Picture of the Day 09/09/2014

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!

Picture of the Day 04/09/2014

We visited the catch-up school in GAHANGA for the last time today, we are so sorry to see the end of this project, we had such a fantastic time taking part. The teacher Olivier said "we thank you, we have spent a long time together, you've been a great help to us!"

Henry leading a class

To see what we got up to at the school watch our video - Catch-Up School

Holiday Camp Visits

When we started work with AEE the children had already started their school holidays, during July they get two weeks off school. In the second week we led two different holiday camps; one in the Gahanga sector and one in the Kikicuro sector.

Some of the children making animals shapes during a drama session - can you guess what they are?

In these holiday camps we planned many different topics such as: HIV prevention, hygiene and sanitation, music, drama, dreams and ambitions, and obviously lots of games! In the Gahanga sector there were around 160 children that attended whilst 96 children attended the Kikicuro Holiday Camp. In the Kikicuro Holiday Camp the caregivers were present instead of the teachers to work along side us in conducting these sessions.

The children were split into three groups depending on their age; one class for Secondary and P6, one class for P4-5 and one class for P2-3.

Children playing the trust game during one of the drama sessions.

The group for secondary and P6 was HIV prevention. The topics discussed were transmission and prevention of HIV, focussing on sexual intercourse and the importance of abstinence in order to avoid HIV. The students were split into 5 groups and were each given a different ‘impact’ topic that HIV can have on a person or their family such as: poverty, strifes in relationships, isolation etc. They were given time to discuss as a group how they would portray this impact and act it out to the rest of the group.

The Children really enjoyed the drama session and requested that they would love to do more drama in the future with their teachers. Drama has a very positive impact on children’s self-confidence and their ability to speak in public places in front of their peers, as every member in a team had to have a speaking part.

Children miming out their chosen profession to highlight their dreams and aspirations - these ones want to be footballers!

The group for P4-P5 focused on music, drama and dreams. The sessions focused on getting the children to express their dreams, and the importance of staying in school to get good grades. We started by playing a game to get them to use their faces to show various emotions. This was helpful for them to practice using their facial expressions and emotions while acting to give a good and captivating performance. They then split up into groups and had a different word that they had to portray in a mime (so they were not allowed to talk!). The children enjoyed trying to guess the words and some of the groups had very impressive ideas on how to act. Lastly the children split up into different groups depending on what career they wanted in the future and acted out different scenarios they might come across in that profession. The children were excited and happy to participate in these sessions and enjoyed learning a new song in English ‘Our God is a great big God’ which included actions to the lyrics of the song.

David and Rachel leading a session on personal hygiene - hand washing, clothes washing, hair washing!

The group for P2- P3 focused on hygiene. The children were taught the importance of personal hygiene and how good hygiene can prevent illnesses, such as worms or typhoid. We explained that by preventing illnesses it can enable the children to remain in school and to achieve a high attendance. The children enjoyed learning a step-by step process of how to effectively wash their hands.

All age groups participated in games together such as: Duck, Duck, Goose, Bulldog, making animal statues in teams, throw and catch with tennis balls and a national game Sticks, which is a girl v boy game where it doesn’t end until one team has caught up with the opposition team and touched them with their stick.

One of the children demonstrating their new knowledge!

As the holiday camps were a one off it is difficult to predict the outcomes of these visits, however we believe that as we worked alongside the teachers and caregivers our methodology will be passed onto them and can continue to use it to plan their sessions.

Picture of the Day 02/09/2014

At the nursery today we were teaching the children about fruits, we did this by getting them to paint and colour in stencils, as well as drawing the fruit from real life objects!

Getting all messy with the paints!!

Nursery School Visits

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 19^th 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!!

Henry teaching the top class about cats and dogs

Gahanga Catch-Up School Video

This is a video that shows the time that we spent at the Gahanga catch-up school, teaching the children, dancing, singing and playing games with them. 

To find out more about what we have done at the catch-up school go to - Catch-Up School

Picture of the Day 19/08/2014

This morning we taught children at a local nursery school about domestic and aquatic animals - we are so excited to go back next week!!

Chinwe leading the top class in an arts and crafts session.

Workshops at Compassion Children

In the past two weeks we visited Compassion Children three times to run sessions whilst the children were off timetable from normal school during the holidays. This was different from some of the other projects that we have worked on, as this focused mostly on senior school aged children where the range was 13 - 20. It was really nice to talk and chat to people who were closer to our age, and listen to all of their opinions and dreams.

Our second session at Compassion.

On our first visit to the Compassion centre we held Q and A sessions where we got to know the children, and find out what kinds of things they were interested in; so that we could host further sessions with them. This was such a lovely opportunity as it allowed us to really get to know the children there, and find out what their dreams and aspirations are. So many of them have such big plans and it's awesome that we got to play just a small part in helping that happen. 

During these Q and A sessions the children could also ask us any questions that they had about English culture and England in general. Many were very interested and inquisitive about the history of England, but also what we were doing out here in Rwanda, and our plans for the rest of our time here. It was so much find getting to interact with them on such a personal level, discussing all our favorite things like music tastes, foods, sports, hobbies.

For our second and third visits we tried to prepare sessions that they had asked us specifically to help them with; namely public speaking and debating. As a team we decided that the best way to improve public speaking and debating skills, was the first improve confidence and the ability to project your voice.

Holding the ice breaker session.

In our second session we worked with an ice breaker game whereby we got all of the children in a circle and got them to tell the entire group their: name, age, favorite animal, favorite dance move and an interesting fact. We did this so that they would feel comfortable around us as well as each other, and so that we could further get to know them. We thought that this would help them to project their voices as it was such a large group and room that you had to be rather loud to get your voice to carry.

When we came back for our third and final session we tried to build on what we had done before. As they were now more confident and better at projecting their voices, we now tried to work on their ability to form arguments and reason under pressure. We did this by holding mini debates - where we chose topics and they would have to go to either side of the room to show whether they AGREED or DISAGREED with that statement. Once they had picked a side we would then ask them to give a reason why they chose that side, and then ask the opposition to reason otherwise. 

Getting stuck into the debates - reasoning out opinions.

This was such a massive success and we had some truly amazing debates over some pretty hot topics such as...

1. The biggest problem in modern day society is crime.
2. Music is better than film.
3. Honesty is the most important human quality.

They came up with some really thoughtful and well processed arguments within minutes, and demonstrated a natural ability to reason and counter argue on the spot.

We finished up our time at Compassion by playing some classic playground games such as Bulldog. We all had a fabulous time working here, and felt really blessed to be the first team to have been asked to go. This is a really cool project and something we have really enjoyed getting stuck into!

Picture of the Day 15/08/2014

Today we threw a party to celebrate one of our team members - Chinwe's - birthday!!

At the party.

KICUKIRO Catch-Up School Visits

KICUKIRO Catch-Up School Visits by Henry Destin:

Studying is one of the important things in life; everyone likes it and needs it, however unfortunately in life we don’t always get everything we need or don’t get in the right time.

The great thing is that those who weren’t lucky enough to get a chance to do primary education the first time around, are now able to join a ‘Catch-up School’. Here they use 3 years to cover the 6 years of primary education.

Children studying in one of the classrooms.

We visited one of these catch up schools that is in KICUKIRO district in the GATENGA sector.

We helped both the children and teachers, by splitting into four different areas – one for the teachers and three for the children. 

Each of the three groups for the children had a different lesson prepared: hygiene, music and HIV/AIDS. These were taught to the children according to the three different levels they are split up into in the catch up school. These groups consisted of one UKV and at least one ICV. 

One UKV stayed to help the teachers with their English communication skills – they were a little bit nervous and shy but after two hours things had completely changed and they didn’t want us to leave because of how helpful the conversation had been.

After everything related to studying we met and played different games when we taught new games and they also taught us other games that we didn’t know, that was so fabulous and everyone enjoyed that time. 

Playing the 'One-Knee' throw and catch game! - This got really intense with their being three tennis balls at one point.

Picture of the Day 06/08/2014

Today some of our team went to a holiday camp and ran lessons in drama, whilst others stayed behind to do administrative work in the AEE office.

Some of the children playing 'heads down, thumbs up!'

Picture of the Day 05/08/2014

Today we went to help out at a holiday club in the GAHANGA district - we led lessons in Hygiene, HIV/AIDS, ambitions and drama!

One of the classes in a drama lesson playing the 'Trust' game - where you are led around with your eyes closed by someone who can see.

Picture of the Day 31/07/2014

 Today we visited GATENGA catch-up school and taught classes in Music, Hygiene and HIV/AIDS Prevention. We also played games with all of the children.

Preparing to play duck, duck, goose at playtime!