- OurBridge
- 27. Apr 2018
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Dear supporters,
Morian has successfully completed his practical phase with us at Harman Orphanage. From now on I will take over the newsletter.
First of all, I would like to introduce myself to all newsletter readers. You already know some information about me from the previous newsletter. My name is Zerga Tulan I am 21 years old and I study social work in the 4th semester. I speak German, Kurdish and English. Since I am of Kurdish origin and speak the Kurdish language, it is easier for me to communicate with the children as well as with the staff inside and outside the Ourbridge team and thus to strengthen my position here in the daily working life.
My tasks in the next months include the newsletter, social media and everything around the office. Furthermore, I will be checking attendance, supervising children, coordinating staff, structuring the schedule, and teaching classes. My teaching subjects include: Gardening, sports and the children's program.
For the future I have planned several projects, which I would like to work out with the children. In the first place, I would like to make our huge roof garden more colorful. For this we will paint the inside walls, plant flowers, plants, small trees and also vegetables. To share with you the progress of my project, I will share it here in the newsletter and also online on Facebook.
Newroz - Kurdish New Year and Spring Festival
The cultural Newroz festival was also celebrated at the Harman Orphanage. 'Newroz' is the name of the Kurdish New Year and spring festival.
For the festival, the grounds were festively decorated together with the children. The Ourbridge school bus was also colorfully decorated and became an eye-catcher in the entire village. A well-known Kurdish band provided good music and an exuberant atmosphere. Both children and teachers wore colorful traditional clothes. There was singing, dancing and even a big fire was lit. The annual fire is an important symbol of the New Year, as it testifies to the Kurdish people's desire for independence. Thus, a fire is lit every year to embody the Kurdish people's longing and struggle for freedom.
So after our children celebrated a colorful and fiery Newroz and enjoyed their long weekend, classes at the orphanage started again with new motivation.
Insight into the Our Bridge education center
Since the opening of our education center, about 200 sponsored children visit us every day to attend classes. These are children from our orphanage as well as orphans from the nearby camps. The children from the camps are picked up in the mornings and afternoons by the Ourbridge school bus and also driven back. For about 3 weeks the children have been experiencing an animal theme month in class, which is supposed to give the children a comprehensive insight into the animal world. For this purpose, one animal is selected and explored in each lesson. Teachers and students together explore the animal's habitat, food, lifetime, friends and enemies. Because the theme month is cross-curricular, the children get the chance to learn more about the animal world in both biology and English classes.
In art class, different animals were painted, cut out, and even printed using the silkscreen technique to immortalize them on clothing and walls.
Growth in the Our Bridge Team
