News from PREFER Preschool
Year End Report 2009
I often walk around the preschool grounds and have to pinch myself to realize I am not dreaming. A beautiful piece of land, with a view of Mount Sabinyo, a garden that grows a variety of fruits and vegetables, the bungalow is 11 meters in diameter, with cement floors and walls to 1 meter as well as the most beautiful bamboo woven ceiling in the country. Inside the bungalow are 25 teen girls learning traditional dance, the music they create, with a blend of drums and their voices, is magical.
Weaving the ceiling, July 2008
I can spend hours admiring the 4 classroom school with its front porch and 'coloured pencil' picket fence. We chose the colours of the Rwanda flag, yellow, blue and green. There is a pile of boda bodas outside each classroom door where the children remove their shoes before entering their class. I hear ABC's and 123 being recited, I hear laughter and singing. Our first structure 'the goat barn' is home to Milliam and her 5 sewing students. I can hear their chatter and giggles over the whir of their peddle machines, and, the warmth coming from their charcoal irons makes a warm refuge on a cold windy day. The opposite end of the 'goat barn' houses the medical clinic. When I arrive in the morning there is always a line up of waiting patients with ailments ranging from minor cuts and sores to major burns and bone deep cuts. I see the workmen finishing the office/medical clinic and kitchen. The women carrying rocks and cement on their heads, the men mixing cement by hand and hammering rocks into the shapes that are needed. Our goats are munching banana leaves and calling out their welcome, the chickens are scratching and clucking and looking for a place to lay their eggs. I can look across the street to see our new piece of land, now full of planted corn, but one day to be home to our 9 classroom primary school. And I wonder how one woman can be so blessed.
Women carrying rocks for bungalow, July 2008
The parcels of love, from all over the world, containing medicine, school/art supplies, clothes, baby necessities, seeds and sports equipment arrive at our post on a regular basis, enable us to have the best medicine for burns in our district. We are able to keep a child alive with rehydration salts. Our spinabifida boy now has a climbing gym in his house in hopes that he will strengthen his body for the day he may use crutches or a wheelchair, the woman who was not able to feed her 5 children knew she can receive help, and our Mamas that adopted the abandoned babies arrive weekly for support. The soap association Mamas business is thriving with all the molds and fragrances that they have received, 27 women now in business because of a hand up. The families that have received goats, chickens or rabbits as income generating projects, the 15 primary and secondary schools that received school and art supplies, the 'care' packages handed out, the houses repaired or rebuilt, the 20 secondary students we sponsor, the 150 primary teachers that received English tuition so that they may be better prepared to teach and our 127 street children would not have had this help without us.
I have to tell you about the 127 street children. This is the group I have always wanted to get to know and find out how to help. They are just what I called them...street children...living on the street alone. They sleep in potato sacks in the taxi park or in front of closed shops because they have light and there is less chance of being abused. They range in age from 7 years to 15 years, many of these children are the product of rape, and most have tasted the sorrows of existence. They have never been given any opportunity. They steal or lie for food if there is no other option. With the help of the local government we gathered these children and offered them the opportunity to come to school each weekday morning for the months of November and December. We told them we would feed them each day and after school a coach would come and play football with them.
Cockeyed Optimist, December 2007
On the first day of school I handed out soap to each child so that they could bathe before school, on the 2nd day I saw a sea of clean faces and was so impressed...but then I thought where did they get the water? Water is not free. I had Teste ask the children where they bathed and they told us that they went 2.5 kms to a stream in Gasanze sector because the water is free....they are doing this each morning before school. When I returned from my 3 weeks in Canada the school had been going for 4 weeks, there were still 127 children attending and when I entered each classroom to say hello all students stood and greeted me in English. Out of the 127 students we have 85 committed to attend public school in 2010......85 children off the street because of a 2 month hand up. 85 children are off the street, back in school and have medical insurance paid for them, because of you.
This was a year of growth for PREFER such as we have never seen before.
The support we received was insurmountable and the health, welfare, hygiene and self-esteem of the children and families in my community have been changed beyond measure.
In January Hannah visited us, from London, Ontario; bringing Christmas to the children. Each child was presented with a Christmas bag full of goodies...the first in their lives. The noise was a cacophony of gleeful sounds. Hannah also spent time with the secondary girls from ESSA School, teaching the girls knitting and crocheting skills which they will use for the rest of their lives.
Carol and Dave, from Victoria, were able to spend a few days with the children and had the gratitude of the Mamas for all the baby needs they supplied.....first time to see rubber pants!
Christoph cleaning a tank, November 2007
February, when Phil and Lynn visited, was a whirlwind of activity. The community of Vernon had gathered 63 Rubbermaid containers of clothes, medical supplies, towels, blankets, toys and school supplies, bicycles, chairs for the school, tools and wheelbarrows, and furniture arrived, changing our lives forever.
Emily and Anna, from White Rock, arrived in March and began their teaching assignments. In the mornings they were with us at the preschool, teaching and potty training the babies, and in the afternoons they alternated between the Executive Secretary and his staff and our Minister of Education, teaching English so they may hold and report their meetings in English.
When Heather and Megan arrived from Montreal, with 22 football uniforms my boys went wild with excitement. For the first week they would not play football for fear of getting their uniforms dirty.
Kathy Wheeler, from Calgary was our secondary students' private tutor during their school break and the boys and girls she helped all had a marked improvement in their next report.
Daisy and Greg arrived from White Rock in May and were with us for 2 months. Greg was quickly accepted by the music makers in Ruhengeri, with his fabulous singing voice and exceptional musical talent he was a tremendous help to the local recording artists. Daisy, who was called 'Mama Anna' was never able to walk alone...she always had 2 or 3 children attached to her.
Judy, who was with us for 4 months, put her nursing skills to good use doctoring the children and entire community in the morning and teaching the soap Mamas English during the afternoons.
It's a good day to meet the President, June 2008
We had an unprecedented learning opportunity this summer....3 university professors giving their undivided attention to our preschoolers. Helen and Alberto came from Italy for 2 weeks in June and Helen from UBC was with us for the month of July. The entire community wanted to be in on those lessons so we had special classes arranged for the adults during the afternoons.
Helen and Alberto wanted to visit the children from Massisi who we have moved to Goma for a safer environment one weekend. These 14 children have been taken out of a war zone and brought to Goma where we have rented a house, hired a Mama for cooking and cleaning, and paid school fees, in hopes that these children may have a chance at life.
Julie, from Australia, arrived for her 5th visit in 5 years and brought Hannah, Gina and Shanelle. Julie was on her way to Kenya for her son's wedding and stopped in with us for only a few days, Julie and her friends received Australian registration for charity status this year and have raised a lot of funds for our community...goats, medical insurance, hospital visits, house repairs, and love were given out freely. Max and Anne arrived by way of Zimbabwe, and were only able to spend a few days with us, but once again made a major contribution to the preschoolers feeding program.
The Great Football Giveaway, from England, was with us for a few days in August and distributed footballs throughout Rwanda. When we visited Gasanze primary Paul told me that we had just handed out the 15,000th football since they had begun their program 4 years ago.
Merry Christmas from Rwanda, 2009
Debbie arrived in December and made our holiday season a joyous affair for all, sharing her skills and gifts with street children, secondary students and the entire community.
Our volunteers come to a world they have never known and embrace our projects wholeheartedly. Rwanda is Africa, the smells and smoke, the masses of people walking, the heat and poverty are everywhere. The first time here is an assault on your senses. These strangers come to us, not quite knowing what to expect or where their skills will be needed. We take them to school their first day with us and within a few minutes they are standing surrounded by our little ones, most of who are hugging the newcomers' knees and grabbing their fingers. It doesn't take a volunteer long to realize that their presence here is exactly what is required. To' be with the children, to acknowledge them, play with them and teach them the skills they need to live in a world of peace, where they are encouraged to get an education that will enable them to have a life outside of poverty. These children have an opportunity that was never offered to Rwandese children in the past. Rwandese children today live in a country that is ruled by a government that is for the betterment of its population, education is first and foremost. For the first time ever primary school is paid for by the government and secondary school is subsidized as much as financially possible.
During the month of November I spent 3 weeks in Canada, for the first time in 6 years. The welcome I received was overwhelming, I felt like a celebrity. The gifts of medicine, clothes, web sites and donations made me realize just how much my community here in Rwanda has touched your hearts. Phil, Lynn and the community of Vernon welcomed me with open arms, and Trudy, together with Soroptimists RM, hosted a fabulous fundraiser evening for us that was far beyond any expectations. It was a trip that I will never forget and be forever grateful for.
This entire year in Rwanda...the last 6 years in Rwanda.....my life in Rwanda actually, is blessed beyond measure. What you are helping me achieve is a gift that I cherish. I have a life that is full, and for that I thank you.
I believe the saying 'there is no such thing as luck....it is when preparation meets opportunity'. President Paul Kagame is leading Rwanda out of the hell it once knew and into a brighter tomorrow, where opportunities for a better life are within each child's reach.
I want our children prepared, and with your help they are becoming the most prepared children in the country.
With hearts full of thanks we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with love, health, abundance and African travel.
Love and hugs from Cathy and the entire community of Gashangiro.
