The "party" ... 11th of September 2010

As Sibylle and I finished organizing the Libray at Escola Velhinho Rodrigues for the exhibition  of the children's "works of Art", we were proud ... extremely proud of what the children had made and "accomplished" over the four days ... We were really looking forward to the "party", which was set up for two o'clock ...

  

Hand painted wooden book markers, acrylic painted wooden constructions and paper cars made by the boys attending the morning workshop (Left). Felt brush painted pictures and coloured sand pictures made by the girls attending the afternoon group (Right)

 Hand coloured African dolls (Left) and pieces of  jewellery (Right) made by the children and adolescents attending the afternoon workshop

Felt tip pen coloured pictures, hand painted key holders and book markers made by  the girls attending both the morning and afternoon workshops (Left) and pictures taken (in a previous workshop) by the adolescents currently attending the afternoon workshop.

Some souvenirs (school bags,  school cases, English books for beginners, small girl purses and stickers for the children attending the multi-disciplinary workshop in the morning, as well as some souvenirs for the parents (table cloths,  embroidered round table cloths, needle and thread sets and hair pins).

By the time Gehard (who was going to film the ceremony) and I reached the school at the agreed hour, not many parents or family members had showed up, though most of the children were already awaiting us. Sibylle, Benedita and Nate were unfortunately not able to come to  the "opening" of the party, as some guest showed up at the restaurant and didn't look like they were going to eat their meals in a rush ...

 Against all odds, after fifteen minutes allowance, we started the ceremony, with an English "classroom show" on the part of the sixteen children who attended the morning workshop, and who unhesitatingly responded to the cues I prompted. Soon after they were given their souvenirs and told they would be able to take home the "Art pieces" they had made, once the party was over.

The "English classroom show". From left to right - Justina, Elcy, Tarine, Erica, Wilson, Cláudio, Eduardo, Leandro and Esmael.

I have been often told  I "spoil" the children, by giving them "little presents" when they accomplish something ... but  I, in all honestly believe a small souvenir does not hurt ... and may even encourage them to further continue being committed. I know it may not always be that way  along their adult life, but I feel one should not forget these children are  (most of the time) not "encouraged, let alone praised for their effort and committment.

The "poetry boys" had their moment afterwards ... and I must confess they recited brilliantly. The audience clapped their hands enthusiastically. They were also told they could take home the books we had been working on throughout the week.

"The poetry boys" whilst reciting "The voice of the animals". From Left to right - Kevin Patrick, Patrick, Veinilson, Ismael and Kevin.

Then, it was time to focus on the parents and family members of these children who came to the "ceremony" and "award" them with small gifts to be handed out as in accordance with randomly sellected numbers (they had been given the moment they walked into the Library).

Some of these parents have never been children themselves and to have them "spoilt" (or rather, ... happy for a few moments) does not hurt either. Twelve gifts were distributed ... for the delight of both men and women of the audience. How such small things can make a difference ...

 Handing out a table cloth.

Handing out a sewing set (Left) and another table cloth (Right). 

The "ceremony" was about to come  to an end ...  but for the many who participated in a wide variety of ways ...  those who were present ...  and those who were not  ... those who will be carrying something home ... and those who will not ... those who were never children and those who were allowed to be children for a week ... this whole day ...  this date ... will  certainly be "embedded" in their memories ... (for a long time ... I just know it) ...

Kevin Patrick and Cláudio's father looking at some of the "crafts" in extasy (Left). Collecting their "Art pieces" (Right)

Watching and collecting the "art pieces" (Left). Another moment of the ceremony with Duche looking through a children's book (Right)

Cláudio looking at his paper car (Left) and Valter carrying his "Art pieces" home (Right)

Going back home ...

The act of going back home starts long before I board the plane ...

 I wandered around the village once more on Saturday morning after having got the school library organised for the party ... as if in need of "imprisoning" the last images ...  the images of a simple, yet hard working life, the images of those children who still manage to play inbetween helping the family  ... 

"Driving" the goats back home (left). Going on an errand (Right)

Cooking the pastern parts of the pork (Left). Cutting the pork meat (Right)

Playing with a small
tin" vehicle" (Left). "Driving" the goats back home (Right)

Paying respect to the next of kin of the person who has passed away (Left). "Driving" the boar back home (Right) 

I feel mixed emotions ... happy because of having almost accomplished this "mission", yet sad because of having to leave Calheta behind ...

"My" Cape Verdean cockrel ... Nha Francisca ... or just thoughts ...

I was given a cockrel on the eve of my return to Lisbon ... a beautiful  Cape Verdean cockrel,  as  beautiful as the "thank you" gesture from Nha Francisca, for having got Nessinha a "Godmother" to pay for her school fees (she'll be starting kindergarten soon) ... and for all I would like to have kept it alive ... bring it home with me ... and whichever other solution I might envisage ... I knew it would not  be possible ...

The truth is I wasn't allowed but to call him "mine" until dinner time ... when I finally saw him again (almost unrecognizable ... on my plate) ... deprived of his "graceful" and boisterous attitude.

(Benedita holding the cockrel)

As Nessinha was leaving with her great grandmother following behind ... I just felt I had to photograph them  heading back home ...

They are such a pair ...

Nha Francisca has certainly had to go through  quite a few  difficult moments, both in Cape Verde and São Tomé islands, where she worked at one of those many "roças" (plantations owned by rich Portuguese farmers who used to take on labourers from Cape Verde, many of which never had a chance to come back home).

She is quite old and may not be around for too long ... though she is still very energetic ... her recent hospitalization does not seem to have affected her as much as anyone thought it would ...

I can't help looking at these "older" people  and  ... think how differently we (westerners) react towards old age ...





Around here ... they are considered as being wise, therefore ...  entitled to being listened to ... respected ... looked after ... and ultimately to feel "alive"...

The Portuguese Language reading and writing development workshop - 10th September 2010

The group sitting in Beat's patio

This one day workshop on the development of the  Portuguese Language reading and writing skills was attended by the ADEC football group of children (Jilson, Nessa, Kevin Patrick, Renildo, Bruno Miguel, Nilson, Junior, Denilson Keven, Edgar, Aldino, Valdir Nataniel, Elisiana, Larissa, José Domingos, Leida and Lolita- this last one having been the only one who hadn't yet attended any of the previous workshops) and was held at Beat's.

The methodology was the same used in the April 2010 workshop and proved once more to be effective. 

"The tin soldier" was the book sellected for the activities. We focussed on vocabulary extension; intonation of difficult words;  writing of words the children didn't know or those they had difficulty with;  development of their hand writting; interpretation of paragraphs, etc. 

They all showed to be enthusiastic and committed. Having been "accompanied" by a local ADEC teacher since April, I realised they had progressed immensely since I had last seen them. 

Concentrated on what was being read and said.






Writing the difficult words




Not to have them get overtired, or lose their concentration,  once they had finished every page they were allowed to colour it.

Colouring the pages

Prior to flying to Cape Verde I came across a children's book on football rules, strategies, scenarios, situations, etc. , on whose pages children are expected to glue stickers, as in accordance with the guidelines defined at the bottom of evey page.

 I  then decided to introduce this activity at the end of the morning and afternoon, by having children queue  up on every side and be entitled to sellect a sticker and with the help of one of the three adults in the room (Sibylle, Beat and myself) put it adequately on the page.

 "On the football field" and "At the football ground balneary" were the two pages chosen for this activity. 

Aldino sellecting the sticker  (Right) and putting it adequately on the designated page (Left) with my help and Beat's

Leida sellecting the sticker with Beat and Sibyle's help.

The activities were interrupted over lunch, which was carried out at Sibylle's restaurant, where we all assembled to eat.

Prior to the afternoon activities, the children were distributed by 4 tables (in groups of  four), each of them headed by one adult (Beat, Duche, Bernardino and either Sibylle or myself).

Having lunch (Left). Playing games (Right)

The day was soon over ... but we all felt the children wouldn't have minded if the activities had gone through the night ... and neither would we ...



The "poetry" boys ...

I "worked" on a fairly complex poem, regarding the choice of words and intonation, with a group of seven boys aged 7 to 9, (who had attended two of my previous workshops on April 2009 and February 2010), which they were supposed to recite on the day of the exhibition ...

I must say that although I encouraged them all  week through (from Monday to Thursday inclusive), I was not fully convinced they would be able to overcome some of the Language barriers (from mispronounced words to inadequate intonation) till Sunday ...

Reciting for the audience

But they did ... and proud and flawlessly recited " The Voice of animals" in front of an audience, who was captivated by them and what they managed to accomplish in such a limited amount of time (half an hour a day for 4 consecutive days).

The extra half an hour a day was used to read a book and complete its pages by having the adequate stickers put on,  as in accordance with the guidelines at the bottom of each page. I found this activity to have further helped them to articulate words in the Portuguese Language, which (because of the similarity) they tend to adapt to the creole, not to mention the huge amount of new words they learnt with this methodology.

Showing the book they read (front row from Left to Right - Keven, Gerson and Veinilson; Back row in the same order  - Patrick, Kevin, Ismael and Kevin Patrick); Veinilson proudly showing the page he read and completed with the stickers (Right).

I also feel that this approach to poetry raised their interest in further wanting to "discover" new things, which they will otherwise not have access to, unless they continue developing their reading skills.