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Travel: Bubbles, Bu erfl ies and Beanbags
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Bubbles, Butterfl ies and Beanbags
Starঞ ng a Preschool in Burundi
Bubbles, butterfl ies and beanbags — some of the exciting contents of fairy godmother Connie Green’s suitcase as she boarded a plane on Valentine’s Day 2020 for three weeks in the impoverished country of Burundi, East Africa, to begin a small preschool program for 25 four- and fi ve-year-olds.
The vision of Connie, who is professor emeritus in Appalachian
State’s Department of Reading Education and Special Education, included a plan to eventually have an expanded early childhood education program, with four classes of 25 children each. Her second goal was to train a group of teachers to guide the preschools. Dreaming for
Change, the brand-new organization founded by Janvier Manirakiza (who met Connie at Appalachian’s Mandela Washington Fellowship
Leadership Institute in 2017), is making possible the opening of the preschool in the village of Butanuka. Already up and rolling are a porridge feeding program for 450 malnourished children, a micro business training program for women and kitchen gardens with 50 homemaker caretakers. From its beginning the new preschool was a jumping place to be. Connie started right in at the porridge program, singing “Itsy
Bitsy Spider” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” to give the children a taste of what was to come. The kids joined in, learning the motions right away. On the fi rst day of school Connie was surprised that not one of the 25 chosen kids hung back or cried after being left at school by their mothers. These children are used to being on their own in the village, even at times taking care of younger siblings. Connie and prospective head teacher Claudine began right away, enticing the children with a bean bag toss, and blowing bubbles in pans of soapy water. They traced their hands on paper, drew with magic markers and created shapes with popsicle sticks. They fashioned butterfl ies with coff ee fi lters dipped in food coloring and tied into wings with pipe cleaners.
In small groups the kids experienced what Connie calls “book joy.” They enthusiastically perused Connie’s stack of African children’s books. One book told the story of children in Chad who built their own school with handmade mud bricks.
“That is like what our school will be,” exclaimed Janvier.
The song “Old Mikamba Had a Farm,” a favorite of the kids, was all about African animals and the noises they make.
The class was taught in a joyous mixture of English, French (Burundi’s colonial legacy) and Kirundi, the language of the Burundian people. As Connie says, “Where we are on planet Earth and what language we speak are not nearly as important as a smile, a song and heartfelt human connection. The children in Butanuka respond to our kindness, even when they don’t understand our language and we don’t understand theirs. I think the children and mothers know we came from far away because we care about them. All the world’s children are our children, and they all deserve healthy food, education, exercise, respect and love.”
On the last day of the school week each child received a plastic folder for carrying home his or her projects.
Connie also held two workshops for 25 public school teachers. Topics discussed included the participants’ strengths for teaching and peaceful methods of discipline.
Connie invited Barry Thomas, her partner and traveling companion, to accompany and support her in the venture. Barry participated cheerfully, including collecting and interpreting data on Burundi at the U.S. Embassy, serving porridge, making pop bottle/pebble shakers for the preschoolers and looking at the land Dreaming for Change is purchasing for the preschool and the other programs.
Most important of all, one day, as Barry listened to a young high school girl, he found out that many girls had to leave school for lack of tuition money. Thus Dreaming for Change’s newest project, Rural Girls’ Scholarship Program, was born. Forty-fi ve girls were chosen to receive school fees and supplies, sanitary products and mentorship. Janvier’s wife Gloria is coordinating the mentoring program.
The intrepid Connie may well be an inspiration to all of us, as we make our way in this world. This is her challenge to us: “Sometimes in life we are presented with an opportunity to be of service. Embrace the opportunity, take the chance.
Ways to Donate to Dreaming for Change Email Connie Green at greencr1983@gmail.com to receive her address to send a check; For the Preschool: gofundme.com/f/Dreaming-for-Change-Preschool-Burundi For the Nutriঞ on for Young Children program: gofundme.com/f/Burundi-nutriࢼ on For the Rural Girls’ School program: gofundme.com/f/rural-girls039-scholarship-fund-burundi
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Think of all the reasons you CAN and should accept the challenge. There may not be a better time, there may not be a better person than you. We all have gifts and abilities to help others grow and transform. By doing so we transform ourselves.”
sue spirit
Writes poetry and essays about nature, spirituality, writing, and travel. She has a little cabin in the mountains. degreesoff reedom@frontier.com
