French Programs Gaining Strength
RESPECT International's French programs in 2006-2007 attracted more than 300 refugee and non-refugee pen pals based in Canada, France, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Tanzania.
Among the non-refugees, five teachers have been involved in the program for several years, which means a lot to me because they are satisfied with the program and are happy to come back to RESPECT the next year with their new students.
Some French pen pals were homeschoolers who took part in individual letter exchanges. Sadly the exchanges with DRC slowed down due to material and context issues, especially since Dieudonné Amisi Mutambala, former DRC co-coordinator, quit due to persecution in his country, and for the safety and protection of his family.
Maite, Ma Angeles and Mar, a team of filmmakers, met with Mariette Petit-Genêt, a primary school teacher from France who's been involved in the Global Letter Exchange Program for three years. Afterwards, the video team went to Benin to meet Mariette's students refugee pen pals.
In Cotonou, Benin, they were greeted and guided by Lumbu Sembeya, president of the Group of Refugee Student Parents (GPER — Groupement des Parents d'Eleves Refugies).
The documentary, which is ready for release, is about the Letter Exchange Program and focuses on how the children, aged 6-10 from both refugee and non-refugee backgrounds, see their own world and share their experiences and lives with their pen pals.
After Logan Cochrane's anti-HIV/AIDS training in West Africa within RESPECT affiliate communities in 2006, the refugees in Benin and Tanzania — Lugufu and Nyarugusu camps — are making a great effort to pursue awareness building by taking part in the AIDS International Day celebrations and by organizing training and events on their own in their community.