Storys

(told by Margarida – kindergarten coordinator) I sat with Isaquel (5 years old), and we talked about skin colour. We agreed that I have light-brown skin and he has dark-brown skin, and that I am not white. Shortly afterwards, he explained to me:“Your skin has already woken up. Mine is still in the middle of the night.”  

(told by Margarida – kindergarten coordinator) I was in the art room when Gisele (5 years old) came and sat next to me. “Are you afraid of the wolf?” she asked me. “Sometimes. And you?” “I’m not,” Gisele replied confidently. “If I see one, I’ll catch it and build a wall in its stomach.” “Oh Gisele, if that’s the case, then I’m not afraid of the wolf anymore either.” Gisele continued to encourage me:“You have to forget the fear, then you’re stronger and the wolf won’t catch you.”  

((told by Kutxinha – educator and football coach)) I sat down with Elton (17 years old), and he told me his story:“I went to school in Tarrafal until my mother emigrated. Since there were many underage children living in our house, my mother sent me to a military school. She said everything there was free and that the military would take care of me. But I didn’t like it at all. There were far too many punishments, sometimes even collective punishments for things I hadn’t done. I then returned to my siblings and decided to work. The only job I could find was in construction, which was very exhausting. I also had no time left for other activities, like playing football. Every evening I came home completely exhausted. Now I’ve decided that next year I will go back to school, even if I don’t pass, or start some kind of vocational training. But I also want time for the things I enjoy.”

(told by Kutxinha – educator and football coach) Picapau, 7 years old, came into the classroom as he does every day and started doing his homework. After a short while, he stopped and explained to me:“From now on, I’ll only do my homework when I feel like it. Because now I have a passport and I will soon go to Portugal. Nobody can bother me anymore.”  

(told by Jassica – kindergarten educator) A tree had grown in front of my house. My aunt did not want it there and intended to pull it out. Ruan (6 years old), who attends our kindergarten, happened to be visiting at the time. When my aunt expressed her anger about the tree, Ruan explained to her with great conviction:“If you pull out the tree, God will not be happy at all. Pilika (the gardener at the Education Center) explained to us how important plants are, and we water the trees at the center every day.”

Khalifa (9 years old) is commonly known as a “disobedient” boy. He is tall for his age, strong like his father, who was also in the Education Center for years, and many other children are afraid of him and his unfortunately often violent way of solving problems. When he came to my piano room one day and said that he wanted lessons too, the other children immediately warned me: Khalifa has no concentration at all, he is just doing stupid things and he is disobedient. I, of course, ignored these warnings. And what can I say: Khalifa is very good in learning playing the piano, almost shy and he can sometimes concentrate for a whole hour … what music can do to people …