The first thing Saibata does when she wakes up is to run to the hen house. She opens the door and is excited to see the chicks and young guinea fowls run out to explore their surroundings. But she knows how to gather them back with handfuls of millet and sorghum. Her younger brother washes the poultry trough and gives them new water for the day. The two children watch the hens until their mother insists they eat breakfast before they set off for the farm, or Saibata, for her local Compassion project.
In class, Saibata always sits with her best friend Guestawende. Unlike Guestawende, Saibata is shy but raises her hand from time to time to answer a question -more often when she might be rewarded with a piece of chocolate! Saibata’s parents believe these classes have contributed to changing her behaviour. Her father Salam says Saibata has learned good hygiene practices that she has been passing onto the family.
The last activity Saibata and her classmates are involved with before lunch is storytelling. With their tutors, the class gathers under the shade of the tall néré tree. The class sits, forming a circle and their instructor sits in the middle. The children are invited to retell last session’s story. Most of the children love Bible stories and can easily remember those they have heard some months ago. Saibata’s favourite story is Abraham and Sarah. Today she is learning a new story about Queen Esther which she can’t wait to share with her younger brother. Saibata wonders if she too can become a queen one day.
Even though they are poor, the Sawadogos are a healthy family with high hopes for the young Saibata. “We pray that she becomes all the best we have not been able to achieve in our life. If she wants to become a farmer, we pray that she becomes a modern and much more productive one,” says Salam, her father.
Her parents know that their dream would not be possible if they were not assisted by a generous sponsor. The only English words Saibata learnt from her tutors at the project, she uses to send a sincere message to her sponsor: “Thank you!”