Your Questions Answered!

Since asking for your input last week, I'm so happy to have so many great questions already submitted.

Your questions are very important to me and will be answered in the order in which they were received. Thank you for playing!

CardiffScott wrote: Will your kids at the orphanage go to out to school in the community or will you do school in house when the time comes?

We already teach the kids a lot using Montessori and other preschool educational tools and so we will be continuing to teach them at 'home'. Sadly, there are no good schools in our area. The only schools in our area are poorly run government schools. The schools don't have good books, the classes are over crowded, the English being spoken is poor, the teachers have very little training--I could go on and on. It breaks my heart not to be able to do more for the schools.

  I often say that if I were cloned into 5 or 10 people I would still stay busy with all the passions I have for helping Zambia. There are the schools, the needs of the antenatal (prenatal) women, the needs of the new mothers, the youth who have no direction, the local clinic which is not worthy of the name. But, God has given me these 16 (and counting) children and our staff and I have to keep my eyes on my primary tasks.

Sorry, I got carried away! Back to the question:

The goal is that we will be setting up a Christian school within the orphanage using a variety of teaching styles and books. The main curriculum we're planning to use is ACE--School of Tomorrow which uses a PACE system so each child can be studying at a different level and a teacher or two can supervise a whole room of children at different grade levels. 

I also want to supplement this with several labs such as a science room, an art room, one on one spelling and reading practice and hands on mathematics activities as well as educational games on the computer.  And, of course, oodles and oodles of books!

I'm a firm believer in the fact that each child is unique and learns in a different way. Keeping our school small and simple will enable us to give the kids the best possible education. Our vision for the children in our care is that they are going to grow up to be the future leaders of Zambia. We are going to do everything in our power to give them the tools for success.

Now, the question that many will ask is what we will do about socialization. I'm not so worried about that because we are going to have so many children growing up together as well as visitors from all over the world that they are going to be well used to interacting with people from every walk of life. Already, visitors comment on how well adjusted the kids are. We have volunteers coming through, others stopping by for a tour and the kids just walk up and say hello. There is no fear or timidity.

In the future, when our kids are a bit older and we're more settled and well-staffed, I'd love to do a community Sunday School where we could invite each church in the area to bring a selected number of children on a Sunday (or Saturday) morning for Bible stories, songs and activities. This will allow the children in our care to reach out and give back to others.

 I hope this answers your question, CardiffScott. 

I look forward to even more questions. Leave them here in comments or email me at amymorrowinafricaATgmailDOTcom.