Level Two Teacher Training Completed in Bangui

This week five Project Hope & Charité Level II teachers met in Bangui, Central African Republic to receive training in preparation for opening school in October.

All of these teachers are part of the PHC's Hand in Hand Program, some traveling hundreds of miles to reach Bangui.

Each teacher taught a level 1 school last year.

PHC Center Buzzing With Activity

By Laura Engle

With the first day of the new school year quickly approaching, activity at the PHC orphan centre is really heating up! There are people of all ages, shapes and sizes here for various reasons.

DR. DIBONA
It was a regular day for Dr. Dibona seeing children and treating them as needed. He is always on call to do what needs to be done – buying medicine, giving vaccines, and even taking children to the hospital.

TEACHER TRAINING
In one of our upstairs classrooms we had training for the teachers of our Hand and Hand Schools. This week the 13 ‘students’ are getting trained to teach Level 1. Next week will be Level 2 and 3. Appolinaire (Academic Dean and teacher trainer) and Emmanuel (Hand and Hand coordinator) are teaching these weeks. They are starting out with the basics – I heard them singing the alphabet song! I am sure it will get harder.


HIGH SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMS
Downstairs the classroom was full with 35 students who were eager to take an entrance exam. These orphans are attempting to go the Christian high school up country in Yaloke. Mr. Laurent, the professor, was overseeing the exam. “We had 30 students last year from the PHC program and believe there is going to be more this year because of the generous people in America.” If a child passes this exam they will live in Yaloke and go to school. The housing arrangements are dorms and I know there is a lot of comradely going on after school hours.

Even though it was a little hectic Monday morning the busyness was a sure sign of life. Children are growing, teachers are learning, students are studying and all this is done in God’s love!

Summer School Has Ended

Summer school has come to an end!

It has been delightful to get to know some of the children a little better in our classrooms these last few months. I am also hoping they learned some things in the process! I enjoyed planning my teaching days and challenging the students who are on a variety of learning levels.



On our last day we had a little party. We had some popcorn and I gave each student a coloring book. They were overjoyed! We (all the students and I) were sad that this time had to come to an end. But the new school year will start again soon in October.