A Lozère school teacher organizes a raffle to finance her humanitarian project in Tanzania

Lucie Couderc (à droite) a déjà réalisé un projet humanitaire au Népal. DR – DR

À seulement 23 ans, Lucie Couderc, professeure des écoles à Balsièges, part en juillet 2024 en voyage humanitaire en Tanzanie. Pour récolter les fonds nécessaires, une vente de tickets de tombola est d’ores et déjà lancée.

Going away for four weeks, 10,371 kilometers from Lozère, to help people in need is Lucie Couderc's new humanitarian project. She wants "to provide quality education for all the children of the world who are in need", explains the  young school teacher, who works in Balsièges. The day after the end of the school year, Lucie Couderc will fly to Tanzania and more precisely reach Usa River, a village located near Kilimanjaro, thanks to her association Sourires d  ;rsquo;schoolchildren.

The Sourires d’écoleliers association as support

Lucie Couderc createdéé his association Sourires d’écoliers in January 2024. The primary objective is "allow people who wish to do so and who are motivated to go on a humanitarian trip, explains the school teacher. The members of the association and I are here. to help them organize their project. If they want to invest in Nepal or Tanzania, I have contacts."

2 500 euros for this action

To carry out this trip, from July 6 to July 31, 2024, the 23-year-old young woman needs funds, approximately 2,500 ;euros. "To finance this project and purchase supplies, I will organize a raffle", indicates Lozérien. Of this sum, she plans to keep an envelope of 1,200 euros for gifts and the rest for the organization of her project. "You have to take into account the price of the visa, vaccines, local travel… As for the plane ticket, I bought it at my own expense", she lists.

Part of the items for the schoolchildren will be purchased in Lozère, the rest on site. "I also want to support the local economy of Usa River. But as I don't know what's in the shops there, I prefer to get some of the school materials in Lozère."

It is in two 25kg suitcases that Lucie Couderc plans to bring back small format notebooks, wooden pencils and paint for the students in Tanzania. This material will be distributed in particular to five nursery schools and an orphanage. "The stationery will be offered to the 200, or even 250 schoolchildren. This is a range because the rate of absenteeism is higher than in France", she explains.

Busy days

The departure is in a little less than three months and yet, his schedule is already ready. Lucie Couderc will have three specific missions. "Every morning, I go to bring teaching aids to nursery schools. At the beginning of the afternoon, I will give French lessons to 17-22 year olds. There is a great demand in the village. And at the end of the day, I will be at the Usa River orphanage to do fun and sporting activities, specifies the professor. Its goal is to transmit to them the values ​​of sport: cohesion, living together and respect for the rules.

When the school day is over, the 23-year-old woman will return to her home, a local. "I want to be as close as possible to the population, customs and local values", she says with a smile. A problem arises: the language barrier. To be able to remedy this, La Lozérien has already thought of solutions: "I will speak in English with the teachers on site. Regarding communication with little ones, I will use the gestures and pictograms that I created."

A first experience in Nepal

“The children in Nepal were very grateful.” DR – DR

Tanzania is not its first destination for a humanitarian project. Her first trip took place in May 2022, to Nepal. She left with a group of eleven young people. "It’was a great experience but it’was different because’we went in a group, specifies Lucie. It’was very emotionally rewarding. When I returned to France, I learned to put things into perspective. We realize the value of things and the importance of simplicity."

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