Rainy Day

It’s been raining a lot the last few days. Everyone slows down when the rain comes. Many shops close, the children hide under the over hangs and as the women continue to work the men wait for the rain to end. Even when it rains at home I am consumed with thoughts of naps and here is no different. I love a good rainy day. I think the years of seizing sunny summer vacation days outside with the only excusable break being on a rainy day. You could cuddle up, watch a movie and nap all day- guilt free.  It could also be because coming from a construction family, there was nothing more glorious than a rain day. Similar to a school snow day, rain meant no work and what could be better than that. Every morning before school my first thought (and despite being 24 and not in school, still is) was ‘oh please let it be a snow day.’ Although I loved the idea of no school and enjoyed playing with my friends, a snow day still meant getting on all your snow gear and sweating as you struggled to put on your boots on. There is still nothing better than a nice long nap on a good rainy day. Although there is no nap in store for me today, I can’t help but dream.

Today, I am working on write ups, research and paper work for TEP. The power has been much more reliable this trip than ever in the past but when it rains the power goes in and out. Now that it’s on, I’m taking full advantage to get some administrative work done. The biggest fundraising campaign that I am completing the research and documentation on is getting support for FANAKA’a teaching staff. Even in US schools teacher’s salaries are the largest burden on school’s budgets. FANAKA’s inability to pay competitive salaries on time is threatening closure of the school. Last month we finally paid back salaries all the way from January. If we could get a sponsorship of a few teachers that would ensure the school could stay open. A qualified teacher gets paid about $315 a month and our teaching staff is ten members. Relieving this burden would also allow the school to invest in a qualified and trained administration.

Currently, a responsible teacher that we trust is our school’s principle, director, discipline master all while teaching two subjects for 4 grades. He runs the school even though he is over worked and not trained in administrative matters. The best method to improve the school quickly is to hire a director or school manager that is tied to education and enrollment goals. These individuals are tied to well known teachers and often bring large amounts of students and resources with them. This is the new strategy of all the top schools and there were a good handful of schools that two years ago scored lower than FANAKA on the national examinations that now are at the top. We know investing in a trained management could change FANAKA forever, however there is no way we can swing it without some hefty support.   
-Cassie