Support: At the Brotherhood School, by Brother Krishna Ramsamy

Rue Farquar, in Rose-Hill, the Fraternité Saint-Bernardin-de-Sienne welcomes children from neighboring neighborhoods every afternoon for academic support. This initiative by Brother Krishna Ramsamy, supported by a few volunteers, is a breath of fresh air for these children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Because beyond simple homework help, they have a space where they can be listened to, help each other and make friends. They are also entitled to breakfast before going to school in the morning and to a snack in the afternoon.

“Mo pa ti konn iron long miltiplikasion, lerla Frer Krishna inn shows mwa. Aster mo kone. » Kainey, a Grade 5 student, regularly attends the Pain de la Fratrie school, set up by Brother Krishna Ramsamy, for several years. Children are welcomed there in the morning before going to school for breakfast and, in the afternoon, after school for snacks and support. This initiative is part of a broader project to support vulnerable families in neighboring neighborhoods. “During Covid, I met families in difficulty. With the fraternity, we set up the Le Pain de la Fratrie project to provide food aid to families. Since then, I have continued to support families in a participatory approach. One of the conditions is that the children must attend school,” explains Brother Krishna Ramsamy. For this, it was also necessary to ensure that the children go to school in good conditions. “Every morning we offer breakfast. Children come here to eat before going to school. They come back after classes for snacks and school support. Academic support is done in collaboration with the school. »Here, the support goes beyond academic subjects. Human values ​​and activities aimed at the overall development of the child are integrated.

Head full of dreams

For this, Brother Krishna has surrounded himself with a team of volunteers, who give their time to help the children in their learning. Mary is one of them. She joined the École du Pain de la Fratrie, after hearing about it from a social worker. “As I don’t live far from home, I thought I could make my contribution. I help the children with basic writing and calculations. I also help them understand what they are doing at school, because English is not accessible to everyone,” she says. She insists that these are not private lessons, but rather support. The approach is different and, above all, the children also learn discipline, respect for others and mutual aid. “Personally, it brings me a lot of joy to be able to help these children. Previously, I worked in a private firm and I felt that I had something to give