Village Reports
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Core Values
Alain Munyaburanga
VillagePhilosophy, Education and TrainingThe letter below was written to the staff at ASYV by Alain Munyaburanga who is responsible for Education and Training. Alain has been with ASYV since the construction phase of the village.
Many times we wonder if what we do in Agahozo-Shalom, with the kids, will have a lasting impact. Many times a kid or a family in Agahozo-Shalom does something that shows us that what we do does matter; more than we know or can witness.
We just finished one of those activities that proves to me what we do is paramount in the lives of the majority of our kids. Today was the voting day for Mister and Miss Core Value for each grade. During Thursday family time, we started with a discussion on core values. The kids discussed what the core values are and why they are important in their lives.
During Friday village time, a presentation was given to everyone in the village on the 7 core values of Agahozo-Shalom. Above and beyond good grades, having values is more important. Having values are what will allow you to have a job and keep it, to have a friend and keep her/him, to be respected in the community you live in and so on.
On Sunday every family elected their Mister or Miss Core Value based on how she/he lived with the other kids. Today each grade elected one Mister and Miss Core Value among those that had been selected in their respective families. The kids who were elected are those kids who really live the 7 core values.
The event had a dual purpose. The first purpose was to remind the kids of our core values and to acknowledge those live them every day. The second purpose was to educate the kids on the election process. In a country that has only voted democratically twice in its existence, there is a need for educating its citizens why you vote for a particular candidate or person.
It was a wonderful event. The group I was in, Urumuli grade, one kid asked the 8 candidates to identify the 7 ASYV core values and explain the reason the village has them in place. Listening to the candidates answer this question reminded me why we do what we do. One candidate said: “many of us never had a chance to inherit values from our parents. The village is our family and believes it is important for its kids to have values. This is why these values were put in place”.
It has been a month since we welcomed our fourth grade to ASYV. I know that it has been a hard month with people getting back into the day to day life in the village after two months away. But it has been a successful month as well. Many of us were scared of having 500 kids in the village and solving all the issues that come up on a daily basis; but we have done a marvelous job.
I would like to thank you all for what you do on a daily basis at ASYV. If you had any doubts about the impact you have in these kids’ lives, please remember the reason one of them gave above. I wish that we all achieve more with our kids during the month of February than we have achieved in January. Only by constantly improving on what we do, will we build a strong community of nation builders out of our kids in Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village.
Be blessed
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New Innovation for Advanced Programs
By Berthe ABAHUJINKINDIThis year, we launched the advanced programs for Senior Five, beginning with the Professional Skills programs such as modern farming, photography and video editing, electricity and water system, cooking skills, art, traditional art, sewing, recording and guitar. Midway into the program, we began a new form of Tikkun Olam which was previously called Umuganda to be held the last Saturday of each month and is now running parallel with the Clubs for Senior Five kids.
Professional Skills
The kids of Senior Five began the year with the Professional Skills program which is advanced in nature as compared to the Enrichment Programs that are taught in Senior Four and Enrichment Year. These professional skills possess varying degrees of difficulty; the major issue was the lack of didactic materials and until now we continue to struggle with this issue. But overall, the kids enjoy these programs so much that they display their level of commitment, motivation and knowledge which is very important for their adult life after they leave the ASYV.Clubs
In June, the kids from Urumuri grade began participation in six new clubs. These clubs were created specifically for the Senior Five kids and each family has delegated four kids in two of the existing clubs. These students are delegated in order to help their younger brothers and sisters improve the quality activities performed in the clubs and to promote the leadership spirit among them. Clubs include the Tutoring club, Languages Development club, Centers Management club, Guest and Tourism club, IT club and Sport club. Senior Five’s club activities has brought new blood, new ideas, and innovation in the ASYV way of life.Tikkun Olam…A New Approach
The year of 2011 gave birth to a new change in Umuganda activities that were normally held the last Saturday of each month in a location where the students regularly worked with local residents. Last year’s plan, was designed to have the kids from Senior Five teach Tikkun Olam at Rwamagana in order to spread spirit of Tikkun Olam everywhere. After a period of discussions, the village staff offered another suggestion; instead of going to Rwamagana, the students can do advanced Tikkun Olam in the areas that are closest to home. This idea of combining Umuganda and the Tikkun Olam is mainly due to the village’s economic condition
resulting in the need for Senior Five to teach the Tikkun Olam in three different sectors. We took eighteen (18) students and divided them into two shifts to teach an illiterate population from the Rubona sector. One shift is staffed with nine kids from three learning sites, Karambi cell, Rugarama and Rubona center. Each learning site has six kids rotating in two shifts. A second group of eighty-four (84) kids teach in two primary schools; forty-two kids teach at Bicumbi primary school and forty-two kids at the Byinza primary school. The students rotate their shifts in a small group of twenty-one kids. The third group of twenty (20) kids teach technology skills to the Rubona secondary school students. They also alternate into two shifts of ten (10) students and once a month, every student from the Urumuri grade does Tikkun Olam including Umuganda. This group totals 158 in S3, but they would never have received the opportunity without our students giving them that chance. -
The Village Times: Volume 2, Issue 1
Click here to read the latest newsletter!
Articles include:
“Women’s Corner”
“The Birds”
“Are they looking at the stars? Or becoming stars?”
and
Artists’ Corner
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Solar Lights at ASYV
by Amy Price
The village is installing solar powered lights! The most exciting part is that it’s generating lots of questions. As you know, my 2 favorite things to do are hanging out with my kids and spending time on the farm with the farm workers. I was working in the
amashaza (my new favorite Kinyarwanda word which is peas) with 5 of the farm workers. They just installed one of the solar lights at the farm. As we were working, they asked many questions. They were asking if the light cost money. I explained that it is a onetime cost for the light but it doesn’t cost anything to run it. I explained to them how solar power works (thanks to my job at Teva!) and the power of the sun. I told them that the sun doesn’t ask us for any money and they thought it was funny. They asked if also use them in the United States. I explained about many of the technologies that are being used as alternatives to power plants. I talked about solar, hydroelectric, and windmills. The conversation turned to many other things. They had so many questions and were very interested to learn about these things. I told them about cars that are powered by vegetable oil. I told them that I have friends that go to restaurants, take the used oil from making french fries, and then turn it into something that can be used for fuel. It’s amazing how installing one light led to some many questions and such a great conversation. I think this is one of the best ways to learn by experiencing and then asking questions. Goooooo…SUN!!!! -
The Village Times: Volume 1, Issue 2
Click here to read the second issue of The Village Times.
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News from the Farm
By UWASE Justin
We are very happy in the village because our farm has a new baby calf! The baby is small with brown skin. It is very young now, but after a few years it will be very important in our village. It will give us milk and money if we ever need to sell it. We want our farm to be organic and we feed the cow natural foods so that it is healthy. In Rwanda, according to our culture, cows are important in our life. If you want to marry, you must buy a cow to give to your girlfriend’s parents. I am not ready to get married now, so we can let the new baby grow up!
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News from the Liquidnet Family High School
The students enter the Liquidnet Family High School in Agahozo-Shalom having completed a middle school education (Senior level 3). We then we provide a year of “enrichment” or catch-up so they can be successful as high school freshmen (Senior 4). In Senior High school in Rwanda, the students choose studies of emphasis called their “combination”. Right now our Enrichment year students are choosing their academic combinations for their next 3 years of study. Two of our students share the combinations they chose and how these studies will bring them closer to reaching their life goals:
Choosing My Combination
By UWAMAHORO Marie LouiseI chose the combination H.E.G. of History, Economics, and Geography. I like to know history because I am interested in the past and the actions and progress of humans. Geography is a topic I find very hard, and I must study to succeed. I think it is important to know the physical and chemical features of our country and our continent and also our whole world. Economics is very interesting in my life because I need to study how I can be a future entrepreneur. Economics is my favorite subject in my combination, because it will really help me in the future. I am preparing to be a business woman. I need to work very hard and not expect other people to work for me. I have to create my own opportunities. When I have success I will be able to help other children in the world, even my kids in University. I will be able to create big projects with my knowledge of Economics.
Changing Our Country With Law or Engineering
By NGANIZI AugustinFor me, I chose P.C.B., the combination of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. I want to be a scientist in Biology because I understand very well the sciences. In my future I need to be a good man who can help men who are poor and orphans. I want to be an engineer in water and electricity. In University I want to study pure physics. In my future I also know it is important to know the history of the past and so I would also study H.E.G. as my second choice. If I study H.E.G. I can become a lawyer and make a positive change in my country.
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- UWAMAHORO Marie Louise
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- NGANIZI Augustin
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House Naming Ceremony
By TUYIZERE Elyse
In Agahozo-Shalom we had a naming ceremony for our families. We did
the research to find heros in history. We learned about many people
and made our family decisions. Before the house naming ceremony we had
families 1,2,3… until 8. But now every house has a name. For example,
Family 8 is now Abraham Lincoln Family. Abraham Lincoln is a great
American President who did not want Africans to be in slavery in
America. Our naming ceremony was very nice for all the members of
Agahozo-Shalom, especially the kids of the grade we call “Imbutu”, or
fruits. We are the younger grade. I like that our families are named
for heros because it means we must live up to their example.Family 1 is now Leopold Sedar Senghor Family
Family 2 is now Madame C.J. Walker Family
Family 3 is now Joan of Arc Family
Family 4 is now John F. Kennedy Family
Family 5 is now Leonardo da Vinchi Family
Family 6 is now David Ben-Gurion Family
Family 7 is now Patrice Lumumba Family
Family 8 is now Abraham Lincoln Family-
- TUYIZERE Elyse
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- Making House Signs
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- Creating House Signs
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Agahozo-Shalom is Growing
Over the last 3 years, ASYV’s buildings have acted as dual purpose. For example, some of the houses have been used for staff housing and offices. This December, we will have another 125 kids into the village. This means we now will have 3 classes which total 375 kids, nearing our goal of 500. This also means we are also adding additional staff; housemothers, counselors, etc. to support our new kids. We now need those “office and staff buildings” for our kids.
A generous donor has made it possible for us to build an administration and clinic building so that we can ready the houses for our new kids. These new buildings will also ready the village for next years kids.
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Liquidnet in Rwanda
Several employees of Liquidnet Holdings Inc (www.liquidnet.com) have traveled to Rwanda to spend time at Agahozo-Shalom Youth village and to lend their professional expertise.
You can read about their experiences at http://liquidnetinrwanda.blogspot.com/
