Give A Goat

I may have just read the most inspiring children’s book! Beatrice’s Goat is a story about a nine-year-old Ugandan girl who wanted to go to school, but could not afford to. In Kenya (and possibly Uganda as well, but I am not positive) education is free up until the age of eight, and from that point on the families must pay for school, uniforms and school supplies. An American run program called Heifer International provided her family with a goat which in turn gave lots of milk which earned them enough money to pay for school. Schools are built by the towns and are called harambee (HAH-rahm-bee) schools. Harambee means “let’s work together.” The children mow grass, pull weeds and scrub the walls to keep their schools neat. Another interesting note was that the Kenyan national soccer team is called the Harambee Stars. In preparation for my trip I will be reading 4 novels and 13 children’s books. If I am inspired by them I will be sure to post!