First Year at the Bisongo!

When Catholic Relief Services brought up the idea of a community-based preschool, it was the first time anyone in my village had ever heard of such a thing. It was an overwhelming idea for the community but something they wanted to try. After years of their children struggling in elementary school and not a lot of free time for their mothers, they knew that they needed to do something for pre-school aged children. Within three months of the idea being discussed, the chief of the village donated a permanent hangar and two roomed granary to be classrooms and storage space. The community fixed the hangar with money they collected from the community (a dollar from each man and 50 cents for each woman). Three community members offered to teach at the school. 

Preschool teachers clean up a donated classroom for the start of the school year; members of the management committee prepare for a general assembly; a member of the management committee helps mix cement for construction

The grant helped fix the two roomed granary that became a classroom and a storage room. It also went to building two latrines for the students and teachers to use, a kitchen hangar for preparing food for the students, painting the classrooms, and securing the storage room. This has helped meet the infrastructural needs of the preschool that would have been out of reach with only community contribution. 

 

The kitchen hangar built for preparing food for the children’s lunch; finishing up the roof of the granary; putting in the doors for the latrine

 Classes started the first of November with 153 children between the ages of three and six. The class days consist of outdoor games, singing, dancing, puzzles, playing on the playground, and eating lunch. The teachers have done a great job trying to make classes interesting and fun. It took a little bit of time for them to work in sync with one another, but once they did, there was no stopping them. 

 

Christian and Sophie lead the class in singing; Mamounata and Sophie teach the class the number one; Wenceslas tries out one of the puzzles

 At community meetings and at the market, I have parents come up to me and the other teachers saying how happy they are that their child is at the preschool. They say that their kids love coming to preschool and have been teaching them the songs they learn, dancing the songs they feel confident doing, and counting everything there is to count. They are not nervous that their kids will be going to elementary school anymore, they know that these children will succeed because they are prepared for school. Of course, like any parent, they are also very happy to have a little free time to do their own work without their energetic children running around.

 

Kids get excited for a photo opportunity; Nafi eating donated couscous from the American people; Fati hanging out in the tire obstacle course

Instead of describing the entire school year, I want to tell you about two of the children at the preschool and how they have changed during the year. 

Little Inoussa (age four) was the only kid from his neighborhood to sign up for preschool. The neighborhood is located over four kilometers from the preschool (he walks to and from school with a group of elementary school children from his neighborhood). He did not know any of the other kids and felt very uncomfortable in class the first few weeks. There were a lot of activities he was unwilling to play and spent the first hour of the day crying that he wanted to go home. Within a month, Inoussa had found a group of friends at preschool, was the first to get involved in a game and was the loudest singer in the class!

Inoussa the first month (first two pictures) was very unhappy to be at bisongo; he was engrossed in this book; Inoussa with his new pals at preschool

 Five year old Abséta was the star of the class. She not only learned the songs and learned to count, but she would help younger children learn the games, songs, and lessons. Abséta made a point of not telling the other kids what to do but helping them get to the end with a little help. She helped lead activities and was the biggest cheerleader when a little kid did something the first time. Next year, she will be starting elementary school and I am sure she will be top of her class again!

 

Abzéta has fun leading a song, counting, and playing on the slide

The school year has come to a close. The main source of income, farming, starts up with the rains and the kids will play in the fields while their parents work. The kids and teachers were sad for the school to close for the summer, but they are excited for next year. I had one mom come up to a teacher and me saying, “My daughter is still waking up each morning packing up her stuff and trying to go to preschool even though the vacation has already started. She loves the activities and cannot wait until you start up again next year.” These kind of  statements from parents and children makes this project so important.

Wens and Abdou playing the drums; Gerard and Prisca matching; me playing with kids

The community-based preschool was a new concept in our municipality, it was new to the mayor, the chief and all of the community. Within three months of the preschool opening at my village, three more were created in other villages within the municipality. I just found out that there will be four more opening at the start of next school year, two in the municipality town. It is an exciting start to a huge movement have communities helping  their children be safe, have fun, and learn!