Improve Education for 400 Children on Idjwi Island

The students at l'Ecole Buhumba are excited for 2016!

We are finalizing plans are raising funds to complete construction of the primary school in Buhumba Village this summer! We have obtained detailed plans, a final budget, and the construction schedule from our contractor.  As with the construction of the stone foundation for the school last year, we plan to hire local workers and source local supplies, while bringing additional supplies by boat from Goma.  Weather permitting, the construction should take about 3-4 months.    

If we can raise $15,000 in the next three months, we will be able to complete construction of the new classrooms for the school before the fall term begins in September.  If we can raise $35,000, we can complete the entire compound, including the administrative building and latrines. We can only finish the school if we raise the additional funds that are needed for construction.  We will be launching a new fundraising campaign in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, we are busy improving our ongoing programs at the school, including the Bustani sustainable garden project. We are consulting with medical professionals to design a public health program for the school, which we anticipate launching later this year.

As always, these programs are only possible through the generous contributions of our supporters.  We greatly appreciate the support from hundreds of individual donors, along with foundations and corporations that have supported our programs.    

Thank you for all that you have done to help the students at l'Ecole Buhumba!

We brought a doctor to Idjwi to meet the kids! This was a really big deal, because most of the kids in Buhumba Village have never seen a doctor, and their health is generally poor. Many kids have repeated cases of malaria, intestinal worms or other conditions that make them feel sick. Sick kids can't get to school, but more often can't perform well because they don't realize that they are sick. As we are trying to improve all aspects of their education, I was delighted that we could bring Dr. Sparrow as a special addition to our summer camp trip in August, and she was welcomed warmly by the kids and the whole community. 

Dr. Annie Sparrow is an extraordinary lady who is also a pediatrician and global health specialist who has treated children in Somalia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and many other countries. She came to Buhumba to see the kids and to evaluate their general health. Dr. Sparrow performed some basic tests to identify cases of neglected tropical diseases.  She brought some medicines that could help kids right away, such as treatment to remove intestinal worms. She came mostly to observe, and left with an intense desire to make a difference, to come back herself, and to help us to create a more permanent program to improve their future.

The Fund is currently working with Dr. Sparrow and other public health professionals to design and implement a program to provide much-needed primary and preventive health care for the children of Buhumba Village. Dr. Sparrow's initial visit was a very important first step. 

We appreciate your continued support that allows us to provide this type of program for the kids on Idjwi.  We will be excited to keep all of our friends and supporters updated about our efforts to improve their overall well being .