This was repeated every week throughout the school year.
He said many of his friends and classmates, unable to endure the walks, dropped out of school.
“Very taxing, very difficult,” he said when asked to describe the journey.
The students slept in dormitories and were assigned rooms based on their grade level. A “captain,” typically an older student, was assigned to oversee each dorm.
“Basically everything was very difficult,” he said.
But now, thanks for Pashi and the congregation at Bethany United Methodist Church in Liberty Twp., those students will attend a new school closer to their village. The school is near competition, and, once furniture has been purchased and installed, Luzolo Village Elementary School will open.
“We needed to do this for the kids,” said Pashi, 65, who is touring the building this week. “I didn’t want them to do what I used to do.”
Five years ago, during a Bible study class at Bethany, Pashi and his wife, Marie, made a presentation about the educational difficulties in his homeland. Those at the Butler County church agreed to financially support the mission, and soon Pashi’s dream will become a reality.
“It’s great to see what God has been able to do,” he said.
He said about 400 students in grades first through sixth will attend Luzolo Village Elementary School. Each class will have about 40 students.
Despite a difficult upbringing, Pashi has thrived in the U.S. He came to the U.S. in 1985 as a graduate student and earned his master’s degree in public administration and doctorate in political science from University of Cincinnati. He has retired from teaching at UC.
He also teaches at the National Pedagogy University in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to train future leaders there.
He and his wife have six grown children and live in West Chester.
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