Thursday, March 22, 2012

jungwrith

As I sat across from Jungwrith, his answers to my questions where just giving me  more questions. Why had he dropped out at year ten another brother at year 11 and yet another in year 13? He and his brothers had been so close to finishing their education. His Dad was a teacher, yet he didn’t have his children in school? He seemed really smart; I wondered what was going on. He had just finished a very beautiful painting and was eager to do another. His eyes lit up when I explained how I thought the people in Canada would love to see his picture he painted of Mt. Yashur, the Volcano. Volcanos are not something we live with and seeing daily in Canada. He was excited when I told him how I would reproduce his painting with his picture on the back and write a little bit about him. He shyly smiled as l explained the money from the copies I sold would go back to him for school.  He is very smart and spoke english well. Jung said he wanted to be a Pilot, that was still his dream, he told me with a smile. But currently he is not going to school. Year ten had been his last year. When I asked why he quit he simply said “school fees.” His two other brothers who had been in school as well had dropped out at the same time. Only his youngest brother was in school, he was in grade one. His Dad was a teacher. Education was so important to Jung. When I asked where his name came from he said he was named after a Australian teacher that had came to Vanuatu and taught his Dad. All three of these brothers have dreams of what they want to be, dreams that were in their reach. His oldest brother Tom had been in school in Australia on his way to be a doctor, Jungwrith and his other brother had been at the secondary school here doing really well, but then the vatu ran out. Jungwrith and his brothers can not go down into town and get one of the few part time jobs to pay for the school fees; there is no part time jobs to get without at least a high school education, year 13. He was eager to do something about his situation but didn’t know what. My heart felt so tender as I watched Jungwrith excitedly start another painting. When it was getting late and I asked if we could drive him home and he said he wanted to stay until he finished, he must of been painting for at least 3 hours. I promised he could come back tomorrow, he reluctantly came, only after making sure he cleaned up and said thank you, multiple times. This project has given him hope. Through his paintings he is hopeful soon he can go back to school!

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