A tale of two schools
One of the capital’s oldest C of E schools – which shared its bicentenary year with Charles Dickens – linked up with a rural village in South Sudan and the Church Mission Society in a story that’s really worth celebrating
In the village of Eddi, South Sudan, the only school building is a tin roof held up by poles. Numbers attending are down. After the area was attacked by the Lord’s Resistance Army most people fled to the nearest major town.
In Finchley, north London, St Mary’s C of E Primary School is a thriving multifaith community with a strong Christian ethos and an outstanding rating from Ofsted. But 200 years ago it was one of the first church schools set up by the National Society, giving many children their first ever chance of an education.
When St Mary’s came to celebrate its bicentenary in 2012 – the end of which is marked by a special service this week in St Paul’s Cathedral – the staff and students in Finchley decided to link up with a school in South Sudan. They sought help from the Church Mission Society (CMS).
“Through the Anglican Church in South Sudan, we wanted to echo what had happened at our school 200 years ago and give children in South Sudan access to education in what is one of the poorest (if not the poorest) countries in the world,” said Rob Allen, the headteacher of St Mar y’s.
In this spirit, pupils and the wider school community have so far raised more than £20,000 for new classrooms in Eddi’s Bilali Primary School.
When the vicar of St Paul’s church, Finchley, the Rev Nicholas Pye, first approached CMS, Stephen Burgess, who oversees CMS links with Africa, felt Bilali School was a fitting choice on many levels.
“Bilali School was started under a mango tree by CMS mission partners in the 1940s – teaching basic literacy to children,” says Stephen. “Between 2006 and 2009 the area suffered attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) from DR Congo and so the people of Bilali fled to Maridi, where they have been ever since as internally displaced people.
“One thing that would really help resettle people is if the primary school could be developed. The school building at Bilali was basically a tin roof on poles attended by about 70 children. Before the trouble with the LRA, 250 children attended the school. Rebuilding classrooms will give people hope and will help them to return to the village and live on their farms.”
So far St Mary’s and its pupils have raised just over £21,000, which will be used to build more classrooms for the school later this year. The children’s fundraising activities were diverse and innovative – included making and selling necklaces, dog walking, cleaning leaves from paths, and selling drinks and cakes to parents on touchlines at football games and after ballet classes.
St Mary’s headmaster, Rob Allen, said: “The children have really entered into the fundraising activities and fully understand the concept that we have lots and the Bilali schoolchildren don’t and it’s right that we should give.”
Rob added that in forging the link and running the appeal, the school wanted to echo the missionary zeal and enthusiasm that the church had shown when setting up St Mar y’s primary school 200 years ago.
The two Anglican churches that are linked to the school (St Paul’s and St Mary-at-Finchley) are also raising money. There will be a collection for the appeal at the school’s special 200th anniversary service in St Paul’s Cathedral on 31 January, at which more than 1,500 people are expected. Invitees include the South Sudanese ambassador. Stephen Burgess will be representing CMS and its strong links with the Diocese of Maridi (which includes Eddi village).
CMS mission partner Canon Patricia Wick, who is based in Maridi diocese, greets the school partnership with excitement.
“Now there is hope, as education gives hope for a better future,” she said.
“The partnership will provide affordable schooling – making it available to children living in this rural area where in the past there have been limited educational opportunities and unqualified teachers. The school will draw the community together and give it a heart. And it’s a great opportunity for the church to take the lead in education in the area.”
In the link-up, CMS is also calling on the expertise of another of its mission partners, Garr y Ion – who is a building consultant and has drawn up plans for the new school building.
Garr y works for the church in South Sudan, Uganda and the surrounding region. Based in Kampala, he travels regularly to advise and assist dioceses in planning and implementing building projects. This is particularly vital in South Sudan after years of war.
Patricia, who has worked in the area for 14 years, knows the village of Eddi well.
“It is only 17 miles from Maridi town but it takes two hours to drive there due to a terrible road with huge potholes. It is a very rural but lush area with excellent agriculture. The people are lovely; poor but very hospitable.
“There are no big shops, just a small open-air market and small stalls in shacks beside the road. There are few brick houses and most people live in mud houses with grass on the roof. “
As diocesan coordinator for discipleship training, Patricia is working hard to spearhead adult education in the area. Now that peace has come, bringing greater mobility, this is actually harder to organise than in the war years when people were in one place because they could not move freely.
“Church was stronger during war years,” says Patricia. “Now many people are running after things ‘of this world’ and often leaving Jesus behind as their faith is so shallow.
“From the 10 discipleship training booklets we have written, we hope to develop them into a distance learning programme for the diocese with a certificate being awarded at the end.”
Patricia is also working on a mentoring scheme for young Christians.
Two more CMS mission partners work with Across, the Christian NGO, in South Sudan. Ruth Radley, in their children’s department, says: “We are hearing so many reports of changed lives and changes in the children’s circumstances. People are so open to learning and to become more like God intended us to be with our children; it’s really encouraging.”
Joining Across this month is CMS mission partner Helen Burningham. With a degree in dance and theology and an MA in choreography, Helen will have an intriguing role, working with young people with a special focus on dance.
It turns out mission in South Sudan is anything but old school.