Small Miracles at the Hope School

Three year old Emilie reciting her vowels in front of the Premier Maternelle class at the Hope School for the Batwa

“Listen, Look, Touch.”  Beatrice, the education coordinator the Hope School repeated the words to me she had learned in last summer’s (2010) teaching seminar where pre-school teachers were introduced to modern pedagogical methods for the instruction of young children.  The occasion was a field visit this past Tuesday.  It was time to write a report for MCC and I went up alone on Monday afternoon to Burasira and stayed the night at the Grand Seminare nearby the school.  I went up to the school early Tuesay morning and had a meeting with the principles and Beatrice before visiting all the classrooms in the secondary, primary, and preschool. 

I am including some of my report in this blog entry because many who read this were involved in a book collecting project that is beginning to have impact at the school this year.

The Hope School for the Batwa Maternelle (nursery school and kindergarten) was excited about putting the new ‘listen, look, touch’ methodology into practice and began last year with extensive changes to the look of a traditional Burundian classroom.  Rows of desks were pushed around the edge of the class to form a large circle where students could interact actively with instructors, even writing on the floor rather than the chalk board to ‘reorient’ learning more toward the perspective of wee ones.  The children accepted the new methodology with enthusiasm as evidenced by smiling faces and attentive participation.

But there remained a challenge with the new ‘listen, look, touch methodology.  In a classroom in one of the poorest and marginalized communities in the world, a westerner would be shocked at the utter lack of material, visual, and tactile, with which the students can interact.  No posters, pictures, blocks, legos, toys, paper, scissors, paste, or any supplies, even electricity for that matter.  Most strikingly though—there is not a single book anywhere—here or in most other preschools in the country and certainly not in their homes!

There is simply very little to interact with in the classroom beyond tables and chairs.  Last year the teaching team was very creative in finding old magazines and even MCC calendars with which to create visual materials which was a great success.

This academic year though, thanks to a small miracle in the form of a container of children’s books collected by Mennonite and MB churches as well as other groups (organized by Jean Sack) and sent by MCC, there has been a virtual renaissance at the preschool.

It is an emotional sight to see the 4 and 5 year olds opening colorful books of pictures of tropical fish, wild animals, construction vehicles, planets, aircraft and ships, and stare in awe turning the pages with slow intent concentration.  Others play with alphabet blocks, or small toys.

The visual and tactile experiences have truly unified theory and practice.  Teachers are able to use the books and other materials to give children the necessary visual and tactile experiences to enhance the aural learning (rote listen and repeat).  Listen, look, touch is now a reality in the classroom and it has transformed learning so much this year that parents and neighbors in the commune and even neighboring school districts are taking note.

“One of the most exciting outcomes has been a much deeper involvement of parents in their children’s education” exclaims Innocent Gihimbare, the principle of the primary school.  We now have a very active parents group that meets regularly and has a new genuine interest in the school.”

Challenges remain, for the nursery school as the simple brick and mud constructed rooms have no secure windows or doors and there is fear that these treasures, which may look to Westerners like Salvation Army give-aways, have high market value and may make the school a target for thieves. 

6th Grade Class which has 50 students in one small room
this year.

Nonetheless, with a newly reanimated parents committee there is hope that parents will take responsibility to hire and pay 2 night guards to protect the classrooms at night.

“We don’t want to lose these gifts” said kindergarten teacher M. Silas.  Children used to come to school crying dragged by their parents, now they come running ahead of them and arrive laughing.”

I am always deeply moved and often stunned at the obstacles students must overcome to even go to school in this country, especially in a remote rural commune like the one where the Hope School is located. 

The school, for instance does much to keep Batwa girls going beyond 6^th grade.  But it is a huge struggle and there is about a 6 to 1 ratio of boys to girls in the secondary school.

Girls who do go often have to overcome even parental opposition to their continuing their education.

The most extreme testimony of hardship I heard came from a girl in 8^th grade named Athanasie.  She was very marginalized at the school in her commune and eventually forced to leave.  She came to the Hope School which she enjoys very much, but must walk 2 and a half hours each way to school and back.  Her mother, fortunately, does encourage her to go.

When I asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up, she said she wanted to be a teacher.

I left the school after 4 straight hours of meetings and visiting classes.  (It did not seem long to me at all.)   I drove back to Gitega with Beatrice and dropped her off before continuing onto Bujumbura.  I arrived back hom about 4 on Tuesday.  Just on time to meet Oren at karate class. It was a very inspiring trip.

The rest of the week was filled with work. We are trying to prepare for a program evaluation (something that happens once every 5 years).  A group of 4 sent by MCC will interview all of our partners and help us to discern some strategic objectives in the next 5 years.

We also have an audit in the beginning of December.  But the most concentrated work has been on preparing for a retreat in Rwanda where we are hosting the entire Uganda and most of the DRC team.  We have been preparing a program, arranging logistics like childcare, etc.  (and by we I mean mostly Rebecca.)

At this writing we are in Kigali waiting to go up to Gisenyi our meeting point.  I will say more about the retreat in next week’s blog.

Felix has also been very busy this week getting the book container, sent to Burundi, to continue on its way to Rwanda where books will be distributed to schools of the Friends Church.  (The books came up to Kigali yesterday and they could be cleared from customs as early as tomorrow).

We actually left for Kigali on Sunday after church, which meant we got on the road around 2:30 pm.  That is later than normal for church, but we had a special day there because we officially installed our new pastor and had a very nice celebration afterwards. 

We really had a car full with the whole family plus Felix, Janelle and Yolanda.  We arrived in Kigali around 8:30 pm, pretty tired, but not too much worse for the wear, especially since both kids fell asleep the last hour of the trip (when the real whining can begin.).

We had meetings all day today (Monday) and connected with the rest of our team.

I will post more about the retreat next week.

Bonus photo:  Oren in Karate Class.