Friday, October 10, 2008

Full Circle - Go Clean!


TFFT is proud to present: 
GO CLEAN

Fully equipped with prideful teams of 6-8 sponsored children doing art projects and learning about the 3R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). I've designed October's activities so that we can take the opportunity to extend September's (GO GREEN) message of environmental conservation. This month, the kids will use creative expression in art projects that emphasize the importance of Reducing the amount of waste we create, Reusing the waste we do create, and Recycling anything we possibly can.

Today, we REUSED empty toilet paper rolls to make rain sticks (you remember them from school. Cardboard tubes filled with rice, beans, stones, that make the sound of rain when you turn them). Special thanks to Mary at The Impala Hotel, Asha and Katherine Lioyd at The Arusha Hotel, and Isabelle Muthoni at Kibo Palace Hotel. They were all kind enough to collect empty TP rolls so that the kids could do this project today! 

Because of the complexity of some of October and November's projects, and the large number of boarding students at Fikiria Kwanza Academy, I've decided to work only with TFFT kids in small groups for the rest of Full Circle. The kids line up eagerly at the dormitory door when their group name is called!

For our rain stick project this evening, we started with Group Tembo (Group Elephant) and Group Nyoka (Group Snake). Pictured at the left is Group Tembo (L to R): Rachel, Namayani, Daniel, Lomanyaki, Stephano, and Odemary. Below is Group Nyoka (L to R): Neema M., Rosie, Athumani, Mandu, Joshua, Neema S., Patrick, and Veronica. They were encouraged to draw any pictures they liked for the outside of their stick, and many of them chose to draw images of rain and growing plants. I was impressed to see how they connected the rain to nature, growth, and life. 



After the younger kids finished their projects, we released them and called the older kids to participate. Group Kima (Group Monkey) pictured to the left, and Group Sungura (Group Rabbit), pictured below were next in line to make their rain tools.
In Group Kima from left to right are Yusufu, Rosemary, Ndera, Mathayo, Joyce E., Sofia, and Helena. In Group Sungura Clockwise from the Left are Amani, Joakim, Magdalena, Mary, and Nancy. Unfortunately, Jesca, Eliupendo, and Joyce W. were not able to participate during the program because they were doing chores. Nancy was kind enough to take them the materials they'll need to make their own rain sticks over the weekend.

The project was enjoyable for all involved, even Alley, my TFFT staff helper today! 

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