Off To College!

We are very excited to announce that, thanks to a generous scholarship donation from supporters of Imbabazi, we were recently able to send 4 of our older children to study at the renowned Rwanda Tourism University College (RTUC) in nearby Gisenyi. Having graduated from secondary school last year, these 4 took the initiative to find part-time jobs or internships in the meantime while waiting to see if university would be an option for them. Being in the “real world” for a bit not only gave them a host of new skills to put to use at university, but also made them appreciate even more this opportunity to further their education and accomplish their future goals.

RTUC is the first university in Rwanda to focus specifically on tourism and hospitality. Not only is tourism an up-and-coming industry in Rwanda, but many children at the orphanage have an interest in pursuing this field as a career. Mussa Uwitonze (boy on left) & Umuhoza Epiphanie (pink shirt on right) will be studying Travel & Tourism Management, while Claudia Ingabire (girl on left) & Vestine Uwamahoro (striped shirt on right) will be studying Business & Information Technology. They started classes last week and are enjoying it tremendously. Here is what they had to say about their experience so far:

Mussa: “Since childhood I had two choices [to study]: journalism or tourism. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to study journalism…so I took the decision to study tourism which I am really liking so much – it is opening doors for my future dream. In fact, tourism is rising in Rwanda and East Africa, this is why I’d like to help and do customer relations, which is a great opportunity to improve here in my country and elsewhere. My dream is to start my own tour agency, maybe called “Imbabazi Tours and Safaris” and I always pray so that my dream can come true.

Umuhoza: In my dreams I had a wish of doing tourism but I didn’t think it could come true because there was no tourism university in Rwanda. After hearing about RTUC, I wished I could go but it was very expensive and very hard for a Rwandan family to pay. Now, I am very happy that I was able to come and glad that my dreams are coming true. I thank the sponsors and the Imbabazi Orphanage, and promise that I am working hard to get good marks and gain knowledge.

Ingabire: I have always wanted to be a Technician but I didn’t think it could happen because I didn’t have a sponsor to pay for my university fees. But God helped me to find this scholarship after graduating from secondary school, and I know the sponsors also worked very hard to find for me. BIT is an area that is on the rise in Rwanda and all over the world, which is why I chose this faculty because it will help my future. Now I must do my best and study very hard.

Vestine: I chose to study BIT, and I’m so happy because I didn’t think I would be able to continue in University so I am very surprised and happy that I can. Thanks a lot to the sponsors and Imbabazi Orphanage.

Turiga Icyongereza! (We are learning English)

It seems that everywhere you go in Rwanda these days, people are eager to learn English. Not only has the country recently changed its official language from French to English, but with the steady growth of the tourism industry there has also been an influx of English-speaking tourists from countries like America and England. While students now learn English in class every day, it can be more difficult for other segments of the population to find opportunities to study their new official language: adult learners, those who have already completed their studies, those who never went to school, those who work full-time, etc. That’s why, in an effort to address this, we recently launched adult English lessons for the staff here at Imbabazi. Each week, our gardeners, orphanage mamas, guards, and cooks enter the Imbabazi classroom with their notebooks and pencils in hand (made possible thanks to donations of from visitors) along with an enthusiastic “good afternoon teacher!” 


 For 2 hours each week, we go over material such as the alphabet, greetings, numbers, and vocabulary related to work at the orphanage. Although 2 hours a week is not a lot of time when it comes to learning a new language, students are often spotted around the orphanage studying together during their breaks and even practicing their English with visitors! Thanks to their enthusiasm and hard work, they can now introduce themselves, count to 100, and describe daily activities in English after just one month of class. We hope to build on this success by working on a community outreach initiative, including activities such as English teacher workshops at the local primary school and English/literacy classes for adults in the community. Stay tuned!

The Refectoire Gets a Facelift

Life is never dull at the Imbabazi, thanks in part to the steady stream of visitors we receive each week. People from all over the world brave the 7 km. of rocky terrain to tour our gorgeous gardens, chat with the kids, and learn more about the amazing life and legacy of Roz Carr. Many times, these visitors also come with a desire to lend a helping hand. This help comes in a variety of forms, from making a donation to playing a game of soccer with the kids to teaching a photography workshop to doing a small volunteer project.

We recently welcomed a group of high school students who wanted to lend a BIG helping hand from Benilde – St. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. These students came to Rwanda for 2 weeks this summer in connection with their school’s course on Genocide & Social Justice, 1 week of which was dedicated to volunteering with people directly affected by the events of 1994. The Imbabazi was one such project, and for a few hours a day for one week, they came to help us give the refectoire (dining & multi-purpose room) and boys’ bedroom a much-needed new coat of paint. 6 jerry cans of paint, 8 walls, 2 ceilings, and countless paintbrushes later, the two rooms look better than ever! The collaboration between the kids of Imbabazi and the students from Minnesota not only resulted in a more beautiful orphanage, but was also a lot of fun! Thanks again to the students and chaperones of Benilde – St. Margaret’s School!

Getting Crafty for the Community

The girls here at Imbabazi are smart, beautiful, AND multi-talented. One of their many talents includes knitting and crocheting, which we have recently turned into a community service project by making hats for kids in the community. Because it can get rather chilly at this altitude, this has been a great way to help keep kids in our area warm while at the same time engaging Imbabazi in projects that benefit the wider community. The hats are distributed to newborns and children through the local health clinic in our district.

In addition, as part of the tourism project that we are currently developing at Imbabazi, some of the products knitted by the girls will be available for sale to visitors at the orphanage. The money raised from these sales will be put towards expenses like school fees and supplies. A big thank you for all of the generous yarn donations received from visitors and friends of Imbabazi, without which these projects would not have been possible. If you would like more information on our community service or tourism projects, or if you would like to donate yarn, please contact us!

Rwanda Nziza! (Beautiful Rwanda)

Over the years, Rwanda has been bestowed with such fitting monikers as “The Land of a Thousand Hills” and “The Land of Perpetual Spring” to describe its natural splendor and beauty. Nowhere is this beauty more apparent than at Imbabazi, where we are surrounded by a number of the natural features that make up Rwanda’s diverse topography: volcanoes in our backyard, Lake Kivu in the distance, dense mountain forests home to the famous gorillas, and lush green hills and valleys as far as the eye can see. With all the ins and outs of daily life, it is sometimes easy to forget just how lucky we are to be living in such an amazing corner of the world.

Over the last few weeks, we have been striving to take more time to stop and appreciate the beauty of the world around us here at Imbabazi. This appreciation comes in many forms: going on a hike with the kids (sometimes the dogs tag along too!) to explore the hills, take in the views, and find new paths to tread; walking the 7 kilometers from the orphanage to the main paved road and back; jogging from the orphanage to nearby villages; or making dried flower pressings from our bountiful gardens, just to name a few.


 In addition to exploring the physical environment and getting some exercise, these excursions allow us to take part in the integral Rwandan custom of greeting friends and neighbors. Not only are the people in surrounding villages thrilled to be visited by the children and the ‘muzungus’ (foreigners) who work with them, but it’s also a good opportunity for community outreach and cultural exchange beyond the orphanage walls. Now that the rainy season is coming to an end, we hope to discover more hidden ecological treasures in the months to come!

Text Books

Last December, students from Otterbein University visited the Imbabazi. Before their arrival, they raised money to benefit Kanyundo Primary School (the primary school our children attend). The goal: to support our text book project.

This project benefits our children and the surrounding community. Kanyundo serves nearly 1,600 children. Having textbooks for the children greatly enhances their learning experience leading to better national exam scores.

Otterbein was able to raise enough money to purchase a dictionary for each classroom and 158 primary six text books. We were finally able to get the books from the publisher in Kigali to the school a week ago.

This is an ongoing project. In the future, we hope to purchase enough books for two children to share in addition to learning aids and maps for the school. Books cost $4-$7 each depending on the subject. A small donation can make a big difference in the lives of the children that attend Kanyundo Primary School.

New Clinic in Mudende

The new clinic in Mudende, next to the Imbabazi

 Madame Carr spent the last years of her life creating a permanent home for her children on her farm. This included building dorms, a kitchen, a dining hall, showers, toilets and a clinic. The clinic at the Imbabazi Orphanage closed when the government built a community clinic next door. The orphanage helped the community clinic open by donating money to build the toilets and donating medical supplies. Now the government has greatly expanded health care in Rwanda. They have built a larger and more advanced clinic in our community.

Once again, the Imbabazi was there to help. We donated over 1,000 items, including hospital beds, exam gloves, stethoscopes, medicine and first aid supplies, to help stock the new clinic. These items were donated by the Dallaire Foundation and the many visitors we receive at the Imbabazi. The new clinic has a laboratory, maternity ward, rooms for admitted patients and nutrition program.

When we arrived with the items, women were there being trained as community health workers. Community health workers are responsible for visiting villagers at their homes to resolve small medical issues and to teach about health and wellness. These women helped us move the items into the clinic and were very delighted about the donation. The head nurse who is responsible for the clinic thanked us many times for being a good neighbor.

Welcome Ashley!

I'm happy to announce the arrival of Ashley Burke our new Peace Corps volunteer.

Ashley arrived in Rwanda at the beginning of February following the program’s evacuation from Niger, where she had been serving as a Community Youth & Education volunteer since July 2010. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, she is off to a great start and loving life in this beautiful country. After one month of technical and language training in Nyanza, she arrived at Imbabazi on March 5^th to begin her new assignment working with us. Ashley’s work will focus mainly on the academic and professional development of the kids and local staff at Imbabazi through such activities as teaching English, health & life skills, and computer classes. She also hopes to conduct small workshops at the local primary school and health clinic.

Ashley is originally from Monterey, California. She has a BA from the University of California San Diego in International Studies (focusing on political science and African studies) and an MA from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in International Policy Studies (focusing on human rights and justice). Before joining Peace Corps, Ashley worked at such organizations as the Asia Foundation’s conflict and governance unit in Bangkok, Thailand and Amnesty International’s Southern regional office in Atlanta, Georgia. She enjoys traveling, animals, playing volleyball, and spending time at the beach.

Ashley will be at the Imbabazi until November 2010.

School Success

This past November we had 10 children complete their last year of secondary school (S 6). This is memorable not only for the record number of children graduating but something else very exciting. In February, we got news that all 10 children passed the national exam! This is a huge accomplishment especially because our children had interruption in their schooling when they were young due to civil conflict. Over the years, they worked very hard studying and have overcome many obstacles. They are very proud of themselves as are we. We had cupcakes to celebrate the occasion.

The National Exam is a very challenging exam and many children do not pass. Passing the exam does not guarantee a child can go onto university but it’s a great milestone in their lives. In July, we will find out which children are eligible for university. Unfortunately, the Imbabazi does not have the resources to pay university tuition. Our children are able to continue on to university through generous sponsorships from people like you. For more information on sponsoring university tuition for one of our children please contact Jeff Ramsey. jefframsey@imbabazi.org

Get to know some of our graduates….

Claudine

My name is INGABIRE Claudine. I am 22 years old. In secondary school I studied electronics and informatics. In the future, I would like to be a business woman. I like singing Gospel songs. I am in the church choir at the Baptist church.

Vestine

My name is UWAMAHORO Vestine. I am 22 years old. In secondary school I studied electronics and informatics. I would like to study more about telecommunication.

Mussa

My name is UWITONZE Samuel known as Mussa. I am 20 years old. In secondary school I studied languages and literature. I deeply felt very happy when I got my S6 exam results. I did very well. This pushed me to thank my Lord in front of the Baptist church. I played the piano while Betty and Claudine sang. I also thank the Imbabazi because through the orphanage I was able to go to school. In the future, I would like to become a television journalist. My wish is to continue to university versity next year in journalism. My favorite skills are playing piano and taking photographs. Added to journalism, I am also interested in tourism, especially traveling and guiding. These activities are a very good way for me to practice my English and photography skills.

Betty

I am MUKABERA Betty. I am 21 years old. In secondary school I studied mathematics, biology and chemistry. I want to continue my studies and become a nurse. I like to crochet and help in the flower garden.

Gadi

My name is HABUMUGISHA Gadi. I am 19 years old. In secondary school I studied mathematics, physics and geography. In university I would like to study architecture. I like playing the guitar.

Umuhoza

My name is UMUHOZA Epiphanie. I am 20 years old. I studied geography, history and economics in secondary school. Now I am taking a 3 month training to learn about computers. I want to continue my studies in Tourism. 

Bicycles

In January, Matthew De Young, volunteer for Project Rwanda, did a great deed for the Imbabazi—he fixed our bicycles.

Years ago, the bicycles were donated by the Dallaire Foundation. These were good bikes but they deteriorated greatly due to our road condition and many hours of enjoyment by nearly 100 children.

Matt, who lives an hour from us, donated his time and expertise. In stage one of repair, he was able to

get three of the five bikes up and going again. This was no small feat considering how badly the bikes were damaged. The bikes are now safe to ride around the orphanage. Soon, Matt will be back with additional parts and hopes to fix the remaining two bikes.

Many children already knew how to ride a bike. Those who know are patiently teaching the others. It’s great to see the kids working together as a family. Now the bikes are enjoyed by the children after completing their chores and schoolwork. It’s something they look forward to every Saturday.  I think they have worn a permanent track around the orphanage!

One child wrote to Matt:

“Thank you so much for spending your time here at the Imbabazi to help us fix the bikes. It’s a hard job to do that. We enjoy the great thing you did for us.”

Through the Eyes of Children Photography Project

By Gadi

Through The Eyes of Children: The Rwanda Project (TTEOC) is a non-profit organization founded by American photographer David Jiranek, in 2000. He came to the Imbabazi Orphanage and decided he wanted to help us by teaching some of the children photography.

Nineteen children from the Imbabazi Orphanage have participated in this project. The purpose of this project was to teach orphans photography, to create memories, to let us express ourselves and share our photos with the world. We shot photos in Gisenyi where we lived for seven years before coming back to our home in Mutura. At the first workshop, we used disposable cameras but now we use digital cameras.  Jaqueline’s photo ,from the first workshop, titled “Gadi at the market” won first prize for portrait in the 2001 Camera Art Magazine photo contest. This project has been successful because we have been able to document our lives, learned a lot of photography and it has been able to raise some money to pay a portion of our education fees.

Our photos have been exhibited around the world, even in Rwanda in 2001.

Recently, we had a workshop from 8^th-11^th of January. During this workshop we learned photography skills and discuss how we can continue our photography on our own.  The first day of this workshop, Saturday, we walked in the community shooting photos. The next day we did the same thing. On Monday, we took a trip to Gisenyi. There we visited Ubumwe Community Center where Zachary and Frederick help people who have different physical and mental disabilities. We took photos of the people there. We had lunch at the Auberge restaurant then shot photos around Gisenyi town.  After this, we headed to Paradise restaurant near the brewery about 5 km from Gisenyi town. There we shot photos around Lake Kivu. Then we turned back to Mutura.  On the last day of the workshop we walked to the market near our home called Kibumba market to take photos of the people selling their goods. Also, a few of us took photos at the local primary school.

On the 12^th of January at 5:30 am we took a bus to Kigali for our final day of working with TTEOC. From 10am until 4pm we met with the press, professional photographers and artists who told us about their jobs. During these seminars, we learned how we can earn money from our photography skills.

After the seminars we prepared ourselves for our main purpose of going to Kigali, our photo exhibition. The exhibition included our photos from the entire ten years of the project. This took place at the Kigali Serena from 6-8pm. During the exhibition, many people came from different organizations and even some representatives from the government attended. Also, press representatives such as newspaper reporters, radio reporters, and Rwanda TV station came. Some of us were interviewed by the reporters. Before closing the exhibition, we were given an official certificate of achievement. We felt very proud being called professional photographers.

After the exhibition, we spent the night together at a hotel in Kigali. After breakfast the following day, we said goodbye to everyone from TTEOC and headed back to Mutura.

For more information or to buy a print:

www.rwandaproject.org

http://www.facebook.com/RwandaProject

Visiting Orphans

By Twagiramungu

Usually in break time from school we fortunately get visitors from different parts of the world. At the beginning of January, we received two teams of students and business people from the United States. Their main purpose was visiting orphans all over Rwanda.

The first team of mostly students offered gifts to us to celebrate the happy new year. Everyone was very happy for the things like sweets, sunglasses and balloons.  It was a great day being with those visitors. Some older children like Gadi, Mussa, Umuhoza, Clemance and I talked with the visitors and showed the visitors around the orphanage and Madame Carr’s gardens.

The second team was mixed by adults and student visitors, some were workers too. They did a very good job because they gave us condolences saying that we have to be happy and know that God love us. They are doing great work. Their speech healed our heart. We did many activities with them like playing baseball and soccer. We spent time talking; sharing ideas and asking questions. Added to that, the children sang many songs and I played the guitar.

To conclude, I desperately want to congratulate the two teams that visited us in the summer and we appreciate it quite well. We address to all who want to visit us that they are quite welcome and know that visiting orphans is earning blessings.

Visiting SORWATHE

By Mussa

In this break time on the 5^th of January, 2011, all the children and workers of the Imbabazi Orphanage visited the tea factory SORWATHE. The factory is located in the Northern Province. We travel four hours from our home in Mudende to the factory.

The children had a great time visiting the factory because we were free to see everything; we even asked questions. The director of SORWATHE, Cally Alles; an Imbabazi board member, welcomed us kindly. After saying hello to everyone, he asked his workers to show us around. Before the tour, Cally told us briefly the history of SORWATHE. He said that the name is a French abbreviation for “Societe Rwanda The.” Then he added that it was the first big tea factory in Rwanda. After the history, we went in groups to see what the workers were doing.

The children learning about tea quality.

 We visited different departments. For example, we observed how machines prepare the tea leaves for different types of tea such as strong tea, light tea, green tea and orthodox tea. This place was very interesting for everyone and very attractive to scientists. That is why our children who study sciences were asking many questions. Also, we went out of the factory to visit the farm where the tea is planted. Truly, when you are looking at a distance you can think that you are seeing a big garden but when you approach you find that it is a green tea farm.

At SORWATHE, we were with the Imbabazi staff, Jeff, Devon Emmanuel and others. Being with them made us very happy. We took lunch at the factory. The food was very delicious. After lunch, all the children became very happy; even though they were happy before. They started singing songs to express their thanks to Cally for the tour and lunch. Also, we asked questions to Cally about employment and internship opportunities. He promised good things and told us how to begin the process. Not only Cally but also Katie Fawcett, our friend, Imbabazi board member and director of Karisoke Research Center, was asked questions about internships. The Imbabazi staff was helping us to ask questions and express our point of view.

In general, the children had fun. I don’t know how I can say that in words; you can only know if you were there! Everyone did not want to come back.

In closing, very much the director of SORWATHE, Cally, who took his time inviting and staying with us when we were in his factory. In the name of the nation, we thank Cally because he is helping the government to develop the country. May God bless him a lot. We wish that we will get another chance to visit other places in the future.

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG

Since arriving at the Imbabazi Orphanage in August 2010, I realized how difficult it is to get all of our exciting news to our friends and supporters. I created this blog so everyone can stay updated and keep contact with us. The older children are helping me by writing some of the posts. This gives them an opportunity to practice and improve their English writing skills.
Enjoy!

With love and thanks to all of our friends and supporters,

Devon Kuntzman
Assistant Director