Wherever one travels in Rwanda, particularly in the rural areas, small children wander the roadsides and villages.  Public education used to begin around age 7, although it is being lowered in some places.  But before that time, children are generally left to fend for themselves while the mother or parents work.  To help meet a need for child development, and the strengthening of families and local churches, the Shyira Diocese initiated a plan for parish-based preschools to gather, nurture and teach children around age 3.  Almost 200 of these have been launched, although there is funding for far less.

Most of the teachers do not have any background in education or child development, so Susan was invited to come and offer some seminars in basic child development and teaching methods.  Funded in part by a travel grant from Wheaton College, she met over two days with 35 teachers( assisted in translation by Rev. Christophe)–those who had begun preschools in their villages.  These were women and men who desire to help children in their communities, where there are little or no resources available.

Susan covered topics such as what kind of development is normal for a child, what is considered curriculum for this age, how do teachers serve as stewards, what are creative ideas for engaging children, etc.. She mostly taught her materials off the ‘top of her head’ in order to match the content to the context of these emerging programs.  For instance, how do you encourage teachers to teach well where there are no books, no paper, nothing that we consider essential?  We might show a teacher how to read a story to children, but how to do that where it is likely many of them will never have access to a book?  So there was a lot of conversation and shared learning ‘on the fly’.

One comes away with a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunity to meet these teachers who have so few resources, but sacrifice for the sake of their communities.  Most of them are not yet paid anything, and they have needs of their own.  But they see life as a communal journey.  It is a needed adjustment to our own tendency to undervalue the many gifts we have been given, especially in our own ministry with children, where we are richly blessed.  They will begin with whatever they have.  We so often are searching for the ‘perfect’ approach or situation.  It’s convicted me to learn to give thanks, and also to be faithful with what I have been given.

We met children along the way who were not in preschool, and those who were, and there was a vast difference, even in their facial expressions. Already these schools are helping to nurture and engage children in ways that will determine their future well being.  Thanks for your prayers as Church of the Redeemer helps to partner with the Shyira Diocese among the deep poverty of rural Rwanda.