We were so excited to see one our awesome volunteers, Brigitte Mbaz, visit the Malaika School, serving as an example of what the girls can aspire to be. Born and raised in Lubumbashi and a recent university graduate, Brigitte spend several days with our students and staff, connecting on a shared upbringing.
“In November last year, I started volunteering for Malaika and, as I was going back home to Lubumbashi at the end of January, I went to spend a week at the school and community center. I created photo and video content for social media, met the staff, spoke to the older students about my journey (I was born and raised in Lubumbashi and recently graduated from the University of Sussex in the UK) and visited the village – a great week altogether!
The overall atmosphere there is one of love and teamwork. Mothers from the village cook in the school kitchen and some of the staff are also parents of a few of the students, so everyone is involved. The relationship between the students and staff is very heartwarming. You can see that they really love and trust their teachers and are always happy to see them and tell them about their day.
At the community centre, the youth and adults there were dynamic and keen to learn. Everything is very interactive and nobody shies away from taking part. Overall, I had an amazing week meeting everyone and getting to know the students and staff better and will definitely be back!”
See photos from her trip here. It was a pleasure to have you, Brigette!