AYA International

The Talking Paradox:
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

Epictetus

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting a young boy of about six years who has been diagnosed of cerebral palsy, and a few other conditions. He has not walked yet.

In my years as an educator, I haven’t met a boy, so optimistic of his future. I asked him what he wanted to be in future and said he wanted to be a medical doctor and a pastor so that he could help children and people with similar conditions.
I asked of his favorite food. He said his favorite food was fufu with light soup and fish.

His mother is very beautiful young lady full of life. Obviously, she is sometimes or mostly devastated with her son’s condition. She expressed her financial constraints even though she seeks the best for her child. They had been rejected by many schools and she asked if Abofra World School could consider her child passing through at least once a week. I suggested to her that we didn’t mind having him as a full-time student and we would be willing to support him in every possible way we could.

In trying to assess the little boy, I pointed to a book with a blue cover and asked what colour that was . He smiled lightly and said “oh I know this one”. “It is police car colour”! Now that’s an intelligent boy!
We all agree that most police cars across the world are sprayed blue and so he wasn’t wrong. He doesn’t know the label for that colour but he has an idea what colour it is and that is ‘intelligence’.

This boy has never had any formal education. His expressions are solely based on the natural gift of intelligence, exposure and his capacity to retain memories.
Our kids, are examined on labelled and standardized levels and not on the capacity of their brains.
Obviously, we are all not the same. Our children are gifted with different traits and intelligence. Some of them are interpersonally smart, musically smart, visually smart, body and kinesthetically smart amongst others.

All I’m trying to say this morning is that, our children are beyond subjects and curriculums. They are beyond labels and tags. Just like many titles of professions keep springing up, so are the abilities and capabilities of our little ones so unusual and advanced that they do fall under no label.
Let’s not limit them, let’s not restrain them. We can only guide them relying on the wisdom of God.

Dedicated educationists around the world have come to the conclusion that no curriculum is holistic enough to fully understand and explore every aspect of a child. This is why even though a good school may set itself apart to offer a particular curriculum, it is imperative to borrow one or two resources and nuggets from other curricula. Another day, I will take some time to break down some of the common curricula across the world and how their fundamentals influence the growth of our children.

The mental quality of our kids is learned from experiences, adapting to new situations and manipulating one’s environment by using knowledge. It is an effective drawing of perception, problem-solving, reasoning, memory building and basically living. So you see, your child is different and you cannot always put them in the same bubble as other people’s children. We can however all learn and borrow one or two from each other.
Good morning and have a wonderful week.

It is important not to deprive your child🐣 of developmental opportunities, but to be extremely deliberate in planning in the most conducive learning environment for your child. 🌿🍃🌱🦚☘️🌴🌳🌲

Preparing young ones to flourish and thrive.🌿🌱🍃⭐️

Resilience and Endurance 🤝

Here's a look at some of the most important life skills children acquire during their time at any of our resident and day camps:

As the days get longer and our kids yearn for more things to do, AYA camps beckons with the promise of adventure, fun, and friendships. However, beyond the laughter, games, and sun-soaked activities, there's much more that kids take home from their summer camp experiences. Hidden within each activity, challenge, and interaction are opportunities for kids to learn vital life skills that will serve them well into adulthood.🧶⚽️🪁🏓🎨🥁🎤🎬