Education Project- Advisory Notes II
I think, as has the author of the Project Management Cycle indicated, there are so many uncertain variables in this project, such that it is impossible to trust it would really go as it is being planned.
Uncertainties are first the involvement of the parents of the chosen children in the rice field and second the involvement of children themselves in the vegetable garden.
The project would exist because we have so many people living in extreme poverty; However, poverty is not simply a matter of revenue…. It is rather multidimensional:” food, clothes, healthcare, education, housing etc….
Furthermore, the parents, especially those who have many children, might emotionally be unable to prioritise the education of just one child over the need to feed the remaining kids.
Indeed, very often, some poor parents might never have a chance to explore the future of the kids- all that counts for them is rather feeding the kids today and now! The trading language is different: We are proposing that they see the future of the kids through education, when their entire lives evolve around “tearing themselves into pieces” just to find what to feed their kids today and now…!
Now that I understand better the philosophy of the project, I feel there are so many uncertainties or variables, which are very difficult to manage. Starting a project under such premises would simply be building on utterly unsafe presumptions.
Would it be better to change the vision?
For example, there has been an experience that has been tried: A primary school was run on the secondary school style of boarding (kids living at school during term time). The problem is could you find sufficient funds such that the chosen kids may eat and live at school?
Obviously, in such circumstances, classical boarding school management structures such as a director would need to be implemented and would need to fit the government guidelines. May be the church would deal with the administrative (government) requirements.
Please let me know if that is feasible?
Cordially,
xxxxxx
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1 Comments:
Dear Brother,
Thank you very much for you input. It is higly appreciated.
However, this project, unlike others with bigger funds, is relying only on £30 (30, 000 FRW)a month); and its success does not depend on the funds but rather on the contribution from parents and children in the village.
There are no donnors to rely on: We have only £30/month! So, we all have to think on how to optimize the use of this money in feeding the initial 12 children; and how we can take on more kids on the project.
Whereas our initial calculations showed we could feed 12 kids without a problem with this amount, without the involvement of the parents we cannot take on any more kids.
Rice fields and parental help would ensure more poor kids have a chance. And in village where more people are poor, taking only 12, without envisaging the prospects of increasing the number one day, may lead to instability, tensions and conflicts (between those who are enrolled and those who aren't)
So, although a brilliant idea, boarding school style is impossible, because it would require feeding kids 3 times a day. And the funds we have (£30 or 30,000 FRW each month) are only for ONE meal a day.
So, lets continue our consultations along this philosophy:
Since no bigger funds are to be expected:
First, how do we use £30 par month to feed the initial 12 kids and enroll more kids over time?
Second, how do we get the parents to own the project (so that it becomes theirs- and not another cashout from Whites)?
We thought working in rice fields would address both of these questions: it would help them to feel they effectively OWN the project (and indeed they do because their work is worth more than the aid provided ) and enrol further poor kids on the scheme.
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