Ananaya montre son plaisir avec un beau sourire

English version

En le voyant, c'est clair qu'Ananaya est bien éveillé.

Il est pourtant très sérieux et sourit rarement.  On dirait qu'il a déjà trop vu de sérieux dans sa petite vie.

Ce soir, je lui ai posé quelques questions simples pour tester un peu ses nouvelles connaissances.  Il m'a fait cadeau d'un super sourire et m'a répondu parfaitement.

Il y a une semaine, il n'avait vraiment pas un mot de français.  Aujourd'hui, il sait se présenter en français et donner son age. Il sait également compter à dix en français.

Il y a une semaine, il n'avait jamais tenu dans sa main un outil à écrire. Aujourd'hui, il adore écrire et dessiner sur sa petite ardoise.

Dur, que ces si petits pas font tant de plaisir pour quelqu'un si clairement prêt à apprendre.

Au moins, il le fait maintenant, quand même, et espérons vraiment qu'il puisse tenir bon et construire quelque chose de solide sur ce début de fondation!

HOPE (Helping Other People's Education) works in partnership with EducAid.  If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young people, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com

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Ananaya beaming with pleasure

Version française

Ananaya is a bright spark.  He is, however, a very serious little man and rarely seems to smile.  The indications are that he has seen all to much to be serious about, already, in his short little life.

This evening, I asked him a couple of questions to check out his new found knowledge and was rewarded with a great beaming smile as he answered beautifully.

A week ago, he could not say a word in French. Now, he can count to ten. Now, he can introduce himself clearly and give his age.

Last week he had never held any sort of writing implement. Now, he is enjoying writing and drawing on his little slate and loves it.

Somewhat heart-breaking that such little steps bring so much joy to one so clearly apt for learning.

At least it is happening now, though, and let's really hope he can stick with it and keep building on this early foundation.

HOPE (Help Other People's Education) works in partnership with EducAid.  If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young people, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com

A good start

version française

It's early in the morning and the youngsters from the septième rue in Limeté are doing their capoeira training with Maestre Ninja:

Training is over and Guy is ready to start classes but how can he?  There are so many kids!  The word has got out that there are free classes and free food to boot and they have all followed Ninja for this early morning session.

On the steps of the makeshift classroom on Madame Nadine's veranda, all proudly showing their work.

Heart breaking as the task might be to turn some away, finally the 13 kids who had already been selected were allowed into class.  It is rarely possible, in such activities to do great quality and great quantities at the same time (at least not at the beginning)!

The kids were taught how to wash their hands well with soap and they then received their bread and eventually their writing boards etc.

Next it was assessment time.  Even to simply introduce themselves in French proved problematic for most of them but they were all very proud of themselves when Guy filmed them at the end of the session so they could see how well they had done.

A good start.  Here's hoping we will see great steps forwards during the month to come.

HOPE [Helping Other People's Education] works in partnership with EducAid.  If you would like to know more about EducAid's work with vulnerable youngsters, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Un bon début

English version

Tôt le matin, les jeunes de Limeté s'entraînent au capoeira avec Maestre Ninja.

C'est la fin de l'entraînement,  et Guy est prêt à commencer les cours mais comment faire?  Les enfants sont tellement nombreux!  Ceux qui ont entendu par les bruits qui courent qu'il y a des cours gratuits et qu'il y a de quoi manger en plus, sont tous venus!

Rassemblés sur les marches vers leur salle de classe
 improvisée sur la terasse, chez Mme Nadine

Finalement, avec de grandes difficultés les 13 enfants qui avaient été présélectionnés par Ninja ont pu entrer en classe.  C'est rare que c'est possible de faire la qualité au même temps que les grandes quantités dans un tel projet (au moins au début)!

On leur a appris a bien se laver les mains avec le savon avant de manger et ils ont pu recevoir leur pain et en suite leurs ardoises etc.

Et l'évaluation du niveau académique a commencé.  Même pour se présenter était un gros problème pour la plus part mais ils étaient tous très fiers de leur progrès quand à la fin de la matinée Guy a pu les filmer et leur montrer combien ils parlaient bien!

Un bon début.  Espérons voir de grands pas en avant pendant ce premier mois d'essai!

HOPE (Helping Other People's Education) travaille en partenariat avec EducAid.  Si vous voulez en savoir plus sur le travail d'EducAid, avec les jeunes vulnérables, veuillez voir www.educaid.org.uk and www.educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Wishlist

Version française

Educated in the west?                                    Project Kinshasa Wishlist

When did you receive your first book?

I am told mine were received in my first weeks: rag books, board books, bath time books and so on.

For most children raised in Africa, this is not the case.

For Ananaya and Moïse there is no question of them having any.  They have neither books, nor pencils, nor toys.

If you would like to buy a special present, why don't you have a look at the Project Kinshasa Wishlist and choose something special that will give some happiness to these little boys who have so little access to what we consider normal in a western childhood.

Project Kinshasa Wishlist

HOPE (Helping Other People's Education) is a UK based organisation working in partnership with EducAid.  If you would like to know more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young people please see also www.educaid.org.uk and www.educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com

Liste d'envies

Eduqué en Europe?                                                      English Version
Tu as reçu, à quel âge, ton premier livre?                     Projet Kinshasa liste d'envies
Pour moi, on me dit que c'était dans mes premières semaines: des livres en tissu, des livres imperméables, des livres en carton et ainsi de suite.
Pour la plus part des enfants élevés en Afrique ce n'est pas le cas.
Pour Ananaya et Moïse il n'est même pas question.  Ils n'ont ni un livre ni un crayon, ni un cahier ni des jouets.
Si tu aimerais acheter un cadeau spécial, pourquoi pas regarder Projet Kinshasa liste d'envies et choisir quelque chose qui pourrait donner de la joie à ces petits garçons avec si peu de ce qu'on voit comme normal dans une enfance occidentale?

Projet Kinshasa liste d'envies

HOPE (Helping Other People's Education) est une organisation basée en Angleterre qui travaille en partenariat avec EducAid.  Si tu veux en savoir plus, voir www.educaid.org.uk et www.educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com

The team

Version française

Guy Vakala, teacher and Maestre Ninja, capoeiriste.

Guy will be the teacher and the success to this programme, having proved his competence for the task looking after Kofi all year with patience, kindness and intelligence.

Maestre Ninja (Musikikongo Nkoy Dieu Donné) is the foundation on which it will be possible to build something worthwhile.  He works with patience and love with a small team of little capoeira disciples.  His own self discipline, with which he inspires his little followers, will make possible all other attempts to help them.  Ninja is an impressive young man with whom it is a pleasure to work.

Ananaya and Moïse show their talent encouraged by Maestre Ninja  and Maestre Yannick

Maestre Ninja helps Ananaya do a flip over to a crab.

Maestre Ninja with his two little disciples and Francesca, enthusiast and supporter of the project.

Mastre Cobra (Wangsong Mukedi), at 17, trains daily with Ninja.  

Proud of what they have achieved together, they continue to try and find ways of improving their own standard as well as helping more than 100 youngsters across Kinshasa.

HOPE (Helping Other People's Education) is a UK based charity that works in partnership with EducAid.
If you want to know more about EducAid's work the vulnerable youngsters, please go to www.educaid.org.uk or www.educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com