This week has been a short week at Akany due to our long week end, Gil’s lecturing to the Medical School and going to Miara’s Admission to the Bar Ceremony. Akany has been very accommodating about our comings and goings, other volunteers picking up on our duties as we do when any of them are away.

It is great to walk around the Centre being greeted by name, we wish we could remember more of their names!

We note the regular after-school activities that are offered to the children. One that seems to be very popular is traditional dance. This is taught by an elderly man who uses his voice and two sticks to create the most marvellous rhythms. The steps are simple, the girls sing beautifully as they weave their stories through dance.

(Below 2 photos of traditinal dance class)

Our petites preschoolers are a constant delight and challenge to us. We  are seeing more cooperation between these little ones and it is great to see a little one getting the idea of how to make a ball with play dough, and then begin to experiment with other shapes. They are good about sharing puzzles and most toys: the biggest conflict comes with ball play. It is a difficult concept to convey that if everyone has a go with the ball they can all have fun. Perhaps it is because they have so little to call their own.

(Photos with our Little PreSchoolers at work with Play Dough)

(Waiting for the Karaoke)

The week started with an early morning assignment to act as tour guides to two American visitors to Akany. They were a semi-retired Lutheran couple who have lived in many parts of the world and are linked with a charity called God’s Little Children. They were both interesting and very interested, and particularly impressed at the practical approach and conservation measures adopted here. They commented that they had tried to implement some of the energy conservation measures seen here in some parts of Africa, but had failed. The positive atmosphere of Akany is indeed very impressive.

On Tuesday evening we had a party for all the residents and staff at Akany to bid farewell to three of our fellow volunteers going home at the end of the week (to Switzerland and Holland). Karaoke apparatus was acquired through someone’s relative, and each dormitory of the bigger children had the opportunity to contribute an item. They had a long list of songs to choose from, and sang in Malagasy, French or English. The excitement and enjoyment was almost palpable; once the kids were wound up, the singing and celebration almost shook the walls. People like loud music around here. Cookies and cocoa were served, and everyone was off to bed before 9pm to allow them to be fresh for school the next day. (below is Karaoke in full swing)

(Akany soccer in blue)

On Wednesday afternoon, Gil accompanied a contingent from Akany Avoko to support our girls’ soccer team who were playing the girls from the American School in Antananarivo. The Americans have quite a big school here (about 300). The field was somewhat smaller than regular size, but was the first football field seen here with any grass on it. Most of them are dry, sandy, reddish expanses. It was so apparent that the American girls, although of similar ages, were so much taller and bigger than our lasses, but the match was remarkably even. The star turn for the Americans was the Ambassador’s daughter (No3) who must be close to six feet tall. Our girls were a bit unlucky to lose 4-2. It was a good social occasion where Simon made some valuable contacts with members of the American Embassy. More importantly though, was the fact that “our girls” thoroughly enjoyed the game even though they lost. Clearly it was the playing of the game that was most important.

 (Staff Party)

There was another party on Thursday afternoon, this time to thank all the staff and volunteers for their work over the past year. This was in fact a kind of an Annual General Meeting involving people from a wide range of activities, and this year it was Akany’s turn to act as host. Simon had prepared us as to what was expected, and the volunteers set about blowing balloons, wrapping the gifts for the old game of pass the parcel, going to the market to buy fruit and cool drinks, preparing the food (mainly pizza and fruit), and generally decking out the room for the event. About 50 people attended, the vast majority locals. Simon acted as chairman/master of ceremonies. We started off with a prayer, then annual reports from a variety of activity groups, and then fun and games. The pass the parcel was played with us all singing (in Malagasy) and the enjoyment of the people was really infectious. This was followed by food and dancing, and, of course, more singing. We had the opportunity of meeting some new and impressive people. One of these is a counsellor who is Malagasy, but has travelled extensively; she is such a switched on person who is worth her weight in gold in this community. Having people like her about offers real hope for this country.
We are becoming a bit more structured with respect to our teaching sessions with the children. Many have a real desire to learn English, and Wyn is really enjoying her time with those classes or individual sessions. Some of the younger ones really need help at a basic level of education, and we hope that our short one-to-one sessions with them are a positive help for them to catch up on what has often been a deprived past. Many are very bright and quick and keen to learn.

(below - washing before lunch)