Working Harder for Successes

Some people see the glass of water as half full. Some people see it as half empty. Sowers4Pastors sees that sometimes it is necessary to cup your hands together and get that metaphorical water distributed any way you can. It’s backpack distribution season and while that is normally the happiest time of the year, this year there are some melancholy aspects to it. 

In past years, Sowers4Pastors has been able to see some huge results from the backpack program, particularly through the sister church programs, most of which are run through the local school. The Manna programs are run through individual churches, which is great, but the sister churches are able to reach entire communities. Their programs are open to any child in the community whose parents want them to go to school.

School attendance in those sister church programs grew by leaps and bounds. Some of the locations saw attendance double. New schools were being built. New teachers were hired. Most of that could be traced back to the fact that kids were receiving backpacks, giving them supplies that they otherwise couldn't afford and are necessary to go to school in Honduras. And then… COVID changed some things.

As Trish said, “We were riding the wave. Then COVID comes in and everything is a struggle. We’re not quitting at all, but we have to work harder for our successes.”

In general, the teachers in rural Honduras are going around from house to house, dropping off and picking up assignments. Most rural Honduran families do not own computers or have access to the internet, so online school isn’t an option, and the kids are trying to do schoolwork at home.

Many parents in the U.S. have been quite vocal in expressing that they aren’t cut out to oversee their children’s education at home. Now imagine a parent doing that with no internet and little formal education. Some Honduran adults can't read, others never made it past a 4th grade education. Their kids are on their own when it comes to keeping up with their studies and that can be disheartening for them. It’s not conducive to getting more kids enrolled in school, but there are still kids working from home.

There isn’t any definitive word about when the physical schools will reopen, but there is some talk of reopening in June or July. That would be about halfway through the Honduran school year. Backpack distribution is going forward with no misgivings. Just because the fight is harder doesn’t mean it’s time to give up.

Every year, there is a certain number of kids who leave school. The rule has always been, “No school attendance = no sponsorship program.” When doing updates on the kids, the ones no longer attending school were removed from the program and their sponsors were notified. This year, however, it is hard to even tell which students are continuing to keep up on their studies and intend to return to school when the option is available. When physical attendance at a school building is a thing again, Sowers4Pastors will reassess individuals' eligibility to stay in the program. 

Please pray that as many kids as possible will be able to continue plugging along and doing schoolwork at home. Pray that the backpacks and shoes will be a blessing to the children and their families. And pray that they are able to get back to the classroom sooner rather than later.

-posted by Christi.