Tondociere - Opening Day of School

As the government opened a primary school in the first village area this year - after two years of our running a weekend mini-school - I set my sight on the next village area, which is out another 10 km.  Here neither is a school and there are many children eager for one to open!

I met first with the parents in December to explain the process of our weekend school and the requirements they would need to fill - for both this school and a government school in the following year.  The parents eagerly agreed that they want a school for their children.  They began that week to build the school hut and I returned for the following two weeks to register their children's names.  

Then - at the beginning of January, my teammates and I went out to the village to open the school with a ceremony.  

Everyone came out for the first day - from the village granny to the littlest sibling and all the parents.

Guess it was an early morning for this young one!!

As all ceremonies go in Niger - there needs to be speeches by those involved.  So, both I and our team director Tim spoke on our behalf.  The teacher, chief's son, spoke about the importance of the school.  And the village elder spoke on behalf of all the parents to thank us for bringing education to their children!

Then, began the fun part: giving the children their school supplies!!  They are always so proud of their new possessions and take good care of them.

We started the day with 21 children registered for school.  After the ceremony more parents came and registered another 10 children!!

This little girl is a precious gift to this school - easily my heart calls her my favourite - its a good thing I'm not the teacher!  

I first met her when she was 9 days old!  She was born to a mother who had been married and barren for 23 years!  Her parents were overjoyed at her birth!  When I and some friends for Canada that day visited this mother, she asked us to pray that her daughter would be healthy, that she could go to school and one day become a doctor. 

As 1 in 5 children die before the age of five in Niger - the first part of the prayer request is apt indeed.  Yet, at that time, I never dreamed that I might have a small part in answering the second prayer request: schooling!  

I pray that as she grows and goes to school - she will indeed achieve that goal of becoming a doctor!

 ~ Photo Creidt: Lisa and Mikaela ... thanks for 

being my official ceremony photographers!!!