Cape Verde, Calheta de São Miguel (the morning of the second day) - The 30th of October 2011

Having got up fairly early I decided to walk up to the last floor of the Pension, which has an "amazing" view over the village, and take some photos before heading to the Academy.

There is a remarkable sense of incompleteness ... void ...  grayisheness ... interspersed specks of colour ... open "windows" leading to unknown and empty spaces ...  hope ...

It is far too similar to the sensation I have when I look at these children ... an "incomplete" educational foundation ... a grayish future that might somehow still be filled up with "specks" of hope ...

Just prior to leaving to the Academy I was introduced to the children of Marlene, whom I am going to try to help as far as education is concerned and by the time I go back next February I hope to have found "godparents" for them. 

Eight year old Veronica Conceição (left) and ten year old Leiziny (right).

Two different expressions of five year old Edeson

Odete and her mother were waiting for me outside the Academy and soon little Odete was able to try on the new clothes sent to her by the Célia. Judging by her mother's expression I felt she was really happy despite the fact that Odete looked rather shy.

As I was going to start the  one day Arts and Crafts workshop for those who had  never been to any of my previous workshops, four of the boys who had received 3D constructions came around to show them to me already assembled. I felt really "proud" (if I may say so) that they had taken the time to assemble them so promptly and felt the need to show them to me.

Valter (left) and Gerson, Eduardo and Kevin (right)

I had been looking forward to working with the next group of girls, though it would be a challenge to try to do some of the things I normally do with other groups over a longer period of time, so taking into account the ages of the girls (this being the only reference) I brought along some coloured sand artistic works for the older ones, some felt tip brush "canvases", some joining dots, mosaic and doll colouring artistic works  for the smaller ones, plus a few little extras for those who might eventually finish those sooner than expected.

Sibylle helped me out with the distribution and surveillance of the "artistic works", once there would be thirteen children (Ana, Jessica, Jessica Maria, Eveline Natalina, Carla Veronica, Eveline, Jussara, Liliane Rosy, Sonia, Ana Galina, Lucia, Ineida and Ineida Patricia) out of the expected fifteen (Ivete and Célia couldn't come) in the morning workshop.

They were soon working on their "art projects" and seemed thoroughly interested in what they had been assigned to do, some of them having shown to be very meticulous.

Jessica (left), Carla Veronica (centre) and Ana (right) with the completed felt tip brush doll colouring projects.

Jessica (left) and Eveline Natalina (right) with their completed felt tip brush joining dots projects.

Jussara (left) and Eveline (right) with their completed mosaic projects.

Working with coloured sand

 Lucia (left) and Ana Galina (right) with their completed coloured sand Art projects.

Sonia (left) and Liliane Rosy (right) with their completed coloured sand Art projects.

Ineida Patricia (left) and Ineida (right) with their completed coloured sand Art projects.

It is obvious that there are some imperfections in their Art projects but it is also clearly undeniable by their body language (particularly the way they are holding the "Art pieces") and their facial expressions (namely the shining eyes and bright smiles) that these girls took an immense pleasure in doing them and are proud of what they have accomplished as far as "Art" is concerned ... 

These will certainly have been unforgetable moments for them (as well as for myself) and I am sure that everytime they will look at them hanging in the walls of their homes they will "live" these moments again ... 

(to be continued)