I have been wanting to write a trip update for the past few days but have found it difficult to do so. My re-adjusting back to my life in America has been more challenging than I anticipated. This was my third trip to Rwanda, and one of my shortest. I didn't think that being away in Rwanda for just two weeks would have had such am impact on me again, but it has.
I think the main reason for the struggle in me is how life-changing a lot of my activities on my trip were. And I want more of that now. Life changing not for me, but for others. I had the opportunity to help bring life, future, and hope to people. There aren't many things better than that. When you see a disadvantaged person change their attitude, demeanor, perspective, outlook, paradigm, all because you are able to offer them something that they need, and by all means, deserve, you do not want to stop it.
Purpose of the trip.
The main purpose of the trip was to continue introductory work on Global Capacity's secondary school scholarship program called Right 2 School. After having spent five months in Rwanda last year, it became clear to me that education is central and essential in creating a better future for Rwanda, and it is also an area that I can get involved in.
Education.
The education system in Rwanda is much like that in the U.S.; there are twelve grades before university, and they are called 'forms'. Forms 1 - 6 are the Primary School forms. Forms 7 - 12 are the Secondary School Forms (but the numbers start with 1, so 7th grade would be S-1, 8th grade is S-2), etc.
In P-6, all students take the National Entrance Examination in to Secondary School. If they pass, the government assigns them to a particular school, sometimes very far away from home. There is boarding at the school, and they go home a few times each year The student will remain at this school for S-1,2,3.
During S-3, the student takes another Entrance Examination which will determine where he will spend his last three years of secondary school. The examination focuses on particular 'options', or fields of study, such as nursing, electricity, accounting. Depending on how the student scores on the particular options, he is assigned another school to attend. This is where he will be for S-4,5, 6.
Secondary School in Rwanda is not free. The average cost of school per year is $300. In a country where the average annual income of a Rwandan is $700, school fees can be near to impossible to raise. I was told time and time again during my trip how important and necessary a secondary school scholarship program in Rwanda would be.
In a push to better promote and educate the children in Rwanda, the government recently stated that the school fees for S-1,2,3 will be waived. This is an extraordinary move on the part of the government and will enable many students to attend those forms who wouldn't have had the chance before. Still, it means that many students will not have an education above S-3.
Students.
In hopes of starting and promoting the Right 2 School program soon, I went to Rwanda to find students to begin sponsoring. My goal was to find three or four students that wouldn't be able to afford secondary school next year, meet them, interview them, and use them as the inaugural students of the scholarship program. This turned out to be my favorite aspect of the trip. With the help of a secondary school headmaster as well as some other contacts I had in Rwanda, we identified four young men, all 19 year-olds with no birth parents. It was such an incredible joy to tell them that they will be able to attend secondary school next year, an opportunity that most children desire but most cannot have it.
The four boys are:
Egide.
Jean Claude.
John.
Thierry.
Ndash.
Last year I had met a 23 year-old guy named Ndashimye Jeremie (nicknamed Ndash), who worked in the internet cafe. He has a big heart for those in need and we became good friends quickly. We stayed in contact throughout the year and it became apparent to me that he would be a great resource and help for Global Capacity in Rwanda. After talking Right 2 School over with him and where the organization is headed in the future, he has decided to help us. He was a tremendous help to me during my trip, and even lived with me to aid in translation and anything else I needed to accomplish. He will be starting university later this year in hopes of getting a degree in computer science (his university education is largely being funded by a private donor of Global Capacity's). We could not do the work we hope to do without Ndash's help. He worked very hard during my trip, from translating for me, to interviewing the students, to helping us get bank accounts established, to taking pictures.
Good communication is necessary when working on business matters, especially between different continents. Ndash and I are able to email and chat on instant messenger every day due to his internet cafe connections. It is a very good arrangement we have with him.
Umuryango.
It was a delight to visit with the boys and staff at the Umuryango Boys' Home in Bukomero. A ten-person team from Calvary Baptist Church arrived at the home before I got there, and I had the opportunity to overlap with the team for two days. It was inspiring to see the close connection the team members had made with the boys. Many of the members plan on returning to Rwanda in the near future due to the strong impact the people had on them.
What is to come?
Due to the extremely important role that education plays in Rwanda, I am highly motivated and passionate about helping to provide more opportunities for children to attend school. Right 2 School is a scholarship program that will enable students to attend secondary school who would not normally have the opportunity to go. In order to start this program there is a lot for me to do, such as apply for 501c3 tax-deductible status and create a web site and promotional materials and such. These are all essential when promoting a fundraising program. Although there is a lot to do I am very certain it will be accomplished and help many people in Rwanda.
Off we go! Stay tuned for more...
I think the main reason for the struggle in me is how life-changing a lot of my activities on my trip were. And I want more of that now. Life changing not for me, but for others. I had the opportunity to help bring life, future, and hope to people. There aren't many things better than that. When you see a disadvantaged person change their attitude, demeanor, perspective, outlook, paradigm, all because you are able to offer them something that they need, and by all means, deserve, you do not want to stop it.
Purpose of the trip.
The main purpose of the trip was to continue introductory work on Global Capacity's secondary school scholarship program called Right 2 School. After having spent five months in Rwanda last year, it became clear to me that education is central and essential in creating a better future for Rwanda, and it is also an area that I can get involved in.
Education.
The education system in Rwanda is much like that in the U.S.; there are twelve grades before university, and they are called 'forms'. Forms 1 - 6 are the Primary School forms. Forms 7 - 12 are the Secondary School Forms (but the numbers start with 1, so 7th grade would be S-1, 8th grade is S-2), etc.
In P-6, all students take the National Entrance Examination in to Secondary School. If they pass, the government assigns them to a particular school, sometimes very far away from home. There is boarding at the school, and they go home a few times each year The student will remain at this school for S-1,2,3.
During S-3, the student takes another Entrance Examination which will determine where he will spend his last three years of secondary school. The examination focuses on particular 'options', or fields of study, such as nursing, electricity, accounting. Depending on how the student scores on the particular options, he is assigned another school to attend. This is where he will be for S-4,5, 6.
Secondary School in Rwanda is not free. The average cost of school per year is $300. In a country where the average annual income of a Rwandan is $700, school fees can be near to impossible to raise. I was told time and time again during my trip how important and necessary a secondary school scholarship program in Rwanda would be.
In a push to better promote and educate the children in Rwanda, the government recently stated that the school fees for S-1,2,3 will be waived. This is an extraordinary move on the part of the government and will enable many students to attend those forms who wouldn't have had the chance before. Still, it means that many students will not have an education above S-3.
Students.
In hopes of starting and promoting the Right 2 School program soon, I went to Rwanda to find students to begin sponsoring. My goal was to find three or four students that wouldn't be able to afford secondary school next year, meet them, interview them, and use them as the inaugural students of the scholarship program. This turned out to be my favorite aspect of the trip. With the help of a secondary school headmaster as well as some other contacts I had in Rwanda, we identified four young men, all 19 year-olds with no birth parents. It was such an incredible joy to tell them that they will be able to attend secondary school next year, an opportunity that most children desire but most cannot have it.
The four boys are:
Egide.
Jean Claude.
John.
Thierry.
Ndash.
Last year I had met a 23 year-old guy named Ndashimye Jeremie (nicknamed Ndash), who worked in the internet cafe. He has a big heart for those in need and we became good friends quickly. We stayed in contact throughout the year and it became apparent to me that he would be a great resource and help for Global Capacity in Rwanda. After talking Right 2 School over with him and where the organization is headed in the future, he has decided to help us. He was a tremendous help to me during my trip, and even lived with me to aid in translation and anything else I needed to accomplish. He will be starting university later this year in hopes of getting a degree in computer science (his university education is largely being funded by a private donor of Global Capacity's). We could not do the work we hope to do without Ndash's help. He worked very hard during my trip, from translating for me, to interviewing the students, to helping us get bank accounts established, to taking pictures.
Good communication is necessary when working on business matters, especially between different continents. Ndash and I are able to email and chat on instant messenger every day due to his internet cafe connections. It is a very good arrangement we have with him.
Umuryango.
It was a delight to visit with the boys and staff at the Umuryango Boys' Home in Bukomero. A ten-person team from Calvary Baptist Church arrived at the home before I got there, and I had the opportunity to overlap with the team for two days. It was inspiring to see the close connection the team members had made with the boys. Many of the members plan on returning to Rwanda in the near future due to the strong impact the people had on them.
What is to come?
Due to the extremely important role that education plays in Rwanda, I am highly motivated and passionate about helping to provide more opportunities for children to attend school. Right 2 School is a scholarship program that will enable students to attend secondary school who would not normally have the opportunity to go. In order to start this program there is a lot for me to do, such as apply for 501c3 tax-deductible status and create a web site and promotional materials and such. These are all essential when promoting a fundraising program. Although there is a lot to do I am very certain it will be accomplished and help many people in Rwanda.
Off we go! Stay tuned for more...
