Students from three Montessori schools in America exchanged bracelets, cards and photos with children in the Azawak, as part of Amman Imman's Friendship Exchange.

Students at Aidan Montessori, Oneness-Family School and Montessori School of Ojai participated in Amman Imman's Friendship Exchange with children in the Azawak in Niger, West Africa.

They made beaded necklaces and bracelets...

.....each individually designed.

One that they would keep, and an identical one to give to their new friend in Niger.

Their bracelet, with their photo, was attached to a beautiful handmade card.

Students wrote messages and drew pictures for their friend in Niger....

...expressing their feelings....

...and sharing their creativity.

Their drawings bridged differences....

....expressed understanding...

..and extended the hand of friendship.

(to be continued....)

Next..... The Amman Imman team brings the Friendship Exchange to the village of Tangarwashane in the Azawak

Students from three Montessori schools in America exchanged bracelets, cards and photos with children in the Azawak, as part of Amman Imman's Friendship Exchange.

Part 2
Amman Imman team brings bracelets to the Azawak.
First stop, the village of Tangarwashane, where water flows

As part of the Amman Imman team,
I brought these expressions of friendship to the Azawak.

We visited the school in the village of Tangarwashane

where Amman Imman built its first borehole, in the bush of the Azawak.
The school was built recently, after the village got their water source.

The students in the school were very happy
to receive bracelets, cards and photos of their friends in America....

....friends who had help raise money to build the borehole
that now provides them with water.

The students were delighted...

Attaher, age 5
.... to make a bracelet in return.

Ahamed, age 4

And to get their photo taken...

Hassi, age 8
...which would be brought back to their friend in America.

Abdoulaye, age 8

Mouheini, age 8

Raichatou, age 12

(to be continued....)

Next : A Visit to The Nomad School of Akoubounou

Students from three Montessori schools in America exchanged bracelets, cards and photos with children in the Azawak, as part of Amman Imman's Friendship Exchange.

Part 3
The Nomad School of Akoubounou

The Nomad School of Akoubounou,
in the village of Akoubounou on the outskirts of the Azawak,
participated in the exchange.
The school, with 264 students ages 6 though 15, had several classrooms.

You could say that the children in this school were lucky because the village had a borehole...

... but the water was contaminated.
(Note: this borehole, improperly equipped, is not an Amman Imman borehole.
Amman Imman boreholes are constructed and maintained to the highest standards.)

The headmaster told us that children ate breakfast at the school...

....for some the only meal they would eat all day.

The students loved working with the beads....

.... and making bracelets for their new friend.

The headmaster at this school, Mr. Ibrahim Malik (pictured on the left),
would like to continue a relationship with a school in America.

He is very sincere. The school needs resources.
Please contact me me if you would like to accept his invitation.

(to be continued....)

Next: Students at the Ecole Quartier Abalak understand "Water is Life"

Students from three Montessori schools in America exchanged bracelets, cards and photos with children in the Azawak, as part of Amman Imman's Friendship Exchange.

Part 4
Ecole Quartier Abalak

Abalak is a town at the edge of the Azawak.
The town, while very poor, has a good borehole,
and so the children have clean water.
The Ecole Quartier Abalak, pictured here, has 648 students.

The headmaster, Mr. Baddy Adoufane, chose the five best students
from each of the 12 classrooms to participate in the Friendship Exchange.

However, by the time we got to Abalak, we had run out of beads.

Rather than make a bracelet in exchange,
the students wrote a letter to their friend in America.

We explained Amman Imman's project to bring water to their region.
Amman Imman: Water is Life. They understood all too well.

Their cards, like the cards from the students in America....

....expressed their creativity and feeling.

They held up the card and photo they had received,
and we took their photo to give to a student in America.

They were very pleased.

It made them feel good to know...

...that they had a friend...

.... in America ...

... who cared.

(to be continued....)

Next: Kijigari, the site chosen for the next borehole,
Montessori "Well of Love"