Preparing for the New Year

All of you are probably preparing for the New Year.  Here at Kenyago-Dandura School (KDS), they are getting ready for their new school year, which starts January 7^th.  We spent the day cleaning and organizing for the arriving students.  Sandi met with many of the teachers individually in their new classrooms and helped them to create a lesson plan for the year.  Ginger, Jane and Peggy spent the day in meetings. I came with my work clothes on, prepared to do whatever was required.  For Christmas, KDS gave each of their 800 families a flour, rice , maize meal,  soap, oil, etc.  We cleared all of those that had yet to be picked up out of the library.  It was back breaking work, but the teachers all lined up and it made for quick work.  Then, my job was to clean out the library and organize it.  I asked for a bucket and rag to clean and this lovely young girl, who had already scrubbed all of the grounds, came over and she and I scrubbed all the shelves and the floor.

I took a break and walked over to find the cooks already preparing food for all those students.  Can you imagine cooking in this kitchen? But, they crank out healthy meals twice a day, porridge in the morning and a late lunch. This is all of the food that these students will get for the day.

Here are some of the teachers waiting for their turn with Sandi.

Once I got the library clean, I was to pull out all the books and organize them.  I found many stories that I remember from my childhood.  The City Mouse and the Country Mouse, Mike Mulligan’s Steam Shovel, Dr. Doolittle. You learn a lot about a school by looking at their books.  There were ones that I found that broke my heart.  This is from a book written by students in that area about 15 years ago.  These weren’t just one or two. The entire book was filled with insight of living in the slums. 

As I was looking at this book and I ran across another and opened it.  “Will There be Room for Me in Heaven?”  The words pierced me.  Of course! Yes, of course there will and you will be greeted with open arms!