I was confused because all the people

I arrived in Angola in March, it means I was here for three months. After this time I can say when we hold hands we can create the most beautiful pictures that I have ever seen.

My work is in the province of Cabinda, in one city called Cacongo. it is a rural area, with no basic sanitation. I use buckets to take a shower, use a latrine to go to bathroom, have to boil the water before drink, the energy goes almost every day, etc. When I arrived I was confused because all the people were really happy around all these conditions… but after this time I can understand how happiness is something really simple. This is wonderful. Be sure that you can share smiles living in any conditions in the world.

I am working in different projects. In the vocational school I started giving classes about racism, capitalism and a famous singer there, the Afroman. I also did some games with the students during the weekends. I made the reform of the school notice board.  We painted and after that the space was divided into four parts: the notices of school, photos of recent events, updates and opinions of students on any subject. Now, in June, I will do an Olympic Games and I will start classes about morals and ethics and creativity. This school offers courses in catering, agriculture, electricity and construction.

In EPF I have a project with the students. We are creating a newspaper about some of the main questions in Cabinda: water, education, health, HIV and petroleum. I taught about the structure of our newspaper, how to write a good text, and I took people of each department to talk about all of the themes to the students. Now we will divide the groups to make interviews, take pictures, edit the text, simulating a newspaper. EPF is divided in two classes, with 45 students in each. One class will write about the problems and another about what we can do to solve then. After that we will print and make a beautiful board in the school.

In EPF I also have a women club, of sexual education. The women have a lot of doubts and many times what they know is false. In this project I am also trying to educate about the position of the woman in the society, because in Angola many women still are submissive to their husbands.

In this month I will start a club of poetry in EPF, to work with our imagination and sensitivity. I will also do a Week of Lectures, about many topics of education. During one week all the students will have seminars where they can improve their mentality about some questions in education. In the end they will receive a certificate.

In child Aid I had a children`s club, that I was preparing theater with to present in beginning of June, International Children`s Day. Within Child Aid there is a line called "The Forest of the future". In April I helped the project  registering the families in Buco-Zau city that will benefit  in the future with seeds of Moringa, classes of HIV, stoves, etc.

This is what I am doing here… but they need much more. If everybody could do a little everything could  be more simple… Then, do what you can, because this little thing will be huge for them!

Thanks, Débora
If you would like know more send a mail to me. I will be so happy to share more details with you.
debscecilia@yahoo.com.br

And I have a blog where I write almost every day about experiences, feelings and flowers. The address is www.tetodeestrelas.wordpress.com

I leave here the smile of a child who paints with vibrant colors all of my days ...
 

The devastation of HIV/AIDS can be seen everywhere. The epidemic has torn the fabric of society. Members for the HOPE program will work with the people of Angola in the fight against the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Education is the key to development work, In order to create long-term benefits for the people of Angola, education must be a priority.