News from PREFER Preschool
First Quarter 2010 Report
We sent our 60 graduates off to primary one outfitted in new uniforms, boda bodas and all school supplies. Teste received a phone call from the head mistress of Gashangiro primary saying how beautiful the children looked as they arrived at school together.
Primary One, New Uniforms, April 2010
We have 159 students attending preschool this year. This is our first year of charging tuition for a portion of the students. Any parent/guardian that had a signed letter from the local government stating that they were not able to pay school fees was able to enroll their child for free. Those who have business or other means of income were not given a letter and have been charged 5,000 RWF per child per month. 5,000 RWF = 8.75 US$.
We have 109 free students and 50 paying students. Our goal is to have 50% paying and 50% vulnerable that will not be charged. We have been able to increase our teacher wages this year; they are now comparable with other teachers in our area. Our teachers have worked for very small wages knowing that the funds were going towards the construction of the school. We have 4 teachers and 2 assistants as well as 4 staff members that are in charge of the school, gardens and property. For more information see School.
PREFER Preschool students, April 2010
We are able to feed every student each day.
The porridge is made of ground corn and ground sorghum (grown in our garden) mixed with milk and sugar. The children love it. They also have bread each day. The babies get 2nds, a quick snack just before they head home. We have supplied each child with a new set of clothing. It is difficult to have uniforms for children this age. Nothing holds up. A new set of clothes enables the child to come to school clean and dry. The school supplies we have been given are being used on a daily basis and enable the children to experience new and exciting things. We receive so many wonderful compliments from our visitors when they arrive, and see our school for the first time.
Milliam and her 5 sewing students in a shed used to house the goats at night, January 2010
Sewing classes continue, Milliam and her students have helped immensely with all the uniforms we have handed out, but still have found time to make beautiful outfits for themselves with material that was donated.
The soap women have opened their shop and are preparing to make a new white soap that we haven't tried before. It takes different materials than our original blue soap so they need a few more sales to have the funds to purchase the new ingredients.
The office/medical clinic is complete and accepting patients on a daily basis. There is rarely a burn these days.
The 50 US$ stoves Evaliste built with donor funds have made a big difference for the families with many children.
Sewing Class, January 2008
Injuries depend on the season, far more machete wounds during harvest and more shovel and hoe wounds during planting. Zawadi, one of our five year old girls, put a corn niblet in her ear. With your funds we paid to have her taken to Kigali hospital for surgery. A four year old, was knocked by a car on her way home from school. A three year old boy, Oliver, hurt his eye and needed surgery in Butare. Because of the funding we receive we were able to have the best medical treatment available, all children are healthy and back at school.
We were able to purchase more cups for the children's morning sorghum. We had been using the same 50 cups for all children (without washing them between uses), now each child has their own cup which has noticeably cut down on coughs and colds being passed around.
New Kitchen, April 2010
The kitchen is near completion. We had a problem with the contractor we hired to build the stove/oven. He was introduced as the best in North Province, but after he cemented one of the ovens upside down we let him go. He hired a lawyer and sued us for wages, which he did not win, but it held us up. We had to leave it how it was so each official could see the mistakes he had made before they could make their final decision. With that behind us we have finished the stove/oven and are using it on a daily basis. We have a baker coming during our 1st term break to teach us how to make bread. We will hire 5 local Mamas to bake bread for our students each day as well as extra bread that may be sold in the area as an income generating project for the women.
There are 60 street children in primary school, and 20 in Catch-up school, each one has received a new uniform and all school supplies, plus we meet each Saturday morning for a game of football followed by bread and sorghum. Each child takes home a bar of soap so they can be clean for school.
The Foster Mums Who Have Adopted 5 Orphan Children, April 2010
Our 5 abandoned babies that have been adopted into families continue to visit us each Monday. We supply the Mamas with soap and money each week to help support their families but have wanted them to be more self sufficient. Each Mama has been given 50 US$ with which to start up a small business. One Mama has purchased clothing and now has a small section at market where she sells her wares. 2 have joined together and sell a variety of vegetables and fruits, Mama Ange is selling beans and Mama Mugesha has purchased plastic basins and pails that she sells at market. The women are all very excited about this new venture and making the most of this very special hand up.
This is our first year to sponsor a university student; Jean Baptiste is enrolled at INES in sciences, his goal is to become a doctor. We have 23 of the brightest students attending various secondary schools throughout the country and one primary student, Bongwe; he is at Wisdom Primary here in Musanze.
Marcus Reeves and Students, April 2010
We have placed 33 goats and 20 care packages into families so far this year for a total of 1200 goats into vulnerable families since this project began.
Care packages are valued by the families that are not able to care for a goat. We had one little old Mama, who's name we had received from the local government, come for her goat. When she saw the care packages (blanket, cooking pot, soap, salt, sugar, rice, cooking oil and towel) she immediately wanted to trade her goat. She had to wait while Teste drove into town to buy everything for her, but when she left she had a huge grin on her face. For more information see Goats.
We have purchased land across the street from our preschool. The 2 acres is the future site of our primary school.
We have purchased the land with the intention to keep purchasing until we have a 4 acre plot that has access from the main paved road as well as our back road. For more information see Building.
The Purchased Land, April 2010
If the first three months are any indicator of what this year will bring it is going to be an exciting year full of growth. Our goat for 2010 is to achieve Canadian registration for charitable status with 2011 as our target year to begin construction of our primary school. We are being encouraged by the government to proceed with the primary school. It is widely acknowledged, throughout our district, that the education our preschoolers receive is 2nd to none. We are thinking of finishing the barn as a classroom for primary 1 students, for 2011. We have 70 five year olds attending classes that will enter primary 1 in January 2011, to have the facilities to keep them with us and continue with the level of education they are receiving will be a great benefit for the children.
None of these projects would be in existence if not for you. The supplies, funds and love you send keeps the children educated, healthy, happy and alive!
We are better for knowing you. Love and hugs Cathy and the community.
