In the morning, we all start at the Polyclinic, we have a PCR test done, this is necessary for the trip home. Although we are sure that there is nothing wrong with us, we are a little nervous because we don't even want to think about what would happen if we produced a positive test. Anyone who has had such a test knows that it is not really a pleasant experience, especially if, as here, the sample is taken from the nose...
For 2 days now, I have been writing the list of what was left out during the last 2 weeks, what we must make up today, we must do before we go home. I wrote 2 A4 pages, quite densely filled, and as soon as we get to the school, Habiba and I start going through things: we fill in signatures, photos, hand over 1,000-2,000 CFA that were left over (even at the beginning of the program, when we couldn't change, we stayed "debtors"), we fulfill the needs of individual supporters (e.g. a group photo of the supported children).
The decorative material donated by our supporter Sándor Bátai will also be put up on the wall today: after a long lamentation, the very beautiful photos of African animals and the descriptions of the animals will be placed in the computer room. We will continue to increase this collection with new photos and descriptions every year, I think last year we experienced that the children do not recognize most of the African animals based on the photos and have not even heard of them (such as the zebra or the ostrich). The school custodian, Mr. Sadibou, already brings the 100 nail and the familiar rusty pickaxe head for assembly, so it's time to hand over the tool kit and nails. The small angles he brought turn out to be weak, so he leaves and then returns with 16 10-gauge nails, which he hammers into the wall in a difficult way. After he has finished half of the pictures, he realizes that he was moving in a snake line, so I take him down, and now we start over together, aiming for the same height and image distance - with more or less success, this is achieved.
I will also hand over the first aid package, which can be enough for several years, the amount we received as a donation. I will explain what is good for what and how to use it. The joy is great, because the children often have accidents at school, and everything we brought 2 years ago has already run out.
We sit down with Mme Sissoko and, based on the illustration material, I explain how they can sew sanitary napkins by hand, because we didn't have time for that during the busy schedule. Thanks to the generous members of the Washable pad sewing Facebook group, we have plenty of raw materials, thread, needles, scissors, chalk, and templates, so I have a fast track to making pads. Mme Sissoko vows that she will hold such a workshop for the girls at school and they will learn how to make it.
Finally, we go to one of our high school girls, who gave birth 2 weeks ago and gave birth to a healthy baby boy. He was married last September, he went to school at the last minute and will continue his studies next week. Mme Sissoko is very upset because she is a bright, hopeful little girl who was added to a "Security guard, what a waste!" she says with an accent that makes his opinion of Frigy clear.
Back at school, Ildikó holds the last computer technology class for the teachers, and then the exam takes place: at first it is difficult to understand that you have to choose, in fact, there may be several good answers from A, B, C, D, but in the end everyone succeeds exam and diplomas are issued. From now on, teachers will be able to use the computer room freely.
Mr. Haidara and I talk about the program - to my greatest surprise, I can speak French if I want to and there is no one around to help me. Overall, we are both very happy with the program. He apologizes for not allowing the 5-6. class girls should also take part in educational education, but in his opinion it is still too early. Knowing what we've learned over the past 2 weeks, I agree that he was right, and thanked him for the opportunity. I told him about our plans for the further development of the program, and he said that we would go to the ministry next time and present it there. It seems to have received very positive feedback and we haven't crossed any boundaries. What's more, he asks us to continue teaching next year and to extend this to boys, which I promise with great pleasure. The Olympics were a great success, we have to repeat it again next year, and he is also appreciative of the ball gifts: we were right to give this as a reward, he admits. We agree to wait for the project proposals and then say goodbye.
Last photos, after saying goodbye, we go back to the accommodation, where Bouréma is waiting. There is a Habib Koité concert at the French Institute, for which we asked you to buy tickets. The others are very tired, I can hardly persuade them to come. They don't know Habib Koité, so it's no use saying that it's a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to listen to him tonight. Before the concert, we can still see John Kalapo's photo exhibition "The Forgotten of the Quarantine" at the institute, which mainly shows the lives of homeless people from Eastern Europe, living in France.
Habib Koité gives a fantastic concert. It's not just the music that's brilliant: anyone from the audience who feels like it jumps on stage during their favorite song and dances there, we see wonderful individual productions! At the end of the song, everyone returns to their seats amid applause and cheers from the audience. This is a great experience and a great reward for us after 2 weeks of hard work. And the icing on the cake is that when we buy the CDs and ask him if he would sign an autograph for us, Habib Koité appears with full charisma (you can feel the incredible energy that flows from him-around him) and smiles and autographs!!!
