Reflections on our Second week by Eric Goulding 11th April 2010
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Returning to Bukeka Children's Centre was as special and moving as always with hugs and big smiles from the teachers while the children welcomed us with songs.
Everything at the school looked much the same as it did when we left it, the classrooms were in need of some refurbishment and the lack of scholastic materials still obvious, that said the children were still enthusiastic to learn even with us disrupting the school week.
Our programme was much the same as at Kavule with team members working in the classrooms, others installing a playground and the remainder going out on field trips with some of the children and teachers. Listed below some of our achievements.
• Footballs and sports equipment provided
• Every child being taken on a field trip to Tanda Pit Caves
• Special full lunch provided by and shared with the children every day
• Outside of classroom painted by BBF members
• Lessons prepared and delivered by the BBF team including, Art classes, English lessons and storytelling, balloon modelling, juggling, football, Rugby etc
• Internet provided for the director and school to use
• Lap top provided
• Play equipment provided: Swing, roundabout, see saw, climbing frame and slide.
• Books, pencils and education resources provided
• Musical instruments provided
• Entrance gate and perimeter wall provided and installed
All in all a very successful week however one discovery was the water source used by the school, nothing more than a muddy puddle, we soon found out that this "puddle" served the whole community of over 2000 people.
There is no clean water source anywhere in the area, maybe this is a challenge for someone reading this to take up?
The last day (which happened to be my birthday) was spent listening to the children singing for us after a traditional birthday cake with candles, a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday and of course making a wish. It was Sunday, not a school day, yet it appeared that all the children were present, the parents turned out in force and were delighted to see their children perform song after song for nearly three hours!
A few speeches were made thanking us for our continuing support and praising the teachers for their good work. The local education officer praised the quality of the education being delivered and promised to offer what support he could.
The leaving was emotional, we promised to go back, a promise I know we will keep.
Everything at the school looked much the same as it did when we left it, the classrooms were in need of some refurbishment and the lack of scholastic materials still obvious, that said the children were still enthusiastic to learn even with us disrupting the school week.
Our programme was much the same as at Kavule with team members working in the classrooms, others installing a playground and the remainder going out on field trips with some of the children and teachers. Listed below some of our achievements.
• Footballs and sports equipment provided
• Every child being taken on a field trip to Tanda Pit Caves
• Special full lunch provided by and shared with the children every day
• Outside of classroom painted by BBF members
• Lessons prepared and delivered by the BBF team including, Art classes, English lessons and storytelling, balloon modelling, juggling, football, Rugby etc
• Internet provided for the director and school to use
• Lap top provided
• Play equipment provided: Swing, roundabout, see saw, climbing frame and slide.
• Books, pencils and education resources provided
• Musical instruments provided
• Entrance gate and perimeter wall provided and installed
All in all a very successful week however one discovery was the water source used by the school, nothing more than a muddy puddle, we soon found out that this "puddle" served the whole community of over 2000 people.
There is no clean water source anywhere in the area, maybe this is a challenge for someone reading this to take up?
The last day (which happened to be my birthday) was spent listening to the children singing for us after a traditional birthday cake with candles, a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday and of course making a wish. It was Sunday, not a school day, yet it appeared that all the children were present, the parents turned out in force and were delighted to see their children perform song after song for nearly three hours!
A few speeches were made thanking us for our continuing support and praising the teachers for their good work. The local education officer praised the quality of the education being delivered and promised to offer what support he could.
The leaving was emotional, we promised to go back, a promise I know we will keep.
