French Letter Exchange Creates 1300 Pen Pals
So far 651 French speaking non-refugee students have been introduced to 651 refugee pen pals. The young refugees are all located in camps in the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The non-refugee students attend school in several countries as follows:
- 12 are from Russia
- 18 are from Brazil
- 35 are from Belgium
- 80 are from USA
- 184 are from Canada (Quebec)
- 322 are from France
Sixty-two Canadian and eight French students are waiting to receive letters from refugee pen pals. Snags in transporting letters have been worked out and these students will soon be receiving letters from the New English Center for Hope (NECH) in Tanzania (where the letters are stuck due to a local embargo), Guinean refugee French speakers (thanks to Samuel K Boateng of Mohomou Refugee School) and the new Yaounde RESPECT Club in Cameroon.
A few of the first letters from DRC were problematic because they were about material aid instead of cultural exchange or contained religious references. The first replies have been warmly welcomed and really appreciated in the non-refugee classroom. Hopefully, refugee students will enjoy the same pleasure when they open their new friends' letters.