Learning activities

This page is first of all about learning or teaching activities. We engage parents (or caregivers) and teachers of the children in the development of a detailed curriculum.

Het PROUD-project van vroeger (2013) tot nu (2021)

Since 2013

elke dag om 10 uur een flinke mok pap

Vzw The village steunt sinds 2013 de uitbouw van het PROUD-project voor kinderen en jongeren met een verstandelijke beperking in Kabale, Oeganda. In de eerste fase verwierven de leerlingen zelfredzaamheid b.v. een douche leren nemen en zichzelf netjes kleden. Vervolgens lag het accent op huishoudelijke vaardigheden b.v. traditionele gerechten klaarmaken zoals pap, posho, aardnotensaus, keukengerei afwassen enz. En er ging aandacht naar deelname aan het gemeenschapsleven b.v. meegaan naar de markt, naar een trouwfeest etc.

Vaardigheden leren

je ziet ze in de winkels en wij maken ze zelf: mandazi frituren

De huidige subsidie van de Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen is steun aan het laatste jaar van het programma 2019-2021 dat gaat over het leren van productieve vaardigheden. Op het programma staan:

-modern koken b.v. frietjes bakken, een omelet maken enz.;

-bakken b.v. chapati maken of mandazi…;

-tuinieren: b.v. aardappelen planten, bonen opbinden, passievruchten kweken;

-dieren verzorgen: konijnen kweken en varkens vet mesten.

Voor elk domein worden de aan te leren vaardigheden omschreven. Voor tuinieren b.v. grond voorbereiden met de hak, zaaien en planten enz. Voor koken b.v. snijden (groenten bijvoorbeeld), afmeten (bloem voor pannenkoeken b.v.),… Tot het wassen van een varkentje toe.

zorgen voor is onderdeel van de zorg; hier konijnen voederen

Uit het leven gegrepen

 

wijdverbreid in Oeganda en ook toegepast bij ons: droogbonen kloppen

Het project vertrekt steeds van de rijkdom aan bestaande Oegandese praktijken. Wat doorgaans geleerd wordt in het gezin of in de gemeenschap wordt in het project voor jongeren met een verstandelijke beperking tot een boeiend onderwijsprogramma gemaakt. Het curriculum kreeg als titel: “uit het leven gegrepen”. Wat de kinderen/jongeren leren is direct nuttig, bevordert hun persoonlijke groei, hun participatie in het gezin en in de gemeenschap. Onze jongeren zijn fier dat ze mee tellen en wij zijn fier op hen. Vandaar de naam PROUD-project.

de nieuwste hype in het PROUD project varkens oppassen en zelfs wassen

Inkomen verwerven

Vanaf 2022 willen we werken aan de deelname van onze jong volwassenen aan het economische leven. We willen de commerciële toer opgaan met het uitbouwen van een gemeenschapskantine, home stay en een bloemenkiosk. Daarmee zullen de jongeren pas helemaal de overstap maken van school naar werk. Hapjes maken en opdienen, gasten verwelkomen, een kamer onderhouden, een eenvoudig bloemstuk maken… Stuk voor stuk haalbare uitdagingen!

Afsluiting 2021

Productieve activiteiten: tuinieren

Tuinieren: meststof voor de tuin

Elk jaar maken we vooruitgang met tuinieren. Oefening baart kunst.

Het project heeft een grote tuin waarin we groenten en fruit kweken. Daarnaast heeft elke leerling zijn individueel tuintje waarin hij/zij begeleid wordt bij het kweken van zelf gekozen groenten. De opbrengst mag de leerling mee naar huis nemen.

Tuinieren: aardappelen rooien

Zelf ben ik een leek in tuinieren. In grote lijnen zie ik dat er heel wat werk is met het klaar maken en bemesten van de grond. Vervolgens worden er plantjes aangekocht of ze worden overgebracht van het eigen zaaibed.

We hebben een grote watertank en de kinderen van groep 1 die nog niet voluit deelnemen aan het bewerken van de tuin helpen bij het gieten van de planten. De tropische warmte gecombineerd met water doen de planten omhoog schieten.

Ik sta verbaasd hoe de grond en het klimaat invloed hebben op het eindproduct. Oogsten is natuurlijk één van de plezantste zaken. De schooltuin heeft een positieve invloed op de samenstelling van de maaltijden van de kinderen. Meer groenten en meer variatie.

Extra luxe biedt het fruit: we kweekten o.a. passievruchten en aardbeien.

Tuinieren: fruit

Productive activities: gardening

Every year we make progress with gardening. Step by step we’re becoming specialists.

The project has a large garden in which we grow fruit and vegetables. In addition, each student has his individual garden in which he / she is growing self-chosen vegetables. The student may take home the proceeds.

Gardening: beans

I myself am a layman in gardening. Broadly speaking I see that there is a lot of work with preparing and fertilizing the soil. After we purchase plants or transfer them from our own seedbed.

We have a large water tank and the children of group 1 who do not yet fully participate in working the garden help with the pouring of the plants. The tropical heat combined with water makes the plants shoot up.

Enjoy the fruits of PROUD garden

I am amazed at how the soil and climate affect the final product. Harvesting is of course fun. The school garden has a positive influence on the composition of the children's meals. They eat more different vegetables.

The fruit offers extra luxury: we grew passion fruit and strawberries, among others.

Gardening: fruits

Leeractiviteiten 2021

Productieve activiteiten: koken en bakken

Vuur maken. Bridget.

We beschouwen koken ook als productieve activiteit omdat koken waarde toevoegt aan de producten die we kopen of uit de tuin halen. Koken en bakken zijn belangrijke huishoudelijke vaardigheden. In de toekomst gaan we ook koken en bakken voor de klanten van de cafetaria.

Kool snijden. Praise en Apophia.

Koken richtte zich eerst op traditioneel Oegandese gerechten zoals bijvoorbeeld posho en groundnuts sauce, later ook op meer moderne gerechten zoals frieten bakken of pannekoeken maken. Met de Oegandese ‘chapati’ (zoute pannekoeken) zitten we al op de overgang naar bakken.

Deeg maken

Het bakken gebeurt nog op de traditionele manier. Het gaat vooral om frituren. Voorbeelden zijn mandazi en samosa. Onze jongeren zien ze in de winkel liggen en beleven nu het plezier van ze zelf te maken! Ingrediënten klaar zetten; deeg maken; frituren, opdienen en smullen maar.

Productive activities: cooking and baking

Preparing posho

We also view cooking as a productive activity because cooking adds value to the produce we buy or take from the garden. Cooking and baking are important household skills. In the future we will also cook and bake for the customers of the cafeteria.

Preparing omelet

Cooking first focused on traditional Ugandan dishes such as posho and groundnut sauce, later also on more modern dishes such as frying chips or making pancakes. With the Ugandan 'chapati' (salty pancakes) we are already on the transition to baking.

PROUD bakery

Baking is still done in the traditional way. It's mainly about frying. Examples are mandazi and samosa. Our youngsters see them in the store and now experience the pleasure of making them themselves! Prepare ingredients; make dough; fry, serve and enjoy.

Preparing mandazi

Productieve activiteiten: konijnen en varkens kweken

Varkens oppassen. Bridget.

Bezig zijn met dieren is een heel fijne activiteit voor jongeren met een verstandelijke beperking. Bijvoorbeeld: groen bij elkaar zoeken voor de konijnen en ze voederen is mijn taak. Ik ben elke dag op post… De dieren horen mij aankomen. Soms gebeurt er een wonder: een nest jongen. Dat is een belevenis op zich.

Varkens houden. Sarah en Mercy.

Zorgend bezig zijn. Daar hebben we allemaal behoefte aan. Op kleine of op grotere schaal. De varkens uitlaten en hoeden. Leuk toch? Of het varkentje wassen! Letterlijk dan. We zien ze groeien.

Het varkentje wordt gewassen. Progress en Bridget.

De koten proper houden hoort er ook bij. In het begin stonden ze nog op hun sletsen te kuisen maar al vlug werd overgeschakeld naar botten en een grondiger aanpak.

Varkens zijn geen toevallige keuze. Kekubo, onze buurt, is gekend voor zijn restaurants waar je varkensbrochetten kan eten. Mensen komen uit andere delen van de stad om hier te eten.

Productive activities: breeding rabbits and pigs

Working with animals is a very nice activity for young people with intellectual disabilities. For example: gathering greenery for the rabbits and feeding them is my job. I'm on post every day… The animals hear me coming. Sometimes a miracle happens: a nest of young rabbits. That is an experience in itself.

Keeping rabbits. Ignatious.

Be caring. We all need that. On a small or larger scale. Letting the pigs out and herding. Nice isn’t it? Or wash the pig! Literally then. We see them grow.

Keeping the rooms clean is also part of it. In the beginning they were still on their slippers to clean, but soon they switched to boots and a more thorough approach.

Pigs are not an accidental choice. Kekubo, our neighborhood, is known for its restaurants where you can eat pork. People come from other parts of the city to eat here.

Mission 11 Program 2019: transition from school to work

PROUD project has 2 groups:
-group 1 focusing on self care;
-group 2 focusing on household activities.

From 2019 we will start with group 3 focusing on “economic activities”. We will teach productive and commercial activities to our youngsters. In the first year the focus will be on gardening and cooking. We will welcome some specialists from outside the project to work with our children and teachers.

Vzw The village is seeking support from the Province of East Flanders to finance this project. Follow future developments on this blog.

Learning activities in PROUD Village (school year 2017)

Hello, we are informing you about the learning activities in PROUD Village. Those of group 1 children with intellectual disabilities in primary school age and those of group 2 youngsters with intellectual disabilities in secondary school age. In future we will also start group 3 young adults with intellectual disabilities, to compare with their siblings who follow higher education.

Group 1: physical games

But we start with group 1. The activities are: physical exercises and games; cognitive games; music: playing and listening music; drawing and shading; toilet training; self care: dressing, combing, brushing, smearing, brushing shoes; setting and clearing the tables; washing utensils: cleaning and watering plants. So most of all: general education with a do component.

Through all activities we train communication and social skills.

Learning activities group 1 and 2: morning devotion (school year 2017)

Some activities are for all children e.g. group 1 and 2 are together for morning devotion, break porridge and lunch.

Morning devotion is for creating a positive mind set so that we can do things well and become active during the day. It creates a feeling of togetherness and stimulates the will to help each other and to practice things with care.

Morning devotion: dancing

Composing elements of morning devotion are singing, dancing, waving, clapping hands and praying among others.

Morning devotion: praying

On the pictures you see children dancing and praying. Even if not everyone understands what we are praying it still brings souls together.

Learning activities group 1: physical exercises and games (school year 2017)

This activity is healthy, promotes physical fitness and gross motor development. Children learn to have a better control over their body movements, it enhances agility and coordination etc. 

Group 1: physical games

It can even have a positive effect on their future working capacities and preparedness of working together.

Group 1: Arinda our top football player

There are many different physical exercises and games one can play. For instance teachers practice ball skills with the children, like throwing, catching, rolling, bouncing, kicking etc.

Learning activities group 1: cognitive games (school year 2017)

Matching

Cognitive development refers to how a child perceives, thinks and gains understanding of his world. Children with intellectual disabilities have relatively weak cognitive capacities. But they can also benefit from brain training games, as can kids with normal cognitive development.

Construction game

In the project we dispose of cognitive games donated by children from Kalken, the Belgian village where our main sponsor is located. Examples of materials: building blocks, jig-saws, matching games, dominoes, sorting games etc. As you can see on the pictures, our children like to play with them.

Learning activities group 1: listening and playing music (school year 2017)

Children with cognitive disabilities can enjoy listening and playing music as well other children. Music relaxes the minds of children, it makes them happy and excited. 

We are still looking to record more songs and music styles to be enjoyed by the children. Among the instruments our children play we have shakers, sound tubes, drums, xylophone, flute…

We are concentrating on traditional music instruments (e.g. drums), songs (e.g. ayimwigure orurembo =you open the gate), dances (Kikiga dance practiced by the Bakiga) but don't exclude modern music.

As for other activities we are still working on a more in depth study of music education for children with cognitive disabilities. We do so by reviewing its aims, contents, methods and materials. Possibly we will also involve a music teacher (specialist).

Crops grown at PROUD Village

We grow different crops at the PROUD Village such as carrots, onions, green peppers... 

Carrots

We have harvested these crops and they act as additives to food for the children. 

Irish potato growing at PROUD Village

Irish potatoes are grown at PROUD Village by the children together with their skills trainers. They practice all the activities concerning the care of the Irish potatoes such as weeding, spraying, cutting the stems and harvesting. After harvesting the children carry the Irish potatoes to the store with their skills trainers.

After putting them in the store they spread them on the ground to avoid getting rotten. They sort the big potatoes for eating and leave the small potatoes for planting.

Written by Kiki

Year theme cooking (2019): Sarah preparing ground nuts

Sarah

Sarah is a student of group 3 at Proud Uganda. She feels happy when she finds herself in the kitchen cooking. When it’s her time on the timetable to be in the kitchen to prepare food she is all the time smiling. She says am the “BOSS”. She enjoys preparing groundnuts and rice.

Basket weaving at PROUD Uganda

Sarah posing after finishing her basket

Written by Kiki

Learning activities at special unit of Wise Parents Nursery School (school year 2016)

Group 1 Ball games

The children are in two groups. The first group is engaged in the following activities: gross and fine motor skills, cognitive games, communication skills, music, dance and drama, moral development, social skills, dressing and toilet training.

Bridget (group 2) basket weaving

The second group is involved in the following activities: social development skills, moral development and vocational skills, that is basket weaving. So far so good the youngsters are working hand in hand with the teachers. They have learnt how to weave baskets, that is craft one.

At this time we are renting classes in Wise Parents Nursery School. Soon, when we move to our site, we will be able to program more activities for the second group.

Written by Marselina 7/10/2016


Outdoor games

Some recent pictures of outdoor games showing our children and their teachers.

Pretty and Hellen. Pretty just got her uniform and is still adapting to class and teachers.

     

Joseph testing project manager Marselina who just arrived at the playground

       

Teacher Patience helping Arinda in the swing

   

Elizabeth enjoys sliding very much

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Learning activities at PROUD Village (2017)

By the start of activities in PROUD Village in February 2017 we listed the following learning/teaching activities:

General education:

Morning devotion including singing-dancing

Group 1 and 2: morning devotion

Morning devotion: praying

Physical exercises/Games

Group 1: physical games

Group 1: physical games

Group 1: Arinda our top football player

Cognitive games

Matching

Construction game

Music: playing music; listening music

Arinda

Elizabeth

Joseph

Listening music

Drawing and shading

Joseph (group 1) shading with the help of teacher Patience (Eastern)

Group 2 drawing and shading with teacher Joventah

Open activity

Throughout all activities:

Communication

Social behaviour

Self care:

Eating

Eating during the first week at PROUD Village. Table covers and chairs were still not available.

Lunch

Eating with a spoon

Washing hands

Group 1: Praise guided bij teacher Immaculate

Taking shower

Toilet training (throughout the day)

Dressing

Combing hair

Brushing teeth

Smearing jerry

Brushing shoes

Ignatious brushing his shoes

Household activities:

Fetching water

Bridget fetching water

Collecting fire wood

Cooking

Bridget and Sarah preparing porridge with teacher Doreen

Arinda-Mercy and Bridget preparing porridge; Sarah and teacher Apophia preparing groundnut sauce

Vuur maken. Bridget.

Kool snijden. Praise en Apophia.

Posho klaar maken vergt kracht. Bridget.

Posho. Bridget en Sarah.

Porridge. Bridget.

Moderne gerechten. Omelet. Bridget.

Moderne gerechten: beef stew. Sarah.

Beef stew

Baking

Bakken: deeg maken.

Bakken: mandazi.

Mandazi frituren

Mandazi frituren. Mercy.

Mandazi

Setting the table

Serve food

Bridget group 2 serving posho

Clear the table

Bridget (group 2) cleaning the table

Washing utensils

Praise and Ignatious taking cups to the kitchen

Elizabeth, Arinda and Bridget washing utensils accompanied by teacher Patience

Washing clothes

Group 2: washing clothes

Bridget (group 2) hanging clothes

Bridget collecting dry clothes

Cleaning (classes, sanitation, kitchen, compound)

Sarah cleaning kitchen

Ignatious cleaning toilet

Sarah cleaning classes and compound

Ignatious carrying bricks to organize them

Income generating activities:

Gardening: vegetables / fruits/ flowers

Group 2 and members of personnel digging

Weeding with skills trainer Immaculate

Ignatious 

Meststof. Ignatious en Mercy.

Aardappelen rooien

Bonen kloppen

Graan. Mercy.

Fruit plukken. Bridget.

Watering plants

Joseph (grpup 1) watering flowers with teacher Patience

Keeping animals

Varkens houden. Bridget.

Varkens houden. Sarah en Mercy.

Het varkentje wordt gewassen. Progress en Bridget.

Konijnen kweken. Ignatious.

Weaving: baskets, mats

Bridget and Sarah weaving baskets with Mary (2016)

Clocheting

Bridget and Sarah clocheting with teacher Doreen

Making post cards

Making jam

Flower shop

Coffeebar

Restaurant

Renting rooms

Parties

Income generating activities were split up in activities we could start with (like gardening) and activities we planned for in the future but for which we did not dispose of the necessary infrastructure and materials yet (like baking).

Taking into account the age and abilities of the children/youngsters we attributed activities to group 1-children of beginning of primary school age and group 2-youngsters in secondary school age and organised them in 2 different time tables.

Written by Pele