Forgiveness

Teachers in our meeting today

We are running a project on forgiveness. In the grade 0 all three classes has used a week to tell everyday stories or traditional stories on forgiveness. Then for two more weeks they have told the story of Joseph from the Bible: a very touching story. The teachers have noted down spontaneous reactions from children. Today we met with the teachers to discuss the last part of the study where we will interview the children on what they think about forgiveness. We had a very interesting talk about the children's understanding of forgiveness and also about our own relationship to the theme. It is difficult to ask for forgiveness. In the African tradition it is rear that a senior person ask a lower placed person for forgiveness, that parents ask children for forgiveness, that husbands ask their wifes for forgiveness. However, forgiveness has a great value as it reestablish relations. It needs to be learned when we are young. We all felt we learned something about children and ourselves in relation to forgiveness.

The same project is also being done in preschools in Norway, Botswana and Kenya.

Barnehageprosjektet

Picture

The Preschool at Helemisi is an experience of its own! 176 children in 7 classes. Beautiful children willing and interested to learn. Our preschool is a demonstration preschool, it means that our own students as well as others who want to know how a good preschool can be, should come and see for themselves. I have been involved in a project to make this preschool one of the best in Swaziland. We have used the last 3 staff meetings every Tuesday for this. All staff has come with ideas for what we can do to make things better. It is all from painting the classrooms, repairing outdoor equipment, decorating the walls indoor with children's own drawings, teachers being more active during free play etc.



Picture: Outdoor play- a race to collect buckets of water. The teacher Hlopsile in front, and QMUC students in the back.

We have also emphasised that language learning can be very effective during outdoor play if the teachers also participate. Teacher Fikile and teacher Lungile in action with happy children.









Commuting to Maputo

I have been driving up and down to Maputo nearly every week of late - to try to get all the documentation ready for our application to start the preschool teacher training. The vw city is my faithful friend on the tours that take at least 3 hours one way.

Kirkeleder
Aron Matsebula is president i Free Evangelical Assemblies in Swaziland. He works in the office next door to my office. Today he came over to us for lunch. We had interesting talks about missions and church work in Swaziland. FEA is a growing church. New local assemblies are continously started, and the churches are growing.

Mr. Aron Matsebula with me in our sitting room.