The Holiday Season at help2kids
27.12.2012
It is summer here in the Southern hemisphere, and it is really, really hot. The children have been on vacation for a two weeks, and are spending the mornings playing, and the afternoons resting and doing quiet activities, until it gets cool enough again in the late afternoon to have the usual football match.
For the children, the most exciting thing about December has been Mama Leah returning with her baby boy Alex. Mama Leah was on maternity leave since August, and we all missed her so much. Now we not only have Mama Leah back, but also a little brother to care for! The children carry him around everywhere. Alex is proving to be very relaxed and a darling addition to help2kids.
Report cards came out, and we are quite proud of a number of the children. Our children who ranked highest this semester were Donaldi, Taussi, Evaristo, Neema, and Constance. The children who transferred to Nyerere School last semester (Happy J., Augusti, and Prisca) are all doing pretty well considering they are now being taught in English and competing against children who have been in private school their whole lives. We are sure that next semester they will do even better.
A few children are struggling, and we are fortunate enough to have great volunteers and staff members available to help tutor them every day so that they can enter the new school year with confidence.
Next year our only Nursery student will be Fransisca, as all of the other students are moving on to Standard 1. Fransisca is only five and will do well having another year to go over the basics. We will send a volunteer to pick her up from school every day so that she does not have to walk home alone!
We had a great Christmas celebration on December 25th. The children were all so excited. They attended church in the morning and then spent the day dancing (the DJ was Pius, and the most enthusiastic dancer was Abu), eating lots of delicious food, and opening gifts. They also each got a new outfit, mainly from clothing donations to help2kids.
Two volunteers, Evalina and Signe, had their family visit during Christmas. Their mother is a fifth grade teacher in Sweden, and her students did chores around their homes to raise the money for gifts for each of our children. The gifts were amazing! Each child got their own beautiful art set, ball, yo-yo, and card. They were so thrilled opening their gifts and kept coming back to marvel at them, count the colors, and read their cards. Evalina and Signe’s mother also printed out and laminated photos of the children in her class, which we hung on our wall. Many of our kids spent a long time looking at the photos. We also got very cool Disney trading cards from Raphaela, a former volunteer. The family of Evalina and Signe also brought new cell phones for all of the staff generously donated by ByggPartner in Sweden! Asante sana!
The staff at help2kids wants to thank you for the support you have given us over the past year! We wish you a happy 2013.
Best wishes,
Karina Catlin – Field Manager at help2kids