“The Champhanje community school has grown a lot since it started, back in 2007. When I came here, Jackson says, we only had about 45 children registered at the school. I was the only teacher, teaching the students from grade one to four. The lessons were in a wooden structure, tree trunks as walls and a roof of grass. In the rain season, lessons couldn't continue.
In 2012, the first World Servants group came to our community and built the first two-classroom block. Now, in 2016 we have four teachers, teaching 160 children in grade one to seven. The classrooms are shared, in the morning we teach grade five, six and seven. In the afternoon, we have grade one to four. Our school is supported by CCAP, they have sent us 90 text books used for teaching.
When we had the old school, about 50% attended school. Now, around 75% goes to school. The other kids are not supported and pushed by their parents to learn reading and writing, because they cannot do it themselves. The parents who can read and write really know the importance of these skills, but through your work and the new building more of those people are seeing the importance of going to school. The community grows thanks to your work and we are looking to increase the attendance to 85%. The people are very happy with the new school blocks and this will grow our school even more, to an official primary school. For this, we also need the teacher house to be finished; it is now at window level.
When the 2012 project was finished, we immediately started preparing for this project. The community is very organized and works together to bake stones and dig sand for the construction. We have also built the shelters for the group. Money is a problem in the community. Therefore, when river sand has to be moved, we work on the farm of the owner of the truck, harvesting maize for example. In return, he will transport the sand. It is the same for me; there is no money for my teaching job. Community members work on my land to harvest my crops, so that I can sell them for money. The government will support the school when it is an official primary school. Thanks to your work, we are closer to this goal. Our community is very happy with your work and we're happy to see more children going to school. The place grows and improves; also we have now a borehole close to the school. Thank you!”
