The early childhood development center in Nyabiheke introduces 4-6 year olds to school. 800 refugee children move through the small school each and every day. Morning students and afternooners cycle through the six classrooms, guided through their activities by teachers who also live in Nyabiheke.
But other than their schoolrooms and the bathrooms, there’s not much else for the kids to do.
“During recess and breaks, there’s nothing to occupy the pupils,” said Betty, whose organization operates the center. “They would love to have a balancoire.”
A balancoire is the French word for swing – it seemed like a doable thing that would really make a big difference to the little ones at the ECD center.
So, we checked in with our welder in Nyabiheke and found that a four-seat metal swing, fully installed, would be right on our $500 budget. We placed the order and returned to the ECD when it was delivered a few days later.
The kids were so excited about this new toy for them all to share. They crowded around the new swings and could barely wait for the legs to be planted and the concrete to dry. Kids who weren’t in school poured out from their homes and gathered on the hillside behind the ECD Center.
This new balancoire will be well-loved!
