Caneball and Mushrooms.

So one of the teachers at the school has partnered with local NGO's and got the students building a mushroom house beside the school where they can grow mushrooms and sell them to the local community. He teaches business and this is the perfect project for the students to apply their knowledge. Yesterday the students were leveling the ground and moving rocks and logs that were in the way using 1 broken shovel and 2 Hoes. These kids are tough. They made a fire to burn off the trees and plants they cut down. They started the fire with: a sandal they found while digging (the logical choice, obviously).

Because the mushroom farm is going beside the school we had to relocate the caneball court across the street. This required moving garbage, rocks and heaps of plants. The court had piles of ash scattered on it where wood had been burned before, but the students didn't see this as an issue and put me in a position where I wouldn't have to play in the ash. Overall I think this court is better than the other one because the kids aren't playing barefoot on top of sharp rocks and sticks...just ash...

I started teaching full time yesterday, played lots of name games and found out more about some of the student's stories. Not having seen parents for a number of years and not knowing if they are safe was an all too common theme.

Today, Greg's Comprehensive Math Assessment Test (the GCMAT) to see where these kids are at with their math (and english) skills.

Pictures to come soon.