Having had the privilege to be part of this impactful endeavor, I almost immediately realized the difference it was making in the kids’ lives, and in the community as such. Indeed, parents drop their kids early in the morning, socialize with each other, before going to work, and kids having something to look forward to every day of the week. My responsibilities centered around the meticulous duty of care and engagement of the children. Daily tasks involved adhering to a carefully designed schedule, including various sports and creative activities, baking sessions, and accompanying the kids to the swimming pool and park for instance.

An exceptional aspect of this venture was the city’s commitment to bridging communities’ divides. Very seldom, the youth and the seniors interact with one another. However the city council of Cauffry makes it a point to facilitate a rendezvous between these contrasting generations. For the seniors, it meant welcoming kids in the old age home, sharing moments and spreading their love to the kids, while the latter did what kids do best:  running around and being themselves

A unique way of transcending these communities’ divides was found in the out-of-the-box idea to invite farm animals within the premises of the old age house, and have kids interacting with the animals, exploding in excitement and fear altogether. While this scenario unfolded, the seniors were sitting around, supervising, discussing, laughing and enjoying the beautiful display of innocence and sheer love that was taking place in front of their very eyes. Library time, and storytelling, were other ways to make society, namely the transfer of information from one generation to the other.

Avenues for improvement exist though, and the City Council is working on involving parents through exit surveys as well as developing intergenerational exchanges further in the future. This heartwarming endeavor stands as a testament to the power of community-driven initiatives in fostering diversity, mutual enrichment, understanding, and shaping a brighter future for the next generation.

With its focus on granting children free access to sports facilities such as swimming, ping-pong, and football, as well as fostering artistic endeavors through crafts, board games, and creative leisure activities, it serves as a beacon of hope and participates in the utterly important social-network building that shapes communities and build a positive nation’s future.