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.
Oct
2020
School operations resume after nationwide school closures
Like in most parts of the world, Congo too was overshadowed this year by the COVID 19 virus. All the schools and universities were closed since March. Thankfully, the schools in Congo opened again in October. We are very grateful for this as in some other countries schools were shut down again after some time due to a new surge of the virus.
Sep
2020
A little support at the start of the new school year for the school in Tshikapa
We were able to support our Tshikapa School a little bit to get started in the new school year; director Pierre is very thankful for any help we can give him. The Mushapo School is running independent from us.
May
2020
Who should pay for the running costs of running the school?
If you build a school in the Congo and register it with the Ministry of Education, as in our case with the 'Agro-Veterinary School ITAV ADH Mabala', this does not automatically mean that the teachers are paid by the state. Since the beginning of 2020, the new government in Congo officially offers more free primary school education. If, on the other hand, a new secondary school is opened, such as our school in Mabala, this means that the parents must first pay school fees. But if you want to offer free education, as we are striving for with good reason, then you have to find another way to finance the teachers' salaries. At first our partner organisation BBK paid the teachers, but was then no longer able to do so. Since April 2019 ADH has taken over this bill, which means an enormous pressure for us. Although the agricultural project attached to the school already contributes to the maintenance of the school, it is far from being able to cover all costs. Therefore, we hope and do our best that the state will soon pay its own teachers, since this is a state school. The lockdown due to the COVID 19 pandemic makes the question of funding all the more urgent.
Apr
2020
Lockdown in our Mabala School
Since March of this year, all schools and universities in the DR Congo are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Just like for the rest of the world, this was a first for the Congo and its population, which was completely unprepared for such an emergency. There is a big difference between Congo’s countryside and the developed world. Without an Internet connection, the teachers and students in Mabala could not continue their education, as many schools in other countries did.
Nov
2019
Hands-on training for students of the veterinarian branch on nearby farm
The students of the veterinarian branch went for their first practical training to the nearby farm of the local wood company SODEFOR, which is helping our project from time to time.
Oct
2019
Practical instructions in cultivation for students of the agricultural branch
We are very happy to see the first fruits of the latest agricultural project which is located right next to the school. The students from the agricultural section receive handson training in growing different vegetables and peanuts as well as in planting avocado, palm nut and banana trees. The school also built a chicken house and received its first rabbits to teach rabbit breeding.
Sep
2019
Start of the second school year at the 'Agro-Veterinary College ITAV ADH Mabala'
In September our High School in Mabala started its second year, adding the 9th th grade to the 7th 9 th and 8th th grade we had in the previous school year. The school teaches a total of 286 students, 180 boys, 106 girls – free of charge. Besides the normal subjects of the governmental curriculum, the students started their first practical agricultural and veterinarian training.
Jul
2019
Mabala School Visit
"When Wolfgang arrived at the airport in Nioki, he was greeted by Nioki’s mayor, Mr. Mario, Mama Annie, members of BBK (our partner organization), as well as by teachers and students of our school. The lively local music, the songs and a big banner was their way of expressing their appreciation for this new school. He was especially touched by the heartfelt gift of the students, an artificial bonsai tree. At the school grounds, 290 pupils, 11 teachers and school Principal Philemon presented beautiful songs, poems and lines the students had learned in French and some even in English. Our Agro Veterinary School “ITAV ADH Mabala” is officially registered as a governmental school. As is the case with such new schools in Congo, the government is not paying anything to support the school or the teachers. Instead, we not only pay the teachers’ salaries, but on top of that even have to pay taxes for them."
