In 2008 the Rwandan government made English the official language, and mandated that it was to be the primary language taught in all schools across the country. In accordance, Agahozo-Shalom is working on all fronts to make our students fluent English speakers, and equip them with the necessary tools to become future leaders within the global market. However, on the same note, we also understand the importance of ensuring that our kids have a firm grasp of their mother language, Kinyarwanda, as well as the formal official language, French.

One of the primary aspects of mastering a language is through reading. Here in the village we understand and are working to teach our students the connection between language comprehension and reading. It was in this vein that the village rallied behind Kalisa Eddy Jr, a Rwandan Enrichment year counselor, and Kasandra Antoine, a long-term volunteer from Connecticut and EFL coordinator, as they worked to relocate the library from the Science Center to one of the new club houses, and then to transform the space into a cheerful and comfortable space for our students to check out and read books, as well as study. Students from the Young Judea Year Course program assisted Kassandra and Eddy in organizing the multitude of book donations. Currently the library is divided into sections: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced and Resource Books. Within each section the books are alphabetized so that students can easily find books.

At the entrance of the library there is a mural with apple trees that will post suggested books to read. Each week different students and staff will contribute suggestions for the wall. Inside the library there will be motivational quotes. The library will act as a strong resource for students of the Village. Over this first term break, our enrichment year students were all assigned books in English and French to check out from the library, take home, read and then write a summary, which they would then submit to their respective teachers at school.

In an additional effort to promote language development within the village, the entire village took part in a Reading Day on February 21st. The events of this day were planned and coordinated by the Language and Development Club, a club that leads different initiatives of language development in the Village. The purpose of Reading Day was to highlight the importance of learning English, and preserving the Kinyarwanda and French languages. Jean de Dieu, who at that time was the Senior 4 Grade Coordinator and well one of the Language and Development Club staff advisors, stated that Reading Day “encourages kids to read, get into the habit of reading, and get inspired by reading.

The main event was led by two Senior 5 students, Jacqline and Fuliha, and entailed various students sharing presentations on books they have read or reciting Rwandan proverbs. One of the highlights of the event was when Jennifer Bellisario, a long-term volunteer from New York and the music instructor in the Village, read a proverb in Kinyarwanda.

On March 20th, our English as a Foreign Language coordinator and long-term volunteer put on an English Quiz Night for our enrichment year students. The quiz night not only provided a fun and approachable means of promoting English, but also allowed the students to prepare one last time before the end of term English exam they would take the following day.

The enrichment year students gathered in one of the newly opened clubhouses, and were arranged into groups of six to battle it out in a Jeopardy-esque competition. Our students encountered a range of questions from categories such as “The or Not The,” “Present Simple Tense,” Have you Never,” and “Articles.” It took some time before the students were able to understand the rules of this commonly played American game, however after a few rounds, the students quickly caught on to the rules of the game. As the night carried on enthusiastic screams could be heard throughout the center and eager hands flailed as the more competitive contestants raced to score points for their teams. The winners of the quiz won a much-coveted prize of extra credit points on their English exam.

However, at ASYV, mastering languages is not something that is simply celebrated once a year on Reading Day or with an English Quiz night, rather it is integrated into daily life in the Village. In family homes, during family time you can hear both English and Kinyarwanda being weaved in and through discussions. Various EPs are taught or coached in English alone and it is not uncommon to hear English, Kinyarwanda, and French being mixed into the casual conversation of friends and staff as they pass along in the village.

Together, Agahozo-Shalom’s formal and informal education departments are working tirelessly to ensure that our students become well versed in English, French and Kinyarwanda.

Saturday, February 25th marked the first day of inter-school competitions, as ASYV students met with students from the neighboring town of Rubona for friendly basketball and football matches. The boy’s soccer game resulted in a 3-1 win for Agahozo. The basketball game also proved to be a success for ASYV as the boy’s basketball team beat Rubona 64-32. Many students from Agahozo came to the sports complex to support their friends and watch the friendly sports competitions.

On Sunday, March 11th, the football and volleyball teams of Agahozo traveled 40 kilometers outside of Agahozo Shalom to play in the High School League Competition. Students from all four teams were bussed to Aurora High School where they played their respective sports. Boy’s volleyball won 3-0, girl’s volleyball won 2-0 and boy’s football won 1-0. While the girl’s football team lost 0-2, this game marked the first of its kind. This was the first time that Agahozo formed a girl’s football team and traveled outside of Agahozo to compete.

The semifinals will take place in May. The winners of the semifinals will represent Rwamagana District and will move on to compete at the Province level. We are proud of our many students who competed in the games. We look forward to seeing what will happen in the semifinals.

A Visit from the National Basketball Coach
On Friday, March 2nd, the National Basketball Head Coach, Naned Amanovic, and his assistant, Mr. Charles, came to the Village to hold tryouts. Students from both the girl’s and boy’s basketball teams (which are coached by Counselor, Longin, and the Director of Operations, Eric) had the opportunity to try out for the National basketball team. Our students were extremely excited for the chance to try-out for the National Team.

Only fifty students from all over the country will be chosen to move to the next round of try-outs. The students are not simply vying for a coveted spot on the Rwandan National Basketball team, but also the scholarship that comes with it. However, if a senior 6 student is not accepted on the team they can also opt to join a basketball team in Kigali in order to strengthen their skills for future opportunities to try-out for the National Team.

For weeks leading up to this highly anticipated competition, students from Enrichment Year and Senior 4 worked in the village Science Center building individual contraptions which would be use to house and protect a raw egg on the day of the competition. Teams of four students worked under the supervision of Miki Vizner, the Science Center coordinator and long-term volunteer from Boca Raton, Florida and Liquidnet High School science teacher, (last name) Wilberforce, to conceive of designs utilizing different recycled materials, such as boxes, peanut butter containers, oatmeal cans, banana leaves, cotton balls and paper that would provide maximum comfort and protection to the egg.

Finally March 12th, the day of the competition, arrived. Music pumped out of propped up speakers and the sounds intermingled with the excited voices of onlookers, as our young designers put on the finishing touches to their contraptions. Finally the teams made their way up, one at a time, to the top of the water tower. Once the egg drop-landing pad was in place and the contestants were ready the competition was underway and eggs began to float down from what seemed like the sky. The sight amused the audience and was good, educational entertainment, as the village received a firs hand lesson on collisions and acceleration due to gravity.
In the end, three out of eight Enrichment Year teams, and five out of the six Senior 4 teams dropped eggs from the water tower that successfully withstood the fall.

According to our science center coordinator, Miki, this exciting competition is only the start of more exciting, hands-on science projects in which our students will be able to take, so stay tuned folks.

House Naming Ceremony

On Friday, March 23rd, our Enrichment Year students took part in the 4th ever village wide house naming ceremony. Each family had the opportunity to stand before the village and announce the name for which their house and their family will henceforth be known.

The process of choosing a family name began a few weeks prior when our Enrichment Year students began researching different heroes in their lives. While the research process was time intensive, it served as an important bonding experience for the eight families. According to the cousin from Family 2, now Amelia Earhart family, Jennifer Bellisario, “the house naming [process] was a learning experience,” because it encouraged all the students to take a closer look at their core values and discover what it is the true worth of a hero. On Tuesday, March 6th the students then presented their research on different heroes to their families. The families then voted on which hero they felt was the most empowering, inspirational, and fitting for their family.

However, in the case of two families selecting the same names, a competition was set up in which the two families faced off in a battle to see who knew the most about their selected hero. The winner was able to claim hold of the name, and the losing family went back to the drawing board and selected another hero.

When all the dust had settled our Enrichment Year families stood before the village and were christened with the following names:
Family 1: Henry Dunant
Family 2: Amelia Earhart
Family 3: David Livingstone
Family 4: King Menelik II
Family 5: Marie Curie
Family 6: Sir Ronald Ross
Family 7: Steve Jobs
Family 8: Mother Teresa
However, it was not the families alone that received new names, but also the entire Enrichment Year, which was given the Kinyarwanda name, Indatwa, which means “ someone you are proud to present because of their good values.”

As ASYV returns for its 2nd term our Formal and Informal education departments have set out to form a more tightly woven relationship with the mission of learning from one another how to best teach our kids. And so, this past Wednesday, April 25th, the Village’s weekly Learning Community session focused on how the entire village can work together to assist our children in their efforts to acquire comprehensive critical and creative thinking skills, so that they are not only able to excel on exams, but so they are well-equipped to establish successful lives for themselves once they graduate from ASYV.

The session, which was coordinated and led by the Deputy Principal of ASYV’s Liquidnet Family High School, Aloys Kagimbura, Pedagogical Trainer and international volunteer from Israel, Dr. Tamar Shak, and IT coordinator, Deo Kabirigi, was well-attended by family Mamas, counselors, cousins, health center staff, grade coordinators and members of the village management team. One had to only be in the meeting for a minute to sense the level of commitment and interest that exists within the village towards this effort. The room of attendees was eager to participate in each of the activities; took notes during the presentations; and lobbed insightful questions at the presenters.

The session opened up with a presentation by Aloys and Deo regarding the performance of our students between 2009 and 2012. Aloys also showed the overall results of our students on their most recent term exam. He then discussed what school administration and teachers are setting out in these coming terms to do in order to facilitate greater academic success, and how informal education can assist with this effort. Tamar then led the group in two interactive exercises that not only got the room talking and laughing, but also helped everyone to have a deeper understanding about the learning process.

The first exercise entailed two groups of five volunteers walking across a rope, which was laid across the room. The volunteers were given specific instructions about the task they were being asked to complete. After several amusing attempts by volunteers to balance themselves while walking across the ropes backwards or with their eyes closed, it became clear that each person approached the task differently. The second exercise required each person to take a sheet of paper with several sentences written on the back. When Tamar gave the signal everyone was to turn over their paper and count how many “F”s were on the sheet within an allotted amount of time. This exercise was meant to simulate a standardized exam and show all the obstacles our students face when trying to complete and succeed at a task. It turned out that on the first round only 6 out of 30 were able to come up with the correct answer, or “pass the exam,” on the second round only 5 out of 30 were able to “pass the exam,” however in this second round a higher percentage came closer to getting the right answer. At the end of this exercise the room discussed the results, and concluded that: (1) the learning curve increases with each attempt made, or with practice. In the same way, our students begin to adjust and their performance often improves as they understand what is expected of them; (2) asking for help and working with others increases one’s results, (3) there are three common responses from students taking exams “freeze, fright, and flight,” (4) it takes students time and practice to adjust to the pressure of exam the time structures (5) students must be encouraged to question themselves and explore all options, because if you go in thinking you know the right answer you may overlook the actual answer, (6) it is important to correct impulsivity in students who speed through their work and do not take time to review their answers, (7) students need a certain level of confidence to know that they are capable at succeeding at a task in order to succeed, and (8) students learn from experience, good training and practice. The session closed out with everyone getting into small groups and discussing how we can implement what was learned during the presentation and exercises.

While this Learning Community session was only one step in a long process, it is a step in the right direction. ASYV is home to students that have come from extremely poor and at-risk environments, in which education often came a far second to basic survival. This means that the ground that must be made up for many of our kids is great, requires that the entire community rally behind our students’ academic pursuits with full force. As our Pedagogical Advisor, Tamar stated, “this is a revolution,” as formal and informal education learn how to work together to teach our students.

Finally around 6pm the crew arrives and quickly sets up. The night’s MC’s, two ASYV students, take to the stage and welcome ASYV’s traditional dance troupe. As always, the troupe aptly sets the stage with a riveting performance that combines the rhythm of drums and melodic singing, with graceful, yet dynamic dancing. After the performance, Jean-Pierre, our Director of Informal Education, came on stage and stated (as translated to me), “On this day, many years ago, something happened that we will remember today.” And, in a country searching for peace, Jean-Pierre posed this question to the audience, “where can we find peace?” One brave student raised his hand, came forward and answered that “peace can be found where there is unity with the people.” This answer spoke to the heart of the event, and what the Amahoro Film Festival is all about; finding peace by unifying previously opposed groups. A common theme that ran through each of the three films was reconciliation in order to provide for the next generation what this generation did not receive, peace.
The first film, a short documentary, was entitled, “Ndaga Ndaga,” which is translated as “Give to me and I will give to them.” The word Ndaga means inheritance, and thus speaks about one generation giving the next a fair inheritance of unity and peace. The second and third films both focused on the need for reconciliation and forgiveness within Rwandan society, as criminals and victims find themselves living once again as neighbors. It is not only the parents that feel the fear, pain and shame of what happened, but the children as well. The second and third film highlighted the importance of perpetrators acknowledging to their victims the wrong in what they did and seeking forgiveness.

As the films play, and recount the horrors that took place, the familiar kissing of teeth, commonly used to express sadness, dissatisfaction or sympathy towards a bad situation or memory, became audible throughout the room. This sound was soon joined with a low murmuring, during particularly troubling scenes, such as during the large exodus of refugees across the Rwandan border, or when prisons full of genocide perpetrators were shown.

A feeling of stoic sadness was palpable, yet in the remembrance there was also a clear tone of hope. One could look out across the audience and see the faces of men and women; boys and girls, that have endured the unthinkable from both sides of the genocide and yet continued to live, and even excel. At this sight one begins to believe that perhaps the words spoken by the narrator in Ndaga Ndaga, “this young generation has the courage to build up what the old generation destroyed” are coming to pass.

Many of our students are returning with a renewed desire to succeed after having spent three weeks coming to terms with what it is they are working towards: an education that will help them change the lives of their families and communities back home.
So watch out folks, the kids are back and more eager than ever to succeed.
Let the second term begin!

The three biggest worries of the kids who are in their final year at Agahozo-Shalom are: 1) how are they going to keep in touch with each other; 2) how can we make sure that the kids who follow them at Agahozo-Shalom know its history and its stories; 3) that we do not spend enough time with them teaching them about our philosophy, methodology and core values. Wow.

I went into a meeting of the Senior 6 class after having been bombarded with the constant refrain…. “but what are the kids going to do when they leave the Village”. I expected to be hit with all kinds of questions about the national examinations, as well as the newly introduced professional skills programs which seem to be getting off the ground nicely. One day soon you will be able to have tea and cake (well, sort of cakes) at the visitors center which will be managed and run by our hospitality program. If you are interested in funding a business in Rwanda, our young entrepreneurs have about 57 ideas for you! Those in our modern agriculture program are readying their plots for the planting season. And the ITC kids? They are learning eagerly as they wait for a delivery of OLPC laptops so they can become trainers and troubleshooters on those amazing little machines. I took a walk around the Village yesterday, which was a Sunday, and learned the following: the radio being built by the kids had just been tested successfully (they plan to broadcast to the whole village ultimately); there are kids working on producing extraordinarily beautiful songs, written by them, in both Kinyarwanda and English, in our recording studio; the computer labs, as usual, are standing room only and, because it is near exam time everywhere there is a quiet nook or cranny you see kids studying. The image that most stays with me is that of a kid sitting in the shade of a sapling tree at the top of the amphitheater, reading a book. No, I am not worried about the graduates of Agahozo-Shalom.

Later that evening I met with the Enrichment Year kids, those who have now been with us at Agahozo-Shalom for 2 ½ months. Let me reassure you, big brothers and big sisters, you are doing an incredible job as their role models. My Family Time with the new grade started with them singing to me (original songs); reading poetry that they had written; watching a sketch about the “intake” process for Agahozo-Shalom and how it affected them; presenting me with an incredible painting done by one of their budding artists….they really blew me away. And while many of them are struggling with English, anytime anyone addressed me…they did it in English! They asked some amazing questions, and shared some truly meaningful comments about what Agahozo-Shalom means to them. I cannot believe how far they have come in such a short time. Senior 6 should move forward happily knowing that they have created a deep and firm legacy and that they will be leaving their Village in good hands.

I always try to “blog” at least once when I am in the Village, and today is certainly a great day to do so. International Women’s Day is celebrated big time in Rwanda, and probably nowhere with more enthusiasm than at Agahozo-Shalom. Our celebration started this afternoon with all 500 kids and some VIP guests as well as all our staff and volunteers and visiting student groups (go Yale) fitting into our enormous dining hall. Our traditional dance troupe did a “non-traditional” traditional dance telling the story of how women should and should not be treated. Speeches, poems, and sketches all extolled the virtues of women, particularly how important it is to see women as equals and to educate them and give them the same opportunities as men. As usual, I was brought to tears by the heartfelt songs directed my way; what Agahozo-Shalom means to these kids is hardly conceivable. And yes, as everyone kept repeating today, its founder is a woman!!! I am going to be very brave and attach a picture of me wearing my traditional Rwandan dress – a mshanana – that was given to me by the Moms in the Village. The crown was given to me and placed on my head as part of a wonderful dance and song by the Mamas of the Village. We were very privileged to have Mr. Damien Ngabonziza with us representing the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion. He is also the Chairman of the National Commission for Children, so it was very appropriate that he was with us on this special day. There is nothing better than hearing a bunch of teenage rappers extolling the virtue of being a woman. Sometimes it just blows me away how truly awesome this Village is.

International Women's Day at ASYV. (L) Student at ASYV, (R) Anne Heyman

On a perfect sunny Tuesday (January 24th), over 100 enrichment year boys and girls could be found out on the sports field laughing, running, playing and learning about sportsmanship. Each EP kicked off their hour and a half with a brisk jog around the length of the field. The students were then led through various stretches and technique building activities by their respective EP leaders.

One unfamiliar to the past lives of the ASYV students might look out onto the field and simply see students exercising, however upon learning about the obstacles many of our students have overcome, you will see that what takes place out on that field are small transforming miracles. The sports EPs are an essential ingredient in our mission to repair the mind, body and soul of each ASYV child.

Sports EP

Two weeks ago each Senior 3 and 4 student sat in an exposition held in the dining hall and heard about the benefits of each Art and Sport EP. The students then submitted a form detailing their first and second choice for the EPs in their respective family time. This information was then submitted to the Informal Education department where a list of students in each selected EP was compiled. The following is a breakdown of how many students are in each EP:

Art
Guitar-22
Piano-25
Modern Art-20
Traditional Art-21
Recording Studio-13
Photography and Movie-making-46
Sewing-17
Hospitality-26
Kitchen-49

Sports
Girls Basketball-44
Boys Basketball-26
Girls Volleyball-40
Boys Volleyball-25
Girls Football-44
Boys Football-29
Karate-48

She sat at a small table, under dimming light with her shoulders hunched over and her eyes steadily combing through the fine print of a book. Pronouncing each word with even concentration and determination, she carefully made her way through the famous novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, pausing only to ask the Art Instructor, her freshly recruited tutor, for the definition of new vocabulary words. One look into the intent eyes of the young girl, and you could sense that beneath her placid veneer was a veracious mind, anxious to be let loose in order to conquer the world one book at a time.

Joyce Furaha Uwamahoro

Nineteen-year-old old Joyce Furaha Uwamahoro, a Senior 5 Agahozo-Shalom student, speaks in a low and steady voice. She is a quiet girl with many things to say. On a Wednesday evening she patiently explains to the Art Instructor about her love of reading and learning new languages. She talks about a time before Agahozo Shalom, when the only language she knew well was Kinyarwanda. She could only write and speak a little French, and spoke no English. She explained that before ASYV she had no one with which to speak French or English. In fact, she stated that before coming to ASYV she did not enjoy speaking at all because of the people with which she lived. However, upon witnessing kindness at ASYV, she began to open up. She now has many friends, some even from America and Israel. Quietly, with a smile, she looks up and says “I don’t know why people come and talk to me, but they do.”

It is without question that Joyce possess a talent for learning languages, a talent she first sensed during her Enrichment Year, and which propelled her to choose the language study track, KEF (Kinyarwanda, English, French). However, after a moment with the girl, one can also see that it is not talent alone that has allowed her to accomplish things such as placing 7th in a nation-wide essay competition on The Merits and Demerits of using a common currency in East Africa, rather, it is an insatiable desire to learn and excel. This desire to learn has led her to pour through books such as, The Concubine by Elechi Amadi, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Weep Not Child by Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Betrayal in the City by Francis Imbuga to name a few. She also possess a keen interest in Francophone African Literature, and has read books such as La Negritude Français by Sedar Senghor, as well as D’un Petit Enfant Nègre by Léo Gautra Damas.

When the village lights suddenly, yet expectantly go out on this evening, and the words of Chinua Achebe are no longer intelligible, Joyce sets the book aside and begins to talk about her love for writing and for singing. She tells the Art Instructor that she writes poems and even songs. And, after a few minutes of waiting in vain for the lights to return, a low yet wonderful voice emerges from the darkness, carrying the tune of the popular Justin Bieber song, “Never, Say Never.” Her voice lights the room. She then serenades the Art Instructor, as well as three students, who have taken shelter in the Art room from the blinding darkness outside, with the song “From This Moment.” When the song is finished she then says, “I also love to draw and play basketball, volleyball and football. World watch out, this girl is not playing around. In fact, when asked what it is she wants to do after graduating from ASYV she quickly replies, “I want to be a journalist… or own a tourism business, but mostly be a journalist. I want to be on television or the radio.” She belonged to the Newspaper club last year and this year wants to take the Hospitality Professional Skill course. After leaving ASYV she stated that she expects to study journalism in university. This is certainly an attainable dream for Joyce, the girl with a brilliant mind.

The 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

This 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.

This will be the first of several posts about a special project: a student club has adopted a piece of land and turned it into the Parike Y’Umutungo Kamere W’Agahozo.

Read the full Blog HERE!

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.

ASYV started the day with over 50 students working on our new nature
park and trail and gave the inaugural tour to some visiting donors.
The nature park, Parike Y’Umutungo Kamere W’Agahozo, was envisioned by
students and features a 600 meter trail that showcases acacia, umuko,
and other native vegetation. Environment Club members marked the event
by planting four native acacia trees in the park.

After lunch, the club hosted an educational event. This event
attracted more than 250 village residents, including 220+ students and
over 30 staff/volunteers. We screened “Planet Earth: Freshwater,”
viewed a presentation about water conservation from our assistant
director, and heard from three students who spoke about trees.
Following the speeches, students and staff explored environmental
issues at an interactive idea marketplace. The club sponsored a tree
giveaway so that each family could plant a tree on Environment Day.

Finally, after the event, students planted a total of 30 trees in
their yards, including 7 acacia, 20 papaya, and 3 guava. Please enjoy
the pictures of our version of Earth Day!

Click here for more information and pictures!

Articles include:
“Women’s Corner”
“The Birds”
“Are they looking at the stars? Or becoming stars?”
and
Artists’ Corner

University of Pennsylvania:
http://upennhillel.blogspot.com/2011/05/tikkun-olam.html

Tufts University:
http://tufts-in-rwanda.blogspot.com/2011/05/one-day-to-go.html

University of Wisconsin:
http://uwhillelrwanda.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/bringing-it-back/

The Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda prides itself in installing in the children the idea that they, orphans of the genocide, are
worthy of helping those less fortunate than themselves. This concept of going outside the village to help others is not only to help them recognize how lucky they are to be in ASYV, but also to teach them that every person has something to give to the community and wider society.

Anne Heyman, the founder of ASYV, built the Village on Jewish values and thus, the Village sets aside one afternoon a week to do Tikun Olam, the Jewish notion of repairing the world. There are three options of Tikun Olam that the children can choose from: elementary school, social work, and HIV-AIDS clinic. I chose to go to the HIV-AIDS clinic with the children. As soon as we walked out of the Village, I immediately noticed the difference between those who are lucky enough to live in ASYV and those who live outside. The former are better dressed, well-nourished and speak impeccable English.

Arriving at the clinic was a big shock for me. The clinic was made up of a few dark and rundown buildings, some made of mud. There was nothing inside the clinic that resembled a medical center, no electrical medical equipment, no real waiting rooms and hardly any
medical supplies. We were given a tour around the clinic, but during the tour I couldn’t help but get distracted by the background noise. My eyes couldn’t focus on the doctor talking to us. All that my eyes were drawn to were the mothers outside trying to cradle their sick and crying babies. As we were told later, the babies scream with pain because they have not eaten or drunk water for days, often weeks. This for me was painful to be around but the children of ASYV didn’t seem fazed by it, and I couldn’t understand why. It was only until later that day that I realized why. The children of ASYV used to be like those children I saw in the clinic, stricken by poverty and often sickness, and it made me so grateful for the work that this Village does for the children. They have been given a life-changing opportunity: an education, medical treatment, support system and most importantly hope, and I am deeply honored to be a part of this.

This year (2010) the kids of the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village started doing Tikkun Olam in social affairs, school, and clinic outside the village.

Some of the kids of ASYV went to the primary school in Rubona. Ours goal was to give English lesson and to create friendships with the school (both with the kids and their educators).

Before we started volunteering at the school, we went there to explain about Tikkun Olam and ask them what they wanted us to do to help them. The principal of the school told us that it would be good if we could teach English to the kids in Primary 4. So we agreed to start teaching their kids the English lessons.

There are 245 kids in P4. ASYV kids split up into ten groups. Each group had two students from Agahozo-Shalom and about 25 students from P4.

The methods used for teaching English were: showing the kids pictures and then giving them explanations of those pictures, reading stories to them, playing games, showing movies, and practicing conversation.

The kids in Rubona primary school were so happy to be with us. Since one of our goals was to create friendship with our neighbors, including those kids of primary school, we invited them to the village for a tour and explanation of our village.

At the end of each term we gave them an assessment test to see if they understood what we were teaching them.

We ended the year by asking the teachers of those kids if they have seen the improvement. The teachers said that there was a big improvement in speaking, reading, and even in writing English. The teachers also said that the Primary 4 students have developed self-confidence, which was a big achievement because before we started working with them the kids used to have a fear of speaking English.

This project was not only good for the kids of the primary school, but it was also good for kids from Agahozo-Shalom. They said that they too were able to learn many things from the kids of Rubona primary school.

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!

In Tikkun Olam there are different groups for the school, the clinic, and
social affairs. Social affairs is then divided into five groups of 16 each,
all from the *Urumuri* (seeds) grade, and there is one educator/counselor
who guides each group and reminds us to clean the tools and to work hard.

This year our group worked at two sites. In January we started to rebuild a
house for a poor widow who lives with her son. She was sick and unable to
work in order to earn money to rebuild her house. She didn’t have a door or
windows so the youth of ASYV took initiative to rebuild it. We also helped
to treat her for jiggers and left her with a system for collecting and
storing water, so that now she is in a better condition.

In the middle of June we began working in another place that was closer to
our village. We helped another poor family of old people who were in need of
a new kitchen. We helped them to rebuild their kitchen out of mud. We
were met with some difficulties in this project because we didn’t have
enough time to finish this project.

Students preparing the mud to rebuild a house

What we got from Tikkun Olam this year through building houses without any
help, was to be focused on our projects, to have time management, and to
feel someone else’s pain. This experience was also good because we have
learned how to handle special cases or problems of different people who
surround us, and to go the extra mile.

Choosing My Combination
By UWAMAHORO Marie Louise

I 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 Augustin

For 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.

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

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