BUT the ones to really suffer are the children whose Schools are shut because of the Strike, and the Parents, who are helpless to combat the problem.
THE ONLY schools OPEN are private schools such as ours. Our teachers in fact are paid generally less than the Government pays due to the fact that the School Management and the Parents cannot afford to find more Fees to make it possible. Kenya is not a 1st World Country; it is still a Country that can be considered needy. The money, such as it is, is only found in Government and a shrinking middle class. Employment is not increasing; salaries are not increasing - simply because it cannot be afforded.
OUR Teachers have never, so far, gone on strike with us. They have persevered even though their peers in Government School insult and threaten them. It is in fact 'dangerous' for a school such as ours to remain open. BUT our teachers, given the choice, have always seen the children in the classrooms to be more deserving than themselves; they would not be happy for their own kids to be idle at home. This is, of course, also to do with 'Calling' as against 'A Job. The idea, or perhaps I should say 'the luxury', of following your 'Calling' or 'Vocation' has by necessity to be ignored in favour of just obtaining a job. Thus, for the most part it might be said that Doctors, Teachers, Lawyers, Nurses are just concerned with being paid for their services rather than for the good of their community. PAY is more important than the human factor.
LOOK at this happy group below! Why are they so happy? Because they have just won the right to STRIKE, and to deprive our children of their right to learn from their own dedicated and unselfish elders. Well, no doubt we might in one way sympathise with them - they feel this will help them improve themselves; their material state. They have to LIVE. BUT surely this is not Professional! To advance themselves against the very reason for their BEING. Well they are Teachers, YES, but what are they teaching the next generation, even their own children? Anarchy. I believe there IS unfairness in the proper distribution of wealth in the Country, and even in what people are actually paid. After all the Government was recently suggesting they might increase their own salaries, having just told the Teachers and the Nursing Profession that there is NO money to improve their salary scales. Discontent has to be understood in the midst of all that is happening - but can we condone such discontent, in letting it threaten the next generation? The Children in this situation now become the the losers, being held to ransom together with their futures.
Our School is open in all classes, with all their teachers on duty and giving of their best for God's Sake to the children who depend upon them for their future success. They see and understand OUR problem as well, and have agreed to walk with us, at least for a time, to assist us in our effort to help and care for children. Our School exists to do that. Even our parents understand this. Private Schools face many problems and hurdles in continuing to provide Education here in Kenya. We may not always be understood or appreciated - especially by government schools and teachers, - but we are not without sympathy for their plight.
There is cost to standing 'apart' and in 'contrast' to what is happening in the world around us. Schools, all around us are CLOSED until this Strike Action is resolved. To-day the Courts are saying this particular action is 'Illegal' since the Teacher's Union did not 'declare' or give Notice of any Strike! We shall see. Pray for our children! Pray for US. The longer the 'strike' continues the longer students studying to take National Exams in Primary and Secondary levels will be affected and put at risk of performing under par.
We are proud of our School, 34 years old this year. Proud of our more than 55 Teachers who have worked hard over the years to promote and support the School. But these are not the only teachers to have worked with us here. Additionally we have seen more two hundred come and go over the years - usually to seek a better paid position. Our Thanks to all of them, and our good wishes too, that they might have prospered in leaving us, .
===============================
This week has sped by so quickly. Partly this was due to the School opening, and also we have had quite a few visits, all in the midst of trying to balance various School and Homes expenses well enough to still have enough to eat! God wonderfully helped us yet again, and we continue to see the miracle of our daily bread, day after day. BUT the weather has changed again, and after a spell of very fine weather the RAIN came back with a vengeance together with colder temperatures - Thursday and Friday it rained all night and all day!! Our Meteorologists are predicting a very heavy El Nino Autumn with HEAVY and prolonged (unseasonable) RAIN all the way to the end of December! Well that is IF we are here in December - I mean we have to get beyond the end of THIS momentous month first - what with the incoming Meteor, the CERN Experiments, and the Coming of Jesus all predicted for the end of the month!!! Amazingly, after all the hype, we are hearing less and less about ANY of these looming events. We have barely noticed the passing days we are so busy, and I think this is the very wisest occupation for us all. Jesus Himself said 'Keep busy till I come', and after all there is always so much to be done - we stand looking for an incoming meteor, or a an explosion you are unlikely to hear, or an event that will happen in the twinkling of an eye - even before you can blink. Could wast a lot of time, when all we NEED to do is to be ready in our heart with Jesus.
Simeon Olumzee, one of our old boys, who has spent most of his life since leaving us in the Kenya Army is still in I.C.U. at a local hospital after removal of a blood clot from his brain. He has not regained consciousness. He is married with children. Much prayer going up on his behalf, and we seek the Lord's Will for him, as the doctors have not held out much hope for recovery. If he dies or lives it will still be a crushing burden financially since there is no appreciable social security that can help wipe out the tens of thousands of pounds his hospitalisation will have cost.
Wilson Lokitala, another of our old boys working in the Teaching Hospital here in Eldoret, and who was knocked down by a car, suffering multiple breaks in both legs, and a punctured lung, is now home. He is still suffering a lot of pain, and has to yet commence physio therapy. A long haul back to normality for him, but he is trusting Jesus to do a perfect work for him. He also married.
ALSO this week, in Testimony House, one of our teenagers, Charles who has been suffering from severe malaise, with aches and pains for some time, was diagnosed as having a strain of T.B.
This is apparently not the contagious kind, and he is being treated as an Out Patient. In fact he is already feeling much better. He is in College in the middle of his Course in Community Development, and very anxious not to miss out. Please pray for him.
We are also visiting in hospital an old missionary friend of ours. She has been admitted here in Eldoret for an operation. Ann Lipson used to be with CMS, and now works and lives with a Kenyan work of Faith not far from Mount Elgon in an area know as Kimililli. She is 76 and Esther and I have known her for more than forty years now, a precious sister in Jesus. She has recovered well from the op, and hopefully will be able to return to Kimililli within a week or so. OTHERWISE WE ARE ALL WELL.Last night, in the late afternoon really, and in the midst of a torrential rain storm, we were visited by another of our Old Boys, who has business in Eldoret and Nairobi - Elijah Aura. It was really SO good to see him, and we were able to have very good fellowship. It does our heart a lot of good to see members of our old family from Testimony growing up successfully.
Mr. Muli from Testimony House has gone off to Embu to take part in a Family Meeting with Edwin Ngubu's fiance's family - they will soon be married here in Eldoret.
And so live continues. Thank you for partnering with us, and for encouraging us. We DO often need the encouragement as there are often human disappointments as well as joys to deal with along the way. We thank the Lord whose Blood we share, always for each one of you.
Lovingly in Him, His Mercy and His Grace
John, Esther and Daryl Green
No comments:
Post a Comment