Our History
Our current brick buildings were originally built with the help of Carl and Eleanor Johnson (Jesse’s grandparents) in 1985 to house a primary school. The school followed the government curriculum, but it taught the Bible as well. School fees and teachers’ salaries were subsidized by the missionaries. During the war, the school was forced to close because it was unsafe for any children
to walk to and from school or even to gather in large groups. Refugee families moved into the classrooms. When Jesse and Joy Johnson arrived in Burundi in 2006 and the Emmanuel Churches found out Joy was a teacher, they immediately mentioned the possibility of reopening the school. We refused since we were unwilling to start a project that would be completely dependent on us financially and would fold if we left the country. They brought up the idea again in 2008. By then the climate in Burundi was very different than it was in 2006. By the summer of 2008 the war was over, the refugee families living in the classrooms had been able to safely relocate, a new middle class was emerging, and our side of town was at last experiencing a bit more prosperity. After the war, the government educational system was in shambles. Many parents from our neighborhood (a mix of Catholics, Muslims, and Protestants) were driving their children across town to private preschools. We realized a private preschool could reach this new demographic with both good education and the gospel. We recognized that it was a pivotal time in Burundi—a time where a small investment from us could make a huge difference for the country, and so we dove in. The Discovery School opened in the fall of 2008 with approximately 90 students—one class of three year olds and one class of four year olds. In its second year the school doubled in size to 184 students with two classes of three year olds, one class of four year olds, and one class of five year olds. In the 2010-2011 school year attendance reached 294. The preschool and primary school were separated into two buildings. The preschool was complete with a nursery class of two year olds and two classes each of three and four year olds. The primary school served students in first and second grade. The Future
We discovered within the first few months of operation that parents were a bit unsettled at the idea of their children trying the American system of education in Preschool and then being thrust back into the French system for Primary School. We agreed with them that it would be better if the Discovery School continued at least through the end of Middle School (Grade 9). Thus it is our hope that in seven years the Discovery School will include a full preschool, primary, and middle school (2 year old nursery through grade nine). There will be two classrooms for each grade, each with 40-50 students. At that point we will gainfully employ at least fifty Burundians. To proceed with this plan, we need to add two more groups of students to the school in the 2011-2012 school year—a second class of five year olds and a Grade Three. We have room for these new classes due to some portable buildings we were able to purchase from the UN. We also have room for the two groups of students that will be added in the 2012-2013 school year. By fall of 2013, however, we need a new building. Lord willing, the new building will have two stories. The top floor will house the Discovery School’s middle school. The bottom floor will house the New Horizon’s Learning Center, a branch of the Discovery School that will serve children that have learning disabilities or are in need of speech therapy. Please pray with us that God will provide the funds needed for this building. Our Goals
First—To share the gospel clearly with all the children that attend our school and all family members who attend school functions. Second—To help Burundi’s children (and by extension the country at large) by offering them a quality education (as close to the top level available in Burundi as possible, but at a fraction of the cost of the top level schools). This will consist of raising up a group of children with good critical thinking skills (noticeably lacking from the local educational systems) and the ability to speak English (a skill that will open a world of resource and business opportunities for them since Burundi has just joined the East African Community). Third—To help Burundi’s workforce (and by extension the country as a whole) by offering salaried positions and by providing free training to those we hire (expanding their knowledge of the world, their critical thinking skills, and their ability to speak English as well as their knowledge of pedagogy). Fourth—To create a self-sustaining, for-profit venture that assists the Emmanuel Churches in their operations and builds their outreach capacity. Fifth—To create a place where English-speaking visitors can impact Burundi’s children through education.
