Shepherd School
Posted on January 3, 2010 - Filed Under Prayer Requests | Leave a Comment
A small kerosene lamp glows in the middle of a crowded room and the blackness of the African night is pushed back to reveal a crudely made blackboard. A teenage girl has scribbled 4 or 5 words in Swahili and reads each one as the group repeats after her. After each, she gives the translation in the language of Samburu so they will understand. Ngombengichu. This means cow, a word each of these young shepherds knows well. The children range in age from about 8 years up to 15. They have been out in the fields all day, watching over their families most precious possession, goats, sheep and maybe a few cows. During this extended dry season of 2009, many have lost a major portion of their flocks. These adolescents are charged with caring for the remainder, taking them out to find pasture each day. Because of this obligation, they are unable to attend regular classes. But in the evening when the work is finished and the animals return safely, they run home for a quick cup of tea, put on their better clothes and beads and rush to Shepherd School. For the next 2 hours, they will concentrate on learning to speak, read and write Swahili and study a story from the Bible. Nearly a dozen new Baptist churches have been started in this mountainous area. Each one has a preschool which caters to the smallest learners. And now, they are meeting the needs of the ones usually missed by the educational system, the shepherds. These kids have no chance of attending school as they are needed to help with caring for the livestock. Church leaders, working with community elders, have begun organizing evening sessions in their local villages. Most have only a blackboard for the teacher and a small, homemade oil lantern. It casts a tiny glow around the teacher as she shares the Gospel using a picture cube. As the flame pierces the dark, may the Light of the World penetrate the hearts and minds of these precious souls.
Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
