Desert Voicebox teachers

They are the engine running Desert Voicebox from the ground, managing all the local aspects and teaching, so far, 3 out of the 4 levels of the programme. Two of them teach English, the other two, music, but they work together as a team and help each other whenever necessary. They are learning at the same time as working, getting their professional training through intensive workshops and online lessons, and truly devoting themselves to their students and the project.

Here they briefly introduce themselves, showing off their English language skills!

My name: Fatmatu Malainin, I am 23 years old, I learned music at the Sahrawi Institute of Music in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf and I worked as a sports teacher because there was no job for music teachers, and when the Desert Voicebox project came to the camps, I had the opportunity to work in my dream job, which is to teach music to children and now, after 5 years of working on this project, I can say, it is one of the most beautiful opportunities that exist for Sahrawi children in the refugee camps. They come every day eager to get more valuable information about music and I can see how it affects them positively. I also learn when a new volunteer arrives. More and more new things about music and this makes children's education easier and more professional.

​I have loved all the volunteers who have contributed to  our knowledge. I also thank the teachers who have participated in our distance education in the past months. It was a great opportunity to learn for me. I thank everyone who supports this project for letting it progress. I hope the project arrives to all the Sahrawi children in the refugee camps.

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My name is Takween Mohamed. I’m from the Western Sahara, but I was born and grew up in the Sahrawi refugee camps in the far south of Algeria. I’m now married and I’m raising three children. Conditions in the camps can be quite tough. The hot sun and wind make everyday life a challenge, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees and above in summer time.

I work in the Education Office in the camp, and I have been teaching English at Desert Voicebox since 2016.

As for my experience as a teacher, it has been successful and I hope to develop this project to other schools and help our children to study English. The volunteers have taught me valuable skills like lesson planning and classroom management with the children. Desert Voicebox provides an amazing chance for children to learn another language and it's wonderful to see the excitement in their eyes.

​Distance learning has been a really beneficial experience so far, and I hope that the summer training rounds for the teachers will increase. Finally, I would like to extend my special thanks to those who stayed up and helped from near or far to complete this project and bring smiles to the faces of innocent children.

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​My name is Nanaha! I was born in a refugee camp in South Algeria, the camps isn't the best place to be in but I didn't know that until my first trip to Spain, I took part in a summer program called "vacaciones en paz" (holidays in peace) wich invites one - hundred  children to go to Spain every summer.

Spain was another world, something an 8 year old child like me couldn't imagine existed. I went through a lot of funny and sad situations that summer.

I went away to middle school in Algeria when I was 12. Sahrawi children stay away throughout all of middle and high school. It was not an easy thing to stay away from home and family for nine months; I was just a kid.

I wasn't lucky enough to be able to continue my education until university! My grandmother isn't a big fan of education and she was responsible for me; she always said "girls shouldn't go far from home for long time! It's good enough that you can read and write your name"! I didn't and couldn't give up! I found ways to study in the camps and joined every course here run by kind and loving friends of the sahrawis who are helping the sahrawi refugees in many different ways.

In the camp I studied Spanish and English, and I am now still working on my English through DESERT  VOICEBOX. I thank all the people who are behind this program. I love teaching English!

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My name is Nicol lehabib Moulay Aali. I'm from  Boujdour Province, Pride and dignity camps, Western Sahara.

The Sahrawi community is a conservative society characterized by strength, patience and honoring the guest and loving the mixing of all countries and societies.

I had no luck in completing my studies because of my difficult family circumstances. Once I got to secondary school, something occurred to me that changed the course of my entire life. My brother was sick and I had to accompany him to the hospital in Algiers, where I stayed with him for 7 years, until he died, may God have mercy on him. I found it very difficult to get used to the separation, and I looked for something to fill in my emptiness so that the sadness would not control me. I started working in the elementary 

school as a sports coach and  during my work, I had the opportunity to learn about Desert Voicebox. One day, one of the volunteers came searching for a new teacher and he interviewed me and some other teachers from my school, and after some days I got the news that I had been selected! I was very happy and slowly I have become better and better at my new job with a lot of effort. I thank everyone who has given me training and advice, and all those in charge of the Desert Voicebox.

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