China in Africa

I am often asked about the presence of China in Africa.  This is how I respond.

(1) It is true that the Chinese concentrate on infrastructure, including roads and bridges. But this focus is not simply to provide the means to get raw materials to port for shipment to China. It is what the governments want -- roads, bridges, buildings.

(2) Unlike the West, China does not tie aid to human rights. Many African leaders like this.

(3) China's involvement in Africa is all about the UN. China's roads in Africa are Africa's votes for China at the UN.

Here's an example of China's influence in Dodoma.

The Girl Effect

This video is worth watching. If you want to help us make a difference not only for girls in Tanzania but their families, please consider donating. You'll find details on the upper-right of this page. God bless!

Wanafunzi na Walimu wa SPCHS: Hongerini

Students and Teachers of SPCHS: Congratulations!

Great news from Dodoma: St. Peter Claver High School placed in the top 2% of the Central Region Zone (Dodoma and Singida) Form 2 national examination results -- 7th out of 349 schools.  Of the nearly 140 students 1 D grade, 13  Cs and the rest  As and Bs. No failing grades.

Given the number of students we had who arrived hardly speaking English, this news makes me very happy. Congratulations St. Peter Claver High School!

Why SPCHS Matters

This is from an article in The Citizen:

There are disturbing reports that a huge number of students won’t be able to get a place in secondary school this January even though they qualify.
This is an indication that there has been inadequate preparedness in some quarters. Relevant authorities should have anticipated since early last year that there would be a surge in the number of youngsters vying for Form One places.
Reports that over 2,800 students in Dodoma who qualified to join secondary school this year won’t be admitted to secondary school are disturbing. It means some authorities somewhere messed up!
The scenario in Dodoma Region could be a mere tip of the iceberg; we are yet to hear from other parts of the country.

Without schools like St. Peter Claver High School, the situation would be far, far worse.

A New Year, A New Academic Year at SPCHS

Hey students and teachers at St. Peter Claver High School, Dodoma!

What Counts?

Was thinking today about how silly so much testing is, and then I remembered this:

Merry Christmas!

It has been forever since I have posted any updates.

I was moved to post this update after seeing a very moving picture on the Facebook page of Sean Kenney, a man who recently returned to the US after volunteering in Dodoma for two years.

This photograph captures for me so much. First, notice the school bus -- the gift of so many friends of Saint Peter Claver High School. The bus is being used for its intended purpose -- to transport our students for their weekly community service.

And notice the groups of our students in their uniforms working with younger students. This is the program that Sean spearheaded along with the Ivrea sisters -- to get our students into the local village to provide weekly tutoring for the children there. The learning conditions are abominable, and it is my hope that we can manage to accept two students from the village on an annual basis in the coming years.

Third, notice how dry the place is. In good years Dodoma is semi-arid -- the good years don't follow one another as often as they used to.

Fourth, notice the unfinished structure in the distance -- Tanzanians don't live beyond their means; they build as they have the money.

Finally, this is all happening at the local church. Our students are formed to be men and women for and with others in light of Chapter 25 of Matthew's Gospel (vv 31-46).

If you haven't made all your charitable donations for this year, please consider helping us out at St. Peter Claver High School. In addition to assistance with school fees for students, there are a number of other projects that would certainly benefit from your generosity.

Donations can be made online. Click on "international missions" and then write SPCHS in the comment section.

And thanks to all those who have so kindly contributed this year. We'll soon have a bakery up and running, providing healthier food for our students but also generating an income for the school by having a retail arm.

God bless you in 2013!

PS: I myself will be moving on to John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, where I'll be teaching in the Department of Education and serving the Jesuit community as the superior.