Features
The uniqueness of the Institute can be seen in some of the following features:
The Institute does not have its own building. Lectures and teaching are done in vacant rooms of the Geriatric Centre. If there are no available rooms, the lectures are done under the shade of the trees.
The students have the option to pay their contribution either in cash or in kind. Contributions in kind are sold to the market or cooked as food and shared by everyone during meal times.
Students are allowed to take absence when they have to work in the fields, especially during the planting and harvest season, provided they will attend lectures in the evening.
A staff house is rented for all volunteer teachers and they share with the students their food and facilities. This has resulted in a closeness among students and staff that makes learning easier.
Active participation of parents in the affairs and policies of the Institute is one of its best assets. Parent-teachers meetings are conducted every month to discuss issues such as the performance of students, problems of the school and long-term policies.
The presence of volunteers during summer (July and August) create interaction among students and volunteers which results in an exchange of perspectives and the overcoming of inferiority complexes that the students may have.
The Institute adopts various pedagogical methodologies, such as integrating survival procedures and sports as part of the teaching strategy.
The Institute plays an active role in linking its graduates to employment opportunities at both local and international levels.
