Paintin' Up a Storm

My third year in Mauritania has turned out to be about doing all the things I have wanted to do since I arrived but couldn't accomplish during the first two years. I went to Ouadane, bought a taxi, recorded audio files and created a mural with my students. I am so happy that I have been able to finally cross off so many things from my long list of things to do. I have six more weeks and want to keep finishing all these great initiatives my students and I have started. 

One of the projects I am the most excited about is creating murals! I worked with my teacher-trainees in Nouakchott for the first one and then I took the two most experienced painters and we traveled to Maghama to work with the students of the English Club there to create another mural. 

For most of the students it was the first time to hold a paint brush. It is so important to let them try in order to learn from experience that they can do it on their own. It has been a really fun project! I had no previous experience painting but I discovered that I am not too bad! My role the last two times has been as a toucher-upper for the students' work, after they have finished with their part. I clean the lines and make things more correct. 


I have enough paint for at least two more murals and need to work on deciding where to paint them. I think I will do one in Nouakchott and one somewhere else, maybe Rosso. I want my teacher-trainees to take a leadership role in deciding where, when, and with who! More on this topic soon!