Parent-Teacher Conference

Last week was our first Parent-Teacher conference at the preschool. It probably wasn’t like any school meeting you’ve ever been to. First of all, some of these kids don’t even have parents. Only about half of the class had a representative at the meeting. Others only have a mom and she was working, which is why she put junior in school in the first place. Depending on where you live, you may be thinking this is actually just like your last school conference. But I’m guessing it didn’t take place just feet away from a gaping fifteen-foot hole in the ground. When we showed up that morning, we discovered they'd been working on replacing the current outhouse because it's filling up. That's how they do it; when one fills up, they dig another. I’m pretty sure we learned as much as the parents did at this unorthodox meeting. 

Because the hole was behind the group of adults we were facing, we were able to get through the forty-five minute meeting without panicking that one of the toddlers would fall in. Every time one of them headed toward the current outhouse (unfortunately called a “long drop" around here) we could monitor just how close he was to the pit. Ironically, we were talking mostly about child safety and hygiene. We encouraged them to bathe their children daily and to clean and cover wounds. Knowing that they probably don’t have soap or bandages, we left some with the preschool teachers to share with those in need. We assured the adults that the welfare of these children is our priority and that this would be the first of many meetings to help educate them on the subject. Then, not wanting to stir up unnecessary squabbling, we pulled the foreman on the bathroom project aside and insisted that he cover it immediately or build a wall around it with sandbags.

Among other topics we discussed was the phenomenon of all the children in the class being sick at the same time. This isn't completely inevitable, we explained. We gave them soap to wash the dishes the children use at school for breakfast and set policy that they should keep their children home when showing certain signs of illness. One of the moms contentiously asked if we planned on taking care of her children when she's not allowed bring them to school. We had to remind her that we are not a daycare. Another mother asked if we are going to provide hospital fees when her children are sick, and another made a demand for free school uniforms. Unfortunately, it seems we are experiencing the negative effects of handouts and entitlements from past organizations and missions, so we did our best to respectfully but firmly reiterate what we will and will not do. We shared our hope that the education of their children will eventually eradicate the need for handouts altogether. We urged them to be patient with the process, assuring them that they will get much more out of learning to do for themselves than they will from taking charity. We even encouraged them to get involved and help out. Their applause told us we had made a connection.  

In Malawi, any child without both parents is considered an orphan. By that standard, all but three kids in our preschool are orphans. We have to respect the government mandate that all such children stay within their own villages to be raised by their own relatives, which is why we go into the village to educate them. We don’t presume to indoctrinate the adults who are taking care of them into more Western ways of thinking, but we do strive to make an alliance with them over the well being of the children and the hope that the next generation with be equipped to lead the villages out of poverty and into wellness and prosperity. We hope to teach them, not only the three Rs, but also the fact that with God as our father, no one is truly an orphan. We are all a part of the same family. Regular meetings with everyone involved seems to be one way to begin the dialogue. 

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