By Beverly Gilbert Stone | Director
Gordon Clem Academy opened at the beginning of February. At first we had no students, then we had several inquiries, now we have 5 students in the classroom and several promises to come when they find money. I admit I was not just a little bit discouraged as they had begged us to come and build here. But they have also said that this is the way it is here. They had hoped the people would respond more quickly but it is their culture to wait.
So we are teaching and enjoying these 5 students at this time relying on the people of the community to round up these teens who are now quite busy with their goats and water fetching duties. Most are saying they still don’t have any funds for sending their child. They understand it costs money to hire teachers and buy books but no matter how good if it is out of budget it cannot happen. There is also a severe water problem. The community well about 1 km away from us that we used also had a cracked casing and cannot draw water. – All of us have to go to the dwindling drying river – stream to collect the water that has been a urinal for cows, goats sheep camel and donkey and a bath for most all of us, and use this water for drinking and bathing, cooking and cleaning. It is a HUGE HUGE hardship and already many children are arriving at the dispensary with intestinal parasites. A drilled well costs about 40-50,000 US Dollars!! EEK! No wonder there are so few.
This slow start has worked to be a blessing as we are able to work with the staff to build a team and work out the kinks in the schedule. We also had time to begin the Business lab, an income generating as well as hands on teaching project. There are no shops for 3 kilometers here to buy sugar, tea, ugali, (the staple food, So we opened a small shop. It has bowled us over with work for a few weeks. Rushing to get the things they want, searching out wholesalers, trying to keep enough in stock,… It is settling down a bit now and the sales are good. We hope it will pay for the shop clerk who will also teach the kids and they will work in the shop as well.
Your partnership with us will assist students and purchase books and supplies.
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