Equator: end of the classes

Wednesday was my last day teaching computer to the 12yrs old kids. They had officially finished school since monday but we had decided to teach computer lessons a bit longer to take advantage of my presence here. I had prepared a few "tests" of Word and Excel to check how much they had learned and listened.

I had them motivated telling them I wanted them finished at the end of the lesson and that they were competing with other teams. I had much fun seeing how stressed out they were, eager to finish first. Some of them were efficient and had really made the most of the lessons. Others seemed to have missed most of it. I really lauged out loud when seeing them struggle to find out how to do something. As it was a test, I could not help them, just watched them.

The majority of them did learn a lot, some more than others but they mostly all showed enthusiam till the end. I must admit that I was happy it was over! I was really tired at the end, lacking patience and getting more upset when they were not listening than at the start. It was all perfect when we just had 1 or 2 kids per computer but they were really getting on my nerves when being 4, fighting and shouting all the time to do things...

As they were leaving primary school to enter college in April, it was celebrated with a graduation, where teachers, families and pupils were attending the event dressed up in their best clothes. Girls were all wearing princesses' dresses, all in white and had their hair done as brides.

Boys had bows and costumes. I was astonished to see that! We do not have such a thing in France. I loved it! I can imagine how happy and excited the girls were to look like brides!

Each pupil had to gathers pictures of its childhood and stick them on a cardboard. It was really fun to read the comments or watch the photos. Pieces of art...



The ceremony lasted 2 hours and took place in the new school, which will open in April and will replace the old one.



It started with the pupils entering one by one, their hat in one hand, and cape fold on the other arm. They all came in and everybody sang the national hymn, "a capella", without any musical support due to a shortage of electricity (like it happens daily in this country).

Then, Oscar made a really good speach, talking about education, about parents' role, teachers' responsability, about the current society, and about his desire to see the kids become good persons and not only succeed in life. He took the example of Gandhi (whose name was given to the school) as a model to peacefully change the world.Very passionate and passionating, I felt goose bumps, sharing with him the desire to build a better world and contribute to change it.

Below are Ester and Adriana, Oscar's wife and youngest daughter Then each pupil came to receive his/her diploma. Ester, their teacher, had written a few lines for each of them, celebrating their qualities or defects, but all finishing by 'I love you'. The message was read by a member of the family, mother, dad, godmother, sister... Some of them were very moved and could not read, a few kids started crying and we could not help but doing the same!!! I was sat, as a special guest, with the management team, so I had the honour to deliver a few diplomas and place hats on a few heads, while congratulating pupils.

Andres, Oscar's youngest son, played a few songs on the guitar and flute,

then it was Adriana's turn, Oscar's daughter, who animated the public and sang 2 beautiful songs. The event was closed with the teachers and old students of the school singing all together. This is when I lost control of the situation The songs were all talking about love, friendship, farewell and I suddendly started crying, then sobbing. I just could not stop. I think I was just realizing all I'd been living with these kids and teachers in this school, spending a month with me, having the opportunity to share my knowledge and give a little bit of myself.


I thought I'd not involved myself emotionnally much, but this reaction just proved the opposite. I cried of joy, for having lived these moments, having lived a dream, having been given the chance to do this volunteering. I cried of sadness to see all these kids go away, leave the school and start their adolescence and new life, leaving their beloved friends and teachers. I cried of guiltiness for having been sometimes too hard on them, asking them to listen and requiring their attention and concentration.
One of the teachers sat by me was poking my shoulder while singing to comfort me. I slowly went from sobbing, head in my hands, trying to hide (but there was no way I could escape being seen, located at the honour table), to trying to retain my last tears... anyway, most of the pupils were crying too, so I was not the only one!

It felt good also to cry and let go:-) These were positive emotions brought by love, friendship and satisfaction. The "Unidad Educativa Mahatma Gandhi" is not a mere school. It is a school managed by people who have a mission and believe in it: educate the kids to grow up with values of peace, respect, tolerance, knowing their rights but also their duties towards human beings and our planet Earth. The teachers are doing this job not to earn a living, as they are paid half or a third of what they've been offered several times to teach in other schools, but because they believe in this mission and want to be part of it.

And you can feel this school is indeed different: they are a big family, you can see it in the parents' attitude, the kids, the teachers, all gathered here to share this moment and collaborate with the fantastic work Oscar and the team have been doing for years. Take the "bar" for example, serving food to the kids, sometimes giving them the only meal of the day. Parents have been cooperating all year long, giving money or food to make it work so that the price be affordable for all kids to eat everyday. Their cooperation was needed because a former accountant of the Fundation robbed all the money last year before they actually notice it. The 2010 budget diseappared and the Fundation had to contract a loan to their italian partner in order to have money for the school...Without the cooperation of the families, it would have not been possible to have the school work. The benefits of the bar were used to invite the kids to the Acuatic park or swimming pool, pay for the entrance fees of the families and kids.
The Fundation has actually been losing money this year, like the past year but they keep the good work for kids to grow up with a solid education and a model to become a good person. As someone said, the goal is not to succeed in life, but to achieve one's life.

Below is Oscar, his eldest daughter Gaby and two sons Carlos and Andres

Even if my work here is not finished (one more month), it is the end of a stage. It's been tiring, long have been the days, hot the temperature with more than 40 degrees in the classroom, but it was worth it.
I saw kids eager to learn, excited to start class, always chasing me in the office to remind me it was time to start the class.
I saw kids happy to play with the games I brought over with the help of friends, with your help! Gathered in the office during the break, they were filling the place with shouts, laughs and joy.




I saw kids playing outside Twister and having so much fun with it.


Thanks to all of you who participated in this project, we brought our small contribution to help these kids in Equator, for them to have fun, learn and improve their abilities.
It might seem nothing, but it means a great deal for them and for me.

Together, we can help building a better world, with more justice, more fraternity, more love, more respect, more tolerance. I've seen sparkles of solidarity in many places of the world. Lots of us are conscious, awaken, trying to live in harmony with people and Mother Nature. Everyday, this circle grows more and more.

Let's keep dreaming and make our dreams come true!