This summer, from the 11th July to the 9th August I will be travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo. We will staying with locals in the capital city of Kinshasa who are kind enough to let us stay in their homes within a compound.
While there our primary aims are as follows:
1. Leading a month long programme of activities for school children.
This is in order to transfer key skills to the children and give them the opportunity to do something they never get to do otherwise, for example art.
2. Renovating the canteen in the school.
It is important for us to do this as the children do not get that much food and this facility can help increase there meal times to at least one a day. We will be working with the locals on this so it is their achievement as much as ours.
3. Renovating the clinic and maternity ward.
Hygiene is the first step to eradicating diseases that are rife in the DRC, hopefully this work we provide a better medical facility for those who need it most.
4. Improving sanitation in the toilets.
The toilets in the area are extremely unhygienic and water-borne diseases are a massive cause of illness and death. With medicines and aid being so hard to access it is important that these areas become sanitary.
5. Teaching English.
As the leading trade language between countries, a huge part of the education will be on learning English. The national language of the DRC is French and we hope that by learning English as a second language more doors will open to the children.
6. Painting murals in and around classrooms.
As well as being teaching aides they also improve the atmosphere of the classroom, see the following pictures, this is the kind of classroom that we want to improve on. The children in the DRC are so willing to learn anything that can be taught to them but having a brighter environment to do that in can make a huge difference.
Obviously each of these aims takes a lot of preparation and work. As a group we will be fundraising for the materials for the renovations and schooling aids. The aims are structured around the previous visits to the compound and the city and are therefore specific to the needs of the people. As Menelik Partnership has a firm belief in the value of education, I hope that with these activities we will really make a difference to people's lives.
With the help of this organisation three girls have had the opportunity to attend University, a previously unheard of concept. Also, they have also formed a girls football team which is a huge accomplishment. Overall, the school Menelik Partnership supports has over 7000 children and our help can really make a difference. If you would like to find out more about what the charity does please
Also to find more details on the summer projects, including the preparation and the aims of the group, please visit the Facebook page of the Birmingham University branch of Menelik Partnership by
Thank you.
Rosie and Jenny (a project co-ordinator) with a few of the people who live in the compound. Behind them is one of the murals they painted in the nursery last summer (2009).
This is one of the classrooms that needs to have some colour added to it! Featured is Bon-Bon, a little girl who lives in the compound.
A view from inside one of the classrooms. As you can see the bars on the windows give the classroom the feeling of a prison, with a few murals and decorations it could become a really positive working environment.
