I was recently in Gulu, Uganda with a group of people that had $4,000 to spend. They decided to spend it on school supplies; pens, pencils, markers, paper, staplers, drums, balls, an oven and pans for a home economics class, etc. I couldn’t believe it. It was like a HUGE “food drop”. They gave them fish, but did not teach them how to fish.
Did they not know that the school year was over in just a month (end of Nov) and that when the kids return in February that the supplies will be gone and that the proceeds will be in someone’s pocket? Is the oven sustainable; Who pays for the long term electricity or fuel and maintenance costs? Can it really be maintained from collecting a Home Economics class fee from the very same kids that couldn’t pay for their important exams recently? Most of the kids in that school live in homes with no electricity and no ovens, so how is teaching them to bake improving their life? Money is so tight for them; they will choose food or to pay their school fees over paying a Home Ec. Class fee. Some of those kids will actually sell the things put directly in their hands for the money they need to survive. They do not understand the depth of poverty and hunger and the desperateness of money for school fees.
They do not understand the depth of corruption. I have had school leaders lie to me about their fees so that I would pay more than necessary. I learned to insist on the official parent letter that is sent home to all the students explaining the fee structure for the year. I never put the money in the child’s hand. I don’t even pay the school fees to the school! I pay it directly to the bank of the school to ensure it gets into the school account and not a pocket. When a teacher’s salary is way below the poverty line, they find it difficult to survive and when the citizens can’t survive on an honest living anymore, corruption sets in.
Drums and balls and staplers are all good things, but they are things the schools have done without for years and would have continued to go without. This kind of money should be invested in borehole wells, more grinding mills, peanut butter grinders, micro financing projects, more hospital equipment, desks and chairs for schools, a goat for a family to provide them milk. These are called assets. They last a long time and change lives year after year.
This was a good group of people with good hearts that just did what they were told to do. Proper research was not done. Maybe next year, projects will be lined up and ready for extra money to be spent more wisely on sustainable, life changing projects that can be revisted year after year.
Did they not know that the school year was over in just a month (end of Nov) and that when the kids return in February that the supplies will be gone and that the proceeds will be in someone’s pocket? Is the oven sustainable; Who pays for the long term electricity or fuel and maintenance costs? Can it really be maintained from collecting a Home Economics class fee from the very same kids that couldn’t pay for their important exams recently? Most of the kids in that school live in homes with no electricity and no ovens, so how is teaching them to bake improving their life? Money is so tight for them; they will choose food or to pay their school fees over paying a Home Ec. Class fee. Some of those kids will actually sell the things put directly in their hands for the money they need to survive. They do not understand the depth of poverty and hunger and the desperateness of money for school fees.
They do not understand the depth of corruption. I have had school leaders lie to me about their fees so that I would pay more than necessary. I learned to insist on the official parent letter that is sent home to all the students explaining the fee structure for the year. I never put the money in the child’s hand. I don’t even pay the school fees to the school! I pay it directly to the bank of the school to ensure it gets into the school account and not a pocket. When a teacher’s salary is way below the poverty line, they find it difficult to survive and when the citizens can’t survive on an honest living anymore, corruption sets in.
Drums and balls and staplers are all good things, but they are things the schools have done without for years and would have continued to go without. This kind of money should be invested in borehole wells, more grinding mills, peanut butter grinders, micro financing projects, more hospital equipment, desks and chairs for schools, a goat for a family to provide them milk. These are called assets. They last a long time and change lives year after year.
Educating more youth needs to become priority! There are so many kids that are not attending secondary school or University because the money is not there. Education is something that Uganda, Ethiopia and India (all developing countries) can no longer go without. Education is the foundation of progress. It cant be stolen and it cant be sold for cash....
This was a good group of people with good hearts that just did what they were told to do. Proper research was not done. Maybe next year, projects will be lined up and ready for extra money to be spent more wisely on sustainable, life changing projects that can be revisted year after year.
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