Build a preschool for 100 Batwa Children.

Abahuza co-operative is leading people in learning how to compost their food scraps. They came together to harvest their gigantic compost pile. Then the rich compost was added to the fields because people have learned how fertilizer enhances crop growth.

As they worked, the leaders helped discuss with parents the benefits of supporting their children to attend class regularly: food for growing young minds to accompany food for growing new plants!

The dry season is here, and the water supply is low. Yet, there is good news, because a new water tank was installed during the wet season and filled with rainwater. Now the income from selling water can help support the families and their students, too!

Look at your hand: PSA has adopted a quick and easy deffinition of What Pygmy Survival Alliance does. We have five basic categories of what we are working on to help the people in Cyaruzinge, Masoro, and the recently added community of Kinyana which is home to the friends and relatives of the Pygmies of Cyaruzinge and Masoro.

Over the years, the building of the preschool has become a central focus; at present we have 156 students ages 3 to 6 attending classes five days a week where they learn some French, and some English.  Porridge is served daily to all the children and it is also delivered to the ill and the elderly who are not able to care for themselves. Food security is job #1, and the porridge program ensures that this job is a complete success. 

The happy students sing, they write, and they read. A library of a few hundred books is available for the children to check out in the same way as libraries around the world keep track of their books.  The blocks are especially popular with the young boys who build and re-build their towers and walls and then return to next day to build again. 

The Preschool building is the heart of the community. This past year, the use of the building has been used even more as a teaching center.  Evening and weekend classes have doubled, HDI has come in and taught many Health and Reproductive Education classes for teens and adults, including topics on  Sanitation, Woman's health and Protection from Sexually transmitted infections.

Maintainance of the building has taken precidence: patching the floor, fixing the gutters outside and adding a water tank to collect rainwater from the roof.  Still, more repairs are needed: the window sills need fixing, and walls need painting.  Thank you for your continued support for this uplifting educational facility that serves children, youth and adults.

• Handsfull of Help (PDF)