This activity should take place after everyone in the group has read the book, and after the children have been shown where Rwanda is on a map of the world in relation to the United States.
Purpose: to encourage cultural awareness by reemphasizing the geographic location of Rwanda in relation to the United States, and by giving children an opportunity to write in Kinyarwanda. This activity also fosters a sense of hope and empowerment because children are working together to reach Rwanda with a message of hope.It is especially important after exposing them to a story of another child’s struggle to overcome adversity that we help them feel like they can do something to help. We encourage you to get in touch with Jen Lemen at: jen.lemen@gmail.com, for information on how to send your children's hope hands to other children in Rwanda.
Materials:
2 sheets of paper per child, scissors, list of hopeful quotes in English and Kinyarwanda (you can find one here), glue, string or pipe cleaners, markers, and anything else that can be used to decorate (such as glitter and ribbon), one sign with string attached that says "Rwanda" and has a map of the country below, and one sign with string attached that says "United States" with map of the country below.
1. Have everyone sit in one big circle and give them the following supplies: 2 pieces of paper, markers, a list of hopeful quotes written in both English and Kinyarwanda, three pieces of string (2 long, 1 short), and any other decorative supplies available (such as glitter and stickers).
2. Ask the children to recognize that we are in a big circle, and that the world too looks like a big circle when looked at on a flat map. Encourage everyone to refer to the circle as our ‘global circle’ OR 'global community'.
3. Randomly assign one child in the circle to wear a map of the United States around their neck. Explain to the children that this child now represents the United States in our global circle/community.
4. Ask the children what other child might best represent Rwanda in the circle in relation to the child who is representing the United States. Ideally this would be a child on the opposite side of the circle to illustrate how far apart the countries are from one another. Once the child is chosen, have them wear the map of Rwanda around their neck.
5. Encourage the children to recognize just how far apart these two children are in our global circle/community. Ask the children to try and reach one another or give each other a hug without moving (since neither the US nor Rwanda can move!).
6. Let the children process this for a minute. Ask them how it feels to want to reach one another, but be unable to.
7. Tell the children that you have an idea! Ask each child to trace their hands on each piece of paper. Then, ask them to pick their favorite quote and to write the quote in English on one side of each hand and in Kenyarwanda on the other.
8. Ask them to decorate the hand however they like, making sure to not cover the quotes up. Lastly, ask them to cut them out. Once the group is done with this, ask everyone to show each other their 'Hope Hands'.
9. Ask the children if they have any idea how we can help the United States reach Rwanda with our Hope Hands and the remaining supplies that we have left (the string).
10. Ask the children to tie the thumbs of their two Hope Hand together, and then to tie the pinkies of each hand to the person on either side of them.
11. Once that is completed by everyone, tell the children that once the person sitting next to them holds up their Hope Hands, they must also raise theirs as well. Then tell the child representing the United States that since she represents where we all live, that she is going to go first when you say “GO!”....this will create a "wave" of Hope Hands that will quickly reach the child representing Rwanda.
12. Process with the group.
Recommended questions:
- How did it feel to work together to reach Rwanda in our global circle/community?
- Do you think that it would help the children of Rwanda if we sent them our Hope
Hands?
- How do you feel when you get a special card meant just for you?
- Could the “United States” have reached Rwanda, all the way in Africa (on the other
side of the circle), without the help of every single person in our global circle/community?
- Do you think you could work together in the future to help yourself and others, even if the problem seems really big or really far away?
-What are some other ideas you have about how you can help girls and boys like you in Rwanda? How about girls and boys like you in your own community here in the United States?
-How many of you feel you have made a positive difference?
Pictures copyrighted by Jen Lemen.
