Kwezi is completing her first year in school in November 1. I hadn’t really given this whole thing a lot of thought but when I was in bed last night, it hit me. Not only did I make another human being, I actually have raised one for close to five years. On top of that, I am now completing one year school. We did it baby girl! Hallelujah!

You must be wondering why this is a big deal. Well, it’s a ‘different strokes for different folks’ kinda thing really.

I started this journey with lots of mixed feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I never had any doubt about having Kwezi but the question that was always lingering in my mind from the moment I decided was ‘will you manage?”. What a journey. What an experience. It’s just the beginning but thankfully, this has so far been a year of many positives for the both of us, and for that, we are thankful.

That said, if God continues to bless us with the gift of life, next year could find Kwezi enrolled in another school. There is a simple explanation to this really. First, I am not such a big fan of what the school is offering in terms of standard of education. I feel that for the money that we sweat for, they can do better. I find it disturbing that besides very many other little things, Kwezi’s report card comes with several grammatical errors. If I am entrusting you with my child’s education, the least that you can do is not make me flinch when I am reading your comments on her report card.

Then there is the fact that Kwezi has to wake up at 5.45am to be ready for school. She is only four years old and a student in ‘baby class’. It breaks my heart when we have to get her out of bed for a shower and then at 6.30am, she is entering her bus. There are not many adults in this town who wake up that early, why should someone who is basically a ‘baby’ wake up that early?

The other reason why I am changing Kwezi’s school is that this will give her an opportunity to come home at 1pm instead of the current 5.30pm. This will give her an opportunity to eat well and sleep a little more comfortably. In my opinion, it is also an opportunity to minimise the number of colds that she gets per term. I feel like the moment school opens, Kwezi has a cough and a running nose 80 per cent of the term. This is mostly because of the close proximity of the children when they take their afternoon nap.

I am zeroing in on the school that is ‘speaking to me’ and hopefully, we can get in. But first, we have to do an entry exam. More about that in the next Kwezi and I piece.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com