This week I visited a “school”/ learning center where VVOB is working (thinking of placing students for next year). So it was my first experience out of the office, on the field. It was very interesting and a great project started up by a sister ten years ago. It’s a place/school/organization/learning center where certain (disadvantaged - orphans and/or unable to attend school financially) kids aged between 8 and 12 can follow class. So they have a “learning center” where three classes are given: Maths, English and Shona. In each of these classes they incorporate other subjects: like Science, Religion, … The aim is to get the kids out of the learning center and into proper schools after a year (sometimes two), and their mission has been a success.
Apart from giving class they also organize afternoon activities, have social workers, volunteers, former students acting as tutors and a lot more. Outside of their “learning” programme for the 48 children there they also offer financial aid to (many) students and former students and tutor classes to the children that now attend normal schools. So a whole lot of initiatives, I’ve probably missed a bunch.
When we were shown around the classes everyone immediately stood up to say (in perfect unison): GOOD MORNING MISTER AND MISTER AND MISS. Good morning how are you. FINE THANK YOU HOW ARE YOU. Fine thank you, sit down. THANK YOU! That’s something we’ve always had to do here in Zimbabwe but would be totally unthinkable back in Belgium.
Very friendly people, and polite children, very nice little community!
Apart from giving class they also organize afternoon activities, have social workers, volunteers, former students acting as tutors and a lot more. Outside of their “learning” programme for the 48 children there they also offer financial aid to (many) students and former students and tutor classes to the children that now attend normal schools. So a whole lot of initiatives, I’ve probably missed a bunch.
When we were shown around the classes everyone immediately stood up to say (in perfect unison): GOOD MORNING MISTER AND MISTER AND MISS. Good morning how are you. FINE THANK YOU HOW ARE YOU. Fine thank you, sit down. THANK YOU! That’s something we’ve always had to do here in Zimbabwe but would be totally unthinkable back in Belgium.
Very friendly people, and polite children, very nice little community!
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