Monkey Island

After much work, we headed back to Monrovia with a stop at Monkey Island, a group of islands on Farmville River that house former monkeys that were used for medical research. Now, they live a posh life of pineapple, coconut, cassava and peanuts, milk and cake, all which are brought to them every other day. It was so crazy to see them so close! All have names (the oldest is 47 named Annie) and all are afraid of water and cant swim so stay put. They were so close, seriously no more than 10 feet away!

Kokoyah

Monday we hit the ground running, ready to see the teachers work. We (and Jacob!) told Peter, the principal, that we would be there at 8am for devotion and to watch the teachers. Kathy and I both watched the teachers and took some notes from about 8:30-10am. Then, we began! After seeing what they were doing we asked the teachers if they would like to learn and get some help concerning their school (management of the classroom and school) or the small group teaching that we had planned. They consulted each other and Kathy and I stepped out. They chose the first option. So, we discussed what they wanted in a community and a graduate of GeinWhen. They made an amazing list including honest, self-reliant, motivated, healthy, having a sense of belonging, love/care, courage, and critical thinking. So amazing. Then we asked them what the barriers to that are for the children. I so wish we had done this activity with Massaquoi as the answers were so interesting and true to all we have seen in Liberia over the past 6 years. They spoke of the teacher not understanding the content or the plight of the students, fears of punishment, friends mocking, boring teaching and even language fears. This was an amazing conversation and I wish I could share with you the depth they shared. Even moving the desks into a circle made an impression I think! So good! We spent the rest of the day talking about how they can overcome those fears. What does it take to be courageous, how can a teacher promote the welfare and safety of the children with which they work, and how can the school support such goals.

Oh, internet, where art thou?

So, while my writing about the trip is coming along, the ability to post said writing is sorely lacking! So, I am going to post now that jet lag is subsiding and the internet (back here in Texas! lol) is dependable. I am so psyched to share the happenings from the trip! Last time I wrote we were leaving Monrovia for Kokoyah. Loaded with Kathy and I, Enoch, Daniel (the driver), and two giant boxes of books, donated by Massaquoi and by a teacher friend of mine here in San Antonio. I want to give a wonderful thank you to Pastor Luo of Massaquoi for his generosity in this venture. His tiny, cane and tarp school and library donated copies of textbooks in 1st -4th grades because "when you give to another, God's wealth shines down to all involved." So, we (the books and all) headed down the bumps and single board bridges to the school. The first day there is Sunday so we went to church with Sarah and Pinky (Lydia's daughter) and had a great time listening to the choir sing in Pele, the preacher speak in Basa and a translator help us understand in English. It was awesome to listen to the dialects and to know when to say, "Amen!" Gorgeous. The children in the church were enamored with the Americans in african clothing (Kathy and I have been to Liberia before so we have dresses, of course). Many of those in the community make offerings to the church in food and thus, we left feeling loved and with dinner! Sarah rosted the corn and we ate (as always) well. Later, we sat around the thatched kitchen and talked to everyone who wandered by, which SO many did! We played with the children (okay, mostly I did), but I learned new rhymes (my reading professor self was in heaven!)...I hear it now, "Last night, the baby's born, 24 hours to learn it all..." It was great to enjoy the children and to hear them try to teach us the rhymes and games.

Massaquoi

We are back to our clean selves after a much needed shower and air conditioned sleep. Tomorrow we head to LEP's school and are so excited to meet all the wonderful teachers. Just getting a chance to begin a relationship and learn about the community is a blessing! 

Before I finish this post I want to tell you a bit about Massaquoi Village Community School. They are a non-governmental school meaning that the government gives no funding and because they are in the bush, the nearest school is Ricks Institute (a VERY expensive private school) so most of their community children had never attended school. While a Christian school, their teachers have been volunteer for the past 5 years and their building is made of cane and tarps. Teachers have 100% daily attendance and Kathy and I gave them a small library when they attended our trainings last year. Out of the 7 schools we worked with they are the only school that have attended every training (even though they come the furthest and have very little) and that are actively using their library to teach. We saw that for ourselves this trip as we worked in their village. The need is high there but the motivation is just as high. I am including the picture of the school and also one of Kathy (left) and myself (right) serving lunch to the teachers and children who came to allow our teachers to practice their skills and receive feedback, all for $20 a day. Also important to note is that the first day the principal served (a woman!), the second day we served, and the third, the men served! While that sounds antiquated to think that the men wouldn't serve, Liberia (and Africa) is still learning about equal rights for women and men and thus, it is a huge deal not only to see, but for Lucia, the principal who was speechless. Truthfully, we all were as the pastor said, "We are all together in this, everyone is human, everyone must serve." it was truly a moment! So tomorrow we will leave for GhenWein and meet Enoch, Sarah (who we met when we went to see Green Pastures School) and Lydia. Such adventures are in store and we are both feeling that this trip is divinely inspired.

Getting Ready for the Small-Small Group Adventure

The last couple days we (Kathy and I) have spent working on our lessons and the handbook we will provide for the teachers. Also important is checking the fit of our African dress which was, well, too small. Luckily Kathy the tailor got mine on me and hers on her. Maybe Liberia will help us fit in our clothes better. The first place we will work is Massaquoi Village, a small community outside of Monrovia about an hour and a half. They have 7 teachers and a school with cane benches and a thatched roof. Ive been there before as the teachers came to our training last year. It took them about 2 hours to get to our training, that started at 8am, and no one missed. They are hungry to learn. We will work there first. Then we will take 2 days and visit friends and the other schools we worked with last year in Monrovia. After a couple days there, onward 12 hours to the north and a country school that is new to us. We will work there (Geinwen School) in Bong County for the next few days before coming back to the beach for a nice hotel stay for a night. I guarantee we will need it by then! So, that's the plan. It is rainy season there so the driving will be long, slow, and muddy but an adventure!

Liberia Bound and Determined

Kathy and I will be heading back to Liberia in one week. Although we have changed organizations, our focus is the same - to help Liberian teachers become better literacy teachers. We will be working at a school in Massaquoi Village. This school has a library with reading books for grades 1-5. We will be training the teachers in using small group instruction in their classes and how to use books to teach literacy. We will also be working at a school in Kokoyah in Bong County. Since they do not have any books, we will be bringing some books to them in order to give their teachers the same training. We have never been up to Bong County before so this will be a new adventure traveling into the interior of Liberia. If you would like to donate to our work, just go to (http://liberiaeducationproject.org/) and click the DONATE button on the right. It will take you to the home page of Liberia Education Project. All donations are tax deductible and if you say my name or Kathy's then it will go directly to our work with the Liberian schools. Please think about helping, especially those of you teachers out there!