Teacher, Teacher!

Jeanne Willis ~
"Teacher, teacher!" "Good morning teacher!" Hearing the pre-k and kindergarteners saying those words alway touch my heart and bring smiles to my face. I am blessed to be working with students and teachers at the Urukundo Learning Center in Muhunga District, Rwanda, Africa during the first school semester, Februrary - April.

I met Mama Arlene Brown at the Hughesville Friends Church in Pennsylvania on April 18, 2015. I knew I would remember that date. Once I saw and heard her presentation, I started praying to God that I would be able to go to Urukundo.

Before I left, so many staff members from Montgomery Elementary School in Pennsylvania donated school supplies, suitcases and money. Donations were provided by many, many people. I was overwhelmed with joy!

When I arrived in Rwanda on January 2, 2016, the children and staff were quickly placed in my heart. Observing the children was so much fun and interesting. They are playful, curious, problem solvers, and creative with the small amount of materials they have.

I was happy to explain and demonstrate to the teachers how to use different school materials that were already there and the new materials that arrived. Their language is Kinyarwanda but they are teaching in English. The teachers are so receptive and appreciative as we work together as a team.

Psalm 25:4-5
Show me your ways, Lord
Teach me your paths
Guide me in your truth and
Teach me
For you are God, my Savior
And my hope is in you all day long.

I am so thankful that Jesus is my teacher.

Fish on a Stick 1

Keeping with the theme of water we had the kindergarteners make fish on a stick. Thank you Lynn Saxton for making all the patterns and multiple copies of fish, sharks, seahorse, starfish and jellyfish. Kids would cut, color, tape and tie ribbon using many skills.

They colored using crayons, confetti and glitter to make their sea creatures colorful and shiny. Each of the three kindergarten classes made them with help from our team as well as two college students from GoEd. What fun it was having all of us working with the kids.

Fish on a Stick 2

What fun the kids had not just making the fish on a stick but also marching around the school inside and out! These will be used to teach spacial concepts such high and low and next to. It will also teach them to move it slow and fast, wiggling and diving. As well as using them for movement to songs. The teachers are amazing. We love their creativity.

ChicoBag 1

We have a great partnership with ChicoBag!!!!!!!

"At ChicoBag, our mission is to help humanity bag the single use habit. We mean the wasteful, throw-away habit that overflows our landfills and clogs our oceans. We do this by advocating for waste reduction, and designing the highest quality, longest lasting reusable bags.

We partner with organizations, businesses, and schools who share our mission by co-branding our bags and a curated collection of other quality reusable alternatives to single-use waste. We offer products that empower people to take an active role in solving the single-use problem. At ChicoBag, we make bagging the single-use habit easy."

Shop ChicoBag.........See ChicoBag at www.chicobag.com

Chico Bag 2

We are so thankful to Chico bag for working with us over the past 3 years by providing much needed reusable bags. Since plastic bags have been banned in Rwanda this is a perfect partnership. A partnership to provide bags for carrying groceries, school projects, library books and now layette kits for new moms. Kits that include a baby blanket, diapers, washcloth, towel, hat, socks, a knit doll and 2 little sleepers.

Thank you again Chico bags for helping vulnerable moms across the world.

Kitties

I never know what amazing gifts people will give me to take to Rwanda. One was a package of 31 snuggly handmade kittens made by Pat Groover from Watsontown United Methodist Church, one of the churches that made the adorable t-shirt dresses.

I knew our littlest ones at the daycare would love them and they did. They were snuggled but it seemed that every one of the kids had to put it in their mouth! Then there was time to rock the kitties to sleep.

Thank you Pat for your special, snuggly gift!

Library

The library keeps expanding to accommodate all the books and classes coming for story time. We are excited to have a full-time librarian, Irene. He had been a teacher so a priority is organizing the library. Shelves have new dividers and labels. Books are being labeled too.

Irene is starting to work with the teachers to offer support for their classes and supplementing their curriculum.

Already the space is cramped so plans are to add a big addition. That will allow for study areas and opportunities for programs for the community.

Interested in supporting the addition, contact me.

*Irene and students
*Barb working in the library
*New shelf dividers
*Irene in the doorway that will eventually lead to an addition