FROM Louth to sub-Saharan Africa...
Schools in the Louth area are involved with the British Council-funded project "mvoakraba", and they have just returned from Lagos Island, Nigeria, where they have continued the connection between schools and children in the UK, Nigeria and Uganda.
Participants were British Council project leader Chris Williams; Lesley Thornes, cluster co-ordinator and headteacher at East Wold Primary School; Richard Coles, head of geography at Cordeaux Academy; Kate Scott, teacher at Scamblesby Primary School and Alex Sturman, teacher at North Cockerington Primary School.
A team of Ugandan teachers also visited Lagos Island at the same time to build upon relationships already ignited on previous visits.
The teachers felt it was a positive experience and were privileged to have had the opportunity to observe, teach and connect with the children and teachers in many primary and secondary schools on Lagos Island. Teacher Alex Sturman said: "This has changed perspectives for me, the rest of the team, colleagues and the children in our schools and the partner countries. Through the laughter and shared learning in classrooms, we understand much better how much common ground there is between people from our very different cultures."
The Lincolnshire teachers gave their partner schools children's work, books and gifts typical of their own schools and locality. They are looking forward to showing their own pupils the work, letters and pictures completed by the schools on Lagos Island.
The project's name is created from the name of significant trees in each country – mvule, oak and araba. Trees were planted at each of the partner schools to symbolise the connection between the schools.
