It is what it is.....

Friday 24th September

It’s been quite a full on first week, and it is only now that I’ve really had time to flesh out the details of this week.


Precious school is about a mile’s walk away, and because of the dusty roads/paths you are filthy before you even get to work. We do sit on the floor for a lot for activities and I have ceased to worry about trying to stay clean! There is no running water at the school and just one non-flushing loo for staff. .


Numbers at the school increase daily especially in the 1-5’s age group. This is likely to be because the school now has funding (since July from GVI volunteers) for a feeding programme that ensures every child gets fed at lunchtime, and can drink water.

When I walk around Shauriyako, there are children everywhere during the day – there are still so many not in schools. It is not just a matter of having more schools though as so many children have roles within their family such as looking after younger siblings, or they just live on the streets and education and going to school is not a priority, survival is.


Life in the school for me is a challenge, (as I knew it would be). I find it frustrating that simple things are not there such as equipment, resources, furniture. Children here learn by rote, and are very drilled in just copying, which whilst they may recognise words and numbers, when you dig underneath, most of them do not have any understanding of what words or numbers mean. A good example of this was after I read ‘Little red riding hood’ to my class, (which they were so enthralled with it brought tears to my eyes) and then asked them to write the story again in their own words. I put some key words up on the board (the black painted section of the wall!) and only two in my class were able to write meaningful sentences. The rest copied the key words and then just jumbled them up and mixed them with sentences that they had learned by rote, but which made absolutely no sense at all. The same happened in maths, where I decided to start my lesson with some counting (in twos) and they were unable to do this, equally recognition of even and odd numbers was one they had difficulty grasping….. and yet they have learnt some quite complex maths skills. My frustration with myself is that I have never taught children how to read and feel slightly out of my depth as I scramble to put resources and ideas together to scaffold the kids learning. But these children are so keen to learn, that whatever my frustrations, every minute with these children is worth it.

I got really upset though this afternoon, and both myself and Rachel another volunteer cried all the way home today. For the last two lessons today we were doing sport with the kids just outside of the school, and a child, probably about 7 or 8 yrs old came walking towards us – he was not wearing any clothes whatsoever, clearly undernourished as had a big swollen belly, and he was eating a stick. I had seen this child yesterday when I went to the local café for lunch, and he was excreting in a pile of rubbish in the middle of the street. Anyway, the kids from the school all starting shouting and running towards him brandishing sticks and some were throwing stones at him. We tried to stop the kids but to no avail, and the child scurried away, only to return about 10 minutes later. This time I managed to get myself between the school kids and the child and got really cross with them and herded them back towards the school, only to watch an older man pulling a hand cart who was passing by start shouting at this boy, and then running after him with a stick, beating him when he got hold of him and throwing the child in the back of the cart and taking him away. It was so inhuman, it still brings tears to my eyes writing it down for you. I have since found out that the boy is mentally ill, and obviously as there is no free health care whatsoever that he is untreated, unsupported and just exists roaming the streets.

I do want to add here that my descriptions of things here are in no way meant to be judgemental or critical so please don’t read it like that, I am just trying to paint of picture of what I see and experience and the conditions here – and I just have to keep saying myself….’it is what it is’……but that doesn’t stop me from getting upset at times! And I must stop believing that I can change the world, but hopefully I can make a difference to these kids here though.


Saturday 25th September
Was going to go to the orphanage today, but decided that I did not need any more emotional turmoil this week, so had a quiet day….had a pedicure and manicure….my feet are in rag order, probably because of 5 weeks in Seychelles where they were in wetsuit booties most of the time, and then in wet shoes as nothing ever dried there, and now, walking on dirt tracks to and from school they are constantly filthy! I have never had a pedicure where the scrubbing brush was brought out!!!


Just wanted to say that I am very touched by the many offers/ideas and fundraising that many of you are starting to do to fill the container. I can assure you that every resource/penny raised will have a direct and instant positive effect on these children.

Comfort eating tonight…brie, crackers and red wine!

xx