‘I have rights’ - the children learn about values in kindergarten
For most of us, certain core values are a natural part of life. We recognize that
principles like forgiveness, respect, integrity, compassion and honesty contribute to long-term satisfaction and fulfilment, fostering thriving societies. In contrast, a decline in these values leads to ruin, as history shows.
Elona Rira, principal of our Nehemia School in Albania, remembers: “I was talking to a student about values and non-violent conflict resolution. The girl sadly stated: ‘That only works here on the Nehemiah Gateway campus, not at home in our city.’ Society has become wild; the law of the jungle applies and anyone who has no money and no assertiveness is considered worthless.”
For Elona, this is an incentive to push the topic of values high as a school priority. The teachers agree and are happy to receive help and guidance for their lessons, as this was never part of their formal training.
Faced with this challenge, NG co-workers Andrea and Gian Paul Ardüser truly shine. They organize creative training sessions for the teachers, provide inspiration and are always ready to listen. Since the last school year, they have also started visiting the classrooms to encourage children to embrace a values-orientated lifestyle. Andrea states: “We need to create an awareness of the current decline in values.”
“Children’s social skills suffer because of constant, uncontrolled mobile phone use, and there are also many dangers lurking in the digital world. Who can you trust? What should guide your decisions? These are just some of the points we address.” Gian Paul adds: “This leads naturally to our foundational values. It’s not about religious education, but about life.”
A unique part of the school’s program involves home visits to individuals in need alongside NG’s social workers. This experience opens the eyes of many children to the reality of great poverty and hardship in their own town and neighborhood which they were previously unaware of. They return home deeply impacted and more appreciative. Values like mercy and compassion gain new significance.
Students from Nehemia School and Andrea Ardüser (back row) visit families in remote
villages together with Anila from the social team (front right).
The Royal Rangers scouting program led by the passionate and creative NG co-worker Anila Sinani, is a valuable after-school addition. Meetings for the younger classes attract many enthusiastic students, and parents overall express pleasure with this option. Some initially hesitated to have their young children attend - but when a child pleads and expresses great interest, even the strictest of fathers often relents. School principal Elona is heartened by the trend: “More and more former students are now enrolling their children in our school. One mother, who was a hyperactive student and had many challenges remarked, ‘There is no school I trust more than my Nehemia School!’”