More about "staying in school"
on Annemiek Miller (Rwanda), 15/Feb/2006 09:56, 34 days ago
February 14, 2006More about "staying in school"Well Valens is a regular visitor at my house and he assured me after I had bought the two mattresses for him and his sister that his father wanted to come and thank me. Having been away in Kigali for a week, I returned to Kigeme last Saturday. Valens came to do some English and to have a talk with Antonia (who was visiting) and me. He assured me that it was quite possible his father might arrive sometime on Sunday and could he come and meet me. I said I would be home. On Sunday, Antonia and I had a quiet morning reading outside. At 2pm we dropped by my office to use internet for a bit and then I took her to the taxi bus stop where we waited almost an hour!! Having walked back to my house, I found Valens and his dad ( I didn't even get his name) sitting on my step. Of course I invited them in, offered them a Fanta and received his many thanks and a basket of passion fruit. From father I heard, through Valens' translations, that his other two children were in school but that he had been unable to pay the full amount of the first term. I ended up offering to pay school money for the other two. Dad had made the effort to pay some to get them into the schools, but without selling his land and/or a goat he will not be able to pay the entire first term without which the children get sent home. We are not talking a whole lot of money - probably a total of about $400 for the three of them for the whole year. I feel compelled to do this. Valens is a sweetie and works really hard. He is 20 in grade 9; he was the one that should have left school last December so the other brother, Valens, aged 18 and in grade 11 and Chantal who just passed the grade 6 nat exam in November, could attend school. I decided all three should be in school - Valens because at 20 he is still determined, Evaste because he has just 2 more years and Chantal, well, because she is a girl. I repeat to Valens and his dad that this is just for one year at a time, but I have a feeling this might be more of a long-term thing. Any way as we sat there talking I found myself throwing together a quick soup because papa had walked for 5 hours to come to see me and he was probably hungry. After a quick meal, we said goodbye with him pumping my hand in more thanks and making me promise I would come and visit the family.