What does RTU do? - 2. Education

The visit to my school last week has inspired me to write about Reaching the Unreached's work in education. Since around a thousand children and young people are cared for within the Children's Villages and teenagers' hostels, it's perhaps unsurprising that there is also a flourishing network of RTU schools in the area. More unexpectedly, though, these schools also provide places for the poorest children in many surrounding villages.

For babies and the youngest children, there are day care centres and infant schools. As well as being given educational stimulation, these children benefit from food, bathing and medical care. If the centres were not available, a parent might have to give up work, with enormous financial implications for the family. The more likely solution would be that an older sibling would look after the young child, thus missing out on their own education.

As the children grow up, they move to one of RTU's three primary schools, and then to the High School. The standard of education is high, with child-friendly teaching methods and a strict anti-corruption policy, factors which are worth mentioning in a country where corporal punishment is common and exam fraud is rife.

Many children drop out of school due to difficult family circumstances, or have learning difficulties and cannot cope with the relatively inflexible teaching methods in state schools. The RTU Open School offers a more personalised education for these children, with bridge courses enabling children to catch up lost years and gain a foundation for further studies or vocational training.

Although there are far too many aspects of RTU's educational work for me to describe here, I can't stop without mentioning the mobile science lab! This van, which has been fitted out with equipment and materials for scientific experiments and demonstrations, tours 43 local schools. As a result, local teachers have access to equipment which is otherwise completely unavailable in their schools, and 20,000 children are helped to follow the national curriculum.

Hello Perse Girls!

It was such fun going "back to school" on Monday and meeting some of you that I thought I'd post you a message!

Wow, the new dining room and hall are amazing! I love the ceiling that changes colour. Things have certainly changed a bit in the nearly 20 years since I completed my time at the Perse. What's still the same, though, is the enthusiasm and energy of the girls. Thanks so much to all of you who took time out from your muffins and conversations to look at my display! It was great to hear from you what it's like to be a Perse Girl in 2008, and to have the chance to tell you a bit about me and my project.

I hope you've had time to read the leaflets about the charities I'm supporting. But don't worry if you haven't, or if you didn't take any leaflets; there are links to their webpages on the sidebar (just below the "welcome" paragraph). If you have a look at them, I'm sure you will be able to find out everything that you'd like to know about the charities!

Thanks again for letting me introduce my project to you. I hope that you find it interesting, and that you'll be able to follow my blog over the next five months. It makes a big difference to have your support! I hope also that I'll have another chance nearer the "big days" to visit you, so that I can meet more of you, and so that you can find out exactly how my preparations and fundraising are going! Until then, keep smiling...

News and plans

Training, fundraising and blog posting have taken a back seat over the past 10 days or so while my dad has made it through a heart bypass operation. So apologies for the silence! You will be glad to hear that Dad is recovering quite well.

Now it's "all systems go" for a publicity trip to Norwich! I lived in Norwich for five years before I started as a postulant with the Sisters of the Assumption, and I'm really glad of the opportunity to spend some time there again catching up with old friends and talking about my project. My display will be earning its living in St John's Cathedral after Mass on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, with me beside it to answer questions. After that I will give a couple of talks and meet as many people as I can.

For me this is a wonderful chance to spread the word about the charities I'm supporting; more widespread awareness of their work is perhaps the most important aspect of this whole project. You can help with that by sharing my enthusiasm with your friends, families and acquaintances. Together we can reach many, many people!