Fun and Games and Growth at Maison de la Gare

We came to Maison \de la Gare for the talibes. These little boys soak up attention and affection. And, they love to learn AND have fun. On our first day at the centre, the amazing teacher, Abdou, helped Katherine and Alicia organize the kids into two groups for a race game, while Rowan concentrated on the friendship bracelets she is so well known for, while catching up with her friend Arouna.  The children seemed intrigued and pleased that some younger people were at the centre to spend time with them. They are used to adults volunteering, but rarely do they get to interact with other kids from outside of their own community of talibes. 

Ibrahima, in red, on Katherine's team

I was so pleased to notice that Ibrahima, a little talibe who had been a favorite of a French volunteer, Gwen, a few years before, was enthusiastically playing on Katherine's team. When Abdou yelled "allez" the boys on the end crawled as fast as they could through the legs of the others on their team. The winners jumped up and down yelling "Katherine" or "Alicia"!! Then, Rowan showed them how to play freeze dance accompanied by Abdou on the jembe. Then, duck-duck-goose.

Rowan and Alicia make friendship bracelets, the talibes have given up in favour of taking selfies

The next day, more games, and the girls taught the talibe younger kids how to make friendship bracelets. I mean, they tried to. The kids ended up with some interesting and complicated knots. Fortunately, Katherine, Rowan and Alicia had pre-made enough bracelets to go around. Meanwhile, Karen, Martin and I were on the hunt for materials to secure the three new computers we had brought, to the walls of the computer room. Karen came up with a great way to convert t.v. wall brackets to the job. In the store, we met a local L.G. Employee who installs televisions and hired him to help us out. Some extensive negotiations ensued, and then back to the centre to finish the job.

Martin and Karen have installed the first computer, but the room needs more work

One thing leads to another here. After the computers had been installed, and the room thoroughly cleaned, it was noted that the walls were in very poor condition. Martin, Mamadou and Karen went back out to the market in search of scrapers, putty, paint, varsol, and rollers. The computers came down, the walls were prepared, then painted. Unfortunately, the specific instructions to Bathie and Abou who rolled the paint did not include cleaning up. Now the floor has a lovely new speckelled white pattern. Next day when the paint was dry, a visiting visual artist from Cap Verde came by. I invited him to paint a scene on the computer room wall, perhaps a small planet earth, and a boy at a computer.  I handed out money for more supplies, and was a bit worried when I saw spray paint come back. I wasted my anxiety. Carlos painted the most extraordinary mural of a talibe working on a computer, beside a crumbling wall representing his current difficult life. Just overhead stars are coming out in the night sky, representing hope and possibility. And, ahead, the entire world awaits this boy, which the computer is bringing closer to his reach. It is wonderful. More drying, another day, then the computers were installed once more. In the process of refurbishing the computer room, Martin and Karen taught Mamadou to  replace window screens. Mamadou now has a replacement kit, and the know-how to use it.

Mural in the computer room, courtesy of a visiting artist

After a few days with the kids, Alicia, Rowan and Katherine began to lead English classes.  On Issa's birthday they taught the boys to sing him Happy Birthday.

Rowan, Katherine and Alicia leading an English class in the library

 Meanwhile, I assisted the karate classes, and worked on reinforcing the karate program, at the centre and at the dojo. Robbie was sorely missed. As I tied on my own blue belt, talibes asked me "where is Robbie?" As I led the warm up, "Robbie?", "Robbie?", after class, "Robbie viens?". On the streets of Saint Louis, "Robbie!?!". Some kids brought me bo staffs and asked me, hopefully, to teach them. Unfortunately, I cannot replace Robbie in this. They will have to wait for Robbie's return, or for the next bo instruction video sent by Douvris.

Sonia assisting in teaching the morning karate class 

We had hoped to have time to work on the MDG garden, which had been looking a bit neglected since the new cultivation lands at Bango, Tol-Talibe had become a new focus. Finally, there was time. Karen engaged Mamadou in working fertilizer in around the bases of the fruit trees. Others joined in to help, and removed dead plant material. We built a compost heap for the debris and tried to explain the concept. Stones from the garden lined the compost pile neatly. Unfortunately, I don't think our compost has much of a long term chance given several suggestions we nixed to drag it to the garbage pile or burn it. Many joined in collection of the bits of trash caught in branches, bushes, and hidden in sand. Only a few needed extra encouragement to help. As I directed some tree branch pruning, several kids watched very closely, studying the method so they could replicate it in future. By nightfall, the garden was once again clean, lovely and looking healthy. 

Soulaymane works in fertilizer.     

Saturday we visited the Bango lands. Tol-Talibe is the name given to the garden by the talibes themselves. They prepared, planted, and tend this garden. It is for them, and they are the ones who will enjoy the fruits of their own labours. This is a concept it is hard for boys forced to beg for the gain of others to appreciate. But, as the first Harvests of mint, lettuce, bissap and squash are sold and enjoyed by the few boys who are initially taking charge, the light will begin to dawn. This garden will become the basis for full horticultural and agricultural apprenticeships, a real path to independence and prosperity for those talibe that have the interest and choose to grasp the opportunity. Berengere, the leader of the Tol-Talibe project, will do her best to inspire the talibes to get involved and show them the way.

Imam waters the Tol-Talibe garden.   

We spent as much time as possible talking one on one with the kids who wanted to learn English. Kaylin, a U.S. Volunteer had left behind a novel, The Poisonwood Bible, and I read a few chapters to Rahim to get him started. Kalidou and several others who are trying to learn English, listened in and were very interested in the discussions about the books many metaphors and colloquial expressions. Tidjan was very interested in my motivational self-help book, the Go-Giver. I read him several chapters, adding explanations as we progressed. I left the book with him to finish on his own.

Monday, tooth brushing was a great adventure. My dentist, Dr. Voros, in Ottawa, had donated many brushes, and this was the day we would put them to use. Alicia, Rowan and Katherine each led a brushing team. They demonstrated how teeth should be cleaned with brushes. Then, each group lined up in front of a basin. The brushes were handed out. As each boy reached the front of the line in turn, toothpaste was applied to his brush and he was encouraged to brush his teeth while those yet waiting for a turn in anticipation studied the method closely. Lots of blood from unhealthy gums ended up in the basins. Amazingly, we had exactly enough brushes for everyone. At the end of the process, the smiles were broad and brilliant! The brushes will be cleaned, and hopefully this process will be repeated weekly.

Late Monday night, Idrissa and Bathie led us out on a Ronde de Nuit.  After a search in many dark corners and back alleys, we found three runaway talibe boys sleeping in a pile of rags in the fishermans village on the Langue de Barbarie. Idy took his time to introduce himself to the frightenned boys, and to explain how we were going to help them.  One ran. Karen and Bathie hopped into a taxi with the other two, were driven by taxi back to Maison de la Gare, where Mame Diarra waited to receive them and gently help them settle in. The rest of us continued our search for children sleeping on the streets. We did not find any more this night. It was cold, and most were likely tucked just inside the open doorways of homes, with a plan to vanish before morining. They were warmer, and safer there than on the street where they would usually sleep. One of the boys rescued this night, Sediou, seemed quite a bit more traumatized than the other. It took him a day or so to offer a small smile and accept some food and new shoes and clothes. I can only imagine what his story is. Mamadou, the other boy, had been at Maison de la Gare before. This was his second time running away and being rescued from the streets. The streets are a very dangerous place for talibes to be. I will write more about it in another blog. The night of the Ronde de Nuit, we returned to our hotel at about 2pm. I do not think any of us slept very well.

On our final full day at the centre, we sponsored a feast that was organized for us by Senega-Lib Tours. Mats were layed out on the sand, well over 100 talibes were lined up, washed their hands, and were then invited to sit in circles of 10 or so on the mats. Alicia, Rowan and Katherine served the food, a feast of roasted rice, vegetables, olives and meat. Juice cans and bananas were enjoyed for desert, no one left hungry or unhappy. For the talibes, being served food in this manner, and sitting down to eat together as Senegalese families do, was an alien and much appreciated and enjoyed experience. 

Talibes polishing off the feast

Spending time with Alicia, Katherine and Rowan was an extraordinary experience for the talibes. And, I have no doubt this experience was as life changing for Katherine and Alicia as getting to know and love the talibes has been for Rowan. And, I am as certain that Martin and Karen will be drawn back to Maison de la Gare as I am that I will be myself. I know from experience it will not be easy for any of us to leave this place and these beautiful people.