Sewing Tech Center

Students and instructors work side by side. We have 3 students on scholarship, $96 for nine months that will finish in July. In September we will accept another three scholarship students. Let me know if you or your group would be interested in sponsoring one of them.

After graduating from our program we encourage them to use our center so they can improve their skills and be a part of the "community" that has grown out of it. If they go home to sew they are isolated again. And most cannot afford a sewing machine. Additional machines have been added as more use the center.

Almost all the work is based on orders. orders for school uniforms, traditional dress for special events, suits, mending and anything else others request. They also sew all the items that I sell in the US.

*Instructors and students
*Melanie (graduate), and students divine, Jacqueline, Marie Claire
*Melanie
*Center in action!

Desire

Last year we were fortunate to have Desire contact us wanting to work and teach at our Sewing Center. His specialty is embroidery and making suits.

I don't have his story but we are blessed to have him share his gift.

Divine

Last year my bible study group, Women of Faith, Hope and Love supported the sewing center in two ways. They helped purchase a much needed sewing machine for our Sewing Tech Center. The other was to support Divine, one of 3 students on scholarship. Each scholarship of $196 provides 9 months of training and some initial fabric. After they graduate they can continue coming to the sewing center to use the machines to earn a living.

The student we are sponsoring is Divine. She is 22 years old and has had a difficult life. I sat down with her and Grace, my translator, as she wanted to share her story.... Divine never knew her mother and her father died in an accident when she was 5 yrs old. She went to live with her grandmother and at 10 went to work for a family. It was not a good situation as they did not allow her to go to school, so she returned to her grandmother. Life had not been good. She only attended until grade 6.

When she was 14 years old she went to work for a family that was well off. The husband was an authority in government. That family moved to the Muhunga District, our area, where she met Therese our sewing instructor. Theresa saw how the sewing center could provide an opportunity for Divine to take care of herself. It was the first time she sewed and she thanks God and Theresa. She finishes her training in July with other students. Thank you for your support.

Ambassador

Saturday we had the opportunity to meet the new ambassador to Rwanda, Erica Barks-Ruggles. She was sworn in January 2015 having come from S. Africa. Staff of the Embassy and Americans working for NGOs and living in Rwanda were invited to the outside social for food, discussion and later an outdoor movie. We left before the movie as we try not to drive too late on the roads at night.

Highlights of the ambassadors comments:
*The embassy is there to promote US investments and trade to build the global economy and health & education.

*US policy is determined by US interests and most of the times they align and coincide. Projects must be sustainable and build democratic institutions.

*Peacekeeping - Rwanda is the 5th largest peacekeeping country in the world and 2nd in Africa after Ethiopia. There is a great coalition agreement between the US and Rwandan governments, US and Rwandan NGO's and the private sector.

*There are 30,000 US visitors a year that spend $300M.

*Assistance partners spend $180M / year with 65% supporting health projects, 25% education and 10% economic development programs.

*115 peace corps volunteers in Rwanda specialize in health and education, English learning and teaching in rural schools.

*New initiatives for 2015 will focus on peacekeeping, wildlife and climate change.

Belle Ange

Last year I was at a meeting of the Parent's Association for our school. During the discussion it was made known that one of the member's child had gone to our school but could no longer afford to send her. Her husband was in jail, two of her children were at secondary school which is expensive, so her youngest Belle Ange left our school to go to the public school. She had not been at our school for the term the first of the year.

It was March and a new term would start in April. After the meeting I asked our school director what the cost would be per term. $32 which meant $96 a year. I said I would pay for her last two terms so she could return to our school. I would continue to sponsor her as needed. All her mother knows is her daughter now had a sponsor. I was also told she had been a leader in her class and a good student.

So yesterday after being in the library I was walking with Esperance our high school graduate. I explained about the sponsorship and asked if she knew Belle Ange. She smiled and said yes that in fact she was standing three feet away from me, and that I had seen her the previous day performing during drama class. I had even taken a picture of her acting and didn't realize she was Belle Ange. Smiling I thought, "another God stop".

Here we are meeting for the first time. Now she smiles and comes up to me as we see each other.

Library

Our library moved in January to a house that adjoined our property. After renovations it is our school's new Cultural Center. I'll be sharing the many ways it is being used. Today its about the library.

How wonderful it is to see children loving books. After bringing almost 600lbs of books over the past 4 years, as well as many others bringing donations of books, the library has become a center of our school. Teachers, students and parents have access to it.

There's storytime, quiet time to find that perfect book to read, young adult and adult books, and books for research. Everyone is thrilled to have this as a part of the community.

Photo - Esperance, one of our Urukundo Home's high school graduates, is volunteering in the library for the summer. She is waiting to hear from several universities about her acceptance.

Living Things

I was in our new teacher resource center when a 3rd grade student came in to pick up the Reptile and Amphibian Kit for her teacher. It was a kit that I put together with a teacher friend to bring last year. It included plants for fish tanks, rubber lizards, chameleons, frogs, turtles, life cycle information as well as lesson plans on reptiles and amphibians.

The lesson today was on living things. Francois, a new teacher this year, was impressed to find this kits and others at our school to help in her teaching.

It's was a bit chaotic and noisy as she passed around the rubber animals. Some wanted nothing to do with them while others were captivated. Remember they were only rubber animals but they did have that squishy feel. She told the students they would continue the lesson throughout the month.

When I returned home last year I hoped the kits would be used. I was thrilled to see they were. I thank all the teachers from State College that were instrumental in working with me on the kits....Lynn Saxton (butterflies), Janet Lybarger (amphibians and reptiles) and Karen Eklund (magnetism). The teachers are compiling a list of additional kits and lesson plans they would like for their teaching.