kids' program

The big event during our week in the village was a kids' program that we put on.  The day before the program we went to check with the teachers at the tiny village school to make sure of the time that the school kids would be free the following afternoon.  We also needed to get permission to use what looked like a public piece of land that is shaded by trees to do the program.  That evening, when it was time for the weekly market, we went down to a spot next to the market and played some music over a speaker.  A crowd started to gather and made a circle.  Some of the people in our team did a funny skit with a lesson about obeying your parents and one of the guys explained it in Bambara with a microphone so that everyone could hear.  When the skit was done everyone was invited to the program that would be held the next day at 3:30pm.  

When a kid arrives we ask their name and write it on a piece of masking tape that we stick on their shirt.  This assures that each kid had at least a moment of personal connection with us, and it shows that we value each one individually.  Once they have their tape-name they can go play at a station. Our team made different stations with fun activities to do like soccer, sack races, jump rope, or coloring for the little ones.  After 20-30 minutes, once the crowd has gotten pretty big, they kids are moved into a big semi-circle shape with girls on one side and boys on the other.  There are 3 rules to learn (I stay in my place, I listen, we're here to have fun) and 4 important things.  My job was to present the 4 important things in Bambara.  There was a little sign that went with each thing (in the picture I am holding the thumbs up sign) so I mostly just read the important thing and got them to repeat it several times.  There were somewhere around 350 kids there, plus quite a few adults.

There were silly songs, competitive games with boys vs. girls (the middle photo shows them playing musical hats,) something to memorize, and a short lesson.   It was really a fun time!
Most of the kids in this village have probably never been more than a couple miles away from home.  A lot of them don't even go to the one tiny school that is there in the village.  Most of them don't have a tv.  For there to be a big kids' program like this in their village put on by some visitors was a BIG deal to them.  At the end everyone got a piece of candy, so that made it even better!
I was happy that we could be part of continuing to build a good relationship between the village people and the project that has been started there.