The land of a thousand hills. Heaven. God’s chosen country. A land of miracles. What country comes to mind with descriptions such as these? Did you think of Rwanda, or did the stigma of the 1994 genocide overshadow any positive perceptions of this small African country? I confess, less than a year ago; I could not imagine Rwanda without that spectre of horror looming over me. Now…my perceptions are different. Now I see hope, unity and strength binding a community together as they strive for a better future. In my mind it is a land of miracles.
In July 2014 I was one of 14 teachers from Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire given an opportunity to develop a richer understanding of what Global Citizenship is and a chance to challenge our own preconceptions about developing countries.
I am thankful for the opportunity to rediscover the importance of not prejudging what you do not know
A global learning partnership
The Wood Foundation facilitated a global learning partnership for Scottish teachers to live and work as local teachers in schools across Rwanda. We partnered with mentors from the International Education Exchange. These mentors work in local schools supporting the professional development of teachers. Our job was to share our expertise while learning what life is really like in this East African country.
Most of us had no idea what to expect and each of us tried to prepare ourselves for the culture shock we knew would be coming, but it is impossible to fully prepare yourself for the unknown, instead, resilience is far more important - something I learned I have far more of than I ever gave myself credit for.
Rwanda surprised me in many positive ways; particularly in how safe and supported I felt as a visitor. Every fear proved ungrounded and I am thankful for the opportunity to rediscover the importance of not prejudging what you do not know.
Literacy project
On returning, I have developed a pilot program to see if Scottish and Rwandan children can support each other through literacy. P6 pupils in five Aberdeen schools will create books suitable for English language learners. These books will be sent to Rwanda and the Rwandan partner schools will write books for Scottish children. These books will be a highly scripted, supported writing opportunities for Rwandan children to communicate about their lives to English speaking children.
Alongside learning about the lives of their counterparts in Rwanda, the P5 pupils here will compare the two countries and how their geography impacts on life. The P6 pupils will do an informative/comparative study of soil/crops in Africa and Scotland.
Children in both countries are learning according to the curriculum and they are using their learning to support each other
Children in both countries are learning according to the curriculum and they are using their learning to support each other. All the children will learn and use English meaningfully and develop a greater appreciation for Global Citizenship while promoting literacy development in both Scotland and Rwanda.
