Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Helping Africa




Dr Gloves sends me a gift from Hong Kong – a post-grad student from HKUST who attends his sociology classes, who “wants to help Africa”. And apparently, my school fitted her remit. 

Her name is Tanya and she is prepared to pay her own way, work for free and even to bring out some school resources too. For me, it is a no-brainer, but Boss is anxious that all correct procedures are in place, which involves the school writing to the Ethiopian Consulate in Hong Kong (situated in an Industrial Estate up a back alleyway in Kowloon) requesting an acceptance of a 3 month business. Which they do, although Tanya is only out for 3 weeks. Boss seems a little less troubled as I suggest that she stay at Boss’s unregistered bed and breakfast for 200 Birr a day.

Cheekily i request for a school handbell, stickers and 100 boxes of coloured pencils to distribute around classes.

A scholarship student from the North East of China, Tanya compares my school to her own primary school, and she thinks my school is much better. She tells me of the inherent corruption in Chinese schools where Heads and Class Teachers get rich by accepting bribes from “concerned” parents, And the problem is escalating exponentially!

Tanya is as keen as mustard, and she gets stuck in.
 

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