Feeding the attendees

Their was much talk about not feeding them during the lunch hour. Many come from a long way (some were traveling as much as 9 miles without a car) and have no time nor possibility to return home for lunch. As such, the soda and water we provided was all most had the whole day. Im not sure what the answer is, other than finding support, but it is something we will work on for our next trip. It was hard to know that the teachers and administrators wanted lunch (and needed lunch), and that we couldn't provide it as the price we were quoted was just too much per day. With 70 participants, the cost was nuts for everyday for 2 weeks. This was one time I could clearly see that having support for education from those in the US could change the learning experience. As students, we need food to learn and to think. For a hundred dollars or so each day, we could have fed them. But, most people donate to the areas that see quick, change: water wells and supplies for a clinic. Education takes time to infiltrate, time to percolate in order to see direct, tangible change and many don't understand how literacy is paramount to the success of a nation rebuilding. When those wells break or the clinic gets the medicine and no one can read for understanding, it all breaks down. Education must come first and all must work together to insure that it is seen as an integral part. No one denies its importance, surely, but funding is lacking in the area of education for Liberia Now!