Big Smiles On Little Faces

Friday, January 23, 2009  In The Slums of Kawangware Treasures filled my backpack today.  Pencils, crayons, school paper, flash cards, coloring books, reading books, and many other items arrived from the United States.  The generous hearts of the "Somersworth, NH Youth Safe House" filled 3 boxes of very useful and needed items for the school children of Africa.  It was my pleasure to carry them the last few miles of the journey.  Today they were given into the hands of all sizes.  The smiles of every one were the same…"BIG" J

 

Every child now has a pencil of their own and a box of crayons.  The world globe was blown up by one of the men.  Pointing to Africa and then America they realize there is some distance between our homes.  One young boy tells me he heard my plane when I arrived. J 

 

The teaching aids are something just not found here in Kawangware.  The headmaster and the teachers had a discussion as to where they could safely keep the box with out fear of it disappearing.

 

It was time to collect the pencils so they would have them for another school day. One little girl refused to turn hers in.  She insisted it was her pencil.  After awhile she went along with the others but reluctantly.

 

Just a pencil is such a treasure.  One pencil cost 15 KSH and if a parent has a job they make about 100 KSH a day. With a rent payment and the cost of food there isn't any money left to buy extra items.

 

I've watched the children take tests. One or two at a time will stand beside the teacher. They will fill in the paper and she will correct it.  Then the answers are erased and a couple more students come to take the test.  They take the test on the same paper. This procedure is used until everyone has taken the test using only a couple pieces of paper.  They just can not afford the extra supplies.

 

They all send their "thank you" to America.  Thank you Roger & Betty Eaton for working with the "Somersworth, NH Youth Safe House" on this project. Also we want to express our thanks to the "Lion's Club" for covering the cost of postage for these 3 boxes.

 

Many, many thanks for putting "BIG" smiles on little faces in Africa. J