Another awesome day in Rwanda! Today was our first day at Kigali City School, a private school which teaches ages 3 - 10 or 11. The school day doesn't start until 9:00am so we were able to sleep-in a little while which we all enjoyed. When we arrived, Cyrus Nkusi, the Headmaster at Kigali City School met us and led the group to his office. Here we talked about our schedule for the day - tours, time outside with the kids, lunch, more playing and discussing the sponsorship program. Things didn't go in quite that order, but we successfully made it through our agenda.
First, Cyrus took us to one of the younger classes. We introduced ourselves and Cyrus had the kids welcome us with songs. They were a few we didn't know but we were able to sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" with them. The teacher let the kids follow us outside where there was no shortage of hugs and high fives. One of the big hits with this younger crowd were races - first, just running, then skipping, then one-legged. Jumping jacks also turned out to be pretty entertaining.
Afterwards, we continued our tour of the school. We visited each of the primary grade classes where kids sang songs, asked us questions and showed us what they learned. In science class, we got to hear about the items necessary for germination and in social studies we learned about democracy. All of the kids were so smart and so eager to participate and show off their skills. Followed by this tour, we once again headed outside where we played games and interacted with the children. Among the things the kids really enjoyed wee playing with our hair and modeling for photographs. They particularly loved that you were able to show them the pictures we took immediately after. They would giggle as they saw themselves and their classmates show on the projector.
Between our visits and time outside, we were able to sit down with Cyrus to learn more about his vision for the sponsorship program. Of the 500 kids in the school, over 300 struggle with schools fees and around 98 are unable to pay. Many of these kids are part of homes with many children and sometimes only one or even no parents. It is Cyrus's dream to see these kids have the same opportunity as others through the generosity of sponsors. Sponsorship for these kids, as Cyrus explained, is relatively inexpensive. It is around $350 for a full year of tuition and another $50 for uniforms, books, etc. So for only $400, a child can get an amazing education at the number 1 primary school in the country. So, our group, excited by this opportunity to help brainstormed how to fund raise and create a system where people could contribute to any number of the projects the school would like to accomplish, including finding school fees for these students in need. We decided that the next step for the project would be to use our day off to visit the students who are prime candidates for sponsorship. Our visit would give us a change to meet the kids, get to know them, encourage them and be able to tell their stories and advocate for them when we return.
After lunch, we returned outside where the boys played a game of soccer with the kids and the girls danced, sang and colored. The kids were able to sing us Rihanna, Chris Brown and Lady Gaga. We must admit, most of the singing and dancing was done by the kids but we have made a promise to bring music and come prepared to sing and dance on our next visit to the entire school on July 8th.
The day wasn't over after our time at Kigali City School. We learned that the American Embassy was hosting an event for their citizens this afternoon for the 4th instead of during the holiday on Monday. It was changed so that the party could also be a farewell to Ambassador Stuart Symington who leaves his post in July. We drove to the American Embassy, which was in a beautiful part of town, enjoyed some barbeque and played games. Though it was just in passing, we were able to meet the Ambassador himself who was interested in hearing about the work we were doing while in Rwanda. He also offered some words of advice on how to continue our partnerships with organizations in Rwanda to make a real impact. We are hoping to return to the Embassy to meet with other officials and hear more about the U.S. role in Rwanda.
So tomorrow is another day at the orphanage where we'll continue our painting project. With so much space to cover, we decided to dedicate all of our time tomorrow to working on revamping the rooms. However, I'm sure when we hear the squeals and get bombarded by hugs, our plans might change.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
In Kigali
So after a brutal 24 hours of traveling, we finally made it to Kigali on Tuesday afternoon. Customs and baggage were a breeze and after everyone had their stuff, we were met by our tour guide, Mark and driver, Emmanuel from Rwanda Eco Tours. With Mark and Emmanuel, we started to make our rounds to the host families but not before stopping for currency exchange and some bottled water. We used the rest of our first day in Rwanda to get settled in, take naps and get acquainted with host families. Judging from the discussions during the car ride this morning, it appears as if everyone is getting along great with their families!
Today was our first day at Home of Hope Orphanage. Apparently we were a little eager to start out project, so we arrived before the nuns and kids had finished their morning prayers. The group was able to chat while we waited outside for a few moments. We were soon welcomed by the nun who was to give us a tour of the facility and the rooms we would be painting. On our way down the steps into the facility and before we had even stepped foot inside, we were met by squeals and a gaggle of toddlers who greeted us with hugs. Each of the kids picked their favorite of the group who they then latched onto for the remainder of the tour. I can't speak for the rest of the group, but these were by far some of the most loving and personable little kids I've ever met. We were able to spend some time with the kids before we got to work on pre-painting prep. We laid drop clothes, taped baseboards, door frames and windows and strategized our approach. This pretty much took up the morning portion of the day.
During our lunch break, the group headed up the hill to a sort of town center with shops and restaurants. We ate lunch at Bourbon Coffee, a pretty western cafe were we were able to get snacks. At lunch, Cyrus Nkusi, Headmaster of the Kigali City School, joined us to introduce himself. With Cyrus, we were able to discuss what we will be doing with our time at the school. We were also able to talk about how to promote a sponsorship program for students who are unable to afford school fees. For just $350/year, one student is able to attend Kigali City School, which just ranked as the number one primary school in the country. We agreed that this Sunday, instead of our day off, we would meet with Cyrus and the students in need to learn more about them, sponsorship and how we can make sure these kids get a chance at a great education.
After our meeting with Cyrus, the group ran some errands. We were able to purchase cell phones with international and national calling/texting capabilities to help us keep in touch with each other and home. We also found paint supplies to help us begin our project upon our return to the orphanage. By the time we got back, there was little left in the day but we decided to start plugging away at putting primer on one of the rooms to be painted. This will give us a jump start when we return Friday.
Stay posted as we get further along in our projects!
Today was our first day at Home of Hope Orphanage. Apparently we were a little eager to start out project, so we arrived before the nuns and kids had finished their morning prayers. The group was able to chat while we waited outside for a few moments. We were soon welcomed by the nun who was to give us a tour of the facility and the rooms we would be painting. On our way down the steps into the facility and before we had even stepped foot inside, we were met by squeals and a gaggle of toddlers who greeted us with hugs. Each of the kids picked their favorite of the group who they then latched onto for the remainder of the tour. I can't speak for the rest of the group, but these were by far some of the most loving and personable little kids I've ever met. We were able to spend some time with the kids before we got to work on pre-painting prep. We laid drop clothes, taped baseboards, door frames and windows and strategized our approach. This pretty much took up the morning portion of the day.
During our lunch break, the group headed up the hill to a sort of town center with shops and restaurants. We ate lunch at Bourbon Coffee, a pretty western cafe were we were able to get snacks. At lunch, Cyrus Nkusi, Headmaster of the Kigali City School, joined us to introduce himself. With Cyrus, we were able to discuss what we will be doing with our time at the school. We were also able to talk about how to promote a sponsorship program for students who are unable to afford school fees. For just $350/year, one student is able to attend Kigali City School, which just ranked as the number one primary school in the country. We agreed that this Sunday, instead of our day off, we would meet with Cyrus and the students in need to learn more about them, sponsorship and how we can make sure these kids get a chance at a great education.
After our meeting with Cyrus, the group ran some errands. We were able to purchase cell phones with international and national calling/texting capabilities to help us keep in touch with each other and home. We also found paint supplies to help us begin our project upon our return to the orphanage. By the time we got back, there was little left in the day but we decided to start plugging away at putting primer on one of the rooms to be painted. This will give us a jump start when we return Friday.
Stay posted as we get further along in our projects!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Less than a week!
So, in this last week before wheels up, we have been able to tie all of the trip's loose ends together. We received information about our host families, assigned students to their respective families and locked down our itinerary for our time on the ground. Most importantly, we were able to touch base with Home of Hope Orphanage and Kigali City School to see what kind of work and projects on which they might need our help.
At Kigali City School, they have asked that we come prepared to do any number of things - we can work with administrators to update their website and design brochures, we can help the kids in English, math, science and art, we can help organize and play sports during their time outdoors or for those with a good singing voice, we can assist in chorus lessons. No shortage of things to keep us busy during our days at Kigali City School!
At the Home of Hope Orphanage, we will be spending most of our mornings and afternoons with the kids and helping with the day-to-day activities. However, during the lunch time, the orphanage closes and they have asked that we use this time to help this revamp their facilities. There are several indoor rooms which need a new coat of paint and some sprucing up.
Knowing a little bit about these projects beforehand can certainly help us prepare (and pack) as the trip approaches. While we obviously won't be able to bring paint with us, we can feasibly bring supplies - rollers, brushes, tarps, etc. We can also brainstorm about things that may be useful to us for our time at the school - old books and school supplies, among other things.
So to our travelers, keep these things in mind as you begin to think about packing for the trip. Many of the things we need are cheap, lightweight and would really help us contribute to our two main project locations. To our followers, if you are interested in contributing to any of these projects or tasks, please feel free to get in touch with me and we will certainly work to arrange it!
Mwiriwe (Goodbye) for now!
At Kigali City School, they have asked that we come prepared to do any number of things - we can work with administrators to update their website and design brochures, we can help the kids in English, math, science and art, we can help organize and play sports during their time outdoors or for those with a good singing voice, we can assist in chorus lessons. No shortage of things to keep us busy during our days at Kigali City School!
At the Home of Hope Orphanage, we will be spending most of our mornings and afternoons with the kids and helping with the day-to-day activities. However, during the lunch time, the orphanage closes and they have asked that we use this time to help this revamp their facilities. There are several indoor rooms which need a new coat of paint and some sprucing up.
Knowing a little bit about these projects beforehand can certainly help us prepare (and pack) as the trip approaches. While we obviously won't be able to bring paint with us, we can feasibly bring supplies - rollers, brushes, tarps, etc. We can also brainstorm about things that may be useful to us for our time at the school - old books and school supplies, among other things.
So to our travelers, keep these things in mind as you begin to think about packing for the trip. Many of the things we need are cheap, lightweight and would really help us contribute to our two main project locations. To our followers, if you are interested in contributing to any of these projects or tasks, please feel free to get in touch with me and we will certainly work to arrange it!
Mwiriwe (Goodbye) for now!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Welcome to the AoH Rwanda Blog
Hello all!
Welcome to our blog for the 2011 summer trip to Rwanda! We wanted to find a way to keep families and AoH followers posted on our adventures while we're across the pond.
As many of you may know, we are again headed to Kigali, Rwanda on June 27th to do work with Home of Hope Orphanage. This year we are taking with us a small, and terrific, group of high school and college students. During our time in Rwanda, we'll be spending a majority of our time with those - kids, teens, adults, elderly - that call the orphanage home as well as working to complete needed tasks within their facilities. It won't be all work for us though, we will also be using our time abroad to experience and learn more about Rwandan history and culture.
There will be a lot to report as the trip develops and of course there will be plenty of stories from our time in Rwanda. So from now until our return (July 14th) check back with us to see what we're up to ...
Welcome to our blog for the 2011 summer trip to Rwanda! We wanted to find a way to keep families and AoH followers posted on our adventures while we're across the pond.
As many of you may know, we are again headed to Kigali, Rwanda on June 27th to do work with Home of Hope Orphanage. This year we are taking with us a small, and terrific, group of high school and college students. During our time in Rwanda, we'll be spending a majority of our time with those - kids, teens, adults, elderly - that call the orphanage home as well as working to complete needed tasks within their facilities. It won't be all work for us though, we will also be using our time abroad to experience and learn more about Rwandan history and culture.
There will be a lot to report as the trip develops and of course there will be plenty of stories from our time in Rwanda. So from now until our return (July 14th) check back with us to see what we're up to ...
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