Rwanda and COVID-19

I'm sure that your inboxes are being flooded with updates regarding the impacts of the coronavirus and I just wanted to send a short update about the situation in Rwanda as we know it. As of last night, there are 11 known cases of people infected with the virus and no deaths so far. The government had been preparing for the arrival of the virus and proactively providing guidance about hand washing and cancelling gatherings with many people. The President even created a video to show best practices for hand washing!

The schools were closed as of the beginning of this week and will be closed at least until after the first week of April which would have been the break for the end of the first trimester and Time of Remembrance. If things go well, the students will return to school at the scheduled time in mid-April for the beginning of the second trimester and will finish their exams from the first trimester before continuing on in their studies.

The airport is also closing from tomorrow night (3/20) and will be closed for 30 days. Several of the people currently known to have coronavirus in Rwanda arrived from other international locations and so this step of stopping flights will hopefully prevent additional cases from arriving via the airport.

Please join us in hoping the best for our families and students in Rwanda.

We are hopeful that the virus will be contained well and not too many will be affected in Rwanda. We appreciate your continued support financially as well as thoughts and prayers as this is a challenging time for much of the world. We are thankful for ways of unifying even in the midst of trials.

Thank you always.

Celebration of Progress

One of the families we partner with (since 2017) has 8 members in the household: Francois, the papa; Isabelle, the mama; grandmother; and five kids. The oldest daughter just finished secondary school at the end of 2019 and the other four children are in primary school. The family rents their home and has struggled to maintain consistent income through work because the papa has a back injury after falling from the roof of a church he was helping to build several years ago. He is still able to find work occasionally and the mama, too.

Recently, the mama started doing a small trading business from their home. The family decided to set aside one room of the house for selling things like tomatoes, onions, green bananas (plantain), potatoes, and some other things to their neighbors. The business started out well but some days she does not receive enough customers…so prayers for increase in her business would be appreciated greatly as she is hopeful the business will grow!

This family was able to start this business with a little bit of money that they saved little by little after Urugo Care Rwanda began covering the costs associated with the schooling of the children. This is just one example of how relieving some of the financial burden of school requirements can impact the opportunities for the family to increase income and improve their standard of living in meaningful ways. They are so grateful.

We are, too!

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GRATITUDE

Urugo Care Rwanda is honored to be the recipient of an award:

2019 Best of State College

in the Association or Organization category

It has been the continuing support of donors and board members throughout the past 10 years that has made our work possible. We are grateful for your partnership and this recognition of it.

THANK YOU!

Highlights of 2019

We are grateful for all that has been in this year of 2019. Our generous donors have continued to support the work in Rwanda that benefits so many students and families. This outpouring of care reaches across the miles connecting us in meaningful ways both in the giving and the receiving. Join us in celebrating the highlights of this year and looking forward to the year to come!

• In 2019, Urugo Care Rwanda partnered with 24 families by assisting with sponsoring the children in primary and secondary school. The 118 members of these families also received coverage in the government health insurance program.

• We sponsored 22 students in primary school which included school fees and other expenses, school materials, uniforms, and igikoma (porridge for breakfast). We also provided additional tutoring for 10 of these students in the subjects of Kinyarwanda (national language) and math.

• We sponsored 38 students in secondary school. This sponsorship covers school fees and other expenses, school materials, uniforms, transportation fees, money to buy sportswear and shoes, and personal items. We had 4 students who were attending boarding school for the first time and they additionally received a trunk with padlocks, mattress, sheets, blanket, towels, pillow, and a mosquito net.

• We also helped in paying the university registration fee for 5 students.

• We celebrated the graduation of 12 students who completed secondary and vocational school in 2018.

• We invested in training and increased the responsibilities of national staff in Rwanda to continue overseeing the work with the families and students. We have one full-time staff member (Bosco), one part-time staff member (Jean Claude), a part-time tutor (Grace), and one mama who helps to prepare the igikoma flours each week. We could not do this work without their efforts and dedication!

• A few other as-needed benefits were granted this year: one student attended training to get his driving license, one graduate received a sewing machine to use her skills learned in vocational school, one student received transport to continue his vocational studies at a school for film-making/TV broadcasting, and a few folks received help with unexpected medical costs.

These highlights (and many other important small things) would not be possible without the generous support of so many. We share the gratitude of our beneficiaries and remain hopeful that we can continue this partnership for the years to come.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. We hope many blessings come to you in this new year!

SEASON OF GIVING

We are SO very grateful for all of the generous donations we have received throughout 2019 that have impacted many lives of students and families in Rwanda. The students have just wrapped up the end of their school year and are on a long break until the new school term begins in January. We are proud of their efforts and progress in learning and growing.

We could not do this work and partner with these families in Rwanda without your contributions. As we are looking ahead to the new school year, we anticipate many good things including three students who will start secondary school and hopefully 11 students who will transition from S-3 to S-4. This is a significant transition where they will likely start attending a private boarding school and will choose a "section" that will be their focused topics of study for their remaining three years of secondary school. This is a particularly large class of students and will require an increased budget need in 2020 to cover the costs of their boarding schools.

The students and families in Rwanda know and greatly appreciate your sacrificial giving. It is amazing to them that people whom they have never met would care for them in this way. They think of our generous donors (YOU!) often and express their unending thanks.

If you are able to give an end-of-the-year gift to Urugo Care Rwanda or be an on-going monthly donor, we would be incredibly thankful. Your gift is significant to so many.

Blessings to you and your family in this holiday season and the new year ahead!

Hannah Ingram
Interim Executive Director
Urugo Care Rwanda

Recent Happenings

Several transitions have occurred recently with Urugo Care Rwanda and I wanted to share some of those updates. A little while ago, we announced that I (Hannah) would be moving back to the U.S. while continuing in the position of Interim Executive Director for UCR. The move has happened!!

I arrived back in the U.S. about 2.5 weeks ago and have been splitting time between my parents' house and sister's house and trying to figure out next steps. I'm thankful that the transition has not been too shocking and things are falling into place. There are still some pieces of additional work to figure out as well as buying a car, etc., but I am trusting those things to come in the right time and way.

I am also getting into a new routine and rhythm of overseeing the work of UCR from a distance. We have placed a bit more responsibility for the daily operations in the hands of our Rwandan staff, Bosco and Jean Claude. Bosco is our Country Representative and continuing to guide the many tasks that need to be completed for things to continue in a good way. Jean Claude is a new, part-time hire for UCR as we hope that he will be able to contribute to the mission and goals in building relationships with our families and students. Jean Claude has a passion for ministry and encouragement and I'm sure that his gifts will be used well in this new position. Please watch his introduction video below (click on the photo to go to the video link).

Introducing our new Ministry Assistant: Jean Claude Nahishakiye

We are excited for this new arrangement and hopeful that we will fulfill our commitment to the families and students in the best way possible. Thank you for your continued interest and support!

Hannah Ingram
Interim Executive Director
Urugo Care Rwanda

Better Together

Community is very important in Rwanda both for the social benefits and also for the development of the country. Many aspects of governance, improvement, and security are built upon the foundation of relationships between neighbors. It is clear that Rwandans are focused on growing and developing through means that benefit more than just the individual, bringing the neighbor along, too.

Each village in Rwanda elects local leaders for these main positions: chief, security, development, social affairs, and communication/information. There are additional leaders in sub-positions focused on different issues or categories of village people (youth, women, etc.). Most of these are voluntary positions and a way to serve others in the village. These leaders help to organize other citizens for gatherings of celebration and also when there are issues that need to be addressed.

On the last Saturday of each month, an activity called “umuganda” occurs where citizens are required to join in community work with their neighbors, doing projects that often benefit many including such things as repairing roads, developing erosion control, planting trees, cleaning the streets, or building a house for a vulnerable person. After the shared work in the morning hours, the village gathers in the early afternoon for a meeting with the leaders where they can share important information that needs to be distributed from upper levels of government as well as spend time mediating conflicts or difficult situations between neighbors.

From the youth to the older people, gathering together is important for sharing values and instruction. There are times when people come together to give an opportunity for the older ones to teach the younger ones values about working, depending on yourself and not begging, cleanliness that starts with the individual, and other good behavior. They can also share stories and proverbs that have been passed down through generations that can instruct and give important lessons.

The women in a village meet sometimes to support each other and know where there are problems and when to help. They can teach the young women how to behave well, keep a household clean, receive visitors and practice hospitality…and many other things like finding a good husband! The leader will also follow-up on the health of women especially those who are pregnant, making sure they are staying healthy and supported. This gathering of women encourages them to be open and honest.

These connections within a community are also needed for development and employment opportunities. Saving cooperatives are often created among trusted neighbors where they can bring their money together in a way that all will benefit. They can only do this well when there are people of the same spirit and who already have a foundation of friendship and trust.

All of these are examples of how important community is in Rwanda. In knowing each other and how each lives their daily life, they are able to help each other in finding solutions to problems and creating more security for all. It is significant that this begins at the local village level and promotes involvement through self-motivation. Neighbors organize themselves for local improvements and have pride in what they are able to build together. They become responsible for protecting their own security. They encourage one another to not wait for someone to come from far away to make things better but strive to make their own efforts for improvement…together as a community.

Hannah Ingram
Interim Executive Director & Program Director
Urugo Care Rwanda

12 New Graduates!

We recently celebrated with 12 of our students who finished their secondary or vocational school training at the end of 2018. These students have worked hard during their time in school and this is a great accomplishment to finish and pass their national exams. And so we celebrate!

We gathered all of the families and students currently in our program as well as some local village leaders to join in the festivities. The graduates were decked out in caps and gowns and entered the gathering with a processional march to their seats of honor at the front of the room. After the normal greetings, the graduates were offered time to share testimony of what the day and the accomplishment meant to them. A few students welcomed this opportunity to offer their thanks as they likely would not be standing as graduates without the generous support of our donors. They also expressed their gratitude for what they have learned from various counseling, guidance, or visitation sessions through the years and how they have already been able to and also plan to apply those things learned in their lives.

A guest speaker come to impart an encouraging message and the local leaders were also given a few minutes to challenge the students and parents. The gathering culminated in handing each graduate a certificate of recognition of their accomplishment from our program…and then taking lots of photos! Finally, we enjoyed Fanta (soda) and amandazi (bread) for everyone at the gathering and a special lunch at a local restaurant for the graduates and their parents.

These annual graduation celebrations are always an important time to commemorate the efforts of the students who are finishing and encourage the younger ones to strive towards the goal of their own graduation. It is also a hopeful time—seeing the potential in these graduates and anticipating all that they will continue to accomplish with the gifts and knowledge they possess.

Hannah Ingram
Interim Executive Director & Program Director
Urugo Care Rwanda

Remembering 25 Years

Rwanda, a country of beautiful, rolling, green hills and people who prize hospitality and find joy in the simplicity of daily life, is constantly changing and developing and looking toward a brighter future. This brightness is seen in contrast to some darkness in the country’s history not so long ago. Rwanda is currently in a period of commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi people that occurred 25 years ago…with these days focused on remembering those whose lives were lost and committing to never again allow such hatred and violence to grow in the hearts and minds of people.

On April 7, 1994, a tragic genocide was initiated targeting one people group (Tutsi) with the killing carried out by the other (Hutu). With guidance from Hutu leaders within the government, neighbors and even family members were encouraged to murder those close to them who were Tutsi. This unthinkable killing continued for 100 days and caused more than one million Tutsi deaths. There were heroes and there were perpetrators but all were Rwandan. Thankfully, there was an end to this horror though some deep effects are still felt today.

With a new government in power in these past 25 years, the focus has been on unifying the Rwandan people and bringing reconciliation and healing. There has been so much forgiveness and restoration that will only help this country to move forward towards their brighter future…together. Rwandans are proud of their culture and the ways they are working to build this nation…remembering what has come before but not dwelling on that darkness. Instead, it is a motivating force for growth and resiliency and hope for the days to come.

Several of the secondary students sponsored by Urugo Care Rwanda are actively involved in clubs at school that are focused on promoting this unity and peace within the country. They also teach and encourage fellow students to fight against any genocide ideology that may still be simmering. These students are leading the way in claiming a brighter future.

Remember—unite—renew.

Photos of some of the children who were killed in the Genocide.

The names of some of those who were killed and now laid to rest in mass graves at the Genocide Memorial in Kigali.

Mass graves at the Genocide Memorial in Kigali holding about 250,000 of the more than 1,000,000 people killed during the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994.

In closing, here are some remarks shared by President Paul Kagame at the commemoration ceremony last Sunday: “Rwanda became a family, once again. The arms of our people, intertwined, constitute the pillars of our nation. We hold each other up. Our bodies and minds bear amputations and scars, but none of us is alone. Together, we have woven the tattered threads of our unity into a new tapestry. … Our nation has turned a corner. Fear and anger have been replaced by the energy and purpose that drives us forward, young and old. … We Rwandans have granted ourselves a new beginning. We exist in a state of permanent commemoration, every day, in all that we do, in order to remain faithful to that choice.”

Hannah Ingram
Program Director
Urugo Care Rwanda

Single parent family saves enough money for a store and a house

Mama Parfait is a single mother (of Parfait, Jules, and Liza) and has been renting one small room for the past 10 years as their home. Prior to this year, Parfait was actually staying elsewhere with an aunt and attending school there so there was less of a burden on his mama...but she brought him home to be part of our program, though I'm sure that has also added difficulty for her. She has worked a variety of jobs, mostly with short-term contracts, doing things such as being a construction helper, cooking, and cleaning. Most recently, she had a job cooking for a family but that position ended at the end of August after the employer lost his job.

A few weeks ago, Mama Parfait called our staff Bosco to tell him that she had shifted her family to a new home (still in the village of Akindege) that has two rooms! She invited him to come and visit. When he did, he was pleasantly surprised to see the increased space and that she was using part of the front room as a small boutique (shop) selling some vegetables and other household items. He asked her where she got the money to do this. She replied that two years ago she had a conversation with her kids and discussed how she dreamed they could save some money to be able to one day own their own business. They bought a wooden box that has a slot in the top but no way to open except for breaking. She and the kids all agreed that they would add money to the box each day, even if it meant sacrificing eating or spending money on other needed things. The kids partnered with her in this, adding their own money if they ever received it, and also encouraging her each day to add something to the box, even a small coin. They planned to save money in the box for three years before breaking it. After being sponsored by Urugo Care Rwanda this year, they were able to save even more than before. They decided to break the box after just two years and found it contained about 240,000rwf. This enabled them to rent a larger house and they decided to start a business of having a boutique to sell a variety of things. It is going very well so far and they are hopeful to obtain many customers to keep growing their business. You can see the joy in their faces in the photos below!

Liza and the vegetables!

Household items: spices, salt, sugar, pasta, oil, juice, water, toothpicks, soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc. Many important and high-demand items!

The happy family team (missing Parfait)!

We have helped them by easing the burden of paying school fees but this family has also done the incredible work of thinking of this plan and being unified and committed to carrying it out...without our help! This is beautiful and exactly what we hope for in walking alongside our families in Rwanda.

Thanks for your sacrifices that encouraged this family as they were making their own sacrifices as we partner with them to meet their full potential!

Hannah Ingram
Program Director

FAMILY PHOTOS!

At the beginning of April when all of the students were home for a break between the first and second trimesters of school, we arranged for a local professional photographer to come and take a photo of each family. The parents and kids were dressed in some of their best duds and ready to pose for the camera! It was a bit tricky gathering everyone together and a few families were missing a person or two, but overall it was a successful endeavor!

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Stacks of family photos ready for distribution!

At the beginning of April when all of the students were home for a break between the first and second trimesters of school, we arranged for a local professional photographer to come and take a photo of each family. The parents and kids were dressed in some of their best duds and ready to pose for the camera! It was a bit tricky gathering everyone together and a few families were missing a person or two, but overall it was a successful endeavor!

Hannah Ingram
Program Director
Urugo Care Rwanda

"Thank you for this beautiful photo and the joy it brings to my life. I am glad that when visitors come they will see this photo." 
~Mama Parfait