Build A Meeting Room For "Left Behind" Students

The donors have been very generous throughout 2023. Thank you to all of you, it has made it possible for many improvements to happen. The Batwa community has taken responsibility for much of the physical labor to build the new toilets for the community. HDI and PSA donors have supported purchasing the supplies needed for building all of the toilets, concrete, metal roofs, wood, and fasteners. Early in 2023 rain barrels, metal sheets, and jerry cans were given to the community, and rain gutters were installed by the carpenters in the community, Making it much easier for everyone to have water for all their needs,  the community decided to renovate one of the water tanks that had been damaged years ago, and  Patching it and setting it up for rain catchment meant; they had water through much of the dry season. Now there is movement towards patching another of the broken tanks and setting it up near Irerero preschool so there is more water for daily use.

Both the new toilets and better access to water have made it easier for everyone to practice better hygiene. 

HDI continues to add classes on health, sanitation, education, and cultural activities, at Cyaruzinge Village.

 Please open the attachment, highlighting HDI through 2023

• Kwibanda_HDI_December_2023.jpg_.pdf._jpeg.pdf (PDF)
  

 Dear Pygmy Survival Alliance supporters, 

Building Meeting Rooms. Great progress has been made. The windows and doors are installed. The water pipes have been moved to outside where the excess water runs away from the building protecting the foundation. The classroom is full of students five days a week. The building still needs painting on the inside, and furnishings added. The room where the water pipes were removed, the villagers are uising the room by renting it for a variety of meetings. This room needs adult chairs and electricity added so meetings can be held later in the evenings. A complete success. 

The Cultural Center /Expanded Preschool is going through the nex phase of design. We are looking into the Zoneing rules and government Cultural rules and the preschool requirements. So much to decide before breaking ground. 

The kithen has been bilt and the feeding program is being expanded again. Started out a program for the children attending the preschool program. Now it is the children 3 months old through finishing preschool. Plus all children who attend Saturday sports and all the children who show up are fed a cup of porridge and a hard boild egg. Twice a week hard boiled eggs are added to the nuitrician and a cup of milk, on some days. The women who are cooking the porridge have added taking cups of porridge to villagers who are too ill to leave the house. Expanding taking care of each other, when needed. 

Vocational Education is expanding. The students who complete their training are taking on teaching the young people who are wanting to learn sewing and beautician work. Keeping the payments in the community. The program is only a few months along. It seems to be working out well.

Soccer is still very popular with the community, and the children are still playing as often as possible. Saturdays are very competitive with the adults and children.  Neighboring soccer teams come to join the activity and the compitition is high. Uniforms, balls and porridge remain exciting and popular. 

Colaborating with the community on projects is quite a shift for all of us, the resut is the community of Pygmies are taking on more and more of the general responsibilitys. They have elected members of the commnity to be the leaders. They are stepipng up and fullfilling the duties of people incharge. 

Links:

• The high end venue where the Amakondera troop wants to preform
• Cyaruzinge people showing skills to visitors
• Visitors to Cyaruzinge village shop and watch skills.