World Vision has shown us the way

Friday, January 22, 2016

Children’s reading skills are generally poor in Burundi for early grades of primary schools. The situation is even worse for rural areas. In Cankuzo province, eastern Burundi, the situation used to be the same before World Vision and save the children launched their reading to learn Project. Anick, 9, who participated in the project, is making a difference. Despite her short size, she is very visible in her class, and is a model student when it comes to reading and counting in class.       

“Anick is one of the best students I have taught in this class,” explains Victor Minani, her teacher.
Anick is already in grade 4 and she kept doing well since she started attending World Vision’s reading camp activities. “When it comes to reading, she does it without hesitations, It is not what we were used to before,” the teacher continues.

Before World Vision Literacy project, children could finish grade 2 before they knew how to read and write words in their mother tongue. Most of them only knew how to read single letters, but when it came to words and sentences the situation became hard for them; teacher had realized.

This is not the case for Anick. World Vision’s literacy boost project helped her know to read and write outside of school, making classes easier for her.

Recently, a World Vision filming team fell on Anick’s story in her home village. Anick and parents are encouraged to see people from far away come and ask them about the work they are doing with World Vision. They however haven’t seen yet the movie that was shot; they live in a rural area without electricity.

“I wish I was supported with solar panel for my children to be reading even at night after school,” Emmanuel says sitting on a bench in front of family house, goat dung on his legs and hands. He has been fertilizing his farm around home.

Emmanuel still remembers about some crew members and feels excited about their visit to his home.

“How are John and Bryna doing? Those are the people I still remember the names,” Emmanuel says. “Remember me to them if ever you happen to talk to them; we were very happy to have them with us here,” Emmanuel continues laughing and very happy.

The literacy boost project equipped dad to help his children learn. He always checks with daughter Anick and other children on what they learnt at school and help them go through the classes they had.

What helped Anick keep high performance is the support she is getting from dad, who is himself a literacy boost volunteer.

After he was trained by World Vision on how parents can support this new initiative, he became interested and offered to be a volunteer as a literacy boost facilitator in a nearby reading camp. Anick consequently became exposed to the project at her reading camp and home.

“This project raised our awareness, our children can do better in class if only we help them know how to read and write at early age,” explains Emmanuel Rwimo, Anick’s father.

Victor, Anick’s teacher, often uses children who attended reading camp activities as model student during reading lessons. “During reading classes, we generally read several times for children before we ask them to read on their turn,” Victor says.

Since teacher realised that among his students, there are those who can read very well; he now reads less and gives opportunity to those children to read for their classmates. This encourages those who do not do better, to improve their learning, Victor appreciates.