The kids are back in school!
Classes started February 1st (kind of), so all
month the focus has been on making sure kids are registered and have everything
they need for a successful school year. The Honduran education system isn’t
exactly the smoothest running organization (the kids miss school regularly
because the teacher doesn’t show up, it took three weeks of missed classes to
finally assign a teacher to a 3rd grade class, they regularly
require large quantities of materials or cash for various projects even though
parents can’t afford it, etc.) but we continue to pray for good teachers, good
school administrators, and a system free of corruption that truly is accessible
to all children in Honduras.
This year about $800 went directly to school supplies –
everything from uniforms, shoes, notebooks, backpacks, school books,
registration costs and more. The ministry was able to bless about 25 children
and families with the gift of education. This includes kids all the way from
kindergarten up into high school, and this is not just a one-time investment.
Now that I have the privilege of being connected to these kids and their
education, I strive to keep them accountable by making sure they regularly
attend school, do their homework, and ask for help when they need it. All of
this is necessary for a successful academic career! What most kids lack is
support at home. If your mom never even completed 1st grade and
can’t read, where do you turn to for help if you don’t understand your
homework? If your mom has to work from dawn until dusk to provide food for the
family, who makes sure you do your homework instead of playing? I love to be
able to stand in the gap in many of theses cases, not just financially, but
supporting and encouraging the kids to continue and take advantage of the
opportunity of education that they’ve been given.
I also ask prayers of blessing over four kids who will be
sponsored throughout the entire year. This means that they not only receive
materials at the start of the year, but that the ministry provides all costs
for their education including monthly payments, transportation to those who
need it, and all the funds the school asks for throughout the year. Please pray
for Marisol in kindergarten, Daniel in 3rd grade, Nicol in 7th
grade and Juana in 10th grade.
They all come from situations of profound need, both financial need and
need of a support system. It’s a privilege to walk so closely with them and see
how God will fulfill His plans for them through education.
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Juana (middle), 10th grade
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Nicol, 7th grade
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It’s been a blast to spend time with so many kids this past
month, to see them excited about education, and to be able to bless them and
pray with them over the new school year. Please join me in praying for every
kid whose life has been touched by this project and for the teachers who will
be working with them this year.
I thank you for your support, to all who have donated to the
ministry or specifically to the school supply project. You guys, from thousands
of miles away, have stood in the gap and believed in these kids, and that is
life changing! THANK YOU!
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Below I’ve included a translated school supply list so you
can see what is required of the students (not just a notebook and pencil) and
understand why it remains inaccessible to so many poor families.
Translation: 10 spiral notebooks, 1 spiral notebook (5 subjects), 1 book of tracing paper, 1 package of office paper (500 sheets), 25 large sheets of white paper, 10 colored posterboard papers, 1 scissors to cut fabric, 1 normal scissors, 1 package construction paper, 1 bottle silicon glue, 1 bottle glue, 3 whiteboard markers, 1 calculator, 1 flute, 1 personal sized whiteboard, 1 drawing notebook, 1 set of maps including the map of Honduras, 1 set of colored pencils, 3 pencils, 1 yard of fabric
yarn of various colors, 1 set of markers, 2 small notebooks (400 pages), 1 book of folklore songs ~Total $60
PLUS:
PE Uniform – L200 ~ $9.52
Daily Uniform Shirt, Pants, Shoes, Socks – L550 ~ $26.19
Backpack – L200 ~ $9.52
Total : $105.47 PER CHILD in upfront costs only
Most families in Los Pinos are single mom households with
multiple children, working the few jobs available to uneducated people: either sorting through the garbage to sell or
recycle items (unpredictable income), selling homemade foods or things out of
their home (unpredictable income), or street sweeping, which pays ~$107/month
when the government actually gets around to paying them (usually weeks or
months late). The math just doesn’t add up.
Also, next year I’m planning on having a school supply drive
in the states to bring down many needed items for the 2017 school year. So if
you have old backpacks, pencil cases, notebooks, markers or other school
supplies, don’t get rid of them! Hold on to them until October/November next
year, and I’ll be in touch
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