“I’ve been sick for 2 years and at my age, what can I do? I can’t walk or work anymore and I need to take medicines”, says Jean-Pierre, a father in his fifties. “I have 12 children and they all went to school … except for the youngest four. I haven’t been able to put them in school since I got sick.” The fact that Jean-Pierre’s house is the first one adjacent to the Kinzuana school playground where the children line up in long rows before every class makes it especially hard on the 2 daughters and 2 sons that he now can’t afford to send to school. “It’s very sad for me to watch”, he continues. “My youngest daughters and sons used to get their backpacks when they saw all the children lining up for class. They would run over and stand in a line, but the teacher would always find them and send them back home. They sometimes came back crying. I try to save money but I just can’t afford to pay for all my children after I’m finished feeding them. I feel ashamed. It’s my responsibility to take care of all my children and be sure that they are fed and educated. But I’m failing.” – A father in the DRC

This quote reminds me of how much the education system is really the one “failing” children and families and how far we have to go. At the GSF, we are working with a system in decline. Primary school enrollment has dropped steadily from the 1980s, when the DRC boasted 95% primary school enrollment free of charge. Now, public financing for education has long stopped, schools have not been rebuilt since the 1950s, and regional instability has left communities without the resources to support even minimal schooling on their own.

The situation is worst in eastern DRC, where Goma is located. IFRC estimates that 70% of children do not attend school and, most of these (47%) have never stepped foot inside a school door. Many of these kids are like Jean-Pierre’s kids, with destitute families who cannot afford the minimal fees. A growing number are even more impoverished, having lost their families to the civil war, malnutrition, or diseases such as HIV/AIDS. At the same time, all schools in Goma are forced to charge fees, as they receive no public financing.

It is this disconnect, between the needs of kids and of schools that the GSF is trying to breach. Our Congolese teachers run the school according to their expertise and charge minimal fees to students who can afford to pay. At the same time, out teachers provide full scholarships for children impoverished or orphaned by the civil war or disease.

We at the GSF are working to create a fine balance, of teacher-run sustainable schools with opportunities for education for all. Our first year is coming to a close and members of the Board and I will be returning this summer to develop our summer programs and plan for next year. I look forward to sharing stories with you about our students during their first year. However, I also know that I will be returning to so many stories like Jean-Pierre’s, reminding me of all the kids whose needs we have not met and how far we have to go.