Our teammates have several projects that they oversee in Gesses. The main one until this point has been a grade 1-4 elementary school for Gumuz children. Highland Christians who speak Gumuz are the teachers this May though the school will be handed over to the government to run while we take on several other projects.
They also oversee non formal education which is a fairly small program at the moment. There are actually very few Gumuz that come to school and one of the reasons is that they have to walk ½ hour -1 hour to school. Another reason is that it is held from 9-12 which is 3 hours that these children don’t help in the home. There are goats and sheep to herd, water to fetch, planting and weeding and harvesting. There are babies to care for, and the list goes on.
The preschool program until this point has been pretty basic and so I am fleshing it out a little with games, songs and stories. These extras will also be adapted for the adult education classes. Not only does this preschool program help children integrate into the “public” school, it is also a way to share the gospel. A Bible lesson is always taught along with the writing and reading lesson. These classes are usually held from 7-8 am in the morning so that it doesn’t interfere with daily living.
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