Some realities here...

The reality here is so different from what I have grown up in or could even imagine in the school system.  Yesterday one of the sponsored girls was going to be reprimanded for not having all of her books (she should have been given all of her books because COG paid for them).  Mary Ann went to the school and told the Head Master there that he had better not even think of canning her for something that is not her fault or for any reason for that matter!  The head master was silent and sort of agreed that he would not cane her.  Five hours later the office got a call from the little girl's guardian telling us that she had been canned at school!!!!!!!!!! OH MAN!  We were all livid!  I wanted to personally go over there and cane the person who canned her!  Mary Ann immediately drove over to the school to inquire about what happened.  The head master said he did not cane the girl but someone else did.  It just so happens that Mary Ann knows the Director (owner of the school) and so she talked to him about the situation and he assured her he would get to the bottom of it.  If things do not change Mary Ann will pull all of our 22 sponsored kids out of that school!

 

I woke up this morning thinking about the fact that we can not change the Ugandan school system but we can make a difference for that one girl that God has entrusted us with. She will most likely never forget about the adult (Mary Ann) who stood up for her when she was telling the truth.  Please pray for the Uganda schools and that we as Children of Grace would continue to be able to impact them about the correct ways to treat children!

 

Another reality I was faced with today in the school system is the sadness that comes with losing a classmate.  We went to Shield Standard this morning where Risa taught the class about the long and short o.  We sounded out words like poke, nose, and home.  Before the class began the teacher told us that last week one of the children in the class, Simon, was sick and then she heard a few days later that he had passed away.  These kids are probably about 8 or 9 years old.  I can not imagine losing a classmate at that young age much less a parent (which is also a part of the reality here).