Building Schools, Renovating Schools

To tell you the truth, I'm not with Sifu Brinker on the concept behind this year's school renovations at Silent River Kung Fu. The tearing down of walls and heating ducts, ripping up of tiles will supposedly create more useable training space, and a more functional parent viewing area. I just don't see it. But I'm quite happy to join in the work these last two Saturdays. The company is pleasant, the school is an invaluable community asset, and I come away feeling happy about being a part of it all.

As I rode my bike home yesterday, I got to thinking about the rennovating and building of schools. I'm just now reading a book called "Three Cups of Tea", by Greg Mortenson. Mortenson, an avid mountain climber from the USA, almost died when he made his way back down K2 in Pakistan after a failed attempt to make the summit in 1993. He stumbled into an impoverished, isolated village named Korphe, and the people there nursed him back to health. When he finally was ready to return home he made a promise to return one day and build a school for the people there. Since then, Mortenson has built schools all over the most isolated, deprived areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. This book is about his work in Pakistan, and the great citizens of Pakistan who worked with him to bring balanced education to the impoverished, isolated, and in particular, to young girls. The subtitle of Mortenson's book says it all - 'One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations . . . One School at a Time.'

How can one person, or the average citizen most effectively bring peace to our future? Water supply, food, and medical aide are important of course. But education is what empowers. Schools like the one's Mortenson has built in Pakistan empower the students to rise above the conditions that fuel hate and prejudice. Likewise, supporting the projects of our local schools that teach compassion, empathy, responisibility, acts of kindness will produce the kind of citizens who can collaborate with like-minded people around the world.

"The Enemy is Ignorance"
from Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson.

Claire Finnamore
Student Member, Silent River Kung Fu