Making education available for the children of Bubembe Island has been Vickie’s dream for several years. Just two years ago we found the shell of a school room void of both teachers and students. We began bringing teaching and ministry to this island where no other NGO exists and soon the parents trusted us enough to ask for an education for their children. Formerly, these same parents desired only that their children learn to fish. While we’ll never know the extent of our role in changing their mindset, we like to think that we were small instruments in the hands of God.
About a year ago, a teacher came to that school just two days per week and parents organized themselves to establish fees. Today, we were shocked to find an additional building and staff quarters being added to that one lonely room. We praise God for moving the people and the government to value education for the children of the island.
The children in the school numbered about 25 until the community saw us pass by at which time that building filled with every child and parent near the Bubembe Island landing site. The children quickly warmed to Heidi and her giraffe puppet, and her storybooks with songs and motions. She was a fantastic teacher and knew just how to engage the children as well as to motivate them to stay in school and learn to read so that they could read the Word of God and have a personal relationship with him.
After the teaching she delivered the many, many gifts she and her sponsors provided about which the children were no less enthusiastic. Flip flops, toys, clothing and lots of gifts and supplies for the teacher. What a blessing Heidi was to the community and to the minds and hearts of these families.