On The Ground - May/June ‘25
Club of Leaders (CoL)
Over the past several months, students have focused on gathering and analyzing community data and identifying three key priorities: access to clean water, food security through gardening, and improving youth behavior. They reflected on what they already know about these issues and what they still need to learn. With guidance from MR staff, they developed three driving questions to guide their learning and community service projects. How can we help the community properly identify and use clean water to stay healthy? How can we support the community in producing and consuming nutritious food? How can we encourage young people to adopt positive behaviors that benefit society?
To support their learning, students will engage with experts in clean water, agriculture, and social behavior.
As Hebrone School enters the summer months, the CoL launched a Youth Behavior Change Program to keep students actively involved. Selected student leaders will work to promote positive behaviors and raise awareness about clean water among their peers. These leaders will report their outreach progress during CoL meetings, with key milestones recognized through community meals with the hopes of encouraging continued participation.
Ecole Valeurs de Christ (EVC): Potential Partner School
Malembe Rise is currently in the trust-building stage with a potential new partner school, École Valeurs de Christ (EVC), working closely with school leadership to develop a plan for future collaboration. On May 31, EVC invited Hebrone School to participate in their Cultural Day, held to celebrate the role of private schools in the DRC. Mr. Chançard shared his appreciation for the event, saying, “I enjoyed the way today's activities unfolded because the students were up to the task, presenting their sketches with courage and confidence. I appreciate this collaboration between Valeur de Christ and Hebron because together, it's possible to spread good practices.”
Looking ahead, the two organizations will host an awareness session involving staff, students, and community members to build trust and introduce key learning themes. EVC staff and students will be invited to attend Circle of Learning (CoL) meetings throughout the summer. At the beginning of the school year, EVC students will hold reflection sessions to align goals before officially launching a new program.