 JAMBO,
Assante Susan, for allowing me this space on our newsletter to thank everyone for their warm welcome to your country. It is the first time that I have left Kenya and as you can only imagine it was, and is, an experience. The minute I stepped into the belly of the large aeroplane I knew that my life was about to change. Your country here in Perth is amazing. I have been welcomed by our child sponsors, some of supports and wonderful schools, all of which are so very different from ours. The children are the same though, forever smiling and enjoying the blessings of having an education. In your country I have seen the beautiful school yards and amount of education materials that you have, the computers, desks and a computer blackboards and yes, of course there is a part of me that would also like so many luxuries, but I know that this is not possible but am still so thankful for all that we do have in our school giving an education which not only changes our children's lives but the history of their families. Their own parents never having had the opportunity of going to school. There are of course similarities between our teachings. The teachers are obviously enjoying their work and their attitude towards their students is wonderful, they are there, not only for their student's education but also for the well being and to listen to their children's concerns about life. To see young children at the Beehive Montessori (http://www.beehive.wa.edu.au/) cooking at their little benches at such an early age was amazing to see the classrooms set out with everything that they could possibly need was truly inspirational. Rhonda the headmistress obviously compassionate and after many years of teaching still remains so committed, wonderful for her school. Quintilian (http://www.quintilianschool.wa.edu.au/) who have been our friends for a little while now were again welcoming and it was lovely to see those children who had already sent letters to ours wanting to know more about what we do and the differences between us. I was thankful to Anne for giving me time to present to the class, it was quite different talking to a classroom with a black board computer. Thankful to each child in the classroom whose willingness to know more about us was encouraging. We had the amazing pleasure to begin a new friendship with Karrinyup Primary School (http://www.karrinyupps.wa.edu.au/web/) , one of our past volunteers, Emmanuel Dolfi, introduced us some time ago, as he brought with him to our school many wonderful books for our new Library, this time it was great to meet the teachers responsible Carol, Stella, Sharon, and Melissa a big thank you for allowing me the privilege to hand out the merit awards your school assembly. A very special morning tea had been prepared, again cakes I had not seen or tried before. The children so bright asking interesting questions and to we are thankful again for even more fantastic books and help with our fundraising. I am taking home with me a memory stick which is full of pictures and singing from the children to our children. Kelly who volunteers in our OP Shop introduced us to Aquinas College (http://www.aquinas.wa.edu.au/) and the boarding boys where I was very lucky to do a very quick presentation which we hope gave the boys an insight on all that we do. Yes, it is a child's right to an education, for our children it is a miracle, and yes it is the right for all children to have food and a warm bed, but to our children it is a miracle. All children walk in the same direction to have a future, and like all children that first step needs to be taken on the long journey to achieve dreams, for us though and for so many impoverished children around the world, a little help goes such a long way in the giving of food so that a child can have the energy to come to school, a home so that they may be safe and the belief in another so that they may have a future. I have seen many differences while being here, even the amount of unwanted items that lay on your footpaths for the rubbish truck, I fear that this was hard for me to see when we would readily take it all, mattresses for our children to sleep on as they do not have now, or furniture for a home, childrens bikes and computers, they may be broken but when you have nothing there is always a way to mend. I have enjoyed the beauty of your city, the cleanliness and the warmth of your people. I leave Perth June 10th, and we are yet to go to Lance Holt School (http://www.lanceholtschool.wa.edu.au/) in Fremantle and St Thomas’ Primary School (http://www.stthomas.wa.edu.au/) plus visiting areas of Perth that are not as perhaps polished as some of your other suburbs I have visited so that I can also see that you too have need in your own country. It will be good for us to visit our friends from TAG (https://taggroup.com.au/) Financial Group who have made it possible for us to take in 50 orphans into our home. I am enjoying though the freedom to turn on a tap for clean drinking water, and stores that are filled with fresh vegetables and foods and toilets and showers that are inside a house which is good for safety. In my country we say Asante Sana, meaning thankyou. To you all, I thank you for all that you do for our children and hope that one day our paths may cross in my country so that our children can greet you with smiles of thanks and we can show you how you are changing the lives of our children who are so far from your own.
1 Comment
|
RSS Feed