Scholarship Complete

     I have wrapped up my scholarship program for the 2013-2014 school year.  Yes, school has started.  Most of the students have finally arrived in village to begin the scholarly year, and that includes my six beautiful, smart scholarship girls.

     The process began right after I installed in May.  First their teachers recommended them, then they had to undergo an interview, write an essay, and introduce me to their families.  Once this was over, the Peace Corps SENEGAD (our PC gender equality board) approved their application, sent me the money, and I was able to pay their inscription and go shopping for them.  Senegal does not have a free public school system, so if parents want their children to learn they have to pay for them to go to school.  Primary school is a 500 cfa inscription fee (roughly $2), middle school is a 5 mille inscription fee (roughly $10), and Arab school is free. Buying school supplies here is not easy.  Families often have to scrounge the money for he inscription let alone notebooks, backpacks, pens, etc.  I bought each girl a bookbag and filled it with notebooks, pens, and a geometry set.  I was also able to purchase them each a math textbook.  This is great because it will ease the contribution of the family.  With that money they could send another child to school or buy more food- the possibilities are endless.  And most importantly, the girls get to learn.

I presented Djeneba with her certificate. Isn't my mansuit fetch?

The girls, the principal, and me with their certificates.

When I was conducting my family visits, my site mate and I made the trek to a village 20 km away
 to see two of the girls. We went to meet the first family, and the father wasn't there- they sent a child to the field to get him.  We waited probably half an hour and decided to go see the other family and come back.  That went fine.  Everyone was welcoming and polite; only later did I learn that she was supposed to get married and the decision to send her back to school for another year was made last minute.  She is currently in my village and has kept learning.  When we returned to the first family the father had still not come back.  After a while he finally came back, and we told him why we were there and what we were offering, not even thinking that he would turn it down.  Who would turn down money? He did not seem excited.  We asked him if he was ok, and he told us he had to talk to his older brother; they weren't sure if she was going back to school.  Families here are hierarchical, so younger brothers must consult older brothers about important issues.  They talked for what felt like a long time, and I was very nervous.  What if they told her she couldn't go back to school? What was the reasoning?  Fortunately, I did not have to find out.  Her father and uncle came back, and said she was going to learn.

    I was nervous she wouldn't show up when school started, so I brought each girl their backpack of goodies right after Tabaski, when everyone told me school was about to start.  I wanted to remind them of what I was offering and make sure they would come back.  I'm very glad I did.  I'm not sure if they forgot or were originally underwhelmed anyway, but I brought my village cheif with me and he made a huge show of asking every child in the village if they were going to school this year, and he talked to the parents explaining the program in native Pulaar tongue.  His family hosts several students from this village, and he greeted all of their families too and made sure they were returning.  Would they have come back without this push? I'm not sure.

     School in Senegal is difficult, especially for the children who have to leave home to learn.  The kids in my village are able to stay with their families, but there is only one other middle school in my area outside of Kolda, and no high schools.  Kids have to find homestays or walk ridiculous distances in order to get the most basic of educations.  Primary schools are more abundant, but if the goal is an educated population Senegal is not meeting it's mark.

   So what I'd like to say is thank you to everyone who donated, and for those who did not I will be doing the same program starting this March, so look for my donation link.  If you don't have the money, I would love it if everyone just appreciated what they have been given.  Education is a beautiful thing, and since I've been here I thank God every day for the opportunities I've been given.


JAM TAN.