On The Ground - March/April ‘26
Club of Leaders (CoL)
This spring, the Club of Leaders members deepened their impact both in school and the wider community through focused work on communication and problem solving. During interactive stations, students strengthened skills in respectful communication, including active listening with the ears, eyes, and heart, working as a team to solve problems, and practicing peaceful conflict resolution using “I-messages.” Students also explored concepts such as community assets and collaborative decision making through hands-on activities. Throughout the sessions, older students played a key role by guiding and supporting their younger peers. Beyond the classroom, students are engaging with the local church to improve toilet sanitation by continuing awareness efforts and encouraging the adoption of healthier, higher-standard construction and maintenance practices. Students continue to demonstrate strong habits of responsibility through the maintenance of classrooms, the baobab tree, and school grounds. At school, members are showing ongoing commitment and collective action by taking ownership of their learning environment and contributing their own funds to purchase additional classroom benches. Together, these efforts highlight students’ growing leadership and their ability to turn their learning into meaningful change in the Hebrone community.
Ecole Valeurs de Christ (EVC): Potential Partner School
Malembe Rise staff are continuing to lay the foundation for a potential partnership with EVC. Initial data collection is underway to determine alignment between our organizations. As this exploration progresses, a key priority is training new facilitators at Hebrone to maintain the quality and consistency of the Club of Leaders model during any future expansion. In the coming months, efforts will focus on collecting clear, targeted data that demonstrates the impact of the CoL approach, while continuing to build relationships through ongoing engagement with EVC teachers and staff.
