Helping Rwandan Children out of Poverty

Back in May, a team of ten Jersey teachers spent their May half-term holiday pairing up with teachers in three Bugarama schools. This is the second visit – part of a developing partnership between Jersey and Bugarama schools benefiting both the Jersey volunteers and the Rwandan teachers who are gaining confidence in English and developing teaching methodology.

The difference from last year’s pilot visit was that the visit took place in the middle of the Rwandan school term so that the Jersey volunteers were involved in the normal curriculum and the Rwandan teachers were taking their usual classes.

Jersey teachers

Jersey teachers defined success as sharing good practice and 100% felt they had achieved this. In their feedback they described authentic and significant descriptions of personal growth, professional development and cultural awareness. 100% felt extremely positive about the project and described life-changing experiences.

Initially, they had assumed that the majority of growth would be on the part of the Rwandan teachers but their reflection was that they had learnt significantly themselves and had brought many skills back to Jersey. Interestingly, the Jersey teachers had not considered the impact of the project on the Rwandan students prior to the project but following the visit they identified the lasting and significant impact on learners that they had observed.

Comments from those participating in the partnership

I learnt the importance of knowing the learner well, to know their level of understanding to be able to adapt the situation for the leaner that we not able to catch-up. Benjamin – Rwandan Teacher

Our teacher tells us to be confident and speak, speak, speak… Rwandan Student

I think there is a new change because me and my fellow teachers try to put into practice all we learned. Vincent – Rwandan Teacher

People will think that even teachers from Rwanda can have a relationship with teachers from Jersey and it will improve their confidence, students also. Kalisey – Parent

I feel invested in creating a shift in education practices and my partner teacher feels this too. I truly believe we have a lot to learn from each other. - Jersey Teacher

Rwandan teachers

The Rwandan teachers expressed high expectations which they felt had been met by their experience. Increasing proficiency in English had been their main priority prior to the project. Afterwards, they reflected that actually their main growth area had been in teaching methodology alongside language development.

The Rwandan teachers described specific aspects of teaching strategies that they had supported their Jersey partner to improve. Examples of included class management of large numbers of learners and setting high expectations of students’ verbal responses.

All Rwandan teachers evaluated themselves as developing their practice significantly more than they had expected. In particular, 90% felt that they had grown in confidence and 100% felt that their teaching knowledge had improved.

The next stage in this partnership will see another group of ten Jersey teachers arriving at the end of July to run a summer school for street children at GS St paul Muko. We’ll report on this visit next time

Hands Around the World regards volunteering as a key element in what we do. Over several years HATWJ has taken numerous volunteers to Rwanda and given them the opportunity to play an active part in our projects in Bugarama. We see this as an important element in our partnership with schools there, which is more than just handing over money for projects.

We have tremendous support from Jersey Overseas Aid and this has enabled us to fund major construction works at our partner schools. This year we are adding a second floor of five classrooms to the block built last year at Bugarama Cité. We are renovating dilapidated classrooms and building an extension to the school kitchen at Ryankana Primary School. At Kibangira we are putting up a much needed security wall. All these works are carried out under the supervision of Djuma Nsengiyumva, our project manager, through local building firms under contract.

Volunteers from abroad are not required for the construction work – and frankly we don’t have the skills. So how do our volunteers get involved?

Each year we tackle a set of classrooms which need patching up and painting. This kind of small maintenance work is often neglected by the schools through lack of finance. We believe that all students deserve decent conditions in which to study and learn. We’ve found over the years that the schools are taking more care of the state of the buildings and a pride in their appearance.

Last year we tackled 12 classrooms at Bugarama Cité and will be doing the same this year. After next year’s project we will have gone through the whole school.

Five volunteers from Jersey will be heading back to Bugarama in July/August this year. They will be joined by a group of local volunteers, including some teachers and past students sponsored by HATW. We will be working alongside a team of a dozen or so paid local workers.

Narendra, a new volunteer this year, explained that he is looking forward to the experience of getting to know local people in Bugarama: ‘I want to make a difference in the lives of children by helping them to study in better conditions and succeed in life. I can contribute by doing physical tasks like painting as well as engaging with children and the local community.

Another HATWJ volunteer is Joel Kwizera, a teacher in one of the partner schools in Bugarama. Joel was sponsored as a student and through teacher training. Each year he joins in with the volunteer painting team. Joel says: Hands Around The World has helped me make a success of my life. They are my great friends and I love giving something back however I can.

Mike Haden, chairman and team leader said: The welcome from the many friends we have made in Bugarama during previous visits is warm and sincere. Since our first visit in 2010 we have seen the schools making significant strides in providing access to basic education for all children, while facing the challenge of inadequate and congested classrooms. We have seen enormous improvements and are proud that, with the support of Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA), we have been a part of that progress.

With our local project manager, we have been able to complete several construction projects in schools in Bugarama, including new classrooms, toilets, kitchens and security walls.

On top of this, volunteers can make a real contribution to improving conditions. They will get a great welcome and make lasting friendships.

Our experience of volunteering in a developing country has taught us many lessons – we don’t believe that we can we solve problems without adequate experience of the local situation. Volunteers need to understand local aspirations, listen and encourage local initiatives.

Anyone interested in volunteering in Bugarama with us should contact Mike at hatwjersey@gmail.com