Congolese boys and girls are excited by the opportunity to attend school. Surprisingly, they want to be there. They want the chance to improve themselves. They want the chance for a better future.
That's what happen when education is not universal. But what about the faces of the Congolese boys and girls that can't attend school. In rural Congo, over 50 percent of the children do not have access to school. They are not excited.
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Teachers are an integral part of the educational scene in rural Congo. What about the books needed for teachers and students? What about the infrastructure like classrooms, desks, chalkboards, and other equipment? What about the students themselves? Which one is most important?
The success of the education systems is dependent upon the teachers. A good teacher can compensate for the lack of my resources in poor rural Congo.
Training for rural Congolese teachers is the closest thing to the proverbial "silver bullet".
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Have you ever played hooky from school or work? We don't need much to call it quits for a day. How about the air conditioner stopped working? How about there was no water or electricity? How about the bus broke down?
In rural Congo, those excuses are not good enough. Why? Only a very few places have air conditioners. There has never been running water or electricity. Oops, you walk to school and every you go.
But how about the wind blew down the classroom? Now, that's a good excuse.
Gotcha! from the editor.
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How many students will arrive on the opening day of school? How many will pay their tuition fees? In Congo, teachers and headmasters may be pondering those questions.
And in rural Congo, classrooms and teachers are inadequate. Tuition is a limiting factor. But tuitions make or break a school's budget. The government barely support education when they supplement teacher's salary.
It's a delicate balancing act for schools and teaching. In the end, the students suffer.
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Rural Congo is a place for big victories and sometime slightly bigger setbacks.
We got a local craftsman to make desks for the local elementary school in the rural village of Bulape. The desks were reasonably priced. They were made locally which improved their economy. The desks would be delivered to all but two elementary schools.
Upon inquiry, we were told that the two elementary schools were built to traditional rural Congolese standards. They were made of sticks and mud with thatched roof. The classrooms leaked inside from the roof and through the walls. The schools were too poorly maintained to have new desks.
The need to replace the traditional rural schools was evident. Soon, those school will be replaced with new vinyl schools. And then, they will get their desks.
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In the past few days, I was asked a similar question twice. Why would water located at a school attract more girls or benefit girls more than boys?
In most sub-African countries, getting water is not equal opportunity job. Congolese girls are the overwhelming majority of water fetcher at any water source. It does not matter if it is a urban or rural watering hole (water source).
Here's video of a water source in the rural village of Bulape or see below. You will note that most of those gathered to get water are girls. As my guide, Justin noted -- a headmaster at the girls school, many of the girls did not attend school on that day to the water source. It is pretty hard to explain any absence when you are coming from the water source with a 40 pound jar of water on your head.
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Building maintenance is not a top priority. Student school fees go to teacher salaries. And then, school fees go to teacher supplies and books.
Student books and supplies would be a higher priority. Or perhaps, student desks would be considered.
In rural Congo, school budgets are balanced. So school fees play a bad part of the balancing act. There is no funding reserve to tap into. There is no bonds to issue. There are not even guaranteed salaries from the government.
Also, if student school fees are too high, poor families keep the children home to further reduce the budget.
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You would expect that an elementary school would have walls. That is, a wall to enclose the classroom. The walls are not needed so much for security or privacy. They are needed to help eliminate distractions. Also, walls are needed for traditional things like keeping the wind and rain out of classrooms.
I made a visit to Andrews University. The Architecture Mission Team agreed to design a classroom made from used vinyl billboards. The vinyl will be used as a covering material for the walls and for the roof.
Most schools in rural Congo are made from palm fronds, sticks and mud. Most of the poor rural Congolese do not have brick schools.
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This is the season for floods, severe thunderstorms, and hail. Also, trees fall on houses and cars. But these acts of God can be covered by insurance.
In rural Congo, these acts of God cause damages, too. However, there is no insurance company or agent to cover your losses. So what happens, the villagers have to get together and try to rebuild. Here is the land of real 'good neighbors'.
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Many school districts are facing a crisis. Funding is the root cause of most problems. School district administrators and boards are having to make tough decisions.
Many districts are closing schools. Children will be moved to other district schools. The children and parents will get over it.
In rural Congo, all school districts are facing a similar funding crisis. But they have no other options. They can not close schools because there are no other schools. This school is the only school.
The children are content. Parents are content. Actually, most are just happy to have a school in any condition. When you live in poverty, you have no other options.
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