Since Januar 2019 we have had 3 classes ( Senior 4 – 6 ) in this area with a total of 109 students in the field of construction.

The number of 24 young women in total is particularly pleasing.

In November 2019 the students of class 6 passed the national exam. We are very curious about whether all students have passed the exams.

We will inform you as soon as the results are available in February/March 2020.

With this new education branch in the senior classes of the Secondary School Kirinda we can make a major contribution to solving the problem of youth unemployment in this very rural region.

We would like to offer professional education in ‘Construction’ to all students of the upper classes and to make students aware of practical apprenticeship and training.

Our targets:

To give young people in and around Kirinda the chance for a profound professional education with a job guarantee and, respectively, to offer preference to technical training in a branch with great demand instead of academic studies.
Based on the experiences in Ruhango and Butare we will start with 30 students in the first year. The medium-term plans are to have 3 classes with 30 students each per year.

Results expected:

• Qualified male and female master-builders with certificate “Construction Master” in Kirinda
• Improvement of the infrastructure in the local regions
• Support of the entrepreneur culture by setting up small, independent, local construction companies in Kirinda
• The increasing rate of graduates working in employment in local construction companies as well as in international firms active in Rwanda

A considerable start-up capital (EUR 10,000) will be required for establishing this new education branch “Construction” at the IPK with an additional building and the equipment for classrooms and workshops.

For the special lessons, a qualified teacher (a trainer with special skills in construction) will be necessary 1 – 2 times per week for the beginning. The medium-term plans provide a full-time trainer job. The costs for salary will be borne by IPK.

Based on different fundraising actions (charity cooking session, betterplace.org, donations from different foundations and companies etc.) JMFA could already collect the majority of the money needed and could dispose of the start-up capital for constructing the new building and for buying necessary materials.

At the same time, the new education branch will be registered at the Ministry of Education. As soon as buildings are erected and the workshops are set up the ministry will check for approval and the lessons can start. There is a close connection to the schools in Ruhango and Butare so that their local experiences can find consideration in Kirinda’s curriculum. Additionally, these 3 schools will be in close contact with construction companies to help young people gaining practical experience during their training.

As to be seen on the photos the construction of the new workshop building is in very advanced progress and in December 2016 the necessary tools and instruments could be bought. With the start of the new semester on January 23, 2017, our first class of constructors, comprising 36 students, could be opened. We are very proud of the fast realization of this department which could be achieved by the appreciated support of the Mirja-Sachs-Foundation, the Lux Foundation, our benefit event, and by our numerous private donators.

Many thanks to all of you and good luck and success to all our students. We are looking forward to the following school years.

And, of course, we will keep you informed about the progress.

The post Looking for Constructors appeared first on JMFA.

Phase 3:

At the end of 2015 the third phase of the water project could be launched. On April 28, 2016 Tobias Fiedler and Erna Schneider from Engineers without Frontiers went to Kirinda for 2.5 weeks and started the project with purchasing equipment, surveying and mapping works as well as with first excavations.

The excavations were carried out mainly by Kirinda’s citizens who did that voluntarily in teamwork.

In addition first talks had taken place with the landowners regarding compensatory payments.

It is the aim of phase 3 to include two further springs and to build a new water pipe of about 4 km in length which brings the water to the cistern so that enough water will be available for the citizens. Sand filters and gravel embedded into the cistern improve the cleaning process of the water.

Moreover, various watering taps are planned along the pipe route to shorten the way for water access for the surrounding houses.

According to the latest calculations, phase 3 will amount to EUR 44,000 and will be financed completely by donations of the Röchling Stiftung (the foundation of the company Röchling GmbH) – as it was already done with phases 1 and 2.

In total 4 groups with 2 persons, each from Engineers without Frontiers will travel to Kirinda. The first group with Erna Schneider and Tobias Fiedler just came back. In between the stays of the different German groups, there are short breaks during which the population of Kirinda is going on to work on the project under the supervision of the Rwanda group of Engineers without Frontiers. These works comprise mostly forest clearance and excavations for the pipe routes.

The completion of phase 3 is expected for the end of August 2016.

Previous phases 1 and 2:

Phase 1:

Setting up of a rainwater tank and mounting of rainwater gutters on buildings. So, the primary and secondary school have a 10,000 l water tank for their disposal which takes up the rainwater by the gutters and roof rails. This water is good for the handwashing at the schools and for laundering the clothes for the citizens of Kirinda.

Phase 2:

Checking and – if necessary – repairing and renovating the existing spring tappings to increase the water volumes. There are already three springs connected to a cistern in the village. This cistern was financed in 2008 by Junge Menschen für Afrika (Young People for Africa).

To guarantee the future maintenance of the water supply system a small amount of money (the so-called watercent) will be levied for the use of water. With this money, a craftsman will be financed who is responsible for the technical support and who has already been involved in the realization of the project.

A special thanks goes to Röchling Stiftung GmbH (the foundation of the company Röchling GmbH) which have taken over the necessary funds to realize this big water project.

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

The post Let the Water Run appeared first on JMFA.

The new academic year for the tailor’s apprenticeship started in January 2016.

50 people applied for the jobs but we had only space to train 10-12 women and men. So we had again to make a choice amongst the applicants this year and 18 young women started on February 2th with their education.

From last year’s course, 14 students successfully finished their sewing education. Nine of them already paid back the credits for their sewing machines. All students, as well as the two teachers (Clementine and Françoise), get a weekly English lesson from Dianah Samanya, the JMfA (Young People for Africa) English teacher.

Apprenticeship

In the tailor’s studio in Kirinda young men and women are trained for free as tailors. Two female tailors from Kirinda teach them how to use the sewing machines and how to pattern and make own clothes.

For one year the young people attend lessons every Monday to Friday from 8 am to 2 pm to learn and practise the use of sewing machines, paper patterns and their transfer to cloths. Bags, school uniforms, different kinds of clothing and many more handmade articles belong to the product range they have to fulfil.

The aim of the traineeship is to provide the basis for their own livelihood for all graduates from Kirinda and the surroundings.

Support by JMfA (Young people for Africa)

JMfA is sponsoring the purchase of sewing machines to the students. However, half of the purchase price is only granted as a loan which the students have to pay back to JMfA from their income as a tailor.

In addition, JMfA takes over the rent for the room where the education takes place.

And JMfA has been supporting so far all graduates by ordering hand-made bags which are sold on Christmas markets and bazaars in Germany.

Education

Graduation

The post Fine Feathers Make Fine Birds appeared first on JMFA.

In addition to this positive news, there were other positive changes in kindergarten. In the past year, more staff were hired and therefore three kindergarten teachers and three helpers are currently working in the kindergarten and it was possible to establish another class. The two nursery nurses and the nursery nurse have already completed several further training courses at the Ecole Etoile kindergarten in Rubengera, which has significantly improved the quality of the teaching. In the meantime, the kindergarten enjoys a very good reputation in the Kirinda region. Last year, a fence was built around the kindergarten, which now offers the kindergarten children a retreat room in front of the primary school children. The costs for the fence in the amount of 2000 € were paid by donations, the maintenance is taken over by the E.P.R. Kirinda.

But it does not only apply to give an education to the children. Also the parents. In April this year, a meeting took place in the kindergarten Kirinda. There the following points were discussed together with the parents, the 6 coworkers, pastor and our coordinator Francine: Hygiene, opening hours, fees, uniforms and the parents’ council was elected. Since mid-January 2019, about 140 children have been attending kindergarten in Kirinda.

Kindergarten

Graduation

The post Children’s Power appeared first on JMFA.

Again the English Club of the I.P.K. performed their popular theatre production at the end of the academic year for the complete school society. The performance consisted of a debate, sketches, dances, and music. The event took place in cooperation with the English Club of ESI, the secondary school in Shyembe, and was a huge success.

The I.P.K. English Club meets 3 times a week after the end of the lessons from 5 pm to 6 pm. It is a voluntary get-together of students from different educational levels who want to improve their English knowledge by studying together with the English teacher and the volunteers of JMfA (Young people for Africa). Activities in the English Club comprise reading texts and articles, practising vocabulary, leading debates, and performing plays.

Last year the local state-run secondary school, the 9 Years Basic Education, started their own English Club. It consists of 85 active members with Dianah, our JMfA English teacher as the head.

Thanks to numerous donations we could provide a set of T-shirts for the members of the English Club.

The post English for Everybody appeared first on JMFA.

In 2013 we installed a library with numerous books for the primary school and the 9-year basic school.

Meanwhile, the library is finding more and more approval and we are about to recruit the first female students who finished school as new coworkers. Noella, for example, a former student of the IPK,  is now working in the library of the 9 years basic and primary school.

Last year a large number of new books could be bought and they are all catalogued meanwhile. Ferdinand, the librarian of the IPK library, could participate in further training at the Rwanda library in Kigali during the December holidays. Next year he will familiarize the librarian of GS Kirinda with his newly achieved knowledge.

Computer Science

15 laptops were sponsored by the company SAG, Germany, for the newly installed computer science class at IPK in 2014. These laptops are at the disposal for the students for their special lessons during the day. In the evening all other students may use the laptops for computer research as well.

Library

Computer Science

The post From Analogue to Digital appeared first on JMFA.

In 2020, 78 pupils were supported by the sponsorship project.

Primary School

In primary school the base for a good education for children is built. But inspite of all education we will never forget the fun.

(have a look at the photo gallery)

Final Exam

Primary School

The post Congratulations! appeared first on JMFA.

The goat project has been developed as a runner meanwhile. Since the beginning 750 goats have been distributed to women of the Kirinda region. The project works according to the principle that every first little baby goat has to be given to the next woman on the list. All further little goat kids stay with the owner. The list had been made by E.P.R. As all women of the close Kirinda region, who were on this list, meanwhile got their own goat the distribution is expanded to Ingabire village which belongs to the larger Kirinda region after the restructuring process of E.P.R. And there are still lots of women on the list waiting for a goat.

Who is interested in donating a goat?

By the way, a goat is a perfect birthday present for a friend or relative.

What’s the price of a goat?

EUR 35 (once)

Who gains a profit?

Single women in Rwanda. The goat delivers milk, fertilizer and baby goats and thus leads to a sustainable improvement of life quality for women and their children.

What is my profit?

A beautiful button with our goat project logo and a donation receipt.

Where do I get more information?

Send an email to info@jmfa.de

How can I donate?

Just transfer € 35.00 to our donation account on the right with the reference „Goat Project“.

The post The Goat Project appeared first on JMFA.

In North Rwanda, the potato has been cultivated successfully for a long time already. Due to lava the consistency of soil is of excellent quality and enables perfect growing. In all other parts of Rwanda, the potato is one of the rare cultivation plants.

As the condition of the soil in West Rwanda is extremely different from that of the North, JMfA started firstly with a pilot project to see if there could be any successful cultivation of potatoes.

After digging and turning the fields at the end of July 2015 the first seedlings could be set at the beginning of September. All in all € 3,400 had been invested into this pilot project.

In December 3,000 kgs of potatoes could be harvested! Considering the 1,000 kgs of seedlings this was a good success – although the yield of the North could not be achieved. There had been to much rain, unfortunately. But the pilot project had shown that – in principle – it is possible to cultivate potatoes in Rwanda’s West.

Potatoes help the people to improve nutrition and to bring more variety onto the table. Moreover, people’s income will be increased if the potato can be planted in larger quantities throughout the region. A perfect stop to get a bit away from corn and to test new things.

How will things go on?

In order to prevent plants and soil from illnesses, the cultivation of the fields has to rotate. That means at present corn is growing on the fields and in August 2016 the second phase of the potato cultivation will start.

Moreover, JMfA is planning to offer lessons in agriculture so that the students learn in detail how to cultivate potatoes and other vegetables.

The post Potatoes conquer Rwanda’s West appeared first on JMFA.

A TV-team in Kirinda? Things like rarely happened so far. During the distribution of about 3600 trees to the secondary school students (9-Years) in Kirinda not only the Regional Executive Secretary of Murambi Section, Pastor Karangwa Prince, and all directors of the local schools had been present but also representatives of Junge Menschen für Afrika (Young People for Africa) could be heartily welcomed. Evode, the coordinator of JMfA, as well as Francine Musabeyezu, an agronomist with a university degree, working for this project since October 2012, attended the ceremony during which paw-paw plants, avocados, maracujas, tamarillos, as well as small lemon and orange trees had been given to the students. The Rwanda Television Station „Rwanda TV“ recorded the scene and broadcasted the report about the „One Tree per Child Project“ in the evening news on television.

Before and after the launch of the project outdoor lessons have been held on the fields of the pilot project to teach the students how to cultivate and care for the seedlings and young plants. As special motivation the so-called „Imudugudus“ (small village communities) are being inspected and evaluated. 6 – 8 months after the project start there is a final inspection and those students with the most healthy and well-kept trees are going to get a prize.

Liane Stähle stayed two additional days in Kirinda to meet the scholarship students, to visit the English Club, and to see various families within the Imudugudus where primary and 9-year-basic students had planted their trees at home. All students had put their theoretical knowledge excellently into practice and looked after their own trees as they had learnt during the works in the fields. It was very nice to see how much interest the parents showed as well and how proud they were to provide the space for the young plants at their homes.

In a total, nearly 20.000 trees had been distributed in and around Kirinda during this project. There even could be seen as the first small fruits on the trees planted first.

Within the framework of the „One Tree per Child Project, “ there are regular visits to the trees and to the groups which the children and young people founded for their agricultural work. In October 2013 the first four winners could be nominated. It had been promised that those who care best for their trees will get a prize. The winners were two girls of the primary school and two girls of secondary school. Each of them got a goat.

The post One Tree On TV appeared first on JMFA.