During the dinner, a certificate was presented to each child. It highlighted 3 objectives: a decrease in the rate of absenteeism, improvement in reading and beginning to participate in school activities. These children had improved in self-confidence as they developed a taste for reading and for school.
Kudos to the 129 volunteers of the “Grands-parents à l’écoute” Program! The unfailing support which they give to these children, who experience emotional and intellectual difficulties, makes all the difference in their lives.
During the handing out of the certificates, I was touched by the expressions on the faces of the children. It was a look which manifested on one hand, God’s Joy when a child discovers that he/she has self-worth, that he/she is valuable. On the other hand, I read in their look, God’s sadness at the sight of these children who are victims of a world in which those who are the strongest do not protect those who are the weakest.
And what can be said about the parents’ look of contentment? Many expressed: “It is the first time that my child has been congratulated.”