Archive for May, 2010
The Children of Cote d’Ivoire: Education in Action
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
After almost 24 hours of traveling, I arrived in Cote d’Ivoire last Monday evening. As I emerged bleary eyed and exhausted into the intense heat, it was a blessing to be met by a familiar face. Samuel Koffi, who works with Bishop Boni, met me and whisked me through passport control and security.
When my baggage finally arrived, Sam passed me off to Valentine Amonkou for safe delivery to my hotel. Valentine not only took me to the hotel, she helped me check in and then escorted me to my room to make sure that it was well prepared. As I filled in the forms at the hotel reception desk, Valentine and I discovered that we have the same Birthday — right down to the same year! From that moment on Valentine was not just “ma soeur” (my sister), she was also “ma jumelle,” my twin!
For the rest of my stay in Cote d’Ivoire, Valentine was my almost constant companion. The reason for my visit was to attend the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Methodist Schools of Cote d’Ivoire. Valentine is the Director of Operations for all of the Methodist Schools. She taught for many years before she began working for the Methodist Church of Cote d’Ivoire. Her English is impeccable and she seems to know everything there is to know about all of the schools owned, planned or even dreamed of by the Eglise Methodistes de Cote d’Ivoire.
All day Tuesday and Wednesday, Valentine acted as my guide through the best and the worst schools. She introduced me to the teachers, administrators and pastors working within each school. The adults on each campus showed us their accomplishments and their places for improvement. But of course, the highlight each place was the children.
The first school I visited was a primary school located in the heart of Abidjan, which is the capital of Cote d’Ivoire. The school is on the same property as the Ministry of Education and it is a show place. As I climbed out of the car, I was met by the school director and the pastor in charge of ministers serving all of the schools. But as I shook hands with them, a tiny little girl, who couldn’t have been more than three years old, placed a huge bouquet of exotic flowers into my arms. The bouquet was larger than the child, and although the flowers were gorgeous, they couldn’t hold a candle to the preciously shy face gazing up at me. I was hooked immediately.
As I stepped into the school yard gates, I was surrounded by clapping children! It made me think of the pictures of Princess Diana when we used to see her on the news, surrounded by children and flowers wherever she went. The kids were arranged by age — the youngest to the oldest — and they were all clapping and smiling. I wanted to stop and hug each one. The warm welcome then lead to a tour of the whole facility. Our first stop was in the preschool room where the children were playing instruments in welcome. They shyly showed me how to play the xylophone-type chimes and then displayed their artwork. It reminded me of the preschool class my daughter attended at St. Peter’s Early Childhood Development Center sixteen years ago!
In the kindergarten class, I was treated to a music and dance concert. In just a few minutes, I caught the rhythm and was clapping and dancing right along with them. It wasn’t a song I knew, but it reminded me strongly of our preschool favorite, “Father Abraham.”
The first graders were practicing their writing — on small chalk boards with white chalk. Not a single sheet of paper or a pencil could be seen in the classroom. But when I asked them what they were reading they all pulled out their workbooks to show me. As I made the rounds of the room, I stopped randomly and flipped through the books. I would ask the child what the word was for a picture and then I would say, “On Anglais, nous disons ____!” They were waving their workbooks in the air, anxious for a chance to show off their skills. When I got to one little boy, I saw in his book a picture of a duck, in French, “canard.” When I said to the class, “In English we say Duck!” a peal of laughter erupted from them all.
Before I left the class, I wrote my name and address on the chalkboard and their teacher promised me that they would write me a letter. When it comes, I will share it with you!
For the next two days, I experienced the schools, a hospital and an orphanage. I visited a construction site which by September or October should be a preschool, primary and secondary school. It is in an area of Abidjan which is growing so it will probably open with a pretty full complement of students.
At Dabou Hospital I visited with the first work team from the Texas Annual Conference. A group of about a dozen dedicated Methodists, from Christ Church, Sugarland; Chapelwood UMC and Prairie View A&M, were busy refurbishing three hospital rooms. As I met with them, they were gathered around the lunch table, taking a well deserved break. They were sweaty, dirty and smiling!
At the Board meeting on Thursday afternoon, the group discussed the financing of the schools. One of the many things I learned on this trip was that although the schools run by the Methodist Church are some of the best in the country and parents send their children from long distances to attend them, not a single one is completely self-sustaining financially. The government is supposed to supplement the schools, but because of the disarray in the government and continual crises of one form or another, that supplement is often late, incomplete or nonexistent.
Working with the Methodist schools in Cote d’Ivoire is one of the primary aims of our partnership with the Ivorian Methodist Church. Last year at Annual Conference, we adopted the “Adopt-a-Student” program to help children stay in school. Some of you have already started contributing to the program. As a member of the Board of Directors of the United Methodist schools of Cote d’Ivoire, completing the design of the program, then implementing and marketing it will be my main focus in my work with the Partnership.
At Annual Conference, I’ll be introducing you to my twin, Valentine Amonkou, who will come to us to talk about “her” schools. Valentine will have with her some of the gorgeous items made in Cote d’Ivoire that you’ll be able to purchase.
An exciting part of our support of the schools is the fabric that the Ivorians have made which represents the Texas Annual Conference! It is a field of bluebonnets which features a state of Texas and the cross and flame logo of the United Methodist Church. You can see the fabric and a few of the items you might make with it at http://www.txcumc.org/specialfabric. We plan to sell the fabric at Annual Conference. Once we get it through U.S. Customs, I’ll have more details for you.
One of the my most lasting impressions of Cote d’Ivoire is the immense contrast I saw just driving through the streets. There I was, sitting in the back of my air conditioned car, watching women in traditional dress carry produce to market on their heads. Men were pulling heavy carts loaded with items for sale or construction and across the street I saw three young women, sitting under a shade shelter, texting away on their cell phones. I saw men making concrete bricks by packing the wet cement into the forms by hand. Next to them was a shack where parts for toilets and other plumbing necessities were for sale. You can buy beautiful furniture on the side of the road, but right next to it are huge piles of garbage. At the edge of a lush, protected national forest, right on the outskirts of Abidjan, I saw vibrantly colored bougainvillea cascading across the landscape, right next to shacks where laundry was hanging out to dry, right next to a Shell gas station.
But the most vivid picture I have in my mind are those children — countless little faces looking at me with joy and hope. We can make a real difference in the lives of these children, you and I! And when we do, we’ll truly be working toward God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Showers of Blessings,
Leah Taylor