Helping Rwandan Children out of Poverty

Our partners in Rwanda continue to be locked down due to the coronavirus. The Rusizi District has been particularly badly hit with a high number of positive cases. Transport in and out of the district is prohibited and schools throughout the country remain closed indefinitely.

Despite the restrictions we have been able to continue with our projects at the schools in Bugarama through the leadership of our local project manager, Djuma Nsengiyumva. Our major project at Muko Groupe Scolaire, the construction of six new classrooms over existing buildings (see photo), is all but complete and waiting for the return of students to take up their senior studies in this new block.

We have also continued to support our sponsored students. Those at university are following online courses benefiting from the laptops we were able to supply. Moses, shown with cattle, is finishing five years study to become a veterinary surgeon.

The Rwandan government is working hard to develop educational opportunities for its ever-increasing population and are now working in partnership with the World bank to build three new primary schools in Bugarama. This has meant that we have been able to review our projects for this year and Jersey Overseas Aid have allowed us to divert funds to alternative projects. So, we have been able to construct 12 handwash stations (see photo) at six schools to improve hygiene facilities in the face of Covid. At Kibangira we have been able to demolish and replace the two original old classrooms which served as the foundation for this school 25 years ago.

Most of our fundraising activities have been suspended this year due to Covid but we are now in the final arrangements for our annual sponsored walk which takes us across the rugged north coast of Jersey, a distance of 19 miles. We are up to 400 registered walkers with more joining up every day before the weekend of the walk. This is double the numbers we usually have and shows how people have missed these challenges over the past few months. We are operating a staggered start with groups of 40 setting off at set times. This will enable us to undertake another renovation project at Kibangira, albeit we won’t be able to be there ourselves this year to take part.

Rwanda went into lockdown early on and has suffered relatively little health impact from the coronavirus epidemic with just 280 confirmed cases and zero fatalities to date (12th May). However, the impact on communities such as Bugarama in the far south west corner of the country has been harsh.

Here many people depend on casual work which has dried up or on what they produce for themselves in the fields. Many have plots or jobs across the border in DRC and have been prevented from accessing them. Food has been scarce and prices increasing.

Our friends at Muko school made a collection amongst the teachers to assist some of the most vulnerable families with food distribution and we have done what we can to support them, identifying £3,000 from our project funds which we have been able to send them.

We have also enthusiastically participated in the 2.6 Challenge, which has tried to replicate the funds raised every year by the London Marathon and so far we have raised a further £3,200 which we are sending for food aid. We did this by walking, running, rowing and keeping silent. Joel joined in in Rwanda and ran 26 miles between his house and the Burundi border.

Our construction work at Muko had to be halted for a month due to the lockdown but work has resumed, albeit with a limited workforce. We expect delays and some price increases in building materials but we are hopeful that the new classrooms will be ready when the school reopens in September.

Sadly, our planned project visit in November will not be possible due to ongoing travel restrictions but we are optimistic about returning next year to celebrate the completion of the long awaited classrooms.