Education
Education
With the school project in Mushapo ADH wants to ensure a good education for the students in order to give them and the village a better future. ADH offers the schooling for free, so that also children from poorer families can attend the school. With a proper teaching staff ADH tries to establish a good teacher ratio, so that the children can be treated according to their needs. The curriculum of the officially recognized school is based on national guidelines, but already in the first grade, the language is French.
Mar
2013
Registering the School
We endeavour to get our school officially registered. The process begins in Tshikapa, where we present the application to the Ministry of Education and they give us the necessary forms. During an official inspection of our school, a representative of the School board from the administrative region of Kamonia helps us file the forms. The forms will be sent back to Tshikapa, where we will pick them up to personally present them to the Ministry of Education. With governmental recognition, we can avoid unexpected future problems. Besides, once the school is recognized by the government, the teachers we are employing will receive a small salary from the government, which we are going to supplement. The registration is also an important step for the school’s independence from us-thus ensuring our project’s sustainability.
Feb
2013
Pupils Sing of their Thankfulness
One day I was standing in front of the school and all the children wholeheartedly sang wonderful songs to express their thankfulness. What a great reward! A pay-off for all the burdens and hardships of the last two years with our school project in Mushapo. It brings great joy to see the progress and encourages us to continue with our efforsts in furthering this school project.
Dec
2012
First Report Cards
The Congolese school year is divided in trimesters. The first has been completed and the first issuing of school report cards is due. Many children receive their first report card ever – and this means an open door to a better life. We organize a great event for parents and relatives, who are extremely pleased with their children’s scholastic accomplishments.
Dec
2012
Theatre Performance and Christmas Program
We are organizing a big Christmas Program for the pupils and their families. Blandine is practicing a theatre play of the Christmas Story with the children. The children are learning to recite texts by memory and to act. The Christmas Program was a terrific success; the parents are so proud of their children.
Nov
2012
Blandine - an Asset for our Team
Meanwhile, we are enriched by a new team member: Blandine from Kinshasa, a professional nurse and Sunday school teacher. She imparts important life values to the children. Blandine is also a great help with healthcare. She teaches the children essential sanitary and preventative health care measures in order to prevent the many infectious diseases, which cause sickness and even death among many people in the rural areas.
Nov
2012
Schoolbooks and Uniforms
We are applying for schoolbooks from Kinshasa but official sources tell us that there are none available. We are finally obtaining them from the EEC (evangelical Congolese church board). We also acquire the customary Congolese school uniforms thus eliminating class differences among the pupils and for unity’s sake. The uniforms consist of a white top and blue pants or skirts. We also build blackboards so the lessons can begin.
Oct
2012
Lessons Start
End of October 2012, the first lessons start in Mushapo. Through the conversion of two old farm buildings into temporary school buildings we were able to start school sooner than expected. Fortunately, we found good teachers in a neighbouring village, and Bernard is going to be our new school principal. For now we only accept children for grades 1 – 3 and will gradually expand to higher grades. Lessons begin for altogether 120 children in 4 classrooms cared for by 4 teachers. All former efforts are rewarded: The children and everybody in the village are very thankful and appreciate having their own school!
Mar
2012
An Adapted Sponsorship Program
We are in the middle of the construction period of the first school building and lessons have not yet started. Taking our former experiences in Mushapo into consideration, we realize that our existing sponsorship program will be difficult. Because of the rather nomadic lifestyle of the rural people, families often move to other places and thus it will not always be possible to sponsor the same child long term. We have to adapt to this new situation. Our sponsorship program will be as follows: through the adoption of a sponsorship, a child is able to attend school; should the child move on, the sponsorship will be transferred so another child is able to attend school.
