Feed the Children!

Bampire, now a young woman in the Cyaruzinge Village, Graduated from high school and went on to business school training. A PSA donor believed that education of one would change the poverty of the Batwa community. Bampire is now back in the community using the education she achieved. She is now the woman in charge of the newly built kitchen, using her skills to keep financial records and to operate the complicated feeding of 105 Irerero preschool children and the neediest of the primary school children. 

Feeding over 100 people is a big undertaking. The two cooks purchase the supplies needed to feed portage before school every day. They are busy preparing the porridge, feeding the preschoolers, and cleaning up afterward. These daily tasks include keeping the exterior of the kitchen tidy for ongoing drop-in government officials looking to create a similar government program for the many malnourished Rwandan preschool-aged children. Thank You to all of you PSA donors who funded the build a kitchen project.

In Rwanda much of the summer of 2021 had strict lock-down rules, due to COVID-19. These mandates were very difficult for the Cyaruzinge community. Thanks to all of you who were able to contribute to providing food for the Cyaruzinge community. Things are much better now because they were fed during the pre vaccine’s arriving in Kigali struggles. People are back to work, the children are going to school. 

The land that has been purchased for the building of the Cultural and basic Education has been planted in beans and cassava (yucca) as it waits for the next steps in the building. The old women in the village took on the cultivation of the ground, PSA gave them chicken manure, as it has fewer insects embedded in it that will damage the crops. Thank you donators for supplying the cost of manure and seeds.    

One of the young women who attended seamstress training and the two young men in vocational training to become welders have finished their school training and have now been placed in internships, securing their training to employment. All of this has been made possible by the generous gifts of the PSA donors. We also have a new vocational student for seamstresses training who started last week.  

68 Cyaruzinge children, age 7 to 12, are attending primary school. Rwanda has a new requirement for school children. The fee to feed them lunch has to be paid quarterly for them to attend. This is a good requirement, but many of the families do not have the money. PSA has agreed to subsidize the families who don’t have the funds. This will ensure the children will be fed and go to school, a double win.

Cyaruzinge also has three students in 9 Program (High School), two girls and one boy. PSA donors have supported these children. Thank You, these children are the near future of the community. 

Dear Pygmy Survival Alliance Supporters, 

Cyaruzinge Village Progress Report

July 30, 2021

By Perrilee Pizzini - Project Leader

All of the homes have Electricity. This has changed their place in the District, giving them status with the Government.  Thank You Local 46 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Covid-19 is still a trial. Lockdowns, they are not allowed to leave the District, which limits the ability to do day-labor. Everyone must be home by 5 pm. Still, Covid is spreading. Only 3% of the people in Rwanda have been vaccinated. All of the doses are distributed as soon as they arrive in the country. Hunger is upon them; we are again bringing food to the people of Cyaruzinge and Masoro

The villagers are excited to share with you all of the progress that has been made by groups within the village and individuals. They are learning the skills so they can fix their homes themselves.  

The rain finally did stop and the bricks have been made for the Amakondera community kitchen that has been designed to Feed the Children. We have enough bricks made and stockpiled to make the kitchen and our hope is to start the program when school opens in September. It has been arranged to install electricity and plumbing to the new kitchen as well.

This Kitchen to Feed the Children has inspired the community to make more bricks so they can add to the wealth of the community by building more outdoor kitchens. For the 52 homes, there have been only five kitchens. They have the skills to build the kitchens, but not the money for the roofing and the door. We are excited that they have taken the lead to ask for this assistance with their project to improve their lives. 

Repairs are needed on an existing kitchen that was damaged in the hail storm last winter, needs a new roof and a protective coating over the brick walls. 

Irerero (the nursery school) finished out the school year with the children happy and celebrating their accomplishments. (See attached video of children parading with glee.) 

The six people who received micro-loans are pleased with the progress they are making with their businesses.

Four young mothers have started sewing vocational classes. Two teens have been sent to a live-in vocational school for welding. Welding safety equipment including shoes, gloves, and goggles was delivered to Mugabo and Charis. 

Three young women have finished their beautician classes and now two are doing internships with a salon owner; the third is now pregnant and will wait until after the baby is born to do an internship. When they have their certification as qualified beauticians they will open a salon. 

The other trade school students are continuing their education, however, because of the lockdown, there are many times the schools are closed stretching out the length of time of completing the course. 

The brochette stick business continues but it is now slowed because of the Covid lockdown.

The children continue to play football (soccer) in the community square. Preparing for team events when Covid restrictions allow gatherings. 

Claude wants to thank everyone who contributed to the purchase of his auto. It has contributed greatly to his ability to do the work to help the community help themselves.

The elder people in Rwanda have been given the COVID-19 vaccine and that includes the old people in the Cyaruzinge community. They were pleasantly surprised because they are Batwa, the forgotten people in history. Exciting and uplifting to not be discriminated against. Their standing as people has risen within Rwanda which leads to them believing they are worthy of educating their children. 

No one in the Village has gotten sick with Covid-19 because they work at staying safe by social distancing.

Links:

• Irerero Children singing