The Learning Centre is really taking off! Candelaria and Yesenia are all smiles as
they report to us that there were 325
visits to the Centre by San Antonio kids in this first month of operation.
Wow! We are thrilled too.
Wow! We are thrilled too.
Yesenia, the young recently-hired teacher, is very busy providing learning assistance to
groups of 12 children at a time, focussing on Math, Reading, Writing and
Computer skills. Most families in the
village do not have books or computers, so the Learning Centre provides a
much needed, supportive learning
environment. The teachers in the
schools have embraced the Learning Centre and are organizing their classes
to visit and make use of the resources.
Many children are attending to do their
homework and to enjoy the library of new books. Mary Lynch and Kathy Coster were able to purchase over 100 books in
Mexico (where the prices are much better) and these are now on the shelves.
The Centre is such a hub of activity, especially
in the afternoons, that consideration is being given to paying a senior high
school student to assist Yesenia for a few hours a day, as managing all this
enthusiasm is quite a challenge.
You can see the excitement on Petrona's face as
she harvests lettuce from the garden. Fresh produce is very expensive to buy in the market. The women
helping in the garden share the produce while some of it is used towards the
lunch program for the Ancianas (elderly women).
The Ancianas are enjoying the use of new balls
for their social time. They are
encouraged to participate in games which challenge them mentally and
physically. Twenty-five isolated, poor elderly
women attend regularly. They are so appreciative of this opportunity to eat a
nourishing lunch and have some fun with friends. You can see it in their smiles.
Thank you to all those who have supported this
transformation of the Casita to a vibrant place of learning in San Antonio
Palopo.
No comments:
Post a Comment