The 2nd floor of the three-story building now at decking stage.

           Some of you good people heeded our appeal for aid to enable us to hire some more teachers. With your help we were able to hire four new teachers. The parents have attested to the effectiveness of the diligent work being done by the teachers and the Stewards. It gives a good feeling to hear them express their joy in seeing that they are making a wiser decision to send their children to our school, instead of sending them to the 'strike-crippled state schools that claim to offer free education only to frustrate both parents and students, most of them endlessly.

          Thanks to your generous support we have been able to deck the first floor of the three-story building I wrote to you about last year. You will remember that at the time I wrote last year, the ground floor was yet without lintel. But now we have brought the ground floor to a stage where it is usable. One of the six rooms is serving as a library, another is shared by the principal and the teachers as office and staff room respectively. The rest are classrooms. The second floor is at the decking level. It is our hope that this floor will be ready for the beginning of the school year starting in September, so that the in-coming students will have somewhere to stay. There, too, will the science laboratory be set up.

COMMITMENT APPRAISED

         I must tell you that I am overwhelmed to see that you great souls have so much love for God, as you manifest in your dedication to the cause of the poor. "Whoever gives (even) only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because of me -amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward"(Mt. 10:42). That is a promise on oath that the Lord who made it will certainly fulfill for every one of you. We have all committed ourselves to make real our Lord's concern for the poor. We depend on him to see us through, because, as he said, we shall always have the poor with us. The good news is that our approach is aimed at not having the same poor to cater to all the time.

          Many of you made very impressive contributions last year. You must really have been inspired by the Holy Spirit because there was and still is need for them. Apart from hiring more teachers this past year, we have improved on the school building; set up the school library (we need some textbooks and novels) and bought two computers for the school. We have had to spend $3,000.00 to subsidize the general maintenance of the high school students, as well as grant scholarship to 5 children of very poor , families for the high school this past year. These are extras to the basic care of the needy and our 10/ ,,",~' adopted families. We are in the process of building a habitat for a poor widow and her son.

             Oh, talking about adopted families! I do sincerely regret that it was just not possible again this time to bring letters from them. The reason is that the Stewards have more than triple the amount of work to do: preschool, elementary, secondary school (boarding) supervision and management, plus the outreach program. Moreover, the preparation for the government inspection of our school took a great deal from all of us -Stewards, teachers and students. To worsen matters, as I mentioned above, the cars we are using are too old and spend more time with the mechanics than with us. Let us hope for a better future.
 
 

CONCLUSION

         I would like to conclude by highlighting some of the special needs that our mission has, in the order of priority and urgency, as we know them now. Here is our checking list:
          1. The repair of the school bus estimated to cost about $3,000.00
          2. The completion of the three-story classroom/hostel block
          3. Completion of the habitat for the widow
          4. A dining hall for the students, presently they eat in their auditorium
          5. Textbooks and novels, especially for the secondary school
          6. The replacement of the car for the Stewards estimated at about $2,500.00

          May you always have the joy of the Lord in your hearts and homes. I am in the U.S. until the end of August. Should you like to contact me, you can reach me at (817) 467-7440. My mailing address is 5808 Coldsworth Ct., Arlington, TX 76018.

          As we continue to work together to comfort the needy, we empathize with all those who lost their loved ones in the September 11 and other terrorist attacks, praying that our loving Father may lift them out of their sorrow and grant eternal rest to those who died. Let us also pray for an end to all forms of terrorism and violence -physical and spiritual. May the brightness of the Divine Face drive away the gloom of wickedness. Amen.

Sincerely yours as always in His Image,

(signed)

Rev. Fr. Akannamdi Gerard Mary Anyanwu (Chief Steward)