Growing

So we are finding out that maybe the boys didn’t steal after all and that is good. We still aren’t quite sure but no confessions were made. They told us that a woman gave them more change than they were supposed to be given back, but then we never saw that extra money in the end. Rodrigo asked them what would be the right thing to do and after a few times of asking them in a variety of ways, we think they got it and are going to return the money to the woman. Rodrigo discussed with them at length that this is their business and if they steal then they are stealing from themselves. We had arranged to take a truck into town but it will cost 200 mets. They decided that was eating into their profits and opted to walk instead. We gave them the money to buy the grocery items for this week and gave them each 100 mets for their work. They decided not to take the 100 mets, but to keep it with us and build up a reserve so that they will not have to rely on us to front initial costs and will soon be able to do it fully themselves. I am proud. So now their little business can take off and we can simply continue to monitor and advise. 

We have now been given a small monthly budget!! We have been wanting to hire one of our older students to teach a Community Health course and this will make it possible. The students have been asking to have events together on Friday nights and we can use the money for this too. Rodrigo and I both feel that we don’t have the community we had anticipated with our students. Initially this was supposed to be for our Iris kids, but they showed no interested so we opened it up to village kids. They come and go and only about 10-15 are consistent. One morning we will have 50 and the next, 20. It makes it very difficult to teach any subject fully. It also makes it hard for us to get to know them. We are thinking about starting an application process and being strict about attendance to hopefully get a core group of dedicated students. We are absolutely making this up as we go along. 

I am teaching my heart out every day with English classes but when I test them or do conversational games, I get frustrated with all that they do not know. They sit so diligently and patiently through each class and never say that they don’t understand. I do my best to engage them and include everyone and ask lots of questions and call on each student. I all but stand on my head! This is hard. 

We may have an opportunity to start another small business. A Gift Shop! I can see it all now. I want to offer local goods. Local straw and banana leaf bags and baskets and mats. I want to package and sell local honey and cashews (one of the only export items in Mozambique- other than oil). I want to take capalana fabric and make all sorts of things. For now, the plan is to include the students in lessons on starting up a business. We will need a brand and want to market it and want to find sources for the honey, cashews, fabric, etc. So we are created classes around this for now. 

Also, Rodrigo and I met today with a local hotel. They are willing to work with us on letting our students shadow some of their workers and are very interested in hiring more employees within the next year for an expansion project. They are at capacity now with 106 rooms and are building 80 more. They will need additional employees and we can step in at just the right time to give our kids time to learn the job and be fully trained and be the perfect candidates for hire when the times comes. 

Monday is a national holiday. They have more holiday’s here than the State of Georgia. I am going to an Elephant Reserve! I have heard that it existed. I once heard it was far away and then I heard it was close by and then I heard it was closed and then I heard that the elephants weren’t “out”. But I ran into the owner last week and decided that I could not live here for two years of my life and not get to experience the elephants. So, I am going!