News!

One friend asked me to update you on the news in my place. Well, Sisters Christine and Grace visited our neighbor the witch doctor. He received them warmly and gave them two white chickens. The chickens, aptly named witch doctors, have joined the rest of the flock and continually roam our gardens. This witch doctor, who comes often to school and is very concerned about his daughter's well being, is thought by the sisters to be one of our best parents. Speaking of gardening, there has been too much rain and wind for people’s banana plants, causing many of them to collapse. In a first world country, this would mean a higher price of bananas at the grocery store. Here it means that local families (most of whom rely on subsistence farming) have nothing to eat and nothing to sell. Therefore, few girls are returning to school at the beginning of this term-- no money to pay fees. By the way, I have discovered how students can study tailoring for three years and still learn little. They come one to two weeks late for each of the year’s three terms (lack of school fees). After coming, they get malaria, and because they don’t drink enough water, they become severely dehydrated and have to go to the hospital. Then they go home again to try to gather the rest of their school fees, then, the short 12 week school term is done. This is done three times a year, for three years, and; wonder of wonders, little is learned. Speaking of learning little, we have discovered that three of our girls are pregnant and will not be rejoining us. The sisters are wondering if they should bring a nurse to do pregnancy tests every year – I am just amazed when I see these small girls with babies! The men, by the way, are not the only ones at fault—male volunteers have told some pretty terrifying stories about the man- chasing prerogatives of high school girls here! Other news is that there is now dried fish available in town, and over the past two months, several new shops and buildings have appeared. When you get to see 6% growth occurring, it means a lot is happening pretty fast—neat to watch!