We had the opportunity to visit a rural school in Zimbabwe. It was their break time but a number of the students came to school to greet us. They sang for us as we got off the bus and welcomed us to their school. They were excited to see us and showed us around.
The secondary school has a total of 3 classrooms that were just completed. There are 157 secondary students and 88 chairs including the 18 we bought for them along with desks and school supplies.
The 3 primary classrooms have sand floors but a roof over their heads which is a recent improvement. There is no food provided so if the children don’t bring lunch they don’t eat until they get home. No one was complaining.
Our guide told us he went to a school like that and ran to school every day not to be late. There was a caning for those who arrived after the bell. He had some talent and worked super hard to do well in school. Hs first job was as a teacher in a school like this one. Due to his hard work and scrimping for years to have money to educate his 3 daughters, one of his daughters is currently in medical school in Poland.
Crazy as it may seem, one of the travel group members is going home to visit her Polish family next month and will be meeting Begi’s daughter in Lublin.
What is the point? Perhaps it is that this is a very small world and we all need to take care of each other. Perhaps it is that education matters. Perhaps it is that we must keep making whatever small steps we can to make the world a better place. We cannot give up.
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