The Humbling of Mr Maddog

Mr Maddogs department in the Company do a lot of fundraising within the local community and in recent months for a local school in the vicinity of the office where he works. He was asked to make the presentation of 200 flip-flops/thongs/slippers to the children. As all the children didn't possess footwear. There are hundreds of children in this city alone who walk around bare footed all the time exposing the risk to diseases especially during the monsoon season.

The brief was give an inspiring talk to the teachers and staff and present the flip-flop/slippers. We talked about it as a family and decided that a talk on geography and the world would be best. So armed with the Baby Maddogs world globe he went.

What he came back with was gifts from the headmistress and a deep humbling of the situation that these kids, parents and staff endure to just try and give children an education.

This my friends is a classroom believe it or not for 4 classes, they have to take it in turns to use the chalkboard.

No desks, no chairs and most of time not enough pencils and paper to write on.
But the kids are issued with a uniform and it's amazing to see them clean, neatly pressed, braided hair. The parents are immensely proud of the fact their children go to school so the kids wear their uniforms with pride.

A beautiful show of dancing and singing was performed by the older girls.....and....

the boys

Then Mr Maddog got into action giving a little lesson on where Scotland is!!!!

Then the presentation of the shoes started with the youngest child in the school

This is the Headmistress of the school giving gifts of significance to Mr Maddog a welcoming shawl and an apple. This lady used to work in one of the tall office blocks that surround the village and single handed started up the school as there was no education provision in the village and felt compelled to do something. Quite a lady wouldn't you say?

Mr Maddog returned home that evening deeply humbled by the contrast between what he saw that day and how privileged our own children were going to a school where there is no want for nothing.

A few weeks later we got an update from the school saying how the children were so grateful for their shoes that, can you believe this, they walk to school barefooted and carry the precious footwear to put on at school so not to spoil them or wear them out. This is despite being educated by the teachers that they are to wear them all the time. Makes your heart bleed.

This will not be the last you see of this school, we intend to do more. I'll keep you posted.