Tea with sugar?

They looked like a row of sparrows on a telephone wire in the late afternoon sun, but they were bouncing up and down, shrieking with laughter. The boy on the end stood and jumped on the collapsed roof support resting in a vacant grassy area next to the nursery.

The nursery is humming these days, making ready for the official opening on April 2. Running water means that small toilets, sinks and drinking fountains have replaced hikes across the road to use facilities in the Trade School hostel. The new electrical hookup and lights allowed several of us to remain after dark a few nights ago to work on a mural in the classroom for the three and four year old Guava class. This one, drawn by Sarah the head mistress, depicts a large caterpillar in grass with a spider balancing on its web just above. A fence is nearly completed around what will be a playground for the oldest group, the Mangoes. “Grass needs to be planted there before the rains end,” observes Father Owen. Chet took measurements last week for some pint sized play structures for the open area within the walls. In time, the nursery custodian will plant a garden.

The staff of six teachers and one custodian are busy planning songs and activities they’ll teach each week. The toddler Paw-Paws learn three colors. The Guavas count blocks, their fingers and their ears. The Mangoes are learning to sing the national anthem. Small happy faces greet visitors. The former “crying zone” is now labeled “Noisy Zone,” though it doesn’t get much action these days. One former crying zone regular named Patrick was recently overheard calling me an "mazungu," a rather uncomplimentary reference to a foreigner. After a quick bit of vocabulary adjustment, he now says, "Good bye, Mrs. Ann."

One staff issue was a surprise to the English headmistress. How much sugar should be supplied for tea each week? After considerable discussion, it was decided that one kilogram packet of sugar and one kilogram packet of powdered milk will be supplied. When those are gone, the staff will need to supply their own until the following week.