Sonrise

These are some of the beautiful children at Sonrise School.

Sunday 7/8/07 We are now at Sonrise School in Musanze. Conditions are pretty rough here compared to American schools. The people are very nice and extremely welcoming. We toured Sonrise yesterday. Compared to US living standards the conditions for children seem bleak. Twelve kids to a room. Every child is allowed a small plastic bin (maybe 1.5 cubic feet) for personal belongings as well as a small carry on size suitcase which is kept at the foot of their beds. No pillows. We toured the entire school from the kitchen to the dorms. Three fourths of these kids are the poorest of the poor, in a poor country. Most are from orphanages. Many of the younger ones were street kids, many of their parents died of AIDS. When we got there it was Saturday evening. The sun had already begun to set (6:15 – 6:30). The kids were playing and socializing in their play area which is simply a large clay courtyard. It was very slanted and filled with ruts. Many were playing soccer (futbol) with a homemade ball. It was made of old plastic bags tied and twisted together. All of the children have extremely short hair so it is difficult to tell the young boys from the girls unless they are wearing dresses. They go to school six days a week. The upper school kids study until nearly bedtime (lights out). Forty kids to a class. Two classes per grade level. Subjects are taught in English but the kids also learn French and already speak Kinyrwanda. Joy, the woman who toured us, is very direct. Things are simple. Kids wash themselves outside (probably just the little ones). They wash their own clothes, make their own beds. I think they get a lot of visitors but there was a mixed reaction to our presence. We are allowed to take pictures but it feels like it might be a little annoying to the adults so I don’t know if I’ll take many here. There was also a mixed reaction to our doing projects with the children. Certainly, we won’t do anything to disrupt their school day, so anything like games, dance, songs and stories will have to be after that. I don’t get the sense that Joy (the business manager) is all that happy that we are here. She sort of tolerates our presence. What they have done with what they have is nothing short of amazing. Their test scores have been among the top in the nation since they have been in existence – which is only a few years. It is VERY strict! As we were touring we passed by a room in the girl’s dorm with the lights out. Joy switched on the light and found a couple of girls lying down. She fussed at them, “Are you Sick?” If you are then go get assistance. If not then get out of here.” I have mixed feelings. They are truly saving these children and helping them to be the best and the brightest in the country. I am mostly impressed. But it is strict and somewhat harsh compared to anything I have seen in the US. It is a different way of thinking about education.