At the end of April, 2017, 10 students from Grace International School’s graduating class sat for their West Africa Education Council (WAEC) exams. These are the equivalent of our SAT College Board exams and are used to gain entrance into a university for further study. All of the students passed, some with distinction!
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By Peter Dewberry
On Friday, November 9, two Africa Education Partnership board members, Elaine Chagnon and Peter Dewberry, travelled from Connecticut to St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church in the Bronx, New York City. Ms. Chagnon dove her SUV, which was loaded down with books and educational materials destined for our schools in Nigeria. This was the second consignment of books we have sent.
Gidan Waya Nursery/Primary School
Giday Waya Secondary School We traveled from Kafanchan for about 20 minutes in order to reach Gidan Waya, home to Gidan Waya Nursery/Primary School and Gidan Waya Secondary School. This campus is the newest in the Kafanchan region; it was built in 2011 after local violence sent people scurrying for safety. When the violence passed, people were anxious about sending their children back to the Kafanchan school, even though they were not in harm’s way. At that time, a new school site was established far enough away to allay fears. This site is the most impressive- all of the construction is in good shape. This is also the home of a newly constructed hospital on the other side of the campus. The hospital was dedicated in April of 2018 and is open to patients year round. The only immediate project needed for this site is the completion of an exam hall for students to sit for their WAEC exams, similar to our college board (SAT) exams here. Bishop was able to secure a grant that covered half of the construction- the walls and roof are up- but the interior needs completion. The hall is massive and will hold up to 500 students- refer to the photo. It will take about $15,000 US to complete the build.
Kafanchan Nursery/Primary School; Kafanchan Secondary School
We arrived at this first location- Kafanchan, the original school location in the region. Many of the buildings here were built in the 1930’s by missionaries. The fact that they are still in use today as a secondary school is a testament to their sturdy construction. That being said, the buildings are all in need of renovations of varying degree. The need is great and Bishop Markus and his team work hard to prioritize the most urgent requests with limited funds- there is simply not enough to go around to repair everything, especially when trying to manage seven schools. The first building on our tour of Kafanchan was the original chapel, also constructed in the 1930’s. The building is currently used for an examination hall on the secondary level campus; however, the interior ceiling is on the verge of collapse, making the space currently unusable. Note the sag in the photo. The building is in need of an entirely new roof. By Elaine Chagnon
After a week of medical outreach and the dedication of the Graceland International School Exam Hall, our time in Gusau ended at 2:00 p.m. After a quick lunch, we piled into the bus for the 4 ½ hour drive to Kaduna, our midway resting place on the way to Kafanchan. Our task was to investigate schools within the Kafanchan area to determine needs. We also wanted to assess spend time with our hosts to determine if a new partnership with AEP was feasible. |
This page compiles information from outside sources, as well as AEP's own blog updates.
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