Sue: It's rewarding to see progress

As volunteers, we play an important role to help support the work of Conviven, be it for just a week or much longer. Any skills are put to good use be it, sport, creative work, teaching English, music etc. And the children and adults who attend the centre are full of enthusiasm to learn. It is particularly rewarding to see the children make some progress and to be able to build a relationship with them to engender in them some self belief and self worth.

The existence of Conviven for the populace of this area is a Godsend, and, Valmir, the organiser and director of the school is worthy of several medals for all the work and effort he has put into making Conviven a success. He is aided and abetted by local people from the area who work unfalteringly to maintain the centre. His "Aide in Chief" is an incredibly hard working lady called Carmen who seems to do everything for everybody and always with a huge smile on her face!

I hope that my four weeks at Conviven helped to encourage and boost the confidence of two individuals with whom I worked three times a week to teach English and that through other volunteers they continue to try to strive to learn and have fun doing so.

Long live Conviven!

Sue worked for Conviven in July 2007, teaching English. Both of her students still come to learn English three times a week.