So … now I must pack!
Well I think I’ve achieved quite a lot! The younger Nursery children will be performing the nativity play; the costumes look really good and I think they finally know the words to ‘Little Donkey’ and other carols. The older children are going to do various sketches related to Christmas, like children meeting and talking to Father Christmas. All the children all have a headband and a star to take home and the parents who come will be offered biscuits!
Most of the slum school children can read more than they could a couple of months ago. Some haven’t made as much progress as I would have liked as they have been absent a lot. The books, flash cards and sound strips etc are there for Melissa and anyone else to use. Hopefully the teachers will encourage reading to continue and may even get involved themselves.
The Library is finished! Matt and I went shopping for electrical bits and furniture last Monday. We bought three bookshelves, a desk for Ritah and a table and came back with them all piled up in the back of a pickup! The Reading Club resources are in the library and there is a world map and also one of Africa on the wall.
The Saturday Reading Club has been set up and is in good hands. There is a good selection of reading scheme books and other general interest books, that they use, as well as puzzles, spelling exercises and colouring activities. Ritah will be in the library showing the children how to use the books and encouraging them to borrow one for a week (when they finally arrive – that is!). Even the children who are good readers don’t have books at home, so it will be great that they can enjoy books all week and not just on Saturday mornings.
Ritah has also duplicated all the reading resources I made for the slum school, so they also will be available for the helpers to use at Reading Club. She will also be around during the holidays when there is a holiday programme run by Immaculate, the Development Worker and Joyce, so the children will again be able to use the library.
The library will hopefully serve the wider community, as a homework resource for the children from Namuwongo who are sponsored to attend St Barnabas School. Many of the parents can’t read and write themselves, so are not able to help their children with homework.
I’ve had an emotional couple of days. On Thursday the Nursery children sang to me, presented me with a big card with all their handprints on and a group photo and we had a cake! On Friday the children of St Barnabas sang to me, gave me lots of little letters and a framed picture that they had all contributed to. In addition some of the mothers of the children in the slum school came to say goodbye and gave me necklaces of beads they make themselves out of paper. I felt more appreciated in two months here, than in years at my ‘previous place of employment’! In addition I’ve had meals with different people and so now I must pack!
Thank you for your interest in my exploits in Namuwongo. I’m sure I’ll be back – so watch this space!
1 comment:
Hey Chris, it's gr8 2 read ur l8est upd8! sounds like u've been having lots of fun getting in2 the Christmas spirit and i recon all the children u've been wkin with r going 2 have a crackin Christmas! It's brilliant 2 hear of the progress the children have made in terms of their reading skills - and u shouldn't feel disheartened if some haven't made as much progress as u would have expected because u have given them the foundations 2 now build upon when u return home; much more than what they had b4! it's mad 2 think that the Library is now finished when it was only a few weeks ago I read about the container being delivered. ;-) good byes r always the worst part of an experience such as ur's and I am glad u got the appreciation of all the people whose lives u have made such a difference 2, unlike with 'ur previous employment' (haha) - u deserve it! Hope ur packin goes well, and that u have a safe trip back to the not so sunny uk. mayb u cud pop in2 the band room and have a drink some time - b good 2 c u. Tracey
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