the university.  This she “wants to do very much.”  But she will need to leave the country to assure herself the freedom of choice.  So when the time comes, we will consider having her go to the US to school.  She would find work and go to school. 

Our thinking is that we know we cannot lift every student equally but the brightest and best who want to make a difference in their nation will be given extra consideration.  It is about finding the ones with the ability and vision to make their nation prosper for everyone.  She is definitely one of those.

Another point of conversation this morning with Veronica – even though her mother is working at the hospital in Rumbek she is finding it more than a challenge to pay school fees.  We don’t charge much (1,250 SSP) but for Veronica’s family this becomes impossible.  So one of the things we are considering is having students who are both capable and needing in funds to work the internet café or the sewing business.  This will provide them with skills, pay their fees, and allow for more profit from the business to go to the school.

Stephanie Maker (Angelo’s wife) and Moses Chol (Lost Boy now living in Juba and great supporter of our school) arrived this afternoon from Juba.  By 3:00 they were already working with Kory and the students on the computers.  Stephanie brought 1 so we now have 9.