Funjwa research

Research done by our friend and co-worker form the USA Seeds of Light - Jeannette  I met the principal, Daphne, of Funjwa primary school in Acornhoek and recently visited there for the second time. There is over 920 K through 4th grade children in Funjwa Primary, with an average of 50-60 per classroom. Daphne welcomed me and took me around to many of the classrooms. Most do not have desks, or tables and chairs. A few had very old desks with the desktops broken off and only a longish seat with three children squished to a seat. Most all others sit on the cement floor. Pencils are broken into thirds to stretch out to the kids. No play equipment is outside for recess. Many kids do not have food for lunch, as there may be none from home and there is no government money to provide one. There is a room with a sign in the front that says, 'computer laboratory'. I peeked inside and there is nothing except a shelf around the sides. Daphne told me it is her dream to have computers in that room, even if it is just one, to introduce the kids to what a computer is. Daphne told me many of the children had not seen a white person at their school before, except for a woman from the electrical company who came out, and I think Judy Miller also. She was grateful that I was there. She said that many would go home to say a white person had visited their school today. Some volunteers from Johannesburg for the Seeds of Light program will be donating some money so I can buy pencils, paper and hopefully some paints for the kids. I was told that many of the children at this school have been orphaned due to AIDS. They are not living in orphanages, but maybe are living with an uncle, but the uncle leaves the area for the week to work if he is lucky to have a job, and the child is left home alone. Sometimes a neighbour will check in on the child.