Eager To Learn

Talk about eager to learn.

Today's news on CNN has provided a enlightening news - a hopeful situation to a weary, violence driven world.

President Pierre Nkurunziza, inagurated last Aug 19, 2005 has promised to scrap primary school fees of $4.5 per student ni his coutnry. Now the schools have been overwhelmed by over 200,000 more applicant students this year - almost double that of the previous year. A good sign that people ARE interested in learning, given the right price - in this case, no price at all.

I've been an avid fan of raising education as a means of uplifting poverty in non-industrialized countries: its a chance to teach people how to fish, rather than giving them the fish. It is a long step, and requires a tremendous amount of commitment on the government's part, as well as its people. A similar late presidential candidate in the Philippines, Raul Roco, advocated education. He ran for president, and without hesitation, I voted for him. He was the only one of the presidential runners that had education as an answer for the country.

Unfortunately, he was unable to win, and unfortunately also, recently passed away.

I don't pretend to know all about economics, but I would imagine that education of the people would help in any circumstance. And I honestly believe that in the long run, it would uplift poverty and increase productivity. But then, that is my opinion. Hearing that somewhere else in the world, a country's leader has promised/attempted at least a free primary education for his people gives me a bit of hope; Someone somewhere out there with the power to do something just "did it".

Now the country is trying to cope up with the increased demand for education ...

Dont you wish during times like these, you'd like to help out an idealistic cause?

The primary education initiative is spearheaded by UNICEF, if I'm not mistaken. Why dont you drop by their site and see what you can do?