another week over...

Hello there - thanks for all the messages and for the positive comments about the blog - glad you enjoy my ramblings!!

This week has been even more hectic than usual. From Monday - Thursday we had parent/teacher interviews - yes, with the parents of Pre-school children. We had a great time with very positive feedback from parents. Primary school age starts at 6 in Malawi and yet when parents can see that their children can recite something in English or write a few letters, they assume that they can send their children even at 4 years to primary school. Unfortunately this past year, about 5 children were taken to primary school when they were not ready and have since been relocated in various nursery schools!

When I was escorting one of the parents out of school this is what I found. Just outside the front door, two of the boys from the Pre-school class were very busy with scrubbing brushes and lots of soap washing two of the chairs from their class. This is an exercise we do in the practical life and the kids love it - the parents were amazed. We will have the cleanest chairs in Mzuzu by the end of this year!

On Wednesday we were training in Mzuzu when I got a phone call from the husband of one of the teachers to come quickly as his wife was sick. I rushed to the house to find the teacher was in labour and had to rush her to the hospital where she delivered a baby boy a few hours later. I might have a picture for the next blog. Both Mum and baby are fine.

Our head teacher who I mentioned was not well, is still not well - very high blood pressure and now requires a hip operation, so today she is travelling to Blantyre to see a specialist to find out what they need to do. Please remember her in your prayers.

Yesterday, Saturday we were out all day training caregivers and committees - we had a great day, and once again saw the real need that there is for training. The caregivers literally have not a clue what they are supposed to do with young children. Here you can see some group work...



This is some of the group busy taking notes as the facilitator is speaking.


These are some of the materials we make for the centres - dolls and the alphabet which actually is a game and has a song for the children to learn their names and the letters of the alphabet.

This coming week I am attending a workshop for the Strategic plan in Education Department - it should be very productive. I hope you all have a good week, and look forward to your comments.

Blessings and love from Diane

PS the picture at the top is our children in Mzuzu lining up to wash their hands - don't they look smart! We have had a challenge this week as the water was off for a couple of days - can you imagine a school with no water!!!