Two new initiatives from our partners in Rwanda
In December we were able to complete new latrines and install water tanks at Mubera Primary School, Bugarama, Rwanda thanks to funding from the Rotary Club of Jersey. We are now starting on Phase Three of our Ubumwe (Unity) partnership with schools in Bugarama. This will include five new classrooms at Bugarama Cité, a security wall at Kibangira, a new latrine block at Gombaniro and three new Girls Hygiene Rooms, thanks to funding from Jersey Overseas Aid.
There are also two new initiatives this year from our partners which we hope to support.
Provision for disabled children
Last year we were able to bring Father Emmanuel, headteacher at GS St Paul Muko, over to Jersey along with two other headteachers so that they could learn about schools here. Father Emmanuel was particularly impressed by the inclusion programme and was determined to do something for disabled children in his school when he returned.
Disabled children are usually hidden away, kept at home because there is no provision for them in large classrooms with 60 – 80 children. Father Emmanuel has now registered 84 children and found premises and teachers for them (see picture above).
His budget for an initial six months comes to £4,700. He has managed to raise £1,500 so far and we have managed to match that sum. So he needs another £1,700 to establish the scheme for the first six months.
Pig Rearing to tackle the root causes of school dropouts
Over the past two years Father Emmanuel has developed a programme to bring 353 school dropouts back into education by offering them meals at school twice a day, every day of the week, including holidays. We have been able to help with contributions to the costs.
Now Jean Damascene, senior teacher at GS St Paul Muko, has come up with a scheme to tackle the root causes of children dropping out of school, namely household poverty, which means families can’t afford basic school materials and uniform.
The focus of the initiative will be on optimizing the use of the families’ available land through sustainable pig farming and backyard gardening. Through his project, selected families will receive pigs and training designed to maximize their land’s potential, teaching effective methods for crop cultivation and pig rearing. This approach will enable them to generate a sustainable income and improve their quality of life using their existing resources, with an emphasis on livestock management and organic gardening techniques.
The total cost of the scheme comes to £21,000. We have obtained a grant of £8,000 from Jersey Overseas Aid and are looking for contributions towards the rest.
Conflict in DRC
The current conflict across the border from our projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo puts doubt on our plans for visiting Bugarama this year. The M23, a rebel force, has taken over territory all along the border with Rwanda, from Goma in the north down to Bukavu and further south to the Burundi border and Lake Tanganyika. Life in Bugarama is unaffected and the border remains open for trade and for those who farm on the other side. However, UK Foreign Office advice is against all but essential travel for the time being.
We are optimistic that a ceasefire will be agreed and international negotiations started to resolve the conflict but for the time being we will have to wait and follow developments.