Team Blog about our time with AEE Kigali written by all the wonderful members of the AEE Kigali Team; David, our team leader; Lion-Sam, Chinwe, Claire, Vicky, Rachel, Beth and Henry!
We had our last session at the nursery today - we taught the children about vegetables. We are really sad to see the end of this project as we all had a fantastic time and loved getting to know all the characters in our classes!!
We wish them all the best for their very bright futures ahead of them!
During the
last four weeks of our placement in Rwanda we will be teaching at a nursery
school from 7.30am to 10am every Tuesday morning. The headmistress has
requested that we follow the schools normal curriculum throughout our lessons, the entire team of eight will be splitting across all three levels. In
total across the classes – baby, middle, top – there is about 65 children.
Playing games with the children
The
headmistress also asked us to try and make sure that our lessons are as fun and
interactive as possible; focusing on activities like music, games and arts and
crafts.
The first
sessions that we ran on Tuesday the 19th of August had a central
theme of animals; with the top and baby class focusing on domestic animals, and
the middle class on aquatic. Before each individual session started we played
some group games outside, so that the children would feel comfortable around
us, and also so
that they would be energised and ready to learn.
'London Bridge is falling down'...
Once we were
finished with the outside games, we took the children into the classrooms so as
to begin teaching them about the animals. We taught them songs that we had
written about each animal. The top class learnt about: cats, dogs, goats and
pigs. The middle class about: fish, frogs and octopus’. Finally the baby class learnt about: cats and
goats. Each song was incorporated with actions to help them to remember them,
and also to keep them active and on their feet.
Some of the posters we used as visual incentives
Throughout
these music sessions we also played an animal stretching game, whereby the
children would have to pretend to be a certain animal. In the baby class for
example we used animals such as: giraffes, frogs, cats, birds – so as the try
and keep the children as engaged and active as possible.
In the top
class during their indoor session they went on to do arts and crafts. Chinwe
and Henry who were leading that class go them to draw each of the animals that
they had learnt about, as well as trying to label them.
Chinwe leading an arts and crafts session with the top class
Our second session at the nursery also had a central theme of animals, this time focusing on wild and aquatic! We had a really great time interacting with the children, playing games, making them laugh, teaching them new songs. They particularly enjoyed making conga lines and doing the Hokey Cokey.
Playing follow the leader
Next time we will be focusing on fruits, and hope to get the children really engaged by bringing in practical examples that they can touch and see and smell! Overall we have had a fantastic time at the nursery, and have really enjoyed getting to work with the children for extended periods of time. This has been a really rewarding project and one that we have all looked forward to going to each week - despite the stupidly early wake up!!
So we kicked off our September with a bang - planning out the rest of our week, and completing the planning for tomorrows lessons at the nursery school!!
We will be leading all three classes in a lesson about fruit!
Today after our meeting with the AEE staff, we planned our nursery school lessons for tomorrow morning. The animals we have chosen are: goat, pig, cat, dog, octopus, fish and frog!!
David and Henry with two of the posters for tomorrow!
Today we went to a Nursery school, and discussed what we are going to do with them for the next four weeks - we will be teaching the nursery children from 7.30am to 10am every Tuesday morning until the end of our placement.
Nursery school children at play time - our first lessons are going to be about domestic and aquatic animals.
Last Sunday on the 3rd of August we were invited by the AEE staff members to join them at a church in the GASABO district for a form of joint service/conference. For this event we were lucky enough to be ask to contribute and help lead the Sunday school. The story that we decided that we would tell the children was 'Joseph the Dreamer'. We gave the teachings to roughly sixty children aged between eight and twelve years old. The way in which we led that group was by giving a simplified version of the story complete with a set of actions and memory words in which we got the children to repeat and perform. The children loved the actions and memory words and really seemed to engage with the leader of the teachings which was our team member Henry. They picked up the actions really quickly and were able to remember the key plot points of the story when asked.
Henry leading the children through the story of 'Joseph the Dreamer'.
The Story of 'Joseph the Dreamer':
There once was a young man named Joseph and his father was called Jacob. They lived together with Joseph's eleven brothers in the town of Canaan. Jacob gave his son Joseph a coat made of special colours, because of this Joseph's brothers became exceptionally jealous.
One day Joseph had a dream about bunches of grain that him and his brothers had picked, whereby his brother's bunches of grain all stood up and bowed down to his. He also had another dream about the sun, moon and stars where yet again his father and brothers bowed down to him. This infuriated his brothers even more.
A few days later Joseph went to go find his brothers in the field they were working in. His brothers had been plotting to kill him, however they sold Joseph to a group of travelers going to Egypt. To convince their father that Joseph had been killed they dipped his robe of many colours in animal blood and took it to him. This made Jacob incredibly upset and he wept for many days.
However the Lord had blessed Joseph, as Potiphar his master had put him in charge of everything that he owned in his house. However Potiphar's wife was not happy about this, and therefore lied to Potiphar in order to get Joseph thrown into jail.
Nevertheless the Lord remained with Joseph. Two of Pharaoh's workers were sent into jail with Joseph and each of them had a dream - they explained their dreams to Joseph. Joseph told one of the workers that he would be getting out of jail soon and to tell Pharaoh about him. But once the worker was let out of jail he forgot about Joseph and so Joseph spent a further two years bound.
After two years Pharaoh had a dream that no one in his kingdom could explain. The worker remembered Joseph and bought him to Pharaoh. Joseph explained to Pharaoh that it was God that helped him to understand dreams. He explained that Pharaoh's dream about seven fat cows and seven thin cows was actually a warning from God about seven plentiful years followed by seven years of famine.
Pharaoh asked Joseph for advice, in response Joseph told him that God had already shown him what he had to do. God's advice was for Pharaoh to save food in the seven prosperous years so that they would have plenty in the seven years of famine. So that it what Pharaoh did.
Seven years passed and people from all around came to buy food, some of the people that came were Joseph's brothers. Although Joseph recognised them, they did not recognise him. Just as Joseph had originally dreamed all of his brothers bowed down to him.
Joseph arranged to have meetings with his brothers in which he revealed his true self and told his brothers not to be scared. Further he told them not to be worried or angry with themselves for selling him, as it was Gods plan for his life - and through this he has managed to save many peoples lives.
Joseph's brothers and father all came to live with him in Egypt and they all had plenty to eat.
We are aware that this is quite a simplified version of the actual Bible story, but we wanted to talk to our audience in terms that they could understand and to keep their attention by not making it too complicated.
Incorporating the actions into the story really grabbed the children's attention and after we had finished the Sunday school leaders asked if we would be able to teach them in how to create such actions and stories. It is amazing that they liked our ideas and we can't wait to see what they themselves do!
After we had shared the story and the messages from the story, we were treated to a singing and dancing performance from some of the children.
Once Sunday school was over we played the classic game of 'Stuck in the Mud' which was so much fun, and so exciting to get to interact with the children - despite some of them not understanding that once you were caught you had to stand still!!
The event carried on throughout the whole day and moved venues from the local church to a field nearby. Here we were able to join in with some of the local/traditional dancing. Which was absolutely amazing, it was such a warm and welcoming environment and the sense of community spirit and bonding was so intense. The dancing was a one of experience and it was such a pleasure to be able to join in.
One of the choirs performing a dance.
Included in the event was singing from numerous choirs, and a sermon from our very own AEE staff member - NAMARA. It continued through a time of prayer and people coming to Christ for the first time by laying their lives before Jesus - which was such a beautiful event to witness. The AEE staff members informed us the next morning that through the event eighteen people had been bought to God which is fantastic and a real blessing to have been a part of.
Throughout the entire day the children were incredibly keen to play games and interact with us. One of the most favourite things that we did was pulling faces! The children found it hilarious and so did we!!
Everyone pulling their best faces!!!
It was a real blessing and privilege to had been invited to be a part of this celebration and we are incredibly grateful to the staff of AEE for asking us, and also the members of the church and the community for accepting us and making us feel so welcome. It was one of the best experiences we have had since being here (which is a tough call because we have had so many wonderful times!!). It is a day I am sure that none of us will forget for a very long time to come.
The Significance of ICT in Development by David Karemera: This is the second in our series of eight structural learning sessions. This week it was given to us by our team leader David and he chose to do it on the importance of ICT in development - specifically how it can aid in education. Focusing and highlighting the 'One Laptop per Child' campaign that is currently happening in Rwanda.
David began the session by giving us an overview about the different aspects of ICT and the general applications and roles that it plays in everyday life...
ICT in Day-to-Day Life:
"ICT (Information and Communications Technology) is
an umbrella term that includes any
communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular
phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so
on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such
as videoconferencing and distance learning."
Chandler, Daniel, Munday, Rod”
Information Technology
What are the applications of ICT?
ICT can be a great tool for development. For example in the last 10 years these technologies
have become commonplace...
Personal Computers
Mobile Phones
Internet and Online Shopping
Email and Social Networks
Television
ICT has integrated to become part of all of our daily lives without us even noticing just how many aspects it impacts. The discoveries and invention have improved the speed of communication and help man fulfill his needs.
It has changed all aspects of live, but in-particular it has had a massive impact on education.
David then went on to highlight how ICT is used in education and how it has positively improved the way in which people learn. Further how this can be used in development to improve the lives of many more...
Use of ICT in the Classroom:
Students use ICT as a resource - they use computers to browse through research for projects, as well as preparing projects to present and computer programs to enhance learning.
Teachers use ICT as a research tool to help them to prepare lessons. They also use it as a way to communicate with other teachers through online forums and online conferences in order to compare and establish the best teaching techniques.
School administrators use ICT in the running of the school - to make sure that everything goes smoothly and to be able to have a pupils details and records at a click of a button.
Following this David spoke about how ICT is being used as a development tool in Rwandan primary schools by introducing us to the 'One Laptop per Child' campaign...
The 'One Laptop per Child' Campaign:
This video has been taken from the Worldfocus youtube page - it was originally posted 5 years ago. However I feel that it still gives a great overview of what the project aims to complete as well as the massive changes it had already made in just the space of a few months!
The 'One Laptop per Child' campaign focuses at getting a laptop to every child who is of primary age in Rwanda. This project empowers the children and those around them by connecting them to the world outside and enhancing the ways in which they can learn. By the children learning the knowledge gets passed on to those around them in the community having an ever flourishing improvement.
Many of these children had never touched a computer before this project and now they are learning so fast - sometimes even faster than the teachers!
The computers are of a simple design however this has been used to an advantage and a focus on educational studies has been established. The children use them to enhance their English, Geography and Science through a series of programs installed on the devices.
Not only have these laptops given the children a new way to learn, they have also created a new love of learning and a motivation to go to school.
Children with their new laptops - taken from telegraph.co.uk
This campaign has seen so many beneficial impacts throughout Rwanda and these will only continue to grow as more and more children get laptops.
It is clear that ICT can be used as a really effective tool for development and through the use of ICT the future will be a better and brighter place.
We led a Sunday school class where we were teaching the children the story of 'Joseph The Dreamer' complete with a set of actions to help them remember the importance and significance of this Bible story.
Children from Sunday school performing the action for Joseph, from the Bible story 'Joseph The Dreamer'.
"Before being supported by AEE our children were malnourished and suffering diseases due to malnutrition, but after being supported by AEE they are now in good health... I do not know what malnutrition is due to AEE"
Members of the co-operative working hard to prepare the tomatoes in their five green houses.
