Harriott Nov 2018

Imagine you go to school in a classroom with sixty other students. There is one teacher who rarely leaves the chalkboard and you do not have any books. Sometimes it is so noisy you cannot hear what the teacher is saying and often, your questions about the lessons go unanswered. It is not uncommon for your friends to drop out because they cannot pay the tuition. The school day is short, usually three or four hours, so other students can attend school the other three or four hours of the day because there are so many more students than teachers. This scenario is a reality for many students across sub-Saharan Africa, including here in Malawi.

When people talk about local schools, they tell me “Rafiki is different from the other schools here.” Just how different? I’ll let Malawians speak for themselves!

• A school inspector who recently visited marveled at the quality of our buildings and began inquiring about the process to become a teacher here, and even asked about sharing the Rafiki Bible Study with him. 
• Teacher Adam, who was called away to a government school, came back for a visit last month and declared “I miss everything at Rafiki—the Bible, the community, and the students.” 
• On the back of our student applications there is a question, “Why are you applying for this opportunity?” The answers mention, without exception, the difference in our students from other schools, and our quality Christian education. 

Most recently, a few teachers in training from our teachers college, the Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (RICE), came for observations and some newly hired teachers joined the faculty. As their first days at Rafiki School progressed, they made comments to me about the things they noticed. 

• “There are small class sizes and every student has a desk. Nobody sits on the floor.” 
• “Their English is very good.”
• “They listen to their teachers and treat each other with respect.”
• “I can see the teachers really care for their students and answer questions. They know the students by their names.”
• “The students have supplies.” 

We are not just trying to make a statement or be better than other schools. Better education is a noble goal and a large part of the work God is doing here. But education alone will not be the only thing that makes a difference in Malawi. 

• “The students learn about Jesus every day.” “The students love to pray and can explain the Bible well.” “These students know God.”

Teacher Ellen and her 2nd grade class, she loves teaching them and they love learning from her!

Teacher in Training Gift taking notes while observing Teacher Lekani in Kindergarten

The above photo is Teacher in Training Gift reading aloud to the 4 year-olds in Pre-Primary 2. Reading books are a treasure that many schools here in Malawi do not have. 

All of this is for naught if the gospel is not proclaimed and God does not get the glory. We do not want just highly educated students, we want students who know and love the Lord and bear much fruit. From the smallest three-year-old to our eighteen-year-old students, every day begins with God’s Word, prayer, and praising God with song. In academic subjects, students learn not “just the facts,” but the facts AND God’s perspective on the facts according to the Bible. 

While we do things differently, have better quality education, and students enjoy many wonderful benefits that they would not have otherwise, the goal of what we do is making disciples who bear fruit. “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8). 

We see this fruit in students who profess Christ as their Savior, who love their friends, who can explain the Bible and defend their faith, who get good grades, and keep up their study habits. We see it in the determination of some students who are serious about becoming Christian doctors, soldiers, nurses, and teachers, and work hard with that goal in mind. We see it in the comments and enthusiasm of teachers and others who see things being done differently and are inspired to teach at a higher standard. Yes, Rafiki School is doing “something different” and God gets all the glory.

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