In the World

Educate Rwanda: Partnership & Progress

Fifteen years ago genocide in Rwanda left many children orphaned, infected with HIV, raped, and traumatized by horrific brutality. Over the next decade the violence continued and, because of the horrible state of affairs, education became a distant dream to most Rwandan children.

Today, Rwanda has a population of 8 to 10 million people with an estimated 4 million under the age of 18. While the Rwandan genocide seems so long ago, it has left an unimaginable gap in the educational system. In Rwanda, over 400,000 children are not in school and many of these children are instead forced into labor fields, prostitution, exploitation, human trafficking or slavery. As the next generation of Rwanda grows up with the consequences, the Rwandan society continues in extreme poverty and a struggle to survive.

 

Educate Rwanda

Educate Rwanda exists in order to assist in meeting the educational and physical needs in Rwanda in order to build leaders for tomorrow. This non-profit organization was founded by a group of people in Maple Grove, Minnesota who desire to make a difference in Eastern Africa.

 

Partnership & Progess

Educate Rwanda strives to maintain meaningful and mutual partnerships in Rwanda in order to encourage and continue progress and prosperity. For two years they have had the privilege to partner with hardworking and trustworthy leaders based in the villages of Remera and Kigufi. Because of these partnerships Educate Rwanda has risen over $18,000 from private donors, and this has funded and completed two large roofs for educational buildings, educational materials, and necessary supplies to re-stock a medical clinic.

 

Vision Trip 2009

In February 2009, an Educate Rwanda visionary team visited College de l'Unité (College of Unity), a private secondary boarding school in Kigufi, Rwanda. This team was sent in order to strengthen established relationships, evaluate the educational conditions and assess what could be done to help the students. For the past 12 years College de l'Unité has served southeast Rwanda with well-built classrooms and dedicated, certified teachers. This established school has classroom space that can be used to educate at least 300 students if proper living facilities are improved. These facilities are desperately needed as they will provide a safe and encouraging learning environment to a region that would otherwise have no secondary schools and has few high school educational opportunities.

The current living facilities at College de l'Unité are in desperate need of improvement. The present sleeping conditions are inadequate and degrading for both male and female students. For example, over 40 girls are sleeping in a ten-foot square bedroom, three girls to one twin bed and the floor is used for overflow. Because these living facilities do not meet current government standards the school is in jeopardy of being closed. Rwanda’s Ministry of Education has stopped enrollment for a new first year class, turning away up to 100 potential students, and without proper facilities the government will close the entire school by early 2010.  

The current initiative of Educate Rwanda is to raise $100,000 for College de l'Unité. This will provide $70,000 for the dormitory facilities and $30,000 for the kitchen and dining facilities. Since building plans already exist, these costs include building materials and payment for labor provided by the Rwandans. Construction of new dorms will give the school accreditation by the government. This accreditation will allow the school to offer more specialized elective courses such as computer science and economics as well as HIV/AIDS and health education. 

In addition to this funding, an additional $22,000 raised would go to purchase a portable Hydraform® brick making machine, which would be used by locals to make bricks for the school and other building projects as needed. Together with education, the Hydraform® machine will bring needed economic development to the community.

The Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, is paving the way for Rwandans to have the educational resources that many Americans have. His goal is education for everyone in Rwanda. Our goal is to help the students at College de l'Unité have that opportunity. With our partnership, these Rwandan children will have enriched, educational opportunities, and the ability to progress and overcome the atrocities of the genocide, becoming a healthier and more prosperous nation.

Educate Rwanda believes there is a great window of opportunity to serve in Rwanda. The Rwandan people desire to be educated in order to create a brighter future for themselves and for their country. Our ultimate objective is to increase the quality and accessibility of education amongst Rwandans. In order to accomplish this, we are in the process of creating future funding partners and would ask for your participation in our immediate goal of $122,000 for the construction of this much needed student dormitory and brick-making equipment. 

 

For more information regarding Educate Rwanda please contact:

Enid Mason / enid@masonins.com or Amy Hendel / amy@hendelhomes.com 

 

Please consider contributing to Educate Rwanda.

All donations are tax-deductible and can be made to:

Educate Rwanda – MGEFC
8585 Rice Lake Road
Maple Grove, MN 55369

Checks payable to MGEFC (memo: Educate Rwanda)
To donate online please go to www.educate-rwanda.org and click on "Donate Today".