Dispatches

by Fr. Peter Abue

May 2008

A visit to the village of Bebuatsuan

Dear friends of CORAfrica,

That the majority of the world's poor people live in rural areas is no longer a disputed fact, especially in the Ipong-Obudu area in Cross River State. About 90% of children live in rural areas with few sustainable frameworks to face the challenges of modern education and thus counter the problem of poverty. In my routine visit to the villages under my pastoral care, my special focus was drawn to Bebuatsuan village primary and secondary schools. With an approximate population of 2,200 people in this village area, about 1,176 children are registered in both primary and secondary schools. Although the conditions under which the children are learning is quite deplorable, it was quite encouraging to see the headmaster and Principal and their entire staff members putting in their very best to put a smile on the faces of these children.

It was obvious that because the village is located in the interior area, there was low enrolment rates compared to villages located in or near urban towns. Though there is near equal gender representation in school attendance, the rate of continuity to the secondary level is low for both boys and girls especially for girls. (See Index showing rate of continuity for primary to secondary schools in Bebuatsuan Villages and other villages in the Ipong area below)

Other infrastructural conditions that posed obvious challenges to adequate learning for pupils include the poor state of the buildings, sanitary conditions etc. The road for example was impassable on account of the overflow of streams into the major road in the rainy season. All entry and exit to the school by children and staff is by treks. Only 4-wheeled vehicles can stand the test of the rugged roads to the School. The Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Monica Unimke, told me "It seems that the government has totally neglected us and we do not enjoy any benefit from them. What you see here is merely by community efforts." It was obvious that there were no desks for the children to sit down and the children could not as much as afford uniforms or cloths to wear to school. 

This lack of basic amenities for holistic learning in the rural sector has often been ignored by both state and voluntary agencies. In Bebuatsuan for example, the building that houses the Senior Secondary section is virtually collapsed with the students squatting in the far end of the building with the zinc merely hanging on. Half of the children are sitting in the rain to attend classes. At the time of my visit, the final year students in the senior secondary section were writing their examinations under these conditions. The results of these abnormalities is that in the final analysis, children in urban schools perform better and are afforded more opportunities to enter colleges or universities more than their rural counterparts. This only aggravates the obvious urban bias that has perpetually impoverished the rural communities in developing countries.

The dilapidated Senior Secondary building in Bebuatsuan village

The consequences of the lack of attention being paid to rural education and the poor conditions under which they are exposed defeats the purpose of education. This can be seen in Bebuatsuan, where children are easily losing the sense of community values such as cleanness, hygiene, and discipline, as well as orderly dressing. Rather than encourage the influx of youth to urban basis and neglect for the rural sector, CORAfrica is more determined to emphasize that educated rural children should give back to the community what they gain by way of education. CORAfrica solicits the support of donors, and volunteers in the establishment of model primary and secondary schools and their support systems in poor rural areas like Bebuatsuan. Through the CEC imitative (community Education Center), CORAfrica will liaise with existing bodies to monitor special training of children in computer skills and agricultural interests as well as treat minor medical cases of children affecting their education within the LGA. Once again we beg for the support and cooperation of all and sundry.

Fr. Peter Abue

Reporting from Bebuatsuan Village this May 2008