Tue(s)day is the Day!

Last year on GivingTuesday, we shared with you a day-in-the-life of third grade teacher Bessie. It is our hope that as you meet and see the lives of these amazing teachers, the impact of your generosity and support will be self-evident. Many of you followed along with Bessie as her year took a tragic turn with the loss of her beloved granddaughter. With your support, she still managed to pursue her continuing education and is set to graduate very soon.

This year, Principal Mark Howe volunteered to share a typical day with us. He is one of the educators at Hope International who will be honored with your GivingTuesday generosity.

Mark Howe is 47 years old and has been educating at Hope International since the school doors opened in 2008. Now as the principal, he supports the staff and students and sets the course for Hope. During last year's trip to Liberia, students and staff would pull us aside telling of Mark's many expressions of direct support and encouragement. One of the most beautiful examples was a group of female teachers (including Bessie from above) who shared that he was responsible for getting them enrolled in their programs for further certification. The message we heard loud and clear is that Mark supports us all!

Mark rises at 4:00am...yes you read that right...to watch the morning news and make a cup of tea over a coal fire in his outdoor kitchen. He presses his clothes and showers. His shower is not the type you are likely familiar with, he uses buckets of water, as running water in the home is not common in Liberia.

Daily, Mark takes a motorcycle taxi to school. This costs about 200 Liberian dollars a day ($1.50 USD). He does not own a car or motorcycle. He arrives on campus to meet staff and students at 7:30 am. 

He visits each classroom to ensure teachers are ready for their day. Later, Mark has lunch from a local vendor who sells outside the school and meets with members from the school board.

After school is out, he readies for the night school students and staff to arrive by 5:00 pm. Once classes are underway, he leaves campus. On this day, Mark met with staff and was joined by his wife for a beverage before heading home.

When he returns home, his kids are eager to see their dad and help him remove his shoes. Mark plays with his kids and does the nighttime routine and heads to bed around 10:30 pm. He will arise the next day to heroically do it all again.

We would like to thank Mark for welcoming us into his world.