June 15, 2017

On a rainy Saturday morning the students of Usa River Academy were assigned the task of building a better community. With colored pencils and paper in hand, groups of students came together to creatively draw on a poster an African village and were then asked to include as much detail as possible that would ensure the development of that village.

This activity was hosted by TFFT and is a part of the Mentoring Program that empowers peer mentors to take the lead at school. The peer mentors were given the responsibility to arrange and facilitate the school competition. Mentored by teachers and Family Cell leader Hedwiga, TFFT scholars Helena and Sophia led this competition. The two girls liaised with the principals of both the primary and secondary schools at Usa River, wrote a budget, arranged for refreshments, divided the participants into groups, collected supplies for the day, and advertised the event. A little too shy to get up in front of 150 or so fellow students in the dining hall, they asked two teachers to facilitate the judging of the posters.

Many factories, water storage, farming equipment, schools, shops, hospitals, and animals were seen in each poster, but some groups were even more creative and included such things as helicopter pads, tourist centers, tennis courts, and running tracks. In one presentation of posters, a young girl presented the imagined history of the town to the delight of the judges.

The posters were generally of an excellent quality, reflecting lots of work, thought and talent. The winning entrant was exceptional, worthy of framing and putting on a classroom wall. In this competition there were only four groups, but as there were many calls for a repeat of the competition, next time there could be many more smaller groups to showcase the talents of a greater number of students.

Overall the day was a nice break from the school routine, and the small treat of a soft drink added to the delight of the day for the children. The teachers were inspired to arrange other such events, and the peer mentors at the school were acknowledged and identified as school leaders. The Building Better Community Competition indeed helped build a better school community.