So Su'u

It's difficult to describe our experiences at Su'u school in just one short blog. What should we say? Do we talk about the purpose of the institute? The sobering message white missionaries can take from the history of Su'u? Do we write factually about what we did there? or how we felt when we were there? And how do we do all of this without boring you, our audience? I'm not at all sure, but I think I'll have to do this in two parts - part one: Su'u school.

Su'u school has been running for quite a few decades now. It is a Christian boarding school for boys and girls and is also a National Secondary School in the Solomon Islands (there aren't very many). It is near the coast on the island of Malaita. At the moment there are just under 300 students there but at its peak there were close to 700 (apparantly). Fees are comparatively high, so its privilege to attend as long as it is affordable for you.

Originally, there were many white teachers at Su'u who came over as missionaries to teach. It was founded by kiwis back in the 60s. Discipline was strong. The site was well managed. The "old boys" who were there in that time look back with fond memories. Among this group of early students are some important people in this nation - politicians, doctors, businessmen, university lecturers. Many people have gone through Su'u school and have gone on to make a big impact in their nation.

I think anyone would be saddened to see Su'u now, but this sadness must be acute for the people who spent their lives setting it up and those who first went through. We were sad to see the state of Su'u. Most of the buildings are dilapidated and decrepit. Many will certainly fall down in the next few years. The roofs are so dirty and rusty that people get sick drinking the rain water that is caught in rat infested gutters. The fields, once filled with cows, chickens, vegetables, fruit trees, now lie dormant, filled with grass so high you can't walk through.

The water system is lacking, with only running water 2-3 hours twice a day. Your can imagine the state of the bathrooms when the water hasn't been flowing for a few hours!

We managed to locate a reliable and clean flushing toilet at Su'u (I think this is a secret - it's only for staff but we snuck in and used it...). Horticulture at Su'u means trees growing in the gutter. Machinery breaks and is left to rust. Rats scurry through the houses and through the fields. The ablution blocks are septic - algae growing on whatever that liquid was on the ground. Squat toilets are overflowing. The wood is rotting on buildings that are still used. The chronic electrical system that has already claimed one life.

So this is Su'u. It's certainly sobering to think that at one stage it was a paradise, a hive of activity (they actually had bees and sold the honey as income), clean neat paths, maintained buildings, students involved in growing their own vegies. It certainly begs the question, how did it get like this? Why did it decline? How can we make sure that things we do as missionaries, ex-pats, don't fall to waste? I think the answers are long term answers. We're too young and inexperienced as missionaries to hazard good sound solutions. Then again, as someone once said, everything is bright at the beginning of the project. It's in the middle that most of life takes place and it's in the middle that it's the hardest.

So, Su'u is in the middle. In the middle of being after when it was established and whatever is in the future. What is being done in the middle?

Well, the old boy's association organises some projects, such as the purchase of the truck, or the building of the chapel (which is what we were involved in). The board, as ever, are working at improving things. Different short term mission teams come over at times to do small jobs. But it's hard to look at the place and do a small term job. Where do you start? How do you hold up the building that's falling down while you erect a new one?!

In a way, we're just keen to see what we can do to try get the tractor going so that they can cut the grass, plough the field and start growing their own vegies. The students aren't very healthy, living on rice, taio (tuna) and noodles but there is an enormous agricultural potential at Su'u. Huge untaped resources at their fingertips but they buy in 90% of their food. Aargh!

In fact, there's a lot of potential at Su'u in many avenues. But Su'u tells the story (at least we think it does) of people coming in, doing their bit and leaving. And then it's left to its own devices again. So Su'u cautions us to be wise in the way we give. Giving can hurt. You can't throw money at a problem and expect it to go away. What are the answers? We're not sure. We're only just finding out the questions.