Sponsoring Students ~ Gems of the Future

i have recently realized the significance of what it means to 'sponsor' a student.  basically it is providing the necessary funds to cover the fees for secondary school which is not covered by the government in most countries throughout Africa.
 

once a student with very little financial means finishes primary school -- which is free in a country like Kenya, as long as one can provide a school uniform and basic stationery for oneself -- the chances of progressing through secondary school diminish drastically because the fees are beyond what the masses of citizens can afford, even for day school instead of boarding (which is very common throughout Africa).

as i am now working with a group of 14 year olds that are preparing to take their exams and graduate from St. Luke's Educational Centre, i am moved by their high resolve to work hard in the most meager of institutions to educate themselves even though most cannot afford secondary school.

when i think of the loss of potential revealed in every child in this world who does not have the opportunity to attend even a basic school beyond primary, it staggers my mind what a waste of human capacity that is..what a tremendous loss to every community that is not educating its youth..and what a responsibility we have to care for each child if we want this world to be the best place it can be..

i do not understand the intricacies of governmental policies, taxes and laws which can ensure that every community provides free education for its young people, but i do know that if it's not set up that way then there is surely something wrong with the system.

i wish i could sponsor all of these students but cannot.  i explained to them that it wouldn't be just to sponsor one of them and not the others, as i am working with them as a group.  they know i am going to try and reach out to our friends and see if any support can come that way.  i thought it's possible, too, to write about it here in case anyone reading may be inspired to sponsor one or more of them as well.  the websites about sponsorship in Kenya explain that it costs about $50/month to sponsor one student.  it is best if it is a 4 year commitment.  if you want to reach the students at St. Luke's who are not connected by these organizations helping other schools,  please contact St. Luke's directly on their website or send me a message.

"Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value.  Education, can alone, cause it to reveal its treasures and enable mankind to benefit therefrom."

~ Baha'u'llah

Kenyan Students - Shining Example

gems of oneness, gleaming with radiance, eagerness to learn, purity of heart, hopeful of spirit.. these are the young souls of St. Luke's Educational Center in Dagoretti Market, a distant neighborhood of Nairobi where there is rampant alcoholism and endemic poverty.  inside the school yard there is almost nothing to depict it is an educational institution except for the obvious benches and chalkboards with some hanging sacks hung by nails that have grammar words written on them.  there are no bookshelves, no posters, no computers, no cafeteria, no sports field, no music room, no pool, no auditorium, etc.  the students use one notebook for most subjects, taking notes from the board instead of books because only the teacher has a workbook to read.

what shines as a gem is the students' volition to learn.  despite the physical and material obstacles in their life -- such as being orphaned, or having no shoe laces, or going to bed hungry -- they come to school by 7am with joyful and dedicated hearts to advance as much as they can so they are prepared for secondary school.  their entire attitude is positive toward learning, and striving to learn.  they don't get to be surrounded by clean, colorful walls with all kinds of stimulating materials; they don't get to have enough light in their classrooms because there is no electricity to light the rooms; and they don't have any of the typical embellishments to a school that make it a desirable environment to be in.  yet they are there for six days a week of their own volition and they actually desire to learn.

when i think of schools in America with computers and sports programs that have metal detectors and fear within the halls from all sorts of societal ills for many reasons, i think how fortunate these kids at St. Luke's are.  they are like a family.  they are a community.  they don't fight each other and bring the ills of the society around them into the school.  in fact all of them will profess how wrong it is to drink alcohol.  they know it is killing their community.  the 14 year olds at the school are mature for their age; they are focused on education to get them beyond what surrounds them.  these gemful souls shine in the ways of loving God, of desiring to do service, and of striving to learn.  i am illumined in their presence..

children's class playing the game 'Giants' to practice the principle of unity

children's class drawing a picture and writing a sentence from the board

Joan, a 14 year old jr. youth - contemplating an answer to a question

working on a lesson in Walking the Straight Path in the field behind the school

playing 'monkey in the middle' - boys against the girls

Dagoretti jr. youth 1st service project

Yesterday twenty-nine jr. youth traveled from st. luke's educational center to the Kikuyu Hospital for their first service project.  We began the morning by walking to the closest matatu station; the drivers asked for more money than the kids had brought, so we walked further up the main road to the next stop so we could afford the fare.  We waited for an empty matatu and thought only half would travel first, but one by one the kids piled into the taxi with us 3 adults and we all rode together, smooshed but very happy!  The kids started singing songs with great joy as the 5 minute ride got underway.  It reminded me of the days when the Delft kids would sing loudly whenever they were together doing something that made them happy.

We joined the congregational service that was being held at the hospital.  This was recommended to us by the chaplain who welcomes all guests.  The kids were to sing some songs for the gathering.  After listening to a short sermon and some singing, the group was recognized as special guests -- they were invited to come to the front and sing.  I had appointed Peter, one of the older jr. youth, to introduce the group.  When he went up, none of the other kids followed him to arrange themselves for singing; instead they all remained seated.  He spoke quietly and without confidence yet i felt so proud of him for his courage.  This is the first time these students are being exposed to anything related to the power of expression in public.  They are all learning so much in the process of trying to do new things.

As soon as Peter finished speaking, one of the chaplains invited the 'teacher' (while looking at me) to come and introduce the group.  Before i could respond, Bilha, one of the mothers, and the friend who introduced me to St. Luke's, walked to the front of the congregation and explained briefly who we are and why we had come.  The children had started to gather around Peter but they did not organize themselves well.  Some tall ones were standing in front of shorter ones, and they were overcome by a sense of shyness.  All of the joy that I have seen them sing with was hiding inside of them.  They managed to sing 2 songs with the help of the congregation's guitarist but they didn't convey the joy or spirit that is in their hearts.  As soon as the service was over and we assembled outside to wait for the chaplain, one of the older students came to me and said, 'That was a shame'.  I responded that it is a learning, something we can reflect about and learn from.

listening to instructions

After figuring out with administration what our tasks would be and how to organize ourselves, the housekeeper came to give the students instructions.  We divided ourselves between the 'Shining Stars' (11-12 year olds) and the 'Spiritual Warriors' (13-14 year olds) and then set off to different areas of the compound.  The jr. youth were eager and excited to clean!  Some did garden work; others cleaned toilets and picked up trash.  Everyone worked for an hour before going to visit patients.  I was with the Shining Stars and could see their interest but hesitancy to actually go and greet the patients -- they stood together and sang different songs to the patients they visited in different rooms.  After taking one photo of them and disturbing their concentration i decided to step back and let them go with the matron of the ward.  Afterwards we met up with the Spiritual Warriors before eating a snack and walking home.

washing hands before visiting patients

 There are some significant aspects of this outing.  They were more than willing to come up with the money for the matatu even though their families are materially poor and many cannot afford to pay school fees.  In the same way did they collect money to buy fruit to offer to the hospital even though some of them leave school and have no food to eat until they return to school and have tea for breakfast.  It is also significant how their hearts served so willingly and sincerely; they felt so good after working hard.  They all care about those who are ill; they consciously pray for others who are not well with that deep gratitude that God has kept them well today and that their health is dependent on God's Will.  Lastly, they were so happy to walk 3km back to school instead of take another matatu.  It was such an opportunity to show friendship to one another, to laugh and run..to be kids.  I had such a great time talking with them that i wished we could have walked another 3kms so i could get to enjoy our time together more!  I also felt so happy to be on the back roads of Kenya and see the rolling hills of planted maize and banana trees -- sights I never get to see on the main roads in a car.  I kept telling them how fortunate they are to live like this -- ie., to be surrounded by natural beauty and walk to many places with a sense of community that they all share so naturally.

singing to patients

It's important for me to explain that these students prepared for this service project without any material support except for printing out indemnity forms.  I guided and supported their ideas of serving at the hospital and called the chaplain to see if it was ok to come.  In our sessions we discussed the math involved for transport and buying fruit; they came up with the idea to walk home to save money on transport which they couldn't afford.  They knew which gospel songs they wanted to sing and came up with a plan on how to cover the cost of buying fruit -- some volunteered with pure-hearted joy to contribute extra money to compensate for those who didn't have any money to contribute.  They met their financial goals and worked together like a family who protects each other from any sense of loss.

We ended the day with reflections and discussion about what we felt and learned from the experience.  I felt like we all grew closer as a group, as well as having shared something special together.

walking home

Dagoretti jr. youth group evolves

the Shining Stars singing 'Regard man as a mine rich in gems..'

Today at st. luke's educational center the jr. youth groups went through the fun process of naming their group.  The 11-12 year olds came up with many suggestions and finally chose 'shining stars' for their name.  The 13-14 year olds tried coming up with their own suggestions but ended up unanimously voting for one of the two remaining possibilities up on the board: 'Spiritual Warriors' (which i had added without them knowing amongst the younger group's suggestions).  It was a joyful moment that brought the students closer together as a group.

A great process of learning how to be a group occurred when we consulted about the money needed to buy fruit for next week's service project.  Originally they all agreed to contribute 20bob (which is like 30 cents).  Today we learned that 6 of them are not able to do so.  We calculated 6x20 to get a total of 120bob remaining.  We discussed how others may be able to contribute just 5bob while others may be able to contribute more to add up to 120.  A handful of students raised their hands to contribute more than the 20bob they already had in order to cover the amount needed to buy fruit to bring to the hospital.  It was a thoughtful and honorable process because they are learning to trust as well as help each other.

I learned today - while we were playing with a soft ball that i had brought - that there is a rift between the girls and the boys.  The girls feel that the boys are not sharing with them and then they ruin the ball and now the girls do not have a chance to play with it.  When the boys were playing with the soft ball the girls started complaining.  It was definitely challenging to face this issue all of a sudden with a large group of arguing kids.  I tried diverting their attention away from the ball issue by introducing step dancing as a new skill to learn (which ended up attracting almost all of them).  But by the end of the session the boys asked if they could keep the ball and the girls started arguing again.  I gathered them all together and described how half of the world of humanity is like one wing of a bird and how the other gender is the other wing.  I explained the necessity of cooperation and mutual respect.  I then asked them to offer suggestions about what to do with the ball.  One girl said alternate days; another girl suggested alternating between break and lunch times; and then a boy offered that they already have a ball so the girls must have this one.  I asked them all to vote and they all voted for the boy's suggestion.  It was a brilliant moment of practicing consultation and establishing a sense of justice amongst the group.

Jr. Youth Group ~ Dagoretti

Today was the 4th session at St. Luke's educational center in Dagoretti for embarking on the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program.  The group of 11-14 year olds (which we combine for group activities, not the study books) consists of 29 students.  Today they were asked what they like about the group.  One girl said she is growing in morals; another said everything is new and interesting; another added that he is growing spiritually.  They all agree that it is fun!

After the opening prayer and an update about our first service project, the theme of being a noble soul was introduced.  i drew 9 lines around in a circle which made it look like a light, then lightly made a stick figure attached to it, explaining that our body is a temple for our soul.  They easily named 9 virtues to describe some of the powers of the soul which, when practiced and developed, enable us to grow spiritually.  We defined the words 'unique' and 'potential' as well as the 3 forms of 'exercise' and how growth involves pain.

They were then given a blank sheet of paper on which to write their name and pass it to the person on their left.  Each student had to write something good and positive about this person's character.  When they received their name back the page was full of virtues and admirable qualities that others see in them. I asked them to keep in their jr. youth notebooks.

I asked them to stand and sing something to give us energy.  They started clapping and went joyfully into 3 gospel songs that made me smile from ear to ear.  Their enthusiasm and love for God is so natural and communal that I am convinced that having less money means nothing when it comes to true happiness.  These beautiful children have very little in terms of material comforts, or even essentials, yet they are spiritually rich and fulfilled.  When they pray they exude genuine thankfulness and remember those less fortunate than themselves.

We then endeavored to do an experiment with sprouting seeds by using a ziploc bag, cotton balls and water.  The analogy of our hidden potential being discovered from within just like a seed was discussed.  I made the mistake of not bringing enough bags so they had an opportunity to exercise the qualities necessary to share willingly.

We then went outside and enjoyed some group games, including relay races which were a lot of fun.  As we stood in a giant circle on the field, we closed with prayer and many happy goodbyes. 

The 11-12 year olds beginning Breezes of Confirmation at the 3rd session

The 13-14 year olds are studying Walking the Straight Path on their own in a separate room

The teachers, principal, Mr. Kamau, and neighbors studying book 1 in preparation for becoming children's class teachers and animators

Arising to serve humanity

 A new story is beginning in the Dagoretti market area on the Karen side of Nairobi.  It began when i walked to the small, local grocery store to buy vegetables.  outside of the market is a shop to buy flowers.  With joy i greeted the young woman behind the table as she pruned roses.  She was immediately attracted to the joy.  After warm exchanges of courtesy she asked me if i was a Christian.  From there we have been exchanging heart to heart desires for a better world.  She is a woman who does not want to wait for people to come into the church to be saved.  She is about helping other people; she wants her community to be free of alcohol and drugs and all that is hurtful to children.  I introduced the Baha'i-inspired spiritual empowerment program for jr. youth, providing the vision for long-term investment in young souls to ultimately change the neighborhood.  Then one day by surprise she announced that her cousin is the principal of st. luke's educational center in that neighborhood and that he'd like to meet with me to discuss initiating the program in his school.

I was excited beyond words, as if God had clearly answered my prayers to be able to be of service in this capacity in an area that is relatively close to where we live, but i was also very hesitant because I didn't have transport to get there -- I don't have a car to drive and i'm not willing to take a matatu alone because I feel anything can happen that will threaten my safety.  So I called the one Baha'i mother in this area and asked if she could drive me to this meeting and she took me a few days later.

After a very positive and receptive meeting about the program, we agreed with the principal, Mr. Kamau, that we would consult about the logistics and get back with him.  While driving home, my friend generously and lovingly offered that the woman who works for her could pick me up and take me every week to the school.  She explained that this could be part of her work during the week, in the spirit of being of service which is the highest expression of all work we do as Baha'is.  The woman who works for her is also a Baha'i.

That moment made me offer up the deepest praise and thanksgiving to God.  I have been longing to engage once again in a service-oriented activity at the community level here in Nairobi.  The only limitation to the program being held in the school was my transport and now it was sorted so effortlessly through the willingness of a friend whose heart feels connected in the spirit of service to offer her car.
It has been 3 weeks since that initial visit to St. luke's educational centre.  Since that time, the principal and teachers have begun the study process for becoming animators of their own jr. youth groups and/or children's class teachers.  There is word that another school has found out about it and wants to be trained as well.  The kids are enthusiastic and grateful.  I have led 2 out of the 3 sessions and have heard from the principal that the kids are really happy with the program.  They are discovering that the potential for excellence lies within them and must be exercised by their own volition.  They are beginning to feel their own uniqueness in how God has created them in order to make this world a better place.  They have chosen going to a hospital as their first service activity which we will begin planning next week.  The school is abuzz with new energy and it's such a bounty to see.

I am already thinking about all of these kids as if they are my own children.  I look forward to all that lies ahead in terms of learning and growth, challenges and successes, service activities and transformation.

"The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct."  

~Baha'u'llah

leaving. friends. Ghana

"God has created man lofty and noble, made him a dominant factor in creation. He has specialized man with supreme bestowals, conferred upon him mind, perception, memory, abstraction and the powers of the senses. These gifts of God to man were intended to make him the manifestation of divine virtues, a radiant light in the world of creation, a source of life and the agency of constructiveness in the infinite fields of existence."

~ Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 352

Emil Ampong (aka World Peace) with his keyhole garden

if anyone has moved from one country to another, it involves more than packing and arranging one's necessary documents.  there is a much deeper process at work.  it involves reflecting on all that was experienced, the highs and the lows, the good and the bad, while constantly wondering about the new land and culture about to be discovered..

as i prepare to move once again, this time from Ghana to Kenya, my thoughts and actions are centered upon those souls with whom i have been blessed to meet and know well.  despite the difficulties i faced living here, and the challenges which came from everyday life in a developing country, i met many beautiful gems of souls who i will miss and remember with gratitude and joy.  these souls enabled my journey in Ghana to be woven with a thread of joy..

while sitting on a small, wooden chair with the children's class recently, i began observing the young souls sitting around the table.  they are a sample of what life is like here for most children.  one child had his toes hanging over his sandals and the other had very worn sneakers without socks.  two were tending to their younger sibling like parents instead of being able to be just children.  they struggle and bear their difficulties quietly.  they take a broken pencil tip and use a plain razor to carve out a new point.  they all have the sweetest smiles but need a lot of encouragement and ability to make them laugh before they will smile for a camera.  they are taught to respect adults in a way of always deferring so they find it difficult to speak what they think or feel.  most attend public schools which are shamefully inadequate in every way, so their educational experience falls far behind those of the middle and upper classes of the world.  as the girls become jr. youth, they are expected to help with their mother's work (usually selling goods) so their free time is very limited, while the boys are mostly free to roam around and play football most of the time (making it easier for boys to attend jr. youth groups than girls no matter how much the mothers agree to a time that is supposed to be best).  they all wear uniforms to school and feel proud to attend school.  they share and take care of each other most of the time because adult supervision is not a common reality..

the children i have come to love dearly have that indescribable African spirit which radiates through them in gentle and all-pervasive ways.  in a similar way amongst the Xhosa children, it took many months of being ever so patient with their quiet, non-responsive manner of engaging in dialogue before the friendships were able to blossom.  in addition to being able to trust me, i feel that most of the children growing up in poverty have not been able to develop their self-esteem well enough.  the complexity of the relationship involves me being white, but more than any other factor, i believe they haven't received unconditional love from the society around them.  this is the magnet and glue which has served to bond us.  my love for them is what brings out the joyful radiance when we are together.  i truly see the Beauty of God in them; when i look into their eyes and connect with them at the soulful level they can feel it..their soul responds to it.  this is how i live here: spreading the love of God from my heart to others' hearts, one soul at a time, until relationships turn into friendships and eternal bonds of spiritual unity..

from left to right: Jude, Magdelene, Emil, Eunice & Gideon

hanging out with the junior youth is pure delight.  we have shared so many moments of joy and laughter, of thoughtful reflections and sharings, as well as devotions full of singing, drumming and reciting.  i am in the process of interviewing each of them on the camera video, asking them what they remember most about our 2 years together.  when we had our last group session, i asked them what they have learned since being in the group.  their comments included responses like: it is better to prefer others before yourself;  be more kind to everyone, not just people like yourself; and strive for excellence.  one told me a story of how he now had a good friend who was Muslim (he is a Christian).  listening to their responses was quite touching; i felt as if they really are learning the principles of spiritual education even though they didn't talk too much in most of the sessions.  i recently received a card full of hearts and expressions of love from Magdelene; she is one of the most amazing girls i have ever met because of her love for God, purity of heart and insightful mind...

saying goodbye to the Kayanja family

our family was also blessed to meet 2 families at school who are from Uganda.  our 3 families supported each other through the difficulties we all faced from how Ghana functions as a whole.  we developed friendships that will last a lifetime.  meeting them was the best part of attending BIS Ghana.  we lifted our spirits by encouraging each other through tests and difficulties, reminding each other of the blessings that come when we bear and endure.  i would listen to their stories and no longer feel alone in my struggle to deal with how things occur here.

our family grew much closer together these past two years because we spent most of our time at home after work and school.  when we first moved here we felt adventurous.  we drove out to the 'botanical gardens', up the coast to a beach 'resort', and on the other side of the city through hectic traffic to visit a junior youth group.  after experiencing congested roads and poor quality attractions we lost our interest in exploring further throughout the regions of Ghana.  except for a weekly trip to eat at a restaurant, we found nothing to do in Accra.  there were no parks with grass to have a picnic, or a clean and free stretch of beach to enjoy the ocean.  it has been only recently that we discovered DUNK, the NGO dedicated to improving the lives of kids through basketball.  we started bringing the kids and enjoying the community spirit of our boys playing basketball with the local kids who were part of the program.  those experiences are my favorite because it's all about relationship building, character development and having fun together.

DUNK tournament

looking back at how we felt limited in terms of traveling throughout Ghana i can see how it benefited us; we were able to develop closer relationships with our neighbors because we were around all the time.  i would take a walk to buy groceries and hang out.  before long i was known as 'aunty Pamela' instead of 'obruni' (white person).  i became a part of the neighborhood.  this is where most of the acts of service to God were shared -- singing with children, building trust with the jr. youth, playing soccer with everyone, bringing baked goodies to share, offering devotions in our home, listening to stories and the hardships of life, and developing a garden to grow food.  i enjoyed driving and riding my bike on the terracotta-colored dirt roads, buying local dishes on the side of the road, watching the goats play, having children run up to our car window and give us a pounded fist with a bright smile, and being surrounded by beautiful patterns on clothes and in the stores all throughout the city.

these memories are what i'll remember most about Ghana..

enjoying academic success of our children with the Kayanja family at the BIS graduation

Nwando, our next door neighbor from Nigeria, and our guards, Melvyn & Uncle Fred

Baha'i friends

kids building a keyhole garden

hanging clothes to dry

kuri kuri

inside a ripe cocoa pod

Ama with Sholomite sleeping on her lap

Augustin, our driver, and Uncle Fred, our guard

sister Grace and her family - they owned the local grocery store down the road

Boadi Ampong - last time together saying goodbye, in front of the maize field

Emil being silly wearing his sister's glasses

we shared such a kinship; it was very hard to say goodbye to Monica

Joshua Ampong, one of the cutest boys in the world :)

Gideon, our first neighbor friend who became part of our family

Eric and Joshua on the compound wall where they live

little Joshua in his jammies feeling proud of their keyhole garden

Monica showing me what was growing in the garden

Emil took care of Joshua with kindness and joy all of the time

Catherine Ampong getting her hair braided

just before leaving Accra

our last hugs

though it was difficult living in Ghana most of the time, it was never difficult to share these friendships.  God puts people on our path wherever we live.  i feel most blessed to have met these friends because i am a richer person for knowing them..