Weekends at the Banyan Centre

For the last few months we’ve been using the Banyan Centre space on the weekends to hold our extra-curricular classes and thought it was time to share some of the photos and projects we’ve been able to undertake as a result.

Previously our after-school tutoring program has been held exclusively in the communities we work in, with our staff and interns teaching and holding activities on bamboo platforms, on mats on the ground and if we’re lucky in a small room in someone’s house. We feel we have achieved a lot operating like this and it keeps us very close to community members, however it does present certain challenges and restrictions on what we can do.

Learning English

Being able to use the Banyan Centre for the weekends has provided a bigger teaching space and opened up a whole new range of possibilities of activities and crafts we can provide for the kids. It gives them a safe place to play, toys and equipment they don’t normally have access to as well as the internet, and just the opportunity to go out for the afternoon on the weekend while most of their parents are working hard every day.

Making papier mache masks

We’ve also started a trial run of teaching Shan literacy to the kids, as although it’s their first spoken language none of them can read and write. Tankee, one of our older students, was fortunate enough to have been taught Shan already so she has very kindly agreed to volunteer teaching them for the time being.

Learning Shan with Tankee

Making bowls from string and glue

Valentines Day cards

Testing out the keyboard

In fact, the kids have enjoyed the weekends so much that we’ve made the sessions longer – after 3-4 hours some of them still don’t want to go home! Over the next few months we’re looking forward to using this space even more and together with interns coming over the summer giving the kids the opportunity to continue learning and trying out new activities.