Project Report
| Jul 5, 2012
Meet the Parents
By Alice Hawkes | Charitable Trust Team
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This week at Kiddies Corner we had our first parents meeting. Yolisa, the principal of Kiddies, wanted to gather the parents of the children in her crèche with GVI staff and volunteers to explain to the parents what we’ve been doing with their kids every day and also have a hygiene work shop to explain the importance of tooth brushing and hand washing properly every day. The meeting was supposed to start at 4pm, but in African time that meant starting at 5pm. As the parents eventually strolled in we handed each of them a file filled with their child’s lessons from the entire year so they could see what they’ve been learning in school. It was heartwarming to see how carefully they turned each page and looked at their child’s work with such awe. One of the mothers couldn’t speak English so she pointed at the files and gave us thumbs up with a smile.
As part of our hygiene workshop we used one of the volunteers for a hand washing demonstration. We covered his hands in black paint, which represented germs, and gave him 20 seconds to wash as much paint off of his hands as he could in a bucket of water. When he revealed his hands after the 20 seconds, you could see a lot of paint residue still on his hands, which showed how just dipping your hands in water is not effective for cleaning hands. The parents really enjoyed the demonstration.
As the meeting was coming to an end, several parents took turns standing up and saying a few words about our GVI volunteers. They all said they were so grateful that we were there to teach their children, what remarkable improvements they’ve seen with their English, and how we are providing them with great opportunities. One mother said she used to speak English around her kids when she didn’t want them to hear what they were talking about, but now she can’t because they understand! It was incredible to hear firsthand how much we are appreciated, especially since this was the first time we’d had any interaction with the parents. It was an unforgettable day and it reminded me that even if it doesn’t seem like we’re making progress at the time, we really are making a difference.
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Apr 20, 2012
Developing Skills
By Aoife Bulman | Charitable Trust Team
All the children that are attending Nceduluntu’s Grade R are over five years old and they are all preparing for school, something they have been waiting for, for a long time. When we take a few of the students out from their normal class to give them some special attention, we focus on three things: Math’s, English and creative/fine motor skills.
One of our excellent long term interns is focusing on puzzles during the motor skills sessions. Through puzzles, something they love, the children develop, concentrate and laugh during their lesson, a true dream for a teacher. Something that makes this activity even better is the ability to see the progress that the children make. You can see how they are struggling with getting their pieces together in the beginning of the class and are all confused by the different pattern that appears on the picture. Then, half hour later their fingers are starting to dance over the tables and I am sure that within a few weeks their fingers will be able to dance in the right direction all by themselves.
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Feb 1, 2012
Amazing support for the GVI Charitable Trust
By Alice Burrow | GVI Charitable Trust
We would like to share the most recent trustee report from the GVI Charitable Trust. This report covers the six month period from July to December 2011.
This has been by far the most successful period. In six months we have raised nearly as much as we did the whole previous year. This increase in funding has brought a corresponding increase in the impact we have been able to create on our programs around the world.
During this period we have invested in sustainable education across Latin America. This includes support for the elderly in Guatemala and income generation schemes to support education in Honduras and Ecuador. In Mexico we have worked with a community to establish a recycling centre and in Kenya our partners in Mombasa will now see impoverished students complete primary education to earn qualifications for the first time.
These are just a few highlights of an amazing, productive and rewarding six months. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and played a crucial role in these achievements.
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