2012?? What happens next?...this has been a question on our minds for the last few months. We want to see the scholarship programme become sustainable year-on-year but increasingly felt that the students would be best served if they were fully integrated into a school. Mark decided to approach independent schools to see if they could offer full scholarships to a few students each year. This would mean that we would then only have to cover Uniform and Boarding house costs and then be responsible for pastoral care of the students, rather than taking on the academic teaching too as well as be restricted by only teaching sciences. We were blown away with three of the independent schools response. We have been offered a total of 8 full tuition scholarships (worth in excess of US$50 000) at three different independent schools (St Georges College, Hellenic Academy and Gateway). This has felt like such a confirmation of what we are doing, that this past year has been worth the risk.
So where does this take us?
The current 15 will continue to do lessons at Gateway in the afternoons and complete their second year of A-levels, following the same structure as we have done for this past year. Mark will teach Maths and Physics and three other teachers will continue to cover the Chemistry and Biology. Our 15 students will continue to live in the rented boarding house and have a full co-curricular programme.
We will recruit 8 students to start their AS levels as fully fledged students attending one of the three independent schools starting in 2012. Ideally we would start a second boarding house to provide the pastoral support, but we are considering going the route of finding families close to the schools that would be willing to provide accommodation/food during the week for these students. We would pay them an amount to cover these costs. It this happens we will have combined games nights, bible studies and anything else fun that we do with the boarding house. At the end of the 2012 the 15 will move out of the house and we would then put these 8 in the house, together with the third intake of approx. 7 students starting in 2013. i.e we want to run one house with two year groups and a total of 15 students. We hope that this will become a process that repeats itself year after year. With full tuition scholarships this reduces the costs quite substantially – these students would cost about $2200-$2500 each year to look after compared with the current 15 who cost roughly $3600 each year.
Coupled with the above plans, a new baby on its way and various other factors, Mark has accepted a job as Head of Mathematics at Hellenic Academy as of January. It was a decision we came to after much careful deliberation and soul searching. The school is fully aware of Mark’s commitments to the scholarship project and will adjust his teaching load accordingly so that he can teach the pioneer group of 15 next year as well. We see this as a positive move in trying to make the project sustainable and hopefully open more doors for getting the project more exposure. We will keep assessing how things are going – we do realise that it will be very busy, particularly in January (new job and baby...zim does not do Paternity leave!).
With a new baby due in January, I will be unable to do admin for the project and Mark will not be able to play the role he has played with a full-time teaching post and teaching the 15, we will be looking to hire someone to fulfil this role, which is likely to grow with the nature of the second intake. I will help to manage/oversee this person. We hope this person will help with the Zim fundraising side of things too.
Mark still has the vision to work within a disadvantaged community setting (…with an A-level focus), and hopefully once the scholarship programme is established (2-3yrs) we will turn our attention to establishing an A-level centre within the communities from which we are drawing these scholarship students.
Ok so that is our plans for next year – we hope we have been able to explain it as clearly as possible and that you can see how we feel the pieces of the jigsaw are coming together and this project is becoming more sustainable!!
General News
The 15 students have loved being back in the house and are working hard. We so enjoy our time with them and really do feel like we have got to know them well. We continue to run a full co-curricular programme and included this term is swimming (much to all their delight) – my main aim is to have them all able to float at least by the end of the term!! We have continued to run games evenings, which are always a source of much laughter and fun. Mark and I felt it was important to introduce a bit of English Literature to help improve their English. We have a volunteer who takes them every two weeks for discussion and reading of a book – called Mpho’s choice. They are also writing their own poetry and sharing it at these sessions. They continue to have computer lessons, music lessons and we look to introducing choir lessons (requested a few times as something they’d like to do as a group). I also continue to run my bible study on a Thursday and as always love this time with them.
We have scheduled a Christmas dinner for the end of term – an evening out at a Take away Pizza place – they are so excited, as for many of them this will be a first. Our last day of term has been set aside for our Prize Giving!!
The students continue to work hard with one or two that have needed to be pushed a little but on the whole all of them have an incredible work ethic! Not a lot of sleep happens in the house! They start their internal examinations tomorrow.
Mark and I are looking into a team building week or few days away for them as we feel this will be a valueable experience for them. It's just trying to find one that is reasonable and beneficial!
We welcome another ex-pupil of Mark's from quite a few years ago back to spend time with the students. Gladman was out from the states for a few weeks. The 15 loved time with Gladman and we all nick named him 'Mr T'. He is a Physics teacher so was a valuable asset on the revision school team as well as giving the students a lecture on studying overseas.
We also had our first big handover of support from a local company - a Zimbabwean Bank - ZB Bank. It was a great occasion and real break through for Mark on the local fundraising front - they have sponsored two pupils for two years on this current scheme. Mark continues to furiously fundraise locally for the new intake next year and the current 15. It can be at times soul destroying but really trusting God for some more break through soon!!!
We have a special friend who organised a fundraiser which we helped with at the beginning of term - a Dad's and Son's camp out - it was hard work but brilliant fun! Lovely to see some of our students interacting with young kids. We have another one this weekend for Mum's and Daughter's but is a pamper morning! We so appreciate all the effort Ange puts into these events, we benefit financially and the parents benfit from quality time with their kids! Thank you Ange!! You are such a blessing!
Mark has started the incredible task of recruiting next years intake. Between him and my Dad they have visited 35 township schools and handed out application forms. The forms are in the process of being collected and then the task of narrowing down 300 applicants to about 80 that Mark will further test and interview to come back with 8! So please pray for us during this process. It is a long process that starts in October and only finishes in February!!! It has been wonderful to go back to the schools where we ended up taking our current 15 from and seeing the heads support and appreciation of what we are doing!
Personal News
We are all well!! Poor Zoe’s tooth saga didn’t end last entry!!! Sadly the filling fell out (which we suspected it might as she had wriggled so much during the putting in of it in that the dentist wasn’t sure how long it would last). It lasted 2 months and then she woke up one Sunday morning with a huge abcess again and in terrible pain! So she was pumped with antibios again and surgery was booked for the following week. She went under a general anethetic (which is always hard as a parent watching them put your little one under and leaving them sprawled on the operating table) and had a root canal done! The dentist was so sweet he even did a cap at no extra charge – we only paid for a filling and he did a root canel and cap!! So she looks like a normal 2 year old – only with a slightly smaller front tooth!!! She was so incredibly brave!! It cost a fortune to have her tooth done this way – theatre fee, anaethestist fee and dental fee.
We loved having Mark’s folks to stay – they were at the end of a stint of 12 weeks of visitors. We loved having a full house for those few weeks but have enjoyed just being the four of us again, with the odd person staying here and there!
My dad celebrated his 60th birthday in style. He had a brilliant party thrown for him and loved every minute of it. Happy 60th Dad we love you!
My pregnancy is going well. The preterm labour stuff I have suffered with in both previous pregnancies did kick in at 20 weeks but thanks to prayer, trying to take it easy and the horrible drugs they have me on, my body is holding onto little one a bit better now. Sadly the drugs are quite debilitating and I have found this extremely tough to deal with at times. I am now 28 weeks – babies have a chance from 28 weeks here but trusting God I will get to 38 weeks!!! It is very precious to see the two kids talk about baby and what we are going to all ‘it’. They have also been so sensitive about me not being well at times and I value having them a little older this time round!!! I am an incredibly blessed mummy!! Mark has been a great support, friend and bearer of many a bad mood, as well as my folks who have blessed us with meals. I also am blown away by the support and love from the new friends I’ve made over the past year!!! Learning to be vulnerable and ask for help!! So little one – stay in mums tum a few weeks longer!!! Mark’s sister has offered to come and give us a hand the week I have my c-section – we can’t wait to see her – it will have been just over two years!!!
We closed the boarding house for two days for half term. So Mark and I and the kids took the opportunity to disappear to a part of the country Mark has never been to and I was last at when I was 9! We spent 3 nights in Chimanimani – manimani as Zoe says! It is in the mountains and is so beautiful, unspoilt and remote. To be honest there was not a lot there but it was a great time to be just the 4 of us. Haven’t been away the four of us since April 2010! The kids had a ball swimming in rock pools and under water falls, going for walks and just being together!!!! The days for some reason started very early thanks to Zoe’s little clock (5am) which meant by 9am we’d had a pretty full day already!!! Ha ha!!
We’ve also been able to entertain a few times for the first time in months – feels like we can fit it in and it has been great spending time with people – even if it’s just a picnic somewhere!!!
The rains came twice this month and it was glorious – a prelude of what is to come in November!!! I can’t wait as without water our garden is just red dry dust and the kids are just filthy – so to get some grass going will be amazing!! This time of year is my favourite – like English spring – spring is in the air. Things are flowering and signs of life!! Even more so once the rains come though. But the best part of this year are the Jacarandas (I wrote about them last year) they are just breath taking (covered in lilac flowers – my favourite colour) and the kids and I just love driving around spotting the best roads, the beautiful carpets that form under their branches etc. I love it that Matt and Zoe have picked up a love for nature too!! The ‘Reach for the Skies’ tree (yellow flowers) are also flowering! Harare is so so beautiful!!!! Our garden even has a Jacaranda!!! It has been incredibly hot this last 10 days - over 36'C! I don't like heat at the best of times and have found nights the worst!!!
We haven't had water for 3 weeks and entering our 4th week now. This has been quite stressful at times and burnt the element out on our boiler as it was empty and we did not realise! Thankfully we fitted a 5000L tank which keeps us going for just under a week (we have a cottage on our property too that uses water) but best of all our amazing next door neighbours will our tank once a week for us for free!!!!! If we had to buy water in it would cost us $50 per delivery!!!! The kids have had two bad sicky bugs over the last month and we have produced so much laundry which has used so much water to wash!! I can live with powercuts any day - they are irritating but water I can't live without!!!!
Zimbaby is going well - I have two fairs in November and have placed an advert in a local magazine - so trusting sales will pick up and I'll soon be able to pay off my loan and make some money!!!
Well hope that has put you all in the picture a little!!
Here are a few pictures!!
Me and my precious kiddies!
Helping Grandad open his presents
With all their Grankids - two more to join the crowd in the next few weeks!
Matt is learning the African way of loading vehicles!
Our precious kitty - who the kids adore - is growing up quickly!!
Fun with Paint!!!
Photo of us about 9 weeks ago with a 20 week bump!
I want to cry! So wonderful to be on the other side of a blog entry and to catch up on your life visually - LOVE all the photos, and am so blown away by the depth and richness of your life dear friend. Incredible to see the growth and path you're on with the scholarship, and to have such a sneak peek into your lives just so lovely.
ReplyDeleteThrilled Lisa has offered to come up to give you a hand, and can't believe how blessed your folks are with so many grandkids! So lovely to see you with your kids, and to see a photo with you and Mark too - so lovely!
Miss you dear friend.