2006.04.14: April 14, 2006: Headlines: COS - Togo: COS - Niger: COS - Cameroon: World Wise Schools: Thisweek Newspapers: Cameroon RPCV Ruth Zouzouambe helped organize projects at Rosemount High School and Middle School to fund the construction of a basketball court in Tchamba in Togo and to send books to Niger
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2006.04.14: April 14, 2006: Headlines: COS - Togo: COS - Niger: COS - Cameroon: World Wise Schools: Thisweek Newspapers: Cameroon RPCV Ruth Zouzouambe helped organize projects at Rosemount High School and Middle School to fund the construction of a basketball court in Tchamba in Togo and to send books to Niger
Cameroon RPCV Ruth Zouzouambe helped organize projects at Rosemount High School and Middle School to fund the construction of a basketball court in Tchamba in Togo and to send books to Niger
Zouzouambe helped organize the project after connecting with current Tchamba Peace Corps volunteer Rebecca Parzen. The outdoor asphalt court with new hoops replaced the previous dirt surface court and dilapidated wooden backboard standards. “It is obvious looking at the photos what a huge thing it was for the people of Tchamba,” Zouzouambe said. “The students did a great job.” The entire village, along with Tchamba dignitaries, attended a dedication of the court in June 2004.
Cameroon RPCV Ruth Zouzouambe helped organize projects at Rosemount High School and Middle School to fund the construction of a basketball court in Tchamba in Togo and to send books to Niger
Rosemount students work with Peace Corps volunteers in Africa to help others
Posted: 4/14/06
by Pam Rutyna
and Tad Johnson
Thisweek Newspapers
In 1994, Ruth Zouzouambe joined the U.S. Peace Corps and spent two years in Cameroon teaching math.
The experience changed her life and opened her eyes to the world around her.
More than 10 years later, as a math and French teacher at Rosemount Middle School, Zouzouambe decided to do the same for her eighth-grade French students.
“I wanted to open their minds and show them that they have other opportunities in life that they might not consider,” said Zouzouambe. “I wanted to show them that they can help people they don’t even know.”
Zouzouambe also wanted to open the students’ eyes to other parts of the world that speak French, including various countries in West Africa.
“I wanted the kids to learn more about those countries, because we concentrate so much of our time on Europe and Canada,” she said. “I wanted to show them that other countries speak French as well.”
With her past experience in the Peace Corps and her years spent in Africa, it was only natural that she contacted the World Wise Schools Program.
The program was created by Paul Coverdell in 1989 and helps students communicate directly with Peace Corps volunteers throughout the world.
In the past three years, Zouzouambe has paired up with Peace Corps volunteers in Togo, Mali and Niger. Two of those years have proved to be very rewarding for not only her French class, but for residents of Togo and Niger.
Togo
Two years ago, through the Togo Project, students at Rosemount High School and Middle School raised $1,000 to fund the construction of a basketball court in Tchamba — a village located in West Africa.
Zouzouambe helped organize the project after connecting with current Tchamba Peace Corps volunteer Rebecca Parzen.
The outdoor asphalt court with new hoops replaced the previous dirt surface court and dilapidated wooden backboard standards.
“It is obvious looking at the photos what a huge thing it was for the people of Tchamba,” Zouzouambe said. “The students did a great job.”
The entire village, along with Tchamba dignitaries, attended a dedication of the court in June 2004.
“It was a big deal in the village,” said Zouzouambe. “The boys and girls’ teams also got new uniforms.”
The basketball court is a central part of the young people’s lives in Tchamba because there are few activities like this in the village. It’s also an important outlet for the youngsters because 50 percent of Tchamba residents are under the age of 21.
“Your money goes a long way,” said Karen Fjeld, U.S. Peace Corps volunteer who served in Senegal and attended a ceremony Friday, April 7 to thank the students. “It has profoundly affected this community in Africa.”
“I am personally proud of all the students,” Zouzouambe said. “This small project will help promote peace and friendship across the globe.”
Niger
This year, Zouzouambe’s eighth-grade French class decided to help yet another country in West Africa.
Continuing her partnership with World Wise Schools Program, Zouzouambe was paired with Anne Parsons, a Peace Corps volunteer, originally from Plymouth, Minn.
The class began corresponding with Parsons and in one of her e-mails, she described how the children and schools did not have English books to read.
That gave Zouzouambe and her class an idea. At the beginning of April, Zouzouambe’s French class began collecting new and gently used children’s books, including picture, educational and small chapter books.
At the end of the first week, Zouzouambe had received four boxes of books, along with several bags. “We’ve received a good response thus far,” she said.
While the book drive has only just begun, Zouzouambe said she doesn’t know how long it will continue. Currently, the class does not have the funding to send the books to Niger.
“We’re looking for some financial help right now,” said Zouzouambe. “We’re going to wait and see how many books we get, and then we’ll figure something out. We’d like to send them at the end of the school year.”
Learning from Anne
Throughout this past year, Zouzouambe has taught the students the basics about Niger through books and worksheets.
However, through their correspondence with Parsons, they have been able to see much more of the country.
“Through Anne’s e-mails, the kids have been able to learn what it’s really like there,” said Zouzouambe.
While e-mail has been the easiest way to communicate with Parsons, four students were given the opportunity to speak with her on the phone, courtesy of the Peace Corps.
According to Zouzouambe, 30 schools in the nation were chosen to speak with their Peace Corps volunteer, including Rosemount Middle School.
Zouzouambe first asked for volunteers, then drew the names out of a hat.
“We were going to speak with her on speaker phone in a small office and I knew we wouldn’t have enough room for every one, so we decided to draw names,” she said.
For 45 minutes, the students had the opportunity to speak with Parsons about Niger, and her experience in the Peace Corps.
“When one of the girls got off the phone, she told me that she would like to become a Peace Corps volunteer one day,” Zouzouambe said.
Zouzouambe hopes that the connection she has established between her students and Peace Corps volunteers will open their minds to the world around them.
“These projects have given the students a sense that they are part of a bigger community,” said Zouzouambe. “I want them to see that they can help people and it doesn’t have to be a huge project. What might be small to us, could be huge to someone somewhere else in the world.
“I want my students to know that as a volunteer, they can educate people on what can be done and have an impact,” she added. “They also need to know that when they volunteer, they may never know the impact of what they’ve done or how they’ve touched someone’s life.”
Pam Rutyna is at rosemount.thisweek@ecm-inc.com. Tad Johnson is at editor.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.
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Story Source: Thisweek Newspapers
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Togo; COS - Niger; COS - Cameroon; World Wise Schools
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