Help Wanted

Vava'u may be paradise, but living in paradise isn't always easy. Usually it is pretty rough. The papaya trees may be over flowing with fruit, but the pockets of the people are pretty empty. This is due to the lack of money or the hole in the pocket where a few coins slipped out unnoticed. Mizpah is facing some challenges right now, mainly how to run a school where the teachers are underpaid and the budget sees more credits than debits. The computer lab is barely functioning. Only seven of the computers are working, which is difficult for a class of twenty five who are suppose to be learning how to type. The two student toilets are broken, which are still shared among the hundred some kids that go to Mizpah. Cardboard boxes are used for trashcans, my classroom is to poor to afford one. Teaching supplies is slim. Two pens, a pencil, a few paper clips, and a teachers rule book were handed out to each teacher at the beginning of the year. Folders would have been nice to keep the rule books in, but they are not in the budget. A piece of paper is printed on for a class, then used to take notes in a meeting, then used to write memos on, then finally used to clean the windows of the classrooms. The tuition was raised about $7 U.S. dollars this year, but was lowered back to the original price because that was to much for the parents to pay. No money was left over from last year and it has been hard for the principle to make ends meet. I am hoping to find a way to change this and could use some help. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions on how to raise some money for Mizpah school they would be greatly appreciated. School still begins everyday and the kids still learn, but it is very hard work. I want to make it easier for the staff here to do their job. Please leave comments about ideas or places to start. If you want send me an email at dhodgson@southern.edu. Thank you for the support.