Yesterday, Brittany and I were able to meet with Mrs. Violet, the principal of Letsie High School, to discuss the financial situations of the students at the school from Form A to E. We were highly impressed by how thoroughly she knew the circumstances surrounding each student and how far the school had gone to ensure that students with the correct qualifications received their sponsorships. In Lesotho, students who are double orphans (both parents have passed away) receive free secondary school fees by the Ministry of Education. Within my class of Form D students, a staggering 50% are sponsored by the Ministry. Students who show high academic performance are sponsored by the National Manpower scholarship. However, there are a number of students at our school, who do not qualify for either scholarship, and are left with a year’s worth of unpaid school tuition (~$195), COSC exam fees (~$170), and boarding fees (~$260). While these students are supposed to be expelled because of missing payments, Mrs. Violet has graciously allowed them to stay and continue their studies. Many of these students are single orphans or are abandoned by their irresponsible parents. It is disheartening to see the stress it brings the students, who are fully aware of desperate situations. Along with Mrs. Violet’s help, we are currently applying for other outside scholarships that might lessen the financial burden for these students.
On the other hand, today I was able to teach the students how to apply problem solving in mathematics. The students were challenged to use their brains in a creative way as we played the mathematical card game ‘24’, worked on Math Stars worksheets, and even completed a Sudoku puzzle in less than 20 minutes! Through these activities, the students demonstrated their creative and intelligent capabilities, yet when we saw the June COSC results, many of them scored less than 30%, some even dipping to 3%.
Additionally, this morning, we were able to meet with the head administrator for the Blue Cross Rehabilitation Center right next to our lodge. The center has a prevention side, focusing on community outreach programs, as well as a treatment side, which includes counseling, meditation, health awareness, etc. It is a beautiful center that has helped many people in the area fight drug and alcohol addiction. We hope to volunteer there in some capacity.
Beverly