another sunshiny day!

Today the news is good. We have our vehicle, thanks to our genius of a mechanic who modified some parts from another model. It is running well. Our concern is that it is now so old and has seen such hard service that it is becoming more difficult to keep it running. Yet, we would not be able to serve the rural communities and schools without it.

Caroline is home and feeling well. I made an error in my last post. 50,000/- is $725! Gulp! We added another 12,000/- to have her released. The hospitals here are full of patients, particularly maternity cases, who cannot leave because they can't pay the original fee and as they remain, costs keep piling up. What is wrong with this picture?

Yesterday I ran the Read for the Top seminar for teachers from 9 schools. We will reach nearly 500 children with this programme.. The teachers are understandably apprehensive about such a new approach (two of them have 78 children in their class!) but are willing to try. Kennedy Nandwa, one of the pilot teachers last year, gave invaluable support in presenting his own very positive experience. We shall have the heats and finals in February. Here is one picture of the teachers reading and preparing questions for the practice. I tried to upload the video of them simulating the contest, but the connection is far too slow tonight. I also made a 5 minute movie of the Read for the Top earlier this year and tried to upload to youtuibe. Again, no luck. I'll try again another day.

I had a long talk with the Bishop this morning about all the projects and the strategic plan for education for the diocese. After Read for the Top and the continuation of the Rotary grant for Emmaloba, the big project will be the volunteer teachers coming from the US to run seminars in Language Arts (primary) and Math (secondary) . Our plan is for this to happen in January 2011.

Other things will be happening in between--a seminar of no-till farming, workshops on domestic and sexual abuse. Lots of things to keep us busy.