First Day of School!

Today is the first day of school! Here in Rwanda, this is the beginning of the first trimester of the new school year. It has been a bit of a whirlwind these past few weeks completing all of the preparations needed for the 45 students sponsored by Global Capacity scholarships, but I am so grateful that we can partner with these families in furthering the education of their children.

During the long holiday break, we were able to gather with most of the students for a half-day conference where I could introduce myself as the new in-country director of Global Capacity. This was also a special time where Les and Yvonne Parr (of our partner organization, A Voice for Rwanda) were able to share some challenging and encouraging messages with our students. Yvonne shared about the “Rules, Responsibilities, and Requirements” associated with these students and their families being part of AVFR and GC to help the students remember that the benefit they receive is not a hand-out but comes with expectations that they need to fulfill. Les also shared some encouraging words about conduct and integrity at school and in all of life. We also handed out backpacks full of school materials and bags of personal items for each student.

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Recently, we were also able to meet with 24 of our students individually to ask them many questions about their performance in school during the past year, their expectations for the coming year, and their thoughts and dreams about their future…as well as more basic things like their favorite subjects and foods and home life situations. It was incredibly helpful to have this time with each student to start to learn some of their past story and see how we can encourage them in the current and future part of their story. For many, there are so many challenges and struggles to overcome that make it difficult to focus on school in addition to the tasks of daily life. I give these students much credit for making the best effort they can to reach for their dreams and I’m grateful that we can offer them the opportunity to do just that.

Here are four of our new secondary students:

Throughout the trimester, we hope to continue interviewing the remaining students (many of whom are attending schools close-by) as well as visiting the students that are further away at boarding schools. I also look forward to connecting with the various school administrators and learning more about the education system here in Rwanda so that we can be the best advocates possible for our students.

Thanks for your support,

Hannah Ingram

Program Director

Celebrating Two Vocational School Graduates

Here's a post about the adventure of attending a graduation ceremony today for two of Global Capacity's vocational school students:

https://www.radianceofrwanda.com/blog/2016/12/10/of-a-first-saturday-in-rwanda

It was also great to meet the Minister of Education for the Kicukiro District of Kigali where this school is located. I look forward to connecting with him more in the coming year!

Our New Program Director is in Rwanda!

Just a quick update letting you know that I (Hannah, the new program director for Global Capacity) have arrived in Rwanda! I am easing into this new culture and look forward to learning from Les and Yvonne Parr as well as Nsekuye Jean Bosco all that they have been doing to keep our scholarship program running. I'll be posting more updates as the journey progresses!

EXCITING UPDATE!

Dear Friends,

In our last newsletter, we announced that one of our goals for 2016 is to hire a new Program Director to begin work in Rwanda. We are thrilled to introduce you to Hannah Ingram, who has accepted the position and is beyond excited for this journey:

“In the fall of 2010, I went on my first trip to Rwanda and was deeply impacted by the beauty of both the people and the landscape. Since that first visit, I have returned two more times, continuing to be inspired by the progress in development and the remaining need in this “land of a thousand hills”. I have seen the impact of Global Capacity on the lives of individual students and their families and look forward to overseeing these ongoing efforts. While we know some of the needs and the ways that we can help to meet them, I also expect to continue building relationships with community officials and families, partnering with them to find solutions that maintain dignity and allow each person to reach their full potential.”
Hannah’s primary responsibilities will be:

  • Visiting each student at school or at home multiple times each year
  • Updating the website about each student frequently
  • Collecting, organizing and distributing school supplies and orientation materials
  • Establishing relationship with headmaster at the schools our students attend
  • Visiting program graduates to gain insight of current situation post-school

We are hoping to raise $10,000 for an increase in costs in 2016/2017, which includes sending Hannah to Rwanda and other goals. And we’d love for you to be part of that! Each of our life-changing scholarships cost $588 per year and include the following: school fees, school materials, health insurance, transportation, Secondary School kit (mattress, pillow, bed sheets, lock box, mosquito net, basin, squeegie, and towel), personal hygiene items, and two school uniforms. You can give by clicking on the button below or sending a check to our mailing address, listed in the footer.

CLICK HERE TO GIVE NOW 

Every gift of $100 receives a hand-carved dove ornament, made in Rwanda by local artisans working with our good friends at Azizi Life.

Thank you for your consideration!

Sincerely,
Executive Director, Matthew Heinz and the Board of Directors (Tim Altero, Kay Ellen Heinz, Steve Heinz, Liz Helland, Hannah Ingram, Peter Mhando, Robert Pfahl, Jonathan Stube, and Ashlee Tate)