Aussie Joy's Life

Today I got to visit a school for the International Day of the African Child.

In Soweto, South Africa, thousands of black school children took to the streets in 1976, in a march more than half a mile long, to protest the inferior quality of their education and to demand their right to be taught in their own language. Hundreds of young boys and girls were shot down; and in the two weeks of protest that followed, more than a hundred people were killed and more than a thousand were injured.

To honour the memory of those killed and the courage of all those who marched, the Day of the African Child has been celebrated on 16 June every year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the Organization of African Unity. The Day also draws attention to the lives of African children today.  Read more…

It was a really interesting day.  The school we went to was in a slum area.  I’m not sure those roads are ever driven by a car.  The bumps woke Mariatu (Ruth’s adopted child) up!

Hopefully I’ll be able to show some videos soon… but the preschool had about 90 students and had only been opened 18 months.  The building was incomplete… one room had tiled floor but the rest was mud packed… extremely limited resources.  No toilets… kids literally relieved themselves right out in front of the doorway to the school.  It’s sickening to conceptualise such limited understanding of basic hygiene.

The celebration at this school basically just had a select few students dressing up in traditional African dress and dancing.  I’m not sure how they chose who performed.  I was shocked to see how these kids (preschool age mind you) danced.  So sensually!  It was like watching nightclub girls dancing.  Apparently, they learn this kind of dancing from a very young age.  The children looked like puppets.  Showing no emotions at all.  No smiles… just moving their bodies around in such unchildlike manners.  The teacher put out a bucket and parents were encouraged to donate money.  It was rather disturbing to watch.  Who can really know who’s pocket the money would go too.  Hopefully towards further progress on the schools development.

Children are taught to beg for money at an early, early age.  We drove out to the bush today to take some guys out to continue digging a well.  We probably came to four different barricades (rope or bamboo) across roads with children trying to stop traffic to bribe drivers for money… encouraged and endorsed by parents.  We had to explain to them that we were building them wells and tried helping them understand that they were getting clean water for free and that it was unnecessary for them to be begging all the time.  You don’t get to see many children play.  You see a lot of children’s toys (second hand ones that I imagine have been donated to the country) for sale.

So today think about Africa and the many children, mums and dads that have so little.  Teach your children to be generous and grateful for the blessing of life, the blessing of toys, the blessing of health, the blessing of toilets… showers…  God is so good.  And if you can sponsor a well… or a child… make a difference in someones life by working with one of the many selfless organisations working in Sierra Leone or other African countries.

I pray personally for a deeper love for people… and for the gift of tongues  How good would it be to just speak and understand the native Sierra Leonean tongue!  Thank you for your prayers and intercession.  Some rough stuff is going on back home for the family I’m staying with.  Will keep you posted.