“Children in our community can’t afford to go online so I enjoyed leading these classes so much. Every day we started seeing very young girls being married off or doing risky business. We were determined to offer a safe space for children to come to. The classes are very different for me too – as each group is so small I can get to understand what each individual child needs from me to learn. Even the children who have been slow to learn before were able to thrive. I want lockdown to be over but I wish we could continue with what we have learnt here. As a Teacher its very satisfying to see your pupils grow – even under the circumstances caused by Covid” Ollie Beatrice (pictured right), Teacher, Outspan Primary School.

With help from Fonthill Foundation, when lock down started in March 2020 we were able to start a ‘home learning’ project for the children we work with.

We worked with eight teachers from one of our partner schools (who were unemployed as all learning institutions were closed due to Covid), distributed learning packs to more than 165 children in our programme and vulnerable girls identified within the community. Teachers marked their work and gave feedback.

As soon as government restrictions allowed we moved to real life classes – following safe standard operating procedures – we rented a space with suitably sized rooms and facilities and small groups met in shifts for classes.

Studies followed the curriculum in hope that when schools do reopen children will be promoted to their next grade rather than have to repeat a year. This way we were able to keep 119 girls and 59 boys studying.

 A safe space for learning and exploring teaching methodologies and creative learning

Within small groups, our volunteer Teachers found they had time to work with pupils in a way that they are not normally able to within large classes, even children who normally have difficulties learning were more involved in classes, asking questions and achieving higher marks.

As schools have reopened this week 135 children from our education programme and lock down classes has been able to return to school and promoted to the next grade.

What we have learnt from these classes is now being developed into a bigger project to ensure girls who have been hit hardest by Covid and now can’t afford to return to school can catch up on their lost education.    

Huge thanks to Ollie Beatrice and her colleagues for making this project possible.