The world has 6.8 billion people. Pohnpei, a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, has a population just under 36,000. I’m willing to bet a large sum that the vast majority of you probably first heard of Pohnpei through my coming here. I know this because out of the probably over 100 people I talked to about my plans to serve here, only one person had ever heard of Micronesia. Indeed, in the world of current affairs, Pohnpei and Micronesia are not at the top of the Google search.
When discussing how to fundraise and effectively solicit funding for our various projects, one of the main questions I have proposed is how do we get people to care about this tiny island? There are many possible answers to that question. The first that comes to mind is obvious - “these are people too – why should they receive any less attention or resources just because they live on a small island?” This is perhaps the best answer. When it comes to our education projects however, I have a special answer to why Pohnpei matters.
In the developing world there is an overwhelming lack of educational resources. Only the extraordinary students will flourish and have a chance to further their education at the collegiate level or beyond. Throughout Micronesia however, this is not the case. Thanks to the US government, students here have the same privileges found on Native American reservations – access to a free education through the graduate level. This isn't written anywhere, but the number of scholarships available is immense, to not just the exceptional students, but the average and below-par as well. There are not many places in the world where the youth have this much access to a free college and graduate school education.
The tragedy though is the amazing opportunities available to these students are regularly wasted. When students do take advantage of these scholarships and go to college, they often face so much remedial education that they drop out after a semester or flounder and go to school for six years before their funding runs dry. Of course there are exceptions to this, but this is the general trend.
If these students managed to catch up with their reading proficiency, developed an intellectual curiosity, and pursued further education, the sky truly is the limit. It all starts though with bringing these kids up to speed so they are reading at or above grade level. We have a program in place that will make a difference in the lives of these students. The entire MAHI team has a sense of urgency that is palpable. It’s exciting to be part of this movement to help improve the education system here on Pohnpei. This is all a very, very slow process, but we are in this for the long haul. Would you like to join the movement? MAHI International is supported solely by generous individuals. Click here to learn how to make a gift!
There's nothing much worse than wasted talent and opportunity. If we follow the status quo, nothing will change and this failed system will continue to produce students unprepared to continue their education. With support, we can buck this trend and change lives, generating students with an extremely bright future taking advantage of all the opportunities presented before them.
I recognize my last few posts have focused on education - I promise my next post will be focused on my interactions with the culture and my experiences in and around Pohnpei!
When discussing how to fundraise and effectively solicit funding for our various projects, one of the main questions I have proposed is how do we get people to care about this tiny island? There are many possible answers to that question. The first that comes to mind is obvious - “these are people too – why should they receive any less attention or resources just because they live on a small island?” This is perhaps the best answer. When it comes to our education projects however, I have a special answer to why Pohnpei matters.
In the developing world there is an overwhelming lack of educational resources. Only the extraordinary students will flourish and have a chance to further their education at the collegiate level or beyond. Throughout Micronesia however, this is not the case. Thanks to the US government, students here have the same privileges found on Native American reservations – access to a free education through the graduate level. This isn't written anywhere, but the number of scholarships available is immense, to not just the exceptional students, but the average and below-par as well. There are not many places in the world where the youth have this much access to a free college and graduate school education.
The tragedy though is the amazing opportunities available to these students are regularly wasted. When students do take advantage of these scholarships and go to college, they often face so much remedial education that they drop out after a semester or flounder and go to school for six years before their funding runs dry. Of course there are exceptions to this, but this is the general trend.
If these students managed to catch up with their reading proficiency, developed an intellectual curiosity, and pursued further education, the sky truly is the limit. It all starts though with bringing these kids up to speed so they are reading at or above grade level. We have a program in place that will make a difference in the lives of these students. The entire MAHI team has a sense of urgency that is palpable. It’s exciting to be part of this movement to help improve the education system here on Pohnpei. This is all a very, very slow process, but we are in this for the long haul. Would you like to join the movement? MAHI International is supported solely by generous individuals. Click here to learn how to make a gift!
There's nothing much worse than wasted talent and opportunity. If we follow the status quo, nothing will change and this failed system will continue to produce students unprepared to continue their education. With support, we can buck this trend and change lives, generating students with an extremely bright future taking advantage of all the opportunities presented before them.
I recognize my last few posts have focused on education - I promise my next post will be focused on my interactions with the culture and my experiences in and around Pohnpei!
Recent sunset on the outskirts of Kolonia
