What is happening at workshops?
Workshops here, workshops there… but what does this magical slogan mean? We are rushing with an answer!
It started with already mentioned chitenge material and its creative use. Iza Kotecka, headmaster of Municipal Kindergarten no. 1 in Głowno, enthusiastically reacted to the new project. She joined the action by organizing an event in her preschool. Marta Krzywonos, who works in the orphanage, helped with making prototypes for workshops. Together we created mascots, mandalas, African silhouettes, 3D collages, safari, zebras, bouquets of flowers, Christmas trees and decorations, jewelry… Better see with your own eyes!
The Kindergarten no. 1 is famous in the whole region due to ecological projects. We definitely want to follow that trend! Certainly, more ideas and mutual inspirations await us, as we are undoubtedly planning longer cooperation.
Africa is also a fantastic therapeutic theme. We can easily mix Zambian music and dances with exercises improving memory and coordination. Together with Małgorzata Marszałek from Nursing Home in Głowno (Niezapominajka Association), we created interesting and useful activities for seniors.
In the past, I also had the opportunity to participate in the classes of development techniques for teachers, organized by the ISKRA association. Inspirations and the techniques they propose can be adapted to any age group – and you can learn a lot yourself. 🙂
I had a pleasure to tell the scouts from Głowno about Zambia several times. Poland and Zambia have a lot in common – fighting for independence, which the latter regained 55 years ago, an eagle as the national symbol. At the workshops, we talked about the symbolism of colors in both flags and what connects them. Those meetings inspired me to create plans for implementing elements of scouting in Zambia. I think that Zambian children will like creating teams and gaining badges 🙂 I still have a lot of good memories of my own scout days. Nowadays, scoutmaster Albert Waśkiewicz himself declares his help, so I have a great role model to follow.
I do not have one fixed scenario for “Zambian workshops that I conduct”. Each one is different, depending on the group I meet with, the materials available and the new people who are getting involved in helping us, bringing lots of interesting ideas. The concept is evolving from day to day and that is what makes it so interesting, also for me. However, the most beautiful part of those events are the people – younger and elder, children and teachers – who let themselves be carried away by the magic of Africa and multiply the positive effects of my actions. Thank you to everyone who got involved in various ways in Zambian stories in Poland. The world needs such people!
