March 23, 2014
Some days good things just unexpectedly happen. Today is one of those days.
After several months of planning and frustration the Mentoring Program started, but with great disappointment. Expecting about a hundred university students who indicated a desire to be a mentor, a university auditorium awaiting. Fourteen people appear, mostly from the sponsoring university group.How to handle the expected fifty, maybe more, town primary school students to be mentored?I am in a state of internal panic.Off our small entourage treks the mile to the Sinyea town. But the Women's group whose children are to be mentored are at the house of a sick member. We wait wondering if all is in vain.
While waiting we discuss what to do. A quiet and shy girl says, "Why don't each of us take as many students as we want?" She wants seven. Everyone agrees. Our plans for one-to-one mentoring evaporate.
shall prevail.
Finally the women and children begin to appear, a good sign. One of the mentors begins the group the children by families as individual mentors claim a group. Registration takes place, meal times, and meeting places are established. Pictures are taken. Candles are lit to write down names. Sixty town children are registered. We are off and running. A second mentoring group is scheduled in two weeks.
It is hard to explain what it is like to be in a society so governed by obedience when given the chance a fountain of creativity emerges to solve the problem. For most of these university students, this is their first exposure to life in a rural village and to conduct their mentoring sessions in rural town homes. Many pitfalls lie ahead in the coming weeks, but I feel confident these university students. A second mentoring group is scheduled in two weeks.
Some days good things just unexpectedly happen. Today is one of those days.
After several months of planning and frustration the Mentoring Program started, but with great disappointment. Expecting about a hundred university students who indicated a desire to be a mentor, a university auditorium awaiting. Fourteen people appear, mostly from the sponsoring university group.How to handle the expected fifty, maybe more, town primary school students to be mentored?I am in a state of internal panic.Off our small entourage treks the mile to the Sinyea town. But the Women's group whose children are to be mentored are at the house of a sick member. We wait wondering if all is in vain.
While waiting we discuss what to do. A quiet and shy girl says, "Why don't each of us take as many students as we want?" She wants seven. Everyone agrees. Our plans for one-to-one mentoring evaporate.
shall prevail.
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| Cuttington University Mentors (one missing) |
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| Registration Site, a local store |
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| Two university students registering their group |
It is hard to explain what it is like to be in a society so governed by obedience when given the chance a fountain of creativity emerges to solve the problem. For most of these university students, this is their first exposure to life in a rural village and to conduct their mentoring sessions in rural town homes. Many pitfalls lie ahead in the coming weeks, but I feel confident these university students. A second mentoring group is scheduled in two weeks.
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