“Medicine from the Cold”

Sometimes the joy comes in simply just giving an unexpected but desired gift.  This year, I was given the opportunity to take a Christmas gift to the villagers in Kongu  ...blankets!!  A few years ago, our team was given bundles of quilts that were donated to an organization – a gift to us to give to others!

Though most of my readers would disagree ...it does indeed get cold in Niger.  Cold season is upon us – and with temperatures dipping to a low of +17 degrees at night (or lower, I admittedly do not check the temperature at 3am!) – my national friends (and I) are cold at night.  When one is used to +45 (or hotter) than anything below +25 is cold indeed!

Throughout November, the odd person would ask me for a blanket to meet their needs of warmth, for it was getting colder.  It was all I could do to keep my secret!  Yes – I had blankets!!  And they were going to get one!  I had to organize the list of recipients from the mosquito net distribution the year prior – subtracting the families who had moved to other countries and adding in families that had been missed in prior distributions.

I finally had the list compiled and met with the village elders to announce the news – the following day, they gathered on the chief’s land to receive their blankets.  Representatives coming from each area to receive the blankets for their village site and families!

It was a cold morning for the wind was blowing off the “mountain”.  It is really a plateau, but in the local language, they call the hill a “mountain”.  (They have no idea!)  But at any rate, I was grateful for the jacket that the team director Tim gallantly gave me for use as I was just as cold as the villagers!

Each of the bundles of 27-33 blankets were wrapped in 3 metal ties which we could not open with the jackknife Tim brought for what should have been plastic ties.  But no worries – the villagers improvised and quickly became proficient at balancing their machete on a shepherd herding stick to snap the metal ties without cutting the blankets!

As I read through the list of names, the elder from each village site distributed the quilts to those family representatives who had come on behalf of their family.

 

At one point, a lizard fell off the straw roof ceiling onto the bundle of quilts – those of us next to the bundle startled in surprise.  The man next to me recuperated faster than the lizard and he flung it off the quilts – sadly though, flinging the lizard not onto the ground but onto the skirts of the lady standing by the door.  She then squealed and flung her skirts around until the lizard dropped on the ground at her feet and scurried away!!  I am not sure who was more scared – the lizard or the lady.  We all had a laugh and then got back to the blanket distribution!!

As I passed out each blanket, I thought of the women in the States who quilted and stitched each of these beautiful blankets together – and I thank them for their gift of time and love.  Each quilt so unique.  Some were even done in material of comics that reminded me of my childhood.  Some were bright and zany, others in more stately themes of flowers reminiscent of gardens back home.  It felt a little awkward passing out the blanket in a pink pig theme!  A couple were gorgeous quilts done in my favourite colours – I have to confess to some serious quilt envy as I passed those ones on! 

Soon all the blankets were distributed and the village representatives were heading back to their sites with their bundle of blankets!

The following week, as I visited with various villagers, I was greeted with the beautiful expressions of the Fulani to describe their pleasure and thankfulness for the gift:

• last year, you brought us medicine from the mosquitos and this year you brought us medicine from the cold!
• thank you for bringing “healing from the cold”!

Yes indeed, my heart is joyful in the simple giving – a small blanket and yet their hearts are overflowing with the joy and gratitude of receiving so small and yet not insignificant a gift!

My First Day of School

Well …. I know what you are all thinking: “first day of school … is not Kristi well past the age for a “first day of school??!?”  This is true – yet still, I attended my first day of school … in a village “mini-school” in Niger!!

The school that my team has sponsored in the village of Kongu, where I work, has opened it’s doors!!  Last Wednesday was the inauguration day … and Saturday last was the first day of school.  I excitedly attended school with the children!!

When the teacher and I arrived, the children had already spread out the mats and were sitting quietly in rows awaiting our arrival.  While other children were walking through the fields on their way to class!

The teacher began the day starting to teach the chidlren French – the language of instruction in Niger – so the morning was filled with a mix of French, Fulfulde, and Djerma – myself catching only two-thirds of the morning.  But, dutifully standing with the children when told to stand and sitting when told to sit.

We then started to learn to say “Bonjour Monsieur” and “Bonjour Madame”.  The children learning through skits as they all took their turns coming to greet another student.

During the morning break – the girls danced under a tree and the boys ran around the fields!

And what village school would be completed without the village herd of cows snuffling and munching their way past the straw hut school?!!

My friend Abdoulaye is a local teacher in Niamey – and he is proud to be teaching out in this school:

The second lesson of the day, was learning to draw circles – some of the students will need some practice, having never before held a pencil or chalk.  But all were excited to come draw on the big chalkboard and then practice on their mini-chalkboards as well.

As honorary student of the day … I also learned how to draw circles on my little blackboard too!!

The three hours of school passed by very quickly … and soon I had all the students outside with their teacher for the official school photo

And then the children headed home, excited for having learned something new that day!!  I am so proud of all “my” students!

“Mini-School” for a Brighter Future

Words …. language …. reading … writing – all have meant a lot to me from a very young age.  I’ve been told that I taught myself to read at age 4 and I’ve not looked back since … an insatiable appetite for reading from the get-go!  I loved school: reading, writing, learning (not so much math!).  I loved languages.  I loved biology.  I loved high school English and all things Shakespeare.  Learning and studying has been and continues to be a HUGE part of my life.  Teaching taking a close second – I still remember the joy of having a reading buddy when I was in Grade 9 … she was in Grade 1 and could not read.  By the end of the school year, her appetite and love for reading all but matched mine! 

I grew up in a privileged world

Never is this so more obvious to me than since my arrival in Niger.  Many are the children – oft too many to count – who do not have the privilege of going to school.  The streets are rife with little beggar boys who spend their days begging for money to take back to the religious leader who is in charge of their ‘education’.  The little girls are often married at a young age: 14+ being the appropriate age to be married off and start a family.

Life in the village harder than that of the city – many villages do not have a school for the children to attend.  Their only hope of education walking 4-10 km to the nearest school or being sent to family in the city for a chance to learn.

One of the village sites where I focus work is just such a village.  At the beginning of our work in this village, when we surveyed the village elders and community as to their needs – the lack of a school scored high on their list.  Admittedly, this was a need that I felt I could never address – all it would take to build, staff and supply a school astronomical in light of the work we are here to do in Niger – albeit a need that was always close to my heart.

These children need a school … one hope in a changing world … a brighter future.

But this year – we dared to DREAM big!!

For my village – the dream for these children is two-fold.  The first step is helping the village petition the government to have a public school started in their village.  The second step is the starting of the “mini-school”.

This“mini-school”  will be classes 2 mornings per week – and is being taught by a local teacher … in fact, the chief’s son!  The children will learn French, Reading and Mathematics!  

The “mini-school” is a shared partnership between the parents and the contributions from my team. 

Classroom: The parents are building the classroom (straw and wood structure) and we have supplied the mats for the children to sit on and the blackboard.

School Supplies: The parents are contributing ~ $1.25 per child towards their school supplies (exercise book, pen, pencil, eraser, pencil sharpener).  Our team is supplying the mini blackboards, chalk, textbooks.

Teacher Gift: The parents will contribute ~ $0.25 per child per month towards gifting the teacher to pay for motorcycle gas to travel to the village and we will supplementing a gift to the teacher as well.

In a meeting with the parents last weekend – the parents agreed to the details of the program …. declared it “good” and thanked us for our aid.

Wednesday: Opening Ceremony of the School

This last Wednesday, we held the opening ceremony of the school!!!  The parents and their children came – it was an afternoon of joy to see all these children arrive and so many parents come to support them!

Of course, no African ceremony is complete without the speeches from every party involved.  So, I gave a speech.  The director of our team – Timothy Tjosvold – spoke as well. 

A few parents spoke on behalf of the group, thanking us for the project – and the chief declared that “it is sweet to my mouth that you have started a school”!

And then the fun part …. passing out the school supplies to each the children who came!!!:

The children all looked pretty excited and proud to receive their supplies and start school!

In total, there are 57 children registered in school this year …. these young students range ages 6-13 …. none have ever before attended school, so all are at the same level: Grade 1! …. 57 students for whom a Brighter Future will include an education!

There are a few different projects being spearheaded by my teammates and I … all part of the Brighter Future program sponsored through the Justice and Compassion Gift Catalogue.  Funds through this program not only help these children in this village – but also help to 1) sponsor 24 children to attend school and 2) run a library and tutoring program for children of our neighbourhood who are enrolled in school.