Just call me Miss Mary, the Uniform Queen

To date, I have mostly been working on uniforms. When a new child comes to the school (and there are around 140 every year, they receive a new school uniform. Boys get
A pair of runners/ trainers, 2 pair of socks, 2 pair of shorts, 2 shirts, a sweater, a tie and a hat. Girls receive a pair of runners/ trainers, 2 pair of socks, two dresses, a sweater and a hat. My job has been to make sure the children get their new uniforms, that they fit properly, and that we have enough stock to dress them all.

Once the new uniforming process is finished, we then give new uniforms to around 70% of existing pupils. They receive one of everything except shoes and socks. They used to get new shoes and socks and indeed an entire uniform every eighteen months. Then Gemma realized that most children were wearing shoes and socks after school so she offered the parents a deal: instead of uniforming them every 18 months, she would do so every 12 months, if parents agreed to buy shoes and socks. And it seems to be working very well.

So next on my list is to get around 500 children into new uniforms. The problem is that we need the stock quicker than anyone can supply it. We order form a local store, who can’t make it quick enough. Once we receive the stock (eg the shirts or dresses) they then are sent to a local man put machine sews fabric onto each colour, to represent which house each boy/ girl is in. There are four houses; red, blue, yellow and green. Every child is a member of one house. They will stay with that house for the duration of their time at the school. In Harry Potter-esque style, house points are awarded for good behaviour and deducted for those children who do not behave!

Once the collars have been sewn, they come back to the Uniform Room of Miss Mary! At that point, we get the students and give them their new uniform! It’s a LONG process but I get to meet all the children. I’ve spent a lot of time doing inventories on the current stock, working out how much more we need, and sorting out every sock, shirt, tie, dress and whole lot more!

We are also putting all boys into long trousers (as opposed to knee-length shorts) from May. In order to work out how many to order and which sizes, we got three pair of sample pants made up, and then get boys in every year to try them on. We worked out the average height for each year and based our order on that. Well, I did! So, when the pants arrive, if they’re completely wrong, it’s all my fault!

One of the things we look for when we give the children a new uniform are signs of malnutrition, such as body ulcers or lesions. We don’t worry too m uch about AIDS in the school because generally children will acquire it in-utero when the mother is pregnant, so they start to show signs by the time they are four or five. They only come to the school at around the age of six, and other than undernourishement, most children are healthy. But we do sometimes see evidence of malnutrition. I saw my first case of such today. A young, smiley boy came for his new uniform. When we took his sweater off, I n oticed he had a large lump, almost like the shape of an egg, protruding from his stomach and including his belly-button. He also had ulcers up and down his leg, was bow legged and showed signs of rickets! I had a nurse look at him and she confirmed he probably had a hernia, rickets and malnutrition! And yet this young boy looked really very happy to be there. He didn’t look miserable or distracted. But it still broke my heart because he probably has never been to a doctor. We wasn’t well dressed but he was clean, so he most likely has a mother who tries her best but can only do so much! And when I think of how frequently our mothers took us to the doctor when we sniffled or coughed, I think of how unfair it is that so many children will never see a doctor.

In between my job as Ms Mary the Uniform Queen, I am trying to get my teeth into some marketing. There is so much potential for some really good direct marketing, some corporate PR and various other fundraising and PR activities. I’m very excited about it as it’s a whole new challenge for me. My knowledge of NGOs, how they operate and the whole protocol is fairly limited but I’m sure what I lack in knowledge, I’ll make up for in enthusiasm! And let’s face it, it’s easy to get enthusiastic about such a good cause. Just like everyone else, I’ve been making rich people richer. Now, I’m getting an opportunity to help make the poor, well, more equal. Though unfortunately it will take many many years, though most likely decades, to take these people even remotely close to the standard of living that we enjoy. But the road to anywhere has to start with a few steps and in four short years, this school has moved light years!