Once or twice a month we travel down Five Mile Creek to a secluded, quiet, beautiful and incredibly poor beach to while away the day in sun and relax at our beach house. Five years ago the local one room reed and straw school house was rebuilt by the expatriates like us who spend their weekends escaping the noise and crowds of Lagos on the beach. While now proudly stands a 5 room school house with a metal roof, blackboards, desks and chairs that educates 70 primary students from the surrounding villages. The school is charming, located under a canopy of palm trees with a football field front and center and a playground off to the side. Teacher huts are at one end of the area and are occupied Sunday night through Friday afternoon during the school term. Today there is a Board/Foundation made up of the director of the school, the village chief and a few expatriates to sort the needs of the students and the school. Over the last year there is now a computer lab fueled by a generator. Recently the school received a grant to purchase textbooks for each child. Every little bit helps whether from sales of the book Nigerian Gems, to corporate donations and or private donations. As the school term starts next week, Rocky and dropped off bags of notebooks and ink pens to get the school year started. Chief James proudly showed us the school.
Village and homes next to the school.
The school.
The soccer field.
One of the classrooms.
