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mother, Meriele Wilmot, explained they must purchase fuel to run the generator. The annual wage earnings of Nigerian families is $200, said Wilmot, and it takes that whole amount to send a child to school. Not many families can afford to send their children to school but Florence and her siblings have all gone to “guest” school, which is a boarding school. Students stay at the “guest” school in dormitory-style housing and wear uniforms to classes. Florence had never been to school with boys until she came to Akron-Westfield. Young children don’t get to use computers like elementary students do. They use sticks and stones to learn addition and subtraction. Florence was first able to use a computer shortly before she came here. She is a junior and has one year of secondary school before she will graduate. The biggest difference between Nigerian and American children in school is how children respect the teachers, said Florence. “We’ve got to respect our teachers a lot,” said Florence. “Whenever a teacher asks you to be quiet, you must be quiet or you get hit with canes.” The teacher will hit children on the palm of their hands hard, and sometimes the children must lie down for a spanking with the cane, she said. Other students must call her “Sister Florence” because she is an older student. Florence must call her teachers “Madam” or “Sir.” “Whenever a child desires to be respectful, they are respectful,” said Florence. “Whenever a child desires to be disobedient, they are.” Florence was able to go home from school about once a month. To get home, she uses “public transportation,” which is much different from area Regional Transit buses, said Wilmot. It is more like people riding in the back of trucks. “Not all families in the village have cars,” said Florence, explaining her family had bicycles. Sometimes Florence was only able to go home on holidays. “Christmas is very fun,” Florence told the children. While many parents cannot afford to buy clothes for their children, every parent buys their children new clothes at Christmas. Men and boys wear “pants” but girls wear “wrap” skirts, said Florence, explaining that it is the custom to follow the Biblical teachings that men don’t wear women’s clothing and vice versa. Women also wear their hair in braids because of the heat, and cover their heads with a wrap. “Christmas is so cool,” said Florence, explaining that children in groups of three or four go to their relatives’ and friends’ houses where they are given a gift of money. “It’s just a little money,” said Florence, adding the children put the money in small pouch-like bags. After the last house, the children divide up the money evenly. “Some kids give it to their parents; some buy candy.” People living in Nigerian “cities are more wealthy, enjoy life more than people in the villages,” said Florence. Florence is in Iowa to participate in a training program of IRIS, Inc. in Ames with funding assistance from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In addition to attending school, the students who are selected for IRIS live with host families and engage in activities to learn about American society, acquire leadership skills, and help educate Americans about their country and culture. IRIS works with the students to apply their leadership skills after they return home. In addition, alumni groups have formed and been involved with many volunteer service activities in their communities back home – touching more lives than they ever imagined .