Our school has benefited indirectly from tourism. We received part of the development fees paid by visitors and used the money to build a double house for teachers.
The living rooms and bedrooms are finished, but the bathroom and kitchen are not. The money ran out before we could complete them. The building represents real progress, but it also shows how far a small contribution can go before much larger needs remain.
We have only nine teachers for 958 children. That means more than one hundred students for each teacher. Teaching classes of that size is difficult, and preparing examinations creates an enormous amount of work.
Nine teachers are responsible for 958 children—tourism helped us build a house, but it has not yet put enough teachers inside our classrooms.
We need more staff, desks, books and basic materials. Even a typewriter would help. At present, examination papers and other school documents must be written out by hand. Something that may seem old-fashioned or simple elsewhere, could save us many hours.
Only a small percentage of children who begin primary school continue to secondary education. Many drop out and look for work in other towns. Some eventually return, while others do not. Those who earn money elsewhere often send part of it home, so migration becomes another way families support themselves.
The children are always excited when tourists visit. They laugh, play and enjoy the attention. Some would probably like to imitate the visitors’ clothing, but most families cannot afford to do so.
The children see tourists as a source of fun and opportunity, while I see how many of them may leave school too early, realising only short term opportunities but destroying their long term perspectives.
Tourism does not benefit everybody equally. Guesthouse owners, restaurant operators and shopkeepers receive the most direct income. The school receives something through development fees, but most families see little financial benefit.
I am grateful for the teacher’s house. It may help the school attract or retain staff, and that matters. Still, a partly finished building cannot solve the deeper problem of almost a thousand children depending on nine teachers.
Tourism has helped us build walls for teachers to live within; the next challenge is ensuring that enough teachers, books and opportunities reach the children waiting beyond those walls.