1ST step : to find a position in a school
During our 4 weeks stay at ALAD, we spent half of our workdays at school:
- Every day from 8am to 12pm in the school of our village of Kalabambougou to give support classes in Mathematics and French to pupils at college.
- Tuesday PM, in a private school of a nearby village, Kanigila, with whole classes of CE1 and CE2.
When arriving at ALAD, we were warned that to find a mission in education around there was not an easy task. It is of course not the need lacking since the classes are overcrowded, the directors are using the double vacation strategy, and the knowledge levels are low (see the article 'the school in Mali' in the Section Expedition). In spite of that, certain directors can feel criticized when one proposes assistance. And especially those with a strong character, like Tchemoko T.
Two days after our arrival in the country, it is accompanied by the president of ALAD, Yvan, that are introduced to Tchemoko T, the director of the schoul of our village. He received us in his office, wearing a nice local costume boubou and a Muslim hat. We immediately seize the needs of his school and propose him to help him, his teachers, and his pupils. While exploiting double vacation, we agree to give support courses every morning to students in difficulty.
The support classes in kalabambougou
All the classrooms being taken by local teachers, we were built a 'hand made' classroom: between two walls, outside, a ceiling in secco (straw) posed on wood posts to protect us from the sun. At the rear, another secco for the privacy. On the front, a blacboard on foot with a big hole in the middle. Inside, some desks borrowed from the room next to us.
Monday, our first support class. The list of 'dummies', as said by the director, is made up of 13 pupils. We note that our new pupils are excited to have toubabous as teachers, but their many smiles are also due to the fact that they do not understand us very well. Their French is indeed limited, and it is necessary that we endeavour to speak slowly and clearly. Delphine asks the question `How many brothers and sisters do you have?'. After having explained 10 times what a brother and a sister were, the majority still answered us that they had 3 brothers and 4 sisters, then no brothers, then a sister and 6 brothers! Hard. For a class which is supposed to write papers, solve problems, read, write and attend courses in French, we see well that the level is not there.
We will thus begin again with the basics, in Mathematics and French. `2+7? '. `8 '. OK.
We are glad to note that despite their difficulties, the pupils are voluntary and like to take part in the class. Surprisingly, even if they do not understand anything, they will always ask with the same motivation to go correcting at the board!!
Working in restricted number has many advantages. We can supervise everyone, question the pupils one by one and follow closely their progression. Thanks to ALAD, we offered a book to each of them, which enabled them to write and calculate. You cannot imagine what an immense happiness such a small present gave us!
a donné!
A good atmosphere
We will develop good relationships with the pupils, the other teachers and the principal. The children offered us small presents from time to time, like dry fruits, pop corn or chewing gum! Several times after the courses at school the pupils accompanied us back home, and some even came to visit us after midday (the Laurent's fan club) or the weekend. At school, the director and his assistants often offer us a cup of tea. Highlight will be when Tchemoko shared a hot potato pot and pieces of sheep…. With 8:30 of the morning!!
Experience in overcrowded classroom
In Kalabambougou we will make the experiment of giving courses to overcrowded classes. Several times, we had to replace absent teachers. It is thus in front of nearly a hundred pupils that we had to make our class. What an experimence!! The hardest is not to make the lesson itself, but to maintain the silence and to keep the attention of everyone. Also, the corporal punishment not forming part of our practice, we could keep the silence only the oral way. At the end of 4h of class, we come out bursting!
Also, in Kanigygila, the school of Kaliatou C., we gave classes to whole classes of CE1 and CE2. Numbers there were fewer than in the public sector and bordered the 30/40 pupils per class, as in France. If I had a relatively calm class, Delphine spent her hours making discipline, and finally had to calm them by finishing her class with a song now very popular in the district: ‘jamais on a vu, jamais on ne verra, la famille tortue courir après les rats…’
The director of the school had impressed us so much that we decided to dedicate him a portrait and an interview, in his office. See the section 'Met on the road'...
To travel on the roads of the world, it is also to halt for some time in countries, cities, villages, which need assistance, which need us.
Our round the world tour is centered on the desire to involve ourselves into the local life, thanks to the conduct of various projects that touch with the culture, the education of the new generations and the economy of the countries that we cross. We want to be active and put ourself at the service of the people in the need of our knowledge for a better future.
