First Family Visit

I have asked to meet with families of the students. I am very excited about this portion of my trip as my heart's desire is to understand all aspects of schooling in Liberia better. Delphine (the new K teacher), Hawa and Vman walk me to my first home visit - it is Delphine's family and they also have younger kids currently attending. I am so honored to be welcomed into their home - I have maybe visited one other house besides the Wesley home before this. They have prepared lunch for me. Soup with fish, cow skin, and chicken feet all to be poured over a cassava paste with spicy pesto sauce. I tried...ok, no I didn't even try the chicken foot (I did last time I was here and I will again but it is a hard mental thing to overcome!) and I did not try the cow skin. It looks like trouble for my jaw - chewing rawhide about 2 inches thick. I try not to offend but it is really hard to eat. Martha and William are the parents and it was lovely to talk to them. I asked about how they chose CMA and their reply was because the teachers know how to teach. I find this interesting because none of the teachers have an education degree. But Martha said that the teachers in public schools do not actually teach. The schools are overhwhelmed with studends and she feels they don't care. We talked about

their hopes and dreams for their kids (those dreams are no different than yours and mine) and how they view Liberia. They are frustrated and feel there is nothing to be done except to pray. And give their children an education (Martha never attended school).
Note: about to ramble and just endure :) I have been talking with an educator friend of mine back in the States. She graciously did some research for me about educating in poverty. It is a fascinating topic and we can see it in the United States. Socioeconomic status tends to dictate how well a student will do in school. Quite often, students are just behind. And the more I think about Liberia, the more I come to understand how difficult it is even in educating students here. Many students arrive in kindergartern or preschool having never been read to or taught the ABCs. These are important building blocks in education and parents who are uneducated and/or illiterate AND usually have a hard time putting food on the table have more challenges in finding time (or are able) to provide those early learning moments. This is not a political statement and I probably am not being PC enough but there is no doubt. There are many layers to education, just as there are to poverty. And I have zero answers but the number of questions keeps growing.