Greater words to share hath no person than these: I have helped a child! Working with the Peace Corps on this Rotary District 9400/APC pilot for future literacy work has inspired me beyond expectations. What beautiful people demonstrating the very best of humanity. Thank you PCV’s! You are our promise of calm in the world’s turbulent sea! One PCV’s words on his work with Souns:

Souns has been the calm in my sea of first year turbulence. It has been a solid start to everyday, and seeing youth progress in something tangible has been rewarding to push forward in the times when content doesn’t not come so fluidly. Even teachers are picking up the concept of putting learning into the child’s hands.

I have seen the most success in my two days at the cretche. The learners have almost no formal exposure and are taking to it like fish to water. I still have a slower moving group, but even the parents of these children are coming up to me saying their child plays in the sand making their souns.

As mentioned above, teachers are picking it up. The principal of my own school slid in a challenge to his teachers to use more visual aids and study aids in order to improve learner’s retention. He proceeded to make a connection with souns and the vocabulary notebooks he was starting with his Grade 5 learners.

Moving forward, I need to improve my communication with the Grade R teacher in order for them to more congruent follow up during non-souns days. I also need to figure what to do with my grade 1s who have mastered their souns and are progressing quickly with building words.

I see souns not only having a lasting impact on literacy, but also parental and communal involvement. Being visible and informally teaching is broken down barriers to school. In my own house, the parents are talking more with their child about what they are learning and challenging them with new knowledge.

I think we could use a little more shop talk with each other, but I obviously haven’t been able to prioritize it.