It started out as an ok day and then I received a call from a secondary student (a different one than I had mentioned here).  Let me lay it out for you and see if you’d scream in the same situation.  Sorry it’s so long but I wanted to express the details a bit.

We had paid this students school fees back on Dec. 15, 2011 for Term 1 2012 beginning in January 2012.  The way we pay for fees is this – we go to the bank, fill out a deposit slip for the payment amount stating the school, school bank account number, student’s name and grade.  We get a copy of this receipt once the bank does their stuff to it (putting the info into the computer, or by hand if the computer is down and giving it an official stamp) and then give this receipt to the student to take to school.  Ok, so we paid back on Dec. 15th and gave this receipt to the student.  He went to school (around January 4th) and realized he forgot his receipt.  No problem he’d get it when they send other students home for non-payment, which is a common occurrence (now remember, WE’VE PAID THE FEES).

I get a call today from this student telling me he forgot his receipt, went back home to get it last Saturday and then returned to school.  Ok, everything is cool, right?  He is told by the administration since the receipt is dated December 15 he must have kept the receipt wanting to stay out of school and are saying it’s “misconduct” on the students part and are suspending him for 2 weeks, starting today!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?  IS THIS FOR REAL!?

Must admit, my temper went up immediately.  I told the student to go back to school and talk with the principal (or whoever it is in charge of this area) and if the school still has an issue to call me.  I told him DO NOT LEAVE THE SCHOOL!!!

He then calls me from school saying he thinks they’ll want to see a parent and the principal most likely won’t call me, I’ll have to call him – remember it costs money every time you make a call, not receive a call.  So of course they want me to call and use my shilling.  I told the student “I’ve paid your fees, I’m done paying, have them call me if there is an issue.”  Now, if it comes down to it yes I will make the call, but I’VE PAID THE FEES AND PAID THEM EARLY!!!

Next call – side note, the student calls me, I answer and he quickly says “call me” and hangs up, again so I pay for the call.  So I call back and he says they insist on seeing his mom.  Understand though, his mom doesn’t have a phone which means sending the student back home and returning with his mom – transport for him home, him and mom to school and mom back home finally.  She barely makes enough to feed herself, let alone all this <ahem> crap.  All for a NON-ISSUE in my opinion and something that could be handled with a simple phone call.  I broke down and told him to get me the name and phone number of the person in charge so I can try to get this stopped NOW.  Yup, I’m YELLING a lot in this blog post and I’m sorry, sort of!

Next I get a call from the student stating the person I need to talk to refuses to give me his number and refuses to call me!  Let me tell you, I AM SO UPSET RIGHT NOW!  I tried calling the one number I have (the head dorm room person) but he doesn’t answer and he can’t do anything about this situation anyway.  I called the number back the student had called me on (a teachers phone) and asked for the principals number.  He said wait 10 minutes.  OK, I wait and the student calls me back…I ask “do you have the number?”  Nope the teacher didn’t get it even after telling me he would.  Plus there are no phone numbers on any of the paperwork for the school.  The student was also told if he continues pushing this issue he’ll be in even deeper trouble.  HOW CAN WE RESOLVE THIS IF YOU WON’T TALK TO ME!?  Do you feel like screaming now too!?

End result….I still have no phone numbers to reach anyone in charge at the school, the student comes home today (paying for transport home), gets his mom to return to school with him tomorrow morning (paying for transport to the school for them both), mom verifies that yes the student did forget his pay slip at home with no ulterior motive, mom returns home (paying for transport back home) and hopefully the student can continue going to school.  He’s supposed to call me tomorrow with an update and I’ll let you know how it goes.

This all happened before lunch and now I need to relax and allow the knowledge that God is in control to give me peace for this situation.  I also tried to encourage the student in this same area so he wasn’t stressed about the whole thing and made sure he understood how ridiculous this whole thing is, which he agreed.

It will work out I have no doubt, I just feel like SCREAMING!

Normally I get that I’m in Kenya, but there are days when it just sort of hits me…I’m in Kenya.   As I was sitting having lunch today at C4KK (green grams and chapatti…2 of my favorite foods here) listening to the kids laughing, playing and joking around I thought “wow, I’m in Kenya, eating lunch like it’s the most normal thing in the world.”  Which it is my normal now but sometimes it still surprises me.

One thing I do not believe will ever be normal is the fact of paying for high school.  This only came up because I just received a phone call from a secondary student’s teacher saying we owe more money.  We paid exactly what the school said we should pay for Term 1 (approximately 25000/ksh which is about $310 USD) and now they are saying we owe about 2000/ more.  I told the teacher I would need an explanation before any more fees would be forth coming.  She said the administration would need to talk with me…which they won’t call me and use their shilling, I’ll have to pay for the call myself to get this straightened out otherwise the school will simply send the student home for lack of payment.

It isn’t the norm for me, yet it is certainly the norm for Kenya and it’s one of those areas where I can really get frustrated.  Lord give me whatever it is I need to get through this.

Update:  So I call the administrator and he has no idea what I’m talking about!  He will need to check with the student to “clear it up”.  I have no idea if he’ll call me back or he expects me to call back but I’m in the waiting game now…..if they want to clear up the fees I guess they’ll eventually call me.  I really don’t like this.