first workshops

We started art workshops at the school yesterday. The children drew around each other and added shape, colour and pattern. The figures they created were really expressive and beautiful to look at (much better than our example!)

We then moved onto printmaking where the children made repetitive prints from foam patterns:

Dieylani is translating:

The children really concentrated on the art they made, and quietly got on with the projects. Art is not a subject covered at school so this was the first time anything like this had happened in their classroom. The teachers joined in with the workshops and said that they felt happy to be able to learn art skills alongside the children and that they would like to bring more creativity into lessons. For the teachers, this was also a first time making art work.

On our way back from the school the rain started and within a few minutes the roads were flooding. It stopped after about an hour and was apparently just a "light shower" in comparison to when the rain really starts!

Diary entry 30th July Sam

As we found out this sign in the school we visited in Pikine read out, 'To educate a girl, is to educate a nation.' It was amazing to meet the children and the teachers- a simple shh from one of the teachers during our meeting and the children immediately stopped whatever they were doing with a taxi that had been rolled into the playground. An eye opener for us.

We bought paint in a shop where the guys mixed up the colours we requested and then let me operate the paint machine and suddenly I thought I must have been given a job. 

Our interpreter for the project is a lovely laid back Senegalese man keen to exchange with us and talk English. He will help us so much when it comes to communicating with the children as my Wolof amounts to 'Amuma Xaalis'- I have no money. So, we then spent the evening having dinner in a local restaurant and then sat in a bar.

Ipswich newspaper

The Ipswich Star has run a story on our project!

Dakar to Saint-Louis

We drove from Dakar to Saint Louis today in a car. The different neighbourhoods we went through were fascinating -  women walking with fruit on their heads, crowded buses with smiley young men hanging off the back, orange birds, baobab trees and lots of rubbish and small enclaves and African villages. 

Now at Waaw, a big white crumbling building with a garden in the centre and rooms off to the left and right. Whitewashed walls and sky blue shutters with green plants everywhere. Particularly like the spacious roof terrace where the call to prayer can be heard and little birds dart from place to place in flocks. 

We walked to the river and we saw the other part of town where the fishermen live..

screaming on board flight iberia

We have arrived - despite Sam wanting to jump out of the plane window!

art supplies

A massive thank you to Paintworks for donating art supplies to the project! 

We visited the shop and lovely staff yesterday... you can find them in Hoxton and online here: 

http://www.paintworks.biz

fundraising..

If you would like additional information or are able to donate anything towards the project please follow this link :

http://www.youcaring.com/kidspaintsenegal