Founder Blogs
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Fall, a Welcomed Season of Pride at the Village
By Anne Heyman, Founder ASYV
It is October again, and that means the end of another school year at Agahozo-Shalom. As usual at this time of year the management team from New York meets with the management of the Village to review the past year, examine where we are and look at what needs to happen for us to move forward next year. We are fortunate enough to be joined once again by an amazing team of volunteers from Liquidnet Holdings, Inc. who not only help facilitate our meetings but also will also work with their counterparts in Village to strengthen the skills and practices in the various departments. Today was our first full day of working sessions in the Village, and it was a good one. But the greatest part of the day was, as always, a completely unexpected gift: Today happened to be the day that one of the tikkun olam groups were giving the keys of a house they had built to the poor widow whom they had built it for, and if we wanted to come along for the small ceremony.
We arrived at the widow’s house which, like many homes in Rwanda is down a windy dirt path which passes for a road.
The usual group of little kids arrived as if out of nowhere, gleefully laughing and pointing at the “muzungu”. I always enjoy interacting with these kids, whose joy at the littlest things is really infectious. I felt especially privileged to be here today as I had been lucky enough to be at the Village in July when this group began working on the house, and I had accompanied them on one of their tikkun olam (community service) visits then. I learned from them how to make mud bricks, and as always counted myself lucky to have shared in the experience. The widow was lying on a straw mat beside her current home, if you can call it that, and was clearly not feeling very well. Nevertheless she was very happy with what these amazing kids have done for her, and told us how pleased she was that she would no longer have to feel the rainwater dripping onto her through the banana leaves which pass for a roof. The kids explained to the visitors how they had gone about the process of making the bricks and building the house, which has a door which can lock as well as a tin roof with a rain gutter. They also told us how, after the widow moves into her house they will knock down the little round hut she now calls home and help her plant a vegetable garden, assuring that she will be able to eat in the months ahead. 
I am so proud of these kids, and they should truly be so proud of themselves. What an amazing thing it is to know that as long as you have the desire and you are willing to put some hard work you are truly capable of changing someone’s life.
Tomorrow its back to the “work” of running the village – more meetings, more training sessions, more strategic planning. It is so much easier when you are reminded about the results of your efforts in such an incredible way. We set out to change the lives of children who, through no fault of their own, were facing incredibly bleak futures. We knew that our methodology would help to heal them and open passages for them that they could never contemplate before. But we couldn’t imagine how they would transform the lives of so many others long before they left the village. I want to thank the children of Agahozo-Shalom for taking me on this incredible journey with them. -
Agahozo-Shalom Nature Park
By Anne Heyman, Founder ASYV
Anne Heyman, founder of ASYV, is currently in the village and wrote this blog about her wonderful day at the village:
July 13,2011 Once again I find myself waking up at the crack of dawn – literally – and I lie in bed listening to the wind in the banana trees which sounds like rain but not really, because here in Rwanda it’s the dry season. With rain being highly unlikely, the sun peeking in your windows and all the birds chirping their early morning singing songs….you know it’s just another day in paradise. You may think that is an exaggeration, but if you haven’t been here yet, you cannot even imagine how beautiful it is. And if you are a nature lover….let me tell you about what I did today.
At lunch I was approached by Fidel, the head of the Environment Club, and he asked if it would be possible for some of the students in the environment club to take me on a walk through “the Park” – the newly designated conservation area which visitors to Agahozo-Shalom can now take a guided walk through. I am told that so far over 200 students have worked on or participated in the creation of the nature trail, which is still under construction and in doing so they have all been exposed to the importance of protecting our environment (as well as the fun you can have in doing so!) Starting at the back of the school, where 4 state of the art large greenhouses are sprouting all kinds of plants (it’s been a long time since I tasted such a delicious tomato) we followed the fence line until we saw the sign: Agahozo-Shalom Nature Park. The whole way leading up to the entrance I was learning about why caring for our environment is so important from the 5 members of the Environment Club who undertook to give me my tour! Turning left onto the trail I was shown a one page “map” of some of the plants, trees, birds and wildlife I could possibly encounter. I am pleased to report that were no pictures of lions or baboons on the page; although there was the chance of encountering an Ichneumon Mongoose (who I am told are good because they eat snakes….and we did in fact not encounter any snakes on the path!) Immediately after stepping onto the path we were surrounded by butterflies of all types, and it was explained to me how important they are for pollination. An acacia tree led to a discussion about the different types of acacia trees, and which ones were used traditionally for church gatherings under the shady trees.
Innocent, Paulina, Leonard, Fidel, and Anne-Marie followed in short succession; with a discussion of each types of plant, the Kinyarwanda name, the English name and the scientific name all being provided. Despite the fact that it was 2:30 in the afternoon we were treated to encounters with Speckled Mousebirds, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters, and a Bateleur Eagle, just a few of the over 125 species of birds which have been documented at the village by our resident bird expert and erstwhile volunteer, Jared. (For those of you who are serious bird watchers, we are proud to let you know that Agahozo-Shalom is one of the few places where you can regularly spot Sooty Chats, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters, and Yellow-throated Longclaws).
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Agahozo-Shalom is a village of hope, a village of learning, a village of promise and change. And it is a village filled with delightful surprises: Kids who have amazing voices, traditional poetry written by young people with old soles, wonderful murals painted by our resident artists, homemade potato chips (ok not that often but when we do get them…I have never tasted any potato chips so delicious)….and now there is one more….our very own very special nature preserve…..complete with a guided tour that I guarantee you will never forget.
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A Treat To Be At Agahozo-Shalom by Anne Heyman, Founder
Anne Heyman, ASYV-Founder, is currently visiting the village. The following blog is written by Anne about a day in the village:
Once again I find myself at the Village, where the school year is winding down. The kids are beginning to study for finals which start next week and we have the bitter sweet end of the tenure of one Village Director and the start of another. There is, as always, much work to be done, but then there is the pure job of seeing, being with and interacting with the kids. The highlight of my day today was the “chess final” after dinner. For the last month there has been a chess tournament in the village. First each of the houses had an intra-house tournament, then the houses in each grade played each other, then the final was between the winner in the first grade (the newer kids) and the winner in the second grade (the older kids). I was thrilled that the winner from the first grade was a girl; totally awesome. I am so proud of her. The tournament started at 8:30 and was very well attended – I think almost all of the kids in the Village were there. It was actually quite surreal. On the stage in the dining hall there was a table set with a table cloth, a chess set, two glasses of water and two stop watches. The kids who were playing came to the table, along with their “timers”. As they stepped up to their stools they were cheered like rock stars. (the whole time they were preparing to get started a slide show of the chess games leading up to this final game was being shown to music). There was tremendous energy in the room, and as each player made a move their respective cheering section would hoot and holler. In the end the young man from the second year was triumphant. It was not really a surprise to learn that he had played his first game of chess 6 weeks before. Most of the kids at the village had not seen or played chess before, but many practiced sometimes twice a day, and my understanding is that there are some players who are very very good. These kids never fail to amaze with what they are capable of learning and doing and their motivation is something that really has to be seen to be believed.
Just one of the many reasons that it is always a treat to be at Agahozo-Shalom
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A Day in the Village – Anne Heyman
By: Anne Heyman, Founder
I have been in the Village now for a week and still haven’t written …I think my problem is a wealth of riches – every day there is so much that happens, so much that amazes, astonishes (and occasionally astounds) that it is very difficult to know where to begin. Last week we were honored to have one of our major donors spend some time in the Village and, despite the fact that he has constantly been kept up to date with all the major events, challenges and developments with the project he was “blown away” (if I say so myself) by all that is happening here. Together we spent a fair amount of time with our kids, and he was able to get a real sense of what life in the Village is about.
For one family time we attended a debate on whether DNA (discussion, negotiation and agreement – our way of mediating disputes and correcting mistakes in the Village) is better or worse than straight out punishment. We went to a house of 2nd year kids, who were hands down in favor of DNA and argued eloquently, in English, using many examples of how it was better. Clearly they totally understand and have internalized the concept that a person’s decision to change or correct their own behavior is far more powerful than acting in response to threats or out of fear, which is usually temporary and carries many consequences (including a terrible relationship with those who live and care for you). The second debate we attended was a house of first year kids. Clearly, there were a few who thought that punishment was so much easier, and more likely to make them do what their caretakers wanted in the quickest and easiest (for the caretakers anyway) way. They understood punishment as an effective inducement to get the desired behavior. As the argument got more and more heated, many switched to Kinyarwanda, not having the language versatility to make their points. The difference in attitudes as well as language level was obvious; I think it was also obvious that if we were to have this debate in a year, what we would hear in the second house would be significantly different.
We spent time in the school together, at family time, visiting some of the tikkun olam projects (where our kids are helping others in surrounding communities) and during meetings of various sorts. When he was leaving the donor told me that “this place is amazing….but your materials and your website don’t tell the true story of what is going on here. Somehow you need to convey how different this place is, how miraculous, what a difference it is making in every way. I often think how to describe the feeling of peace that envelopes our village. How it simply lets you “breathe deep”. How do you make tangible the atmosphere of hope, of belief in the future, of positive energy that is so strong it is truly palpable? How do you describe the incredible talents, drive and amazing openness of our children, the warmth with which they embrace every visitor to the village, and the fierceness of their love for and protection of each other? I do need to do a better job of PR; to try to find a way to convey the whole message of whom and what we are. But I think it would be better for you to come here. You can’t believe how easy it is! Just contact us – Rachel@asyv.org!
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Anne and Family Time
Family Time: At lunch today one of the volunteers me that his family, Family 1, would like to extend a special invitation to me to go to family time. I groaned – inwardly and outwardly – yet more meetings that would have to be postponed and I really wanted to get some work done tonight which I have had NO opportunity to do since I am here – so I told him I would let him know. Over dinner I realized that I would have no other night free while in Rwanda, and I felt bad so after dinner I called him and told him I would come. This was about ½ an hour before family time started. I can’t believe I almost missed out on this evening.
[To read more of this article, download the PDF.]
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Anne is in the village
Tuesday April 20, 2010
It is wonderful to be back in the Village again (despite having to traipse around with my broken ankle). The rainy season has made things green and lush and while Rwanda is always beautiful the fresh greenery and the after rain smells, the chirping of the amazing colorful birds and the extraordinary scenery allow you to just breathe deep. While mourning and remembering Philbert have been a big part of this visit (will post something about this at a later date) the amazing stories and experiences just keep coming. This afternoon I spent some time with the Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) Committee. For those of you who don’t know, part of Agahozo-Shalom’s philosophy of repair and healing is that all children living in the village must be engaged in a project in which they do something for others. After reviewing what had been done last term with the Committee (made up of a house mother, grade coordinator, volunteer and 4 counselors) I set out with the committee to visit the various projects that our first year of kids (Senior 4) had been working on.
[To read more of this article, download the PDF.]
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Arrival Day – A message from Anne Heyman
December 21, 2009
By: Anne Heyman, FounderI awoke this morning feeling as though this would be the most wonderful day in the world. The unimaginable was about to happen – year 2 of Agahozo-Shalom begins. Over a cup of coffee this feeling was reaffirmed. I was told that our first child – a girl – had shown up at the gates at 7:00am. She came from a town that was approximately a 3 hours walk away, which meant she had risen with the sun and hit the road the minute there was light. And she came carrying nothing. The feeling was overwhelming when I heard that; it was overwhelming at least a dozen times during the day. The kids seem so young (mostly 16 and 17; a few 15 year olds). I know their stories. I can’t imagine what they have been through.
[To read more of this article, download the PDF.]
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News from ASYV Founder – December 2009
December 11, 2009
By: Anne Heyman, Founder – ASYVHello again from the beautiful hills of the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village. Today was the end of the first week of training for the staff and volunteers at Agahozo-Shalom. It was also the first day of strategic planning meetings for the entire management committee, all of whom are in the village together which is a rare occasion. Other than the staff the village is strangely empty, most of the first class having gone to friends or relatives for the holiday period. It is a bit sad for me not having those laughing smiling faces to greet me everywhere I go. Their singing is really missed, as are the normal sounds of the village – the rhythm of life that has been so wonderfully restored. There are a half dozen kids in the village all of whom had nowhere to go, and they are very busy helping to prepare for the new class of children who will arrive in the village on December 21st. They are so excited to be getting new “brothers and sisters”, and in fact the excitement in the village is building as thoughts turn to the planning sessions for next week, the additional trainings and the final preparation for the big arrival day.
[To read more of this article, download the PDF.]
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House Naming – Socrates
By Anne Heyman, Founder
On Thursday afternoon the Village hung the brand new signs with the newly chosen names of the houses I went to Socrates House where I was asked to hang up the sign on the front door. Hammering nails into cement is not an easy task, but fortunately they (the kids and staff) just wanted to make sure I had done SOMETHING so they urged me to get down after a few hammer hits – they were clearly very concerned I would hurt myself. The men took over, (although it was a girls house); the Deputy Dir. Of Informal education and the Grade coordinator as well as a counselor had come to help so they actually hung the sign after my few little hammer taps. The girls then sang their house song, with Liliane belting out the main part and the others signing along beautifully. Their talent is amazing….the words….well – you will see for yourselves below. This one was written and sung in English, but there are so many songs written in the village in both English and Kinyarwanda which just tug at every heart string – .and they are sung so beautifully. What is really amazing is that you can go into any house and ask them to sing a song and not only will it be written by one of the kids in the house, but all the brothers (or sisters) in the house will know all the words, and often in both languages. I wish I could convey to all what has happened in this village, what miracles take place on a daily basis, and I do not use that word lightly. I have learned that you have to be here to appreciate the magic of the place, but I hope these words will help convey some of the magic of our children.
SOCRATES FAMILY SONG
Chorus: Agahozo shalom (3 times), You are wonderful forever and you are our special home.
1. In Agahozo we have found a good family and our tears have been dried, for sure in Agahozo our dreams will be realized.
2. Our goal is to see far, and for sure we will reach far. To heal the world to heal ourselves with peace and love.
3. Let’s stand up as kids of Agahozo work together and love each other let’s show the world by example all the possibilities when we come together.
Socrates Family
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Success at ASYV
From Anne Heyman, Founder
There are many lessons I learned this week at Agahozo-Shalom, but perhaps one of the most important is how critical it is to take the time to appreciate what we – the Agahozo-Shalom Family, have accomplished. While this family includes many supporters of all types from around the world, I want to take a moment to focus on the staff who spend their lives creating the reality on the ground in Rwanda. Last Tuesday in a village wide staff meeting (the only ones missing were the teachers who were administering the end of year examinations) we did an exercise where we listed all the successes achieved in the short time that Agahozo-Shalom has been in operation. I thought I would share some of those with you. Please keep in mind the extraordinary challenges these people faced this year: moving to live in a village (the vast majority live at Agahozo-Shalom) that operates on a different plane than the world that they are used to; being exposed to foreigners, for many for the first time, living “communally” – the communal dining was difficult for many, having to do a job that you didn’t really understand but had to figure out along the way, with no reference points and which in many ways seem to go against what you had learned previously. I could go on and on. Please read the list below and as you do so think about what these things mean. For example the first one, created a system for the village/procedures that work – I am not sure you can even imagine what it means to come to a place that is barely functioning – no running water, no operating kitchen – nor a completed dining room for that matter – and welcome 125 petrified children to their new homes 10 days later. And yet today the children wake up, go to the dining hall for breakfast, go to school where they are making wonderful progress in learning, they are served a delicious lunch, an enrichment program is in full force after school, they get another nutritious and delicious meal (3 meals a day is something new for most of those who live at Agahozo-Shalom), they have family time every day, and an incredible staff who nurture and watch over them with a passion that I can’t even explain. Please think about each of the successes listed below, and enjoy:
SUCCESSES
ASYV Success
• Created a system for village/ procedures make it work
• Village is real/tangible
• Kids are speaking English
• Security/safety/wellness (fantastic!)
• Kids have become comfortable here
• Kids and staff have understanding and are doing
• Time management with kids being achieved
• Eating together in dining hall
• Kids: this is home & family (not boarding school)
• No labels/ all equal/ respect
• Girls are motivated in sports/ confident
• ASYV is better than other families (THE BEST!!!)
• Kids are healthy & we have a doctor to help them
• What was a job has turned into a mission!
• Kids are open to sharing
• Relationships have improved greatly (internal/external)
• Kids help out when they go home
• Personal growth
• Village is always open
• Teenagers that are well behaved
• ASYV culture
• Professionalism
• Live with all cultures
• Growth opportunity
• Kids motivated- enrichment
• Internet
• village looks beautiful
• Learning complimentary life skills
• Life in village is dynamic- see good in future
• Commitment of all
• 3 meals/day for all- healthy/ no hunger SUCCESS
• Togetherness & respect
• Farming at ASYV
• Water! Kitchen is working
• Implemented philosophy & unity
• Staff are treating equally
• Kids are discovering hidden talents
• Leadership & responsibility
• Adapting & changing
• Ability to manage kids from different backgrounds
• Kids feel like part of a family
• Finished catch up program with no problemsWe took a moment to end our session by indulging in some of the things we are excited about for next year: eating fruit from our farm, the amphitheatre, new kids/new staff, the knowledge that with experience we will all do better, we will communicate better, tikkun olam, our community service program, will go into full effect. Looking at where they started this year and where they wound up all are excited and energized by the possibilities for the new year. (In case the reader isn’t aware school in Rwanda finishes for the year at the end of October and resumes in January. While kids will still be in the village during this time, many will use the time to visit their friends and family members and even while in the village life will have a more relaxed rhythm as the kids are on “vacation”.
