Hearts for Rwanda

What a better way to support vulnerable children than to have our youth step up and make a commitment to make a difference. I have truly had the privilege to work with Haley Justice, one of the youth at St. Paul's United Methodist Church and senior at the State College High School. For her senior class project she agreed to coordinate Hearts for Rwanda, an art show and exhibit, featuring art by Rwandan youth and children from St. Paul's UMC.

The day featured art, opportunities for children to experience the culture by seeing traditional Rwandan dance performed by Grace Hakizimana and Janviere and experiencing other cultures.

As Haley shared, "It was about bringing community together to celebrate children's art. We raised $1,157.00 which is very exciting. The August mission team had raised $11,500 for the Cyakabiri Faith Primary School. With the help of this event, it was made possible to make the final $1,000 payment to finish paying off the classroom commitment. It turned out sort of ironic. It brings the whole project together. A senior project for high school in the end earning money for another classroom on the other side of the world. There is a much bigger picture than what I participated in, and I'm so thankful I got to be a snippet of it. I learned so much and had a lot of fun".

And Arlene Brown, founder of the Urukundo Children's Home shared her thoughts. "Hearts for Rwanda is such an awesome event. Haley needs to come to visit Urukundo and meet the kids. Our children are our strength for the future. Young people like Haley are making a difference. Please thank her for me and for all the Urukundo kids."

Yes, anyone can make a difference. Don't wait. Step up and give voice for vulnerable children in Africa and throughout the world. Make that first step...and continue one step at a time.

Photos:
*The back of each piece of art featured the artist and a little about them
*Haley Justice
*Kids captivated by Rwandan dance
*Grace sharing her gift of dance
*Art from Rwanda

Help Make Joy

Sunday School children, book clubs, alternative Christmas, preschool global giving projects. What do they have in common? Marc, 11 yrs old, says it best, "I got to help make joy for the people of Rwanda. We gave money for a pig and desks. It was really cool."

The end of 2012 brought many joys and examples of giving that I knew God was smiling and blessing all the hands and feet serving. One little boy gave at Sunday School for a pig and said it was, "Special. Heart soaking." Barb said with a smile, "For the past several years I've given a donation as an alternative to purchasing a Christmas gift for my parents. This year I chose to honor them by giving a gift of desks and chairs for the new primary school. My parents were so touched! They have always valued education, and this seemed like the perfect way to show our love for and support of the children of Rwanda."

Two women's book clubs were inspired to give towards desks, bookshelves and books. Gail shared, "Learning and loving to read is one of the most wonderful gifts given to us all. It opens the world around us. We chose having bookshelves for your classroom to enable you to fill the world around you with books, books, books!" And Darlene, from a book club said, "All children deserve the chance to receive an education. It is the building block for a nation."

So for 2013, be creative, think BIG and connect people, schools and organizations to the Urukundo Children's Home and Learning Center. They will fall in love with the children, understand how something small can mean something big in Rwanda and KNOW they are truly making a difference. Share the stories of Urukundo with others to give them the opportunity to "Help Make Joy" all year long!!!!

Photos:
*A State College Book Club
*4th & 5th grade boys Sunday School class at St. Paul's United Methodist Church leading the fundraiser for "Hammy" the pig
*Cathy chose an armful of books to sponsor and write a special message.
*Gail/Nana and Caleb love their special time reading and giving to Urukundo.

Giving Project

The Penn State Child Care Center at Hort Woods chose the Urukundo Children's Home and Learning Center as their Global Giving Project for 2012!!

Families and teachers donated to help furnish the new primary school. Almost $400 was collected, enough to buy 6 children's desks and chairs, a bookshelf and teacher supplies.

The winner of the drawing for the Rwandan basket was Nest of Wonder teacher, Cassie Massaker. She shared, "I like the idea of a partnership with classes at each school as it is never too early to learn about other countries and appreciate what we have. I realized some of the children knew more about Rwanda than I did. They inspired me to learn what THEY had to share. And now with Grace Hakizimana, a Rwandan teacher at our school sharing her stories, it brings more life into the classroom partnership. She makes it all more real."

As Cassie admired her basket she asked me to tell her about it. Before I did she mentioned she was getting married this summer. I shared that it was appropriate that she was the winner as it is usually given to a couple when they get married. It represents Sharing, Saving and Solidarity. Sharing...the basket is given as a wedding gift filled with rice or beans. Saving...as the couple use the beans and rice, they refill it throughout their life. Solidarity...they are a part of their community.

Thank you Hort Woods for your generosity!!!!

Photos:
*Linda Reichert, Center Director
*Rwanda Display for parents and children
*Winner Cassie Massaker
*New desks and bookshelves

Partnerships

I asked Linda Duerr, Director of Programming at the Penn State Child Care Center at Hort Woods, to share about our classroom to classroom partnership.

"The idea for the partnership between Rwanda and Hort Woods emerged almost as if it was planned and yet, it was quite natural and spontaneous. Over a year ago, Carol Falke contacted me about the possibility of having our preschool children and teachers connect with preschool children and teachers in Rwanda.

Helping very young children have a global perspective and come to an understanding of the diversity of our world is a challenge. They are only just beginning to understand the world outside their own homes after all. In order to make this type of social studies curriculum meaningful it is necessary to consider how to present it to children in a developmentally appropriate manner.

I put the idea to one of our master teachers, Nina Fellin, and she took the ball and ran with it. Meaningful and rich curriculum has emerged with her guidance and support. We also have a teacher from Rwanda in our school and are able to learn about Rwanda in a very authentic way by way of her sharing her culture with us. We have exchanged images, drawings, artifacts and words to help us all understand the world of our friends in a small country so far away. We have formed a global connection between our two learning communities.

Photos:
*Grace Hakizimana, a teacher from Rwanda sharing her culture
*Linda Duerr and Nina Fellin at the preschool
*Nina's class learning about Rwanda

Kids to Kids

Partnerships continue with schools and children. Caroline, an 8 year old, was one of the "Kids in Mission" team members at St. Paul's United Methodist Church that collected over 300 pairs of flip flops and crocs for Rwanda. She and her older sister Emma also sponsored books for Rwanda and wrote a special message inside them. As third graders, children studied Africa. Caroline told her teacher, Linda Margusity, that she knew about Rwanda and the next thing I knew I was asked to speak to over 50 children in 3rd grade at Mt. Nittany Elementary School, State College, PA. A new partnership was formed with two teachers, Linda Margusity and Tia Burget and their students.

I shared stories and photos about the geography, culture, poverty, children, schools and why I was going to Rwanda. The children were curious, attentive and asked brilliant questions. I also shared art pieces......baskets, musical instruments, fabric and dung art that received a few "ews".

These two classes will be collecting buttons and saving them in 2 Rwandan baskets. Several 3rd graders will work with their teachers to prepare lesson plans on how to use buttons in teaching. These lesson plans will be given as a gift to the teachers and children in Rwanda. They will also work on a small art project using the buttons that I will present to one of the classes. The class in Rwanda will then create an art project for me to bring back and share. Art will be exchanged across the world.

I look forward to sharing about a school writing project that is in the works.

Photos:
*Presentation on Rwanda
*Not too sure about Dung Art
*Sisters, Emma, Caroline on the right. Children can lead the way!!!!

A Tale of Two Baskets

Building partnerships is a wonderful aspect of the mission in Rwanda. Bringing children together and teachers together. For over a year, The Child Care Center at Hort Woods on the Penn State campus has been "Picture Pals" with a class at the Cyakabiri Preschool in Rwanda. They have shared drawings and stories about themselves as well as compared what is the same and what is different in their classrooms.

Most recently they are comparing baskets that are unique to their geographic regions. Each are hand-made and have stories to share. The Rwanda basket, given at weddings filled with beans or rice represents Sharing, Saving and Solidarity. The apple basket, made by a local artisan in Pennsylvania, is made of maple and ash. The children visited trees on the campus to have their photos taken and picked leaves to press then sent to Rwanda with me. Booklets were made using photographs to show how each of the baskets were made.

In August I took 7 Rwandan preschool teachers and 9 teens from Urukundo to see this demonstration by a woman basket maker. For many it was the first time they had seen someone in their own country make the baskets. Learning continues to open new horizons across the world.

Conversations and observations will continue as children compare these baskets. What they are used for, trees and fruit in each country and stories of those that make the baskets.

What is next? Handmade musical instruments.

New Primary School

Thank you for being patient while I took a break from my Blog. It has been a busy fall as I was making many new connections with schools, local organizations, individuals and churches. Did I say I was "retired"? Now I am writing again to share with you all the blessings. Blogs that will lead up to my next trip in March 2013.

When our team left Rwanda in September, the new primary school was still in the early stages of construction with walls going up. Our team committed to sponsoring one of the 3 classrooms and have almost reached our goal. Now it is nearing completion for the January start of school.

Desks and chairs for the 80 students are being made in Rwanda. I thank the many groups and individuals that are stepping up to help purchase these as well as bookcases and storage cabinets. Soon these desks will be full of excited, smiling children, ready to learn.

Who are these children? The recent graduates, 6 year olds from the Cyakabiri Preschool. Children that have been in school for a year because many in the US have supported Mama Arlene's vision for education. Luki and Claude, from the Urukundo Children's Home, are best friends and ready to meet new educational challenges.

Photos of the first day of school in mid-January will be posted! So check back!

My next blog will feature school and classroom to classroom partnerships called "picture pals".