Seven years ago the public school of Burj Kalaway welcomed UNIFIL’s French contingent, when its peacekeepers offered them logistical aid and humanitarian assistance.

It was also seven years ago that the French peacekeepers introduced French language courses to the students of Burj Kalaway. The French classes were an immediate success and the students have in the meantime become accustomed to the weekly courses. UNIFIL French peacekeepers, in cooperation with a Lebanese interpreter, teach French reading, vocabulary and grammar every Tuesday and Thursday.

In 2012 the students of Burj Kalaway Public School were the winners of the Francophonie contest held amongst many schools south of the Litani river. It was a drawing contest with a French saying as its theme. Burj Kalaway was picked the winner and as a result 20 students spent more than two weeks in France last year. So the excitement is even higher this year as the Francophonie contest is back and the students are trying their best for another chance at going to France.

Across the hall from the French class, a French medical team performed medical checkups for the school children. One by one the students entered the classroom, that was transformed into a clinic, and the medical team examined them each, checking blood pressure, height, weight, eye sight, respiration, teeth, and ears.

And if anything appeared out of the ordinary Dr. Carme Elodis, deputy medical officer, would recommend further medical examinations and the child’s parents would be contacted.

Merci beaucoup!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Article: Ghinwa El Deek
Video Editor: Suzane Badereddine
Video Camera: Ghifar Charafeddine
Photo: Pascual Gorriz Marcos

----------------------------------------------------------------