They are three second-year students at EDJ Nice. Anne-Lise Tricoche, Manon Franรงois, and Sylvie Ferreira flew to Gabon to undertake a humanitarian mission as part of their supervised project. Here is the continuation of their experience.
The Angondgรฉ Center has about thirty children. Many are not enrolled in school. Yet, education is very important. Aunts then improvise as school teachers, at the request of the older children.
The children pull benches and tables, facing the large damaged blackboard, to simulate a classroom. Teacher Anne-Lise, whom the children also call Aunt Leรฏla, is at the board. On the agenda: conjugation, spelling, and mathematics. The older ones start with spelling. The exercise consists of copying words according to the example. A simple task that they take to heart. They apply themselves and have a genuine desire to learn. They have never been as calm as during this class. For some, the exercise is a bit easy; they finish it in no time. It’s necessary to move on to something else to prevent them from getting bored. So, on the board, it’s math lesson time. Additions are too simple, subtractions too, but division: surprisingly well done. Not all the children in the center are enrolled in school. The oldest we met so far are 11 or even 12 years old. Most stay behind and watch their peers leave to sit at the school across the street. They wait for their return eagerly. To give them too the chance to learn, Anne-Lise created an educational workshop. They were all enthusiastic. Even the smallest ones were tempted by the experience. Having chalk in their hands amuses them. They enjoy sharpening their pencils and see their marks on the paper.
Big and Responsible
A few children slip away. They pretend to be working. Paper on the table and pen in hand, they hide to write a note to their volunteer aunts. “May God protect you”, “We love you”, “I hope to see you in France”. These words reflect both their love for those who came to see them at the Center and their desire to leave. Frรฉdรฉric seems to be the unhappiest here. He doesn’t talk much and generally speaks softly. He is present during activities but does not participate. Happiness, on the other hand, does not go to school. She comes from an English-speaking African country and writes her letters with English words. Mรฉgane hasn’t gone to school since she arrived in Gabon and seems to want the most to return to a desk.
A Family
Education holds a significant place at the Angondgรฉ Center. Although scattered, the children respect authority. When there are disputes, they know how to listen and apologize. When they don’t say hello, they come back to explain and ask for forgiveness. The children also listen to each other. The older ones have, so to speak, the roles of parents. When the little ones hit, throw tantrums, or don’t listen, they immediately put them back on the right track. It only takes raising one’s voice, giving a stern look, or a small tap. The older ones do a lot of things here. They are also the ones who take care of the babies in the nursery when the aunts are absent. They come to change them, feed them, and entertain them.
Manon Franรงois
