Service

The motto of St. Peter Claver High School is to learn ~ to love ~ to serve. The Chicago-Detroit Province provided us with a bus early on, and a second bus was purchased with funds donated by a number of groups. These buses have two principal purposes: (1) to transport students to and from their community service, and (2) to transport employees from Dodoma (about seven miles) to the school campus.

Initially our students did service at a residential program for children with developmental disabilities; more recently they have been working with students in Ihumwa, the local village -- about four miles away. When I left, I set a goal: That SPCHS would admit at least two students per year from the village (which is horribly under-served school-wise). I am happy to say that as a result of the support of our students and adults at SPCHS, two students from the village did well enough to gain admission this past January.

SPCHS uses the local Catholic mission station as the tutoring center. All are welcome.

I often told the students, "You can have a good school even under a tree." Yes, indeed.

Some students tutor inside. But tutoring outside the church means Muslim students can participate.

And why not end with some dancing?

 This program was started and continues as the result of hard work on the part of American volunteers (JVC) and is inspired by the example of the Ivrea sisters (Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception of Ivrea, Italy).

Finally, here are the groups that helped with the bus: