1       Graduation Celebration in Kikimi

First of their class, from grade school to middle school

We are so proud of all our children who have completed another school year and are graduating to the next class. Theo not only gives a prize to the best students who received the highest mark on their scholastic exams, but he also rewards punctuality, cleanliness and speaking French, which are important habits we are teaching and emphasizing in the children. A strong accent is also placed on honesty and the importance of not cheating. Sadly, in many schools throughout the country, high grades can only be obtained if students give money to the teachers. This practice is not tolerated in our school, but hard work and integrity are highly praised. We are especially proud of our girls who took first place in 7^th and 8^th grade.

Our beautiful children

For the occasion, children recited poems, sang songs and acted out skits, including a powerful skit that portrayed a child who had cheated in school and later in life was denied a job when she could not perform what was required because of her lack of knowledge. Besides French, our students are also learning English, and did a short skit in that language.

Reciting a poem

Performing a skit

Performing a meaningful skit emphasizing the importance of not cheating

Theo also exhorted the parents to invest in their children’s future by making school attendance a priority. All these principles may seem very basic, but they are yet to become engrained in people’s minds in a country like Congo where too many children are still uneducated. 

Parents and village dignitaries gather to support the children for the occasion

In Congo, when your child wins a prize, the parents rush to pick him up, blowing the whistle and shouting for joy.

Happy parents

As of today, we just received the results to the TENAFEP (Primary School Diploma). All 43 children who took the exam passed (18 girls and 25 boys) and will therefore be able to start Middle School in September. The laureate is Fatu, with a mark of 84%. Congratulations dear Fatu. You make us so proud. Fatu was barely 2 years old when we first met her. She was orphaned and has been raised by her grand-mother. See her story here.

Fatu on the right, on the day of the final exam from which she came out laureate

Two of our tailoring students graduated this year and received their certificate. One of them, Jules, being our only male student, a handicapped man who now has the means to make a living and provide for his family. Our friend Mohammed and his girlfriend Katherine, who attended the ceremony, donated a sewing machine to help him start his own tailoring business right away. He is so thankful!

One of our tailoring students, in first year

Making bags for micro-enterprise

One of the graduates

Jules, the other graduate

Florence modeling outfit made by the laureates, dress and matching bag

Katherine giving certificate to graduate

Mohammed giving Jules his certificate (notice the graduate’s head and face covered with flour, a Congolese tradition)

Jules, at home with his wife, so happy to receive his very own sewing machine donated by Mohammed and Katherine

Despite a few delays here and there, the well project is now completed and providing clean water to the school, the medical center and the village, up to 10m3 a day. The water has been tested as pure, the solar pump has been installed, the water fountains and the water tower have been built, the water distribution system has been set up, and people are now able to come and fill their containers with clean water for cooking and drinking. We continue to collect rain water for washing, laundry and toilets.

Water tower

Engineer unpacking the solar pump

We will build a special entrance for the villagers to access their fountain so that it doesn’t disturb the activities on the school grounds. People are so happy and thankful! Being able to access clean water is going to change their lives and better their health. Women used to spend hours daily walking up and down hill to fill their jugs with polluted water at the stream kilometers away. What a difference! Thank you for making this project possible.

Villagers coming to the fountain to fetch clean water. Florence (far left) giving instructions.

Woman filling her jerricans at the water fountain

What better investment could there be than providing clean water for people, education for the children, and healthcare for everyone in rural Africa? If every village in developing countries would be given these basic necessities, less people would want to migrate to Europe or the States.

For those interested, we will put together a fuller step by step report and blog post on the clean water project.

A huge thank you to everyone who has helped make it all possible. It has certainly been a teamwork effort, and nothing short of a miracle, or even a series of little miracles from start to finish. Thank you and God bless you!

Links to related video clips included in the blog:

Distribution des prix: https://youtu.be/RhToOmw_cNc and https://youtu.be/MjRoctNxQIE
Skit in English: https://youtu.be/kM2oI-dVCRw
Gino Speech: https://youtu.be/_Kp0C7VSAIw
Theo motivates parents: https://youtu.be/RHuSFBMCP6A
Welcome to proclamation: https://youtu.be/Dxm14YHoFb4
Jules a sample: https://youtu.be/cNvba08ftPU
Villagers fetching water: https://youtu.be/jxOYw0g_x5I
Woman at fountain: https://youtu.be/quee1vza-a4

Deep, solemn optimism, it seems to me, should spring from this firm belief in the presence of God in the individual; not a remote, unapproachable governor of the universe, but a God who is very near every one of us, who is present not only in earth, sea and sky, but also in every pure and noble impulse of our hearts.

— Helen Keller (1880–1968)

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