blog 6

October 3, 2009

In the last blog we said that we would say more about the college here - Great Lakes Regional College. It was established in 2004 and its mission is to teach subjects that are of use to the local community, such as Education, Social Work, Agri-Business, Tourism and Business. There are currently 360 full-time students, some of whom are studying for a certificate, some for a Diploma and some for a degree. Their dream is to become a full university but for that they will need to offer more courses and will need their lecturers to have higher qualifications. Almost all of the full-time students live on campus in extremely crowded conditions, sometimes 2 to a bed or a mattress on the floor between the bunks, with nowhere to store their clothes. There is an acute shortage of classrooms, resulting in most classes taking place under the trees in the grounds, which gets difficult in the rainy season! As much as we might all have complained about our university food, these students are given posho (cornmeal) and beans every meal of every day! Inevitably some students drop out every year but it is almost always because of the family’s inability to pay the fees. This, in turn, affects the college’s ability to pay their teachers. The College is in a beautiful setting, it has a pretty campus and the students and faculty are dedicated to learning and teaching, despite the many difficulties.

As we talk to college students, they reveal the reality of lives limited by extreme poverty. Many of them are supposed to make money to support their families but if they do so, they will not be able to pursue an education and without that, they will revert to working on the land, just as their parents have before them, and the cycle will be repeated into the next generation. What is so different here is the absolute responsibility which certain family members take for others. The oldest boy or the child with the most education, is expected to support the family, whether that includes 8 younger siblings, sick parents, disabled grandparents or all of the above. One young man we know has a dream of going to university to get a science degree. The only way he can do this is to have financial support but, even if that happens, his family will expect him to spend that money on supporting them. He talks of avoiding going home because he doesn’t have enough money to buy soap for his mother or to pay his young siblings’ school fees. Despite this, here is a very bright and enthusiastic young man with a big dream and, with help, enough determination to make it a reality. One of my missions, when I return home, will be to try to develop ways in which the most needy of these students can get financial support.

Along with the sad stories, however, there are moments of real hope. One of the highlights of this trip, has been my return to the girls’ school where I taught after I left high school!! It was wonderful to go back and amazing to see the changes that have taken place in the 41 intervening years! The student body of 300 has grown to 1,500 girls, who are doing very well academically and excelling in extra-curricular activities. They even come from families who, mostly, can afford to pay the fees! It was very encouraging to see how the school has developed and it helped us to feel a bit more optimistic about the future of the CHIFCOD schools. As for me personally, I was welcomed effusively, people shaking my hand and saying “Welcome home!” I remembered everything about it and felt the same affection for the place and the people as I had felt all those years ago!

Love and Peace,

Jessica and Paul