Today I, Zeb the Duck, will show you some elementary schools.

Classroom painted with alphabet and lady bugs, helping to count to 10

Inside the classroom, the walls help teach the alphabet, and counting with the lady bugs.   Another wall has animals and the months painted.

Classroom painted with animals and months on walls

There are no windows and no doors in these classrooms.   The students are very eager to learn and very well behaved.  These students are moving to another group.

Moving to another group

Students sit on the floor, there are no desks and chairs, waiting for instructions from the teachers.

Attentive students on floor. No desks and chairs available

This small group is working outside with the bottles.   They are practicing their numbers.

Small group outside with teacher. Working on numbers

There are no physical education classes, so teachers have the students form a large circle around the room.

Large circle around classroom. Song and dancing time.

Time for singing and dancing now.

Large circle. Each students gets a turn to dance

Each student has a turn in the center of the circle.   There was much singing and dancing here.   I, Zeb the Duck, stayed in my traveling bag as I do when children are around, but I heard so much excitement and joy in the singing.   This is a very happy classroom.   After class, but before being dismissed for the day, the students receive an after school snack.

Students enjoying after school snack of sweet tea and potatoes

They each receive a piece of potato and a cup of sweet tea.   A teacher is handing out potatoes.

Handing out pieces of potato

Here, Jenny, a volunteer from Ohio, is giving students the sweet tea.

Handing out cups of sweet tea

When they have finished their snack, the sit patiently waiting instructions from the teachers.

Patiently sitting, waiting for teacher to dismiss class for the day.

We were so impressed with the politeness of the young children.   These are the four teachers for this group of students.

Four extremely talented and dedicated teachers.

They are such kind, patient and dedicated teachers.   This another classroom of students.

Another elementary school classroom

Ripple Africa, the organization we are with these two weeks, helps sponsor 8 elementary schools.   After I, Zeb theDuck, and the 6 volunteer women left, there was a graduation ceremony for the young children.

Mwaya Preschool

My friend, Jenny, was invited and she wrote about her experience.   This shows how grateful the parents are and how Jenny was accepted by the community.   We think you might enjoy reading this.   Go to http://www.RippleAfrica.org/ripple-africa-news/9750       We also worked with adult literacy.   There are many adults that cannot read, but want to learn.   They come to the library twice a week for reading tutoring.   Here is the librarian.

The librarian heads the adult literacy program

He heads the adult literacy program and teaches the classes.   He has also written some short stories that have been published.  He is very nice.   Mom and some other volunteers helped him with teaching of adults.   We enjoyed working with adults.   Here is Jenny, the volunteer from Ohio, with an adult student and a teacher’s child.

Jenny with adult student and a teachers child

We, the Colorado Traveling Ducks, believe that education is important, so we liked working with students of all ages.   We want to thank Deborah for the photos of the children in classes.   She is a very good photographer and she shared these photos with us.   Mom didn’t have very good photos in classrooms.   Thanks, Deborah.