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Our charity has continued to support Talita Kum School and our donors and sponsors have seen the children develop and grow. In 2023 one of our donors very generously funded the purchase of 4 computers for the children to use. It has allowed the school to introduce IT for the older children. In her fulsome report the school Director, Sonia Dias refers to the benefits in her report from last year. She also acknowledges the importance of providing food for the children.

SCHOOL PROGRESS REPORT SCHOOL YEAR 2024

TALITÀ-KUM EDUCATIONAL CENTER

1. Introduction

The Talitá-kum Educational Center has worked hard during this school year 2024 to provide our students with a nurturing learning environment. This report presents the academic performance of our students, the impact of the new music project, the progress in the area of technology thanks to the donation of computers, the importance of the school restaurant in the well-being of children, and the general development of students. All this has been possible thanks to the efforts of our teachers and especially the generous support of our sponsors and donors.

2. Academic Performance

This year, students’ academic performance has shown significant progress. Students have met and exceeded the established goals in key areas such as mathematics, language, science, technology and physical education. Thanks to reinforcement programs and personalized support, we have seen improvements in overall grade point average and increased participation in school activities.

The school restaurant has also had a positive impact on academic performance. Before, some children arrived without breakfast, which affected their  concentration and performance in class. With daily breakfast in the restaurant  students are now starting the day with energy, which has been reflected in their attention span and their performance in the classroom.

3. Music Project

This year we launched the music project, which has given our students  the opportunity to develop their creativity and artistic skills. In this project, the children have learned to play various instruments, have explored choral singing and have worked as a team to present their talents in different events.

Highlights of the music project include:

Community Youth Music Festival: Our students participated with enthusiasm, presenting musical pieces that were very well received.

Inti Raymi Concert or Sun Party in the Municipality of Chachagüí: Children presented a special repertoire, demonstrating what they learned in front of their families and members of the community of the municipality of Chachagüí, this festival takes place during the winter solstices.

Participation in the Festival of Carnival and Musical Color in the municipality of Chachagüí:

This year, our students had the opportunity to participate in the prestigious  “Festival of Color”. This event was a unique occasion for the musical group of Talitá-kum to demonstrate their talent and share their love for music in a festive atmosphere full of culture.

During the festival, our students presented several pieces of music that reflected their learning and dedication. Participation in this event was a true honor and an enriching experience that allowed the children to interact with other young artists and share the joy of music with the community.

Impact of Participation in the Festival:

Strengthening self-esteem: Presenting to an audience gave students a sense of self-confidence, helping them to overcome fear and to feel proud of their achievements.

Development of social skills: Interaction with musicians from other schools and communities fostered in the children values of respect, collaboration and empathy.

Cultural enrichment: This festival, with its mix of music and traditional carnival festival, allowed students to value cultural diversity and feel an active part of the local celebrations.

The participation in the “Festival of Colour” was not only a success in terms of performance, but also strengthened the bond between students and the  community, reaffirming the role of Talitá-kum in the promotion of art and culture.

Cultural Exchange with Local Schools: Through this event, students had the opportunity to collaborate and play with young people from other centers  enriching their musical and social experience.

The music project has been a powerful tool for students to develop their self-confidence, learn to work in a team and find a form of creative expression that has motivated them to keep growing.

4. Advances in Technology and Computing

Thanks to the generous donation of our sponsors, the Talitá-kum Center has been able to acquire four more computers, which have transformed teaching into the area of technology and computer science. These teams have allowed students to develop digital skills that are fundamental for the modern world:

Computer skills: Children have learned to use computer programs. office automation and digital tools that facilitate the creation of new tasks.

Introduction to programming: With the new equipment, we have been able to offer basic programming classes, awakening in students an interest in the technology and logical thinking.

Support in school projects: Access to the internet and digital resources has allowed students to conduct more comprehensive research and improve the quality of their academic work.

This advancement in technology has not only boosted skill learning internships, but it has also opened a door for our students to a future full of opportunities.

5. School Restaurant: Support in Nutrition and Academic Performance

One of the most important achievements that has continued this year has been the school restaurant, which ensures that all students receive a nutritious breakfast  during the school day. Before having this support, several children came to school without breakfast, which affected their performance and concentration.

The school restaurant has had a positive impact in several areas:

Improvements in academic performance: With an adequate diet at the beginning of the day, students are now more attentive, active, and energized to participate in school activities.

Improvements in attendance: The existence of the school restaurant has encouraged the regular attendance, as students and their families value this contribution to their well-being.

Impact on overall well-being: In addition to improving your performance, the restaurant has generated an environment of safety and care that motivates the students to give their best in the classroom.

6. General Student Progress

The 2024 school year has witnessed remarkable progress in students of Talitá-kum in various aspects:

Increased participation: Students are actively involved in extracurricular activities, such as the music project and computer science, which reflects their interest and motivation.

Social-emotional development: Group activities, both in music and in technology, have helped children develop communication skills, cooperation and mutual respect.

Individual Academic Growth: With personalized support and new resources, many students have improved in academic areas in which previously they had difficulties.

7. Acknowledgements

We express our sincere thanks to our donors and sponsors, whose support has been fundamental in every achievement we have achieved this year.

Thanks to your generosity, we have been able to continue with the school restaurant, acquire computers and develop the music project, each of which has deeply enriched the educational and personal experience of our students.

8. Conclusion

2024 has been a year of progress and great achievements for the Talitá Educational Center. Kum. Thanks to the joint work of students, teachers, families and donors, we have been able to provide a more comprehensive and high-quality education.

We will continue to work with commitment and enthusiasm to provide our students with the best possible opportunities and continue to promote their development.

Please read the head’s report about the effect hunger was having on the children in school.
She wrote to us in November 2021 explaining that the economic situation with loss of jobs and high inflation in Colombia meant many of the children couldn’t afford to bring food for lunch. The school was unable to fund a cook and provide food as they previously had. The Trustees raised emergency funds as did Sonia in Colombia and happily there is now a better situation.

Sonia’s half-yearly report May 2022

In this school year, with help from the supporters of Talitá-Kum, we have managed to solve some of the problems children were having with regards to having nothing to eat at lunchtime; we now  provide food so that they have a safe and nutritious lunch each day, which has led to the children demonstrating better academic performance and also they have fewer illnesses.

Prior to providing the daily lunch they were suffering from problems such as gastritis, stomach pain, and headaches.  These daily issues worried us and had become a problem for us as teachers, not knowing what to give them or how to help them. We took several children to the health centre where they were evaluated, and we were told they presented problems of malnutrition. Now that we are able to provide lunch for the children the situation has improved.

With the help of a swimming teacher most children have learned to swim and so they enjoy the pool better. In music class we continue to make progress in the teaching and practice of the group with the new instruments acquired; in technology, children have the opportunity to use computers,* learn more easily and put into practice the theory learned.

As to the pandemic, the children have now been vaccinated, and we must wear masks until today; and from tomorrow by order of the Ministry of education, only children who present flu-like symptoms will wear masks and we must also continue with hand washing, and using alcohol to disinfect the school classrooms.

Thank you for all your support and for working with Talita Kum to make it possible for our children to experience a happy school environment where the love and trust they need is provided.

*These were funded by an Italian charity

It is good to see the children and teachers all together again with their musical instruments.

The Covid pandemic has meant that since last year, we had to stop teaching face to face , but we were able to keep going by giving virtual lessons/giving our lessons online. This year we have staggered the teaching timetable so that our pupils could come back to school at different times, thus avoiding having them crowded together. We have had social distancing arrangements in place in our classrooms with class time limited to giving the children any explanations they needed, and have supplemented this with extra guidelines that they could take home to help them keep learning effectively there. Little by little the children have adapted to the new way of learning, and by comparison with the situation last year, the staggered classes system has resulted in much higher levels of motivation both for them and for us teachers.

One of the major problems we faced last year was the internet and the shortage in the children’s homes of IT equipment and reliable connections needed to enable our pupils to access their lessons. We teachers took it upon ourselves to work with our students to make sure they could follow their lessons. We helped by covering some of the internet costs and by finding good quality second-hand IT equipment so that the children could carry on with their schoolwork, and in this way managed to overcome this challenge.

At one stage, the mayor of Chachagüi offered to install wifi masts and provide connectivity to every student in the town, but this hasn’t yet happened as though they did install the system, it doesn’t work properly.

As for the staggered class system, the children have done very well. They have done the work we’ve set them, there haven’t been any problems, and they are still enthusiastic about learning. Seeing their teachers and classmates and being back in the school building has motivated them much more. We notice that they have taken more responsibility for their learning and valued their lessons as something important in their lives.

In 2021 in response to the problems that covid 19 has caused children – depression, aggression, obesity, child abuse, family breakdown – we felt we needed to get permission from the Department of Education and local health authority to be able to work with our students in the Talita Kum school building. They asked us to do a biosecurity assessment and adapt our facilities where necessary: we installed a new sink and bought certain supplies – a digital thermometer, soap, disinfectant, sanitizer etc. They then checked that everything was in place and permission was granted for us to work with the children provided that they attend classes on alternate schedules. This development has enabled us to achieve a better environment both at school and at home with the family[R21] .

Thanks to the financial support that you have given us, the school has been able to comply with all the measures required by the Secretary of Education, the Chachagüi Mayor’s Office and the local health authority. This has enabled the students to come to the school and us to provide a completely safe environment and avoid spreading infection.

When we get to school, the first thing we do before anyone goes into class is take everyone’s temperature, change our masks, disinfect our shoes, wash and dry our hands. Each classroom is thoroughly disinfected and every child has a designated desk, at a specified distance from anyone else. At first it was difficult to get used to wearing masks because of the heat but as the days went by it became the norm.

Each day we work on the areas that the children find most difficult and we explain how to do the work at home. Working like this, we have seen the children make rapid progress and it gives us the opportunity to help those who are having difficulties. The parents have collaborated with us and supported the learning at home, even though, because of the severe shortage of work and money, they weren’t; able to afford to cover internet or mobile phone costs.

In these times, our students and our teachers are very happy that we have had this opportunity to share these new experiences, but we’ve also had so much to learn, both in caring and sharing with those that need us.

Sonia Diaz
Director Talita Kum School

Covid-19 meant that the school had to close in Chachagüí and learning took place at home. This was a challenge for Sonia as some of the children had no wifi or means to receive online lessons or WhatsApp messages.

But the school has managed to provide some means for every child and the mayor of the village is aiming to provide free internet for each family.

Below are some links to videos of lessons and of the children learning at home.
Home lessons (Nature, physical exercise and Spanish) 

Home lessons 2 (physical exercise and art)

Home lessons 3 ( Comprehension, technology and exercise) 

We have now had commitments of £4800.00 (plus gift aid of £1200) annually  from our generous supporters and we are hopeful of a further £1000 before the new year. That would mean we are half way to raising enough funds for the school to continue for another year.

Thank you to all who have supported us. We will be sending you the end of year newsletter before Christmas to let you know what the children have been doing this year – apart from studying very hard!

We are just about to launch our sponsorship programme.
Monthly giving will offer us more certain funding.
Sponsorship offers you a chance to feel more involved and have a personal connection with the school.

Watch this space!

 

 

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