I was blessed to be chosen for the school team today. We got to spend the entire day teaching and working with the kids at the orphanage school. Over 350 kids who are orphaned are provided a free education, a meal and clothes to attend this school.
The school only goes to 7th grade. At that point only the best students are selected for further education through scholarships. The kids that are not strong enough students do not have an opportunity for further education.
The school was equipped with really gifted local and international teachers. The school is lead by a lady from India.
We divided up into teams and Joe and I took over 200 of the elementary school age kids out to play at the field area. The field area is in the back. We had relay races, dodgeball and other fun games. The older kids sat through classroom sessions teaching them about budgeting and financial basics. At one point I had more than 125 kids by myself, hence the world’s largest game of duck duck goose.
For lunch we were treated with sweet potatoes and peanuts. They were both delicious.
It breaks my heart to see this many children just in the town of Livingstone at one school that are orphans. I can’t imagine the hurt, fear and loneliness that comes from their displacement. The positive for these children is the role that Ebenezer school and it’s staff is playing in the lives of these children.
Yesterday we got to meet a young girl who has grown up in the orphanage. She has been there 13 years with her siblings. After 13 years in the orphanage she is graduating from high school and has received a scholarship to go on to get a college degree in education where she plans to use that degree to come back and teach other orphans at Ebenezer.
It’s incredibly inspiring to see these stories of survival and success. There are so many people who care about these kids and their protection.
