After a delay of more than two years, the boarding house was finally able to welcome its first occupants. Since July 30, 21 students (11 girls and 10 boys) have taken up residence. The selection of the students was made taking into account the following criteria: remoteness (the child comes from a distant village, not served by the school bus lines), poverty (families whose income does not provide an adequate standard of living for the student) and social context (family environment not suitable for the child’s study). On the opening day, the students and their families were welcomed by Michelle and Eliane. Each parent and student had to sign the boarding house rules as well as a commitment agreement. It was an intense day of emotions and exchanges, but very quickly, the students started to feel at home!
Before achieving this, the building had to be refurbished, as it had been late 2019 and had never been occupied before. The delegates of AaZ France and Italy inspected the roof to make sure it was finished properly, after problems of water infiltration had been observed. A fridge and washing machine were installed, a housekeeper and cook were hired, and beautiful curtains were ordered and installed with the help of the students.
