Northern Lights

A special school for disabled children left a mark on my heart forever.  These poor children were a delight to talk to and hear as they sang.  One sweetheart will not talk, but she sings her hear out.  A high school boy got so excited and nervous to talk to American that he could barely contain himself. The facility was old and the "textbooks" were the same workbooks that they use at Emafini, but the spirit of the children  is bright and contagious.

The thought of inclusion has been discussed, but everyone that we ask talks about how it will take a long time and no one sees it as a priority.  Student testing for learning disability seems to be getting some attention, but the needs are great and the resources are few.

One of the students at Northern Lights had just started in the first grade and this was her first time in school because her parents did not know that they could send her to school.  She was eight years old and a fast learner.  In grade R, which is like Kindergarten there was one student, but he did not have a teacher so he hangs out in the library all day.  He was looking at a puzzle when we were there.