A letter from Kara VanderKamp in Niger
April 19, 2006
Dear Friends and Family,
A lot has happened since the last time I wrote. I attended a retreat in Kenya for all Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission workers in central and West Africa, and I also made a second visit to the Tsibiri Primary School.
In Tsibiri, I was again impressed by the church’s primary school. On this trip I focused on observing classes and after-school activities. It was a pleasure to watch teachers who are excited about what they do and who care about and respect their students. And the students also respond positively to their teachers and obviously enjoy going to school. It was fun to be immersed in a school environment again. For a couple of moments I even found myself wanting to go back to the teaching profession.
It also turned out that a woman from Les Ecole Sans Frontiers (Schools without Borders) was volunteering at the school during my visit. This French organization has been committed to helping the Tsibiri Primary School for the past five or six years. It was interesting to talk to Joelle about her observations, since her perspective as a French educator is different from my own. Despite our different backgrounds, we made the same observations. We both agreed that the teachers and staff are doing an amazing job, yet are clearly overstretched by all of their responsibilities. For example, one of the teachers is a dorm parent, the school nurse and the after-school activities coordinator. These duties are in addition to his responsibilities as a teacher.
On an even more basic level, the students who live on campus need more nutritionally complete meals, and all of the classes are lacking basic supplies, such as paper, pencils and chalk. Based on my observations and discussions with the school director and the school board president, the reason for these needs is because the school is operating with the bare minimum of funds necessary. Besides a few donations, the school is self-sufficient, which means that its revenue comes from tuition. Tuition is kept low in order to ensure that the average Nigerien is able to afford it. In addition, special allowances are made for the neediest students. In other words, there is a large difference between what parents are paying and the real cost or an appropriate amount for educating a child.
As I mentioned in my previous letter, the PC(USA) and Reformed Church of America (RCA) collected a large sum of money for student scholarships, which will help make up the difference between the real cost of education and what parents pay. But we must proceed with caution. First, there is no guarantee that the school will be able to raise the same amount of funds every year. Decisions made today have the potential to set precedents for tomorrow that may be impossible to maintain. The real challenge is to find ways of using the funds that ensure that the school is well functioning and at the same time encourage sustainability.
It was nice to be able to set these issues aside for a few days while I attended the PC(USA) mission personnel retreat on the other side of the continent, in Kenya. It was fun to meet and get to know the other missionaries, who serve in places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Ghana, Uganda and Sudan. The theme of the conference was “What the African Church can teach us about Mission.” A leading African theologian, Dr. Kwame Bediako, led the sessions. It’s interesting to think about how the center of Christianity in the world has shifted from the North to the South, that is, from North America and Europe to Africa, Central and South America and Asia. Dr. Bediako was very persuasive and engaging as he spoke about those things that we can learn from Christians in Africa.
It has been eight years since I was in Kenya teaching missionary children with the Reformed Church in America (RCA), so it was very interesting to return and see all of the changes that have taken place. I was very impressed. There are now a number of shopping centers and movie theaters as well as a plethora of good restaurants, coffee shops and Internet cafes. Being in Kenya helped me understand just how poor Niger really is. Kenya wouldn’t be considered a wealthy country by American standards, and it certainly has its issues, but in comparison to Niger it’s doing pretty well. That’s not to say that Niger isn’t a nice place to live. In fact, it’s a wonderful country and an exciting place to work! Despite its lack of resources and the distinction of being the world’s poorest country (according to the United Nations), a genuine attitude of optimism and openness can be found here. But don’t just take my word for it, come experience Niger for yourself! Very sincerely, you are always more than welcome!
Please continue to write!
As Always,
Kara
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 314
