Bala/Bangor school workshops
Ysgol David Hughes & Ysgol Llanfyllin
The two Secondary school workshops were offered bilingually and were very successful in both Bangor and LLanfyllin, near Bala. We decided to approach these workshops with
an
“community of enquiry” approach to
encourage the Year 8 pupils selected for the
workshops to develop their thinking skills. After our introduction to LTPP and
life in Qacha’s Nek the pupils were required to immediately start reflecting on
the links between Wales and Lesotho and why we are in a position to help the
school children there. They also learnt a little bit of Sesotho and then worked on an activity that made them discuss and debate what support really should be given to the people of Lesotho. Although the year 8 students went away with an improved understanding of Active Global Citizenship, the real impact was made with a group of Sixth-formers very keen to volunteer their time to help.....watch this space!! 
Ysgol Uwchradd Llanfyllin
Cawsom ein gwahodd gan yr adran Gymraeg yn Ysgol Uwchradd Llanfyllin i ddarparu gweithdy i ddisgyblion blynyddoedd 7 ac 8, a rhai o’r chweched dosbarth. Gan ei bod hi’n ysgol ddwyieithog gwnaeth Sharon ei rhan yn Saesneg, a chefais innau gyflwyno’n Gymraeg i’r dosbarthiadau iaith gyntaf Cymraeg. Roedden nhw wedi dysgu ychydig am Lesotho eisoes ac wedi paratoi cwesitynau’n barod i ni eu hateb. Cawsom ymateb gwych gan rhai dosbarthiadau, a oedd wir wedi eu cyffwrdd gan y lluniau a’r hanesion ac yn trafod materion aeddfed ymysg ei gilydd wrth gymryd rhan yn y gweithgareddau.
Dangosodd rhai o ddisgyblion y chweched dosbarth ddiddordeb mewn gwirfoddoli a dysgu mwy am gyfleoedd i weithio yn Lesotho yn y dyfodol. Roedd hyn yn fy sicrhau bod gwirfoddoli mewn gwlad trydydd byd fel Lesotho wir yn gyfle unwaith mewn bywyd, ac roedd gweld bod ein profiadau ni yn llwyddo i ysbrydoli criw o fyfyrwyr ifanc ac egniol yn deimlad anhygoel.
Cafodd rhai o’r dosbarthiadau gyfle pellach i holi cwestiynau mewn sefyllfa mwy anffurfiol yn dilyn y gweithdy, a chwasom lawer o hwyl yn gwisgo pawb mewn blancedi Basotho a’r het draddodiadol- hyd yn oed y prifathro! Ers hynny rydym wedi body n cadw mewn cysylltiad, ac mae’r athrawon wedi bod yn brysur yn creu arddangosfa hyfryd o’n ymweliad ni. Y cam nesaf fydd darganfod ysgol yn Lesotho i gysylltu Ysgol Uwchradd Llanfyllin gyda hi!
Ysgol Brithdir
Mae’r profiad o fynd o gwmpas ysgolion fy ardal leol wedi bod yn ddiddorol ofnadwy, yn enwedig yr ysgolion sydd yn llai yn eu niferoedd o ddisgyblion. Pan oeddwn i’n dysgu yn Lesotho, ar gyfartaledd byddwn i’n dysgu dosbarthiadau o 50-60 o ddigyblion, ac mae hyn yn broblem fawr yn y wlad. Yn ysgol Brithdir roedd yr ysgol gyfan yn ffitio i un ‘stafell, ac roedd hi’n brofiad bendigedig gweld sut oedd plant o wahanol oedrannau yn ymateb i’r hyn oedden nhw’n ei glywed. Roedd aeddfedrwydd y rhai hynaf yn glir, a’u sylwadau yn rhai call a diddorol wrth iddyn nhw ddysgu am y prif wahaniaethau rhwng y ddwy wlad. Roedd gweld pob un o’r plant wrthi’n ofalus yn tynnu llun ac yn meddwl am neges yn hyfryd, a phawb wedi mwynhau’r gweithdy ac yn eiddgar i barhau i ddysgu am y wlad.
In Lesotho we were teaching around 50-60 in a class, and we get back to Wales where they can fit a whole school into one class, which makes our children very fortunate and each child an individual. The workshop at ysgol Brithdir was very enjoyable, and the pupils’ comments and questions interesting and mature, especially the older ones among them. The younger ones were even realising really how different life is over in Lesotho. They were asked to translate messages they wanted to give the children who would read them in Lesotho, and we loved how innocent one little boy was when he looked concerned that he didn’t know what his name was in English! For us, this really reinforced the decision of choosing Lesotho as a country to twin Wales with, having English as a second language to both. It’s just fortunate that our children get to speak their mother-tongue without corporal punishment being a part of it. Again, some great images of colourful swallows and lovely messages were made by the children in Brithdir, and they really seemed to have taken a real interest in the partnership between Wales and Lesotho!
Ysgol Llanfairpwll
Un ysgol sydd wedi creu argraff enfawr ymysg yr holl ysgolion oedd Ysgol Llanfairpwll. Gyda phrifathro egniol ag iddo le arbennig yn ei galon i Lesotho, yn syth wrth gerdded trwy ddrysau’r dderbynfa ro’n i’n gweld, teimlo a chlywed Lesotho. Yn y dderbynfa gwelir murlun hyfryd o gymuned Basotho, a nifer o brosiectau gan ddisgyblion o’r gorfennol a’r presennol yn addurno waliau’r ysgol i greu hafan o liw a llun.
Cafwyd gwasanaeth i dros 200 o blant a nifer o athrawon, a phob un yn gwrando’n astud ac yn bownsio i gael gofyn cwestiynau ar ddiwedd y cyflwyniad. Dangoswyd fideo yn crynhoi ein profiadau ni yn Lesotho eleni, a chafwyd cyfle i gael gofyn cwestiynau di-ri. Braf gweld bod y cyswllt rhwng yr ysgol hon a’r ysgol yn Lesotho mor fyw ac iach- roedd lluniau o’r adeiladau a’r plant ar y wal, a’r plant yn gwybod gymaint o lawer yn fwy nag oeddwn i’n ei wybod cyn mynd yno i weithio.
Caiff cerddoriaeth Affricanaidd ei chwarae wrth i’r plant ddod yn drefnus i’r gwasanaeth ac wrth adael, sy’n ychwanegu at yr awyrgylch gynnes sydd i’w chael yno.
Llanfairpwll Primary School created a huge impression on us and we were inspired to believe that any school can work towards creating and maintaining a unique relationship with their link school in Lesotho. As you walk in to the reception area you instantly feel the connection between this school and Lesotho and walking around the school is no different.
An assembly was delivered for over 200 pupils and all the teachers, who were all eager to learn more about their twin country and our experiences over there. Following the presentation and video, the pupils were given an opportunity to ask questions, and we soon realised that they already knew so much more than even we knew before going to Lesotho! As they enter and leave in their rows for assembly, African music is played by the head, whose presence and enthusiasm has clearly been passed on to the children and teachers at Llanfairpwll.
Ysgol Bro Tegid
Ruthin School Workshops
Rhos Helyg (17/06/2013)
This was our first workshop and unless you
knew the school was there you would never find it on the mountain. It was a fantastic experience. We came in the school and set up in the
hall for an extended assembly with Classes 2, 4 and 5. Using a PowerPoint show we talked
through our experience in Africa and we got to ask a lot of questions and so
did the pupils and the staff. They
were particularly interested in the different kinds of food that the children
ate at lunchtime in Lesotho; I don’t think that they would want to try papa and
moroho themselves each week. We
even had a competition between the pupils about who could dress up the fastest
in Seshoeshoe! I was very proud of a boy who dared to dress up as a Basotho
woman. The assembly ended with an
opportunity to teach the pupils about traditional dances in Lesotho; we performed
both a male and a female dance.
They acted superbly and really enjoyed trying something different. 
Rhos Street (18/06/2013)
We then split into two groups; whilst one
group had the chance to look at our Basotho collection, (items such as the
dresses, the Basotho hats, blankets and the sweeping brushes) the other group
had the chance to practise the dances.
It went really well, both we and the pupils enjoyed it, and already the
school are trying to support the schools in Lesotho by giving to Lesotho
Literacy Leap!
Both schools were incredible to work with and gave us a real opportunity to give something back to Wales. We hope that these schools will be influenced now to make a connection in Lesotho and keep sharing ideas.
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