Exciting things are happening in Muhanga (formerly Gitarama)!!!
The ground is breaking for the next important step in our dormitory project!
I will continue to post the newest updates at the top of the page...
Don't ask me where the tractor came from...I have been to Rwanda 3 times and I have never seen one there. This should speed things up for sure. Kevin
Exciting photos from the ground breaking at ACEJ! Rain has caused some delays but progress is being made. We are excited to share the photos sent to us by Mr. Gatare, Head Master of ACEJ!
More photos will follow as they are sent in from ACEJ!
Let's take a step back and have a look at the 25th Anniversary of ACEJ, and a celebration that we will always remember!
The students put on a dance extravaganza that featured the culturally important dances of their ancestors.
Students also presented skits and orations appropriate to this auspicious day!
Dignitaries from across the small country and local governments came to share in the celebration!
People that I hope sometime you will get to meet in person. They are critical to our success in Muhanga and are key in communications about the project. It would be my pleasure to introduce them to you personally given that you take the opportunity to travel to Rwanda with me in the future.
Mr. Gaspard Gatare, Headmaster of the school shares important words that tell of the past history of ACEJ, and of what the future brings. The exciting future includes the dormitory that will house hundreds of students. He spoke to an audience that hung on his every word and then introduced me, Mr. Kevin to share what we had brought from the USA...the money that so many provided. It was delivered in person and with pride.
Mr. Theogene Ruzindana, another very important part of our dorm project in Rwanda. He is a long time, and special friend most of all. He is also an accountant at a major bank in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, about 45 minutes drive from the school's campus. He has agreed to handle all of our transfers of funds and also will be assisting in overseeing the project for us, the supporters and will be sending photos of progress and reports as construction is undertaken. We all look forward to his reports and input.
This is the inside view of the current dorm where up to 50 students share a single room. Everything that each students has with them, their clothes and personal belongings are on their bunk. Although well kept and remarkably clean, it is overcrowded and this environment is not suitable for promoting studying and demonstrates why a new facility is so important.
Below is the site of where the construction of the new dorm is breaking ground.
Below is the view that the students will wake to every morning...breathtaking no matter what part of the world you live in. Here in the "Land of the Thousand Hills" the outstanding scenery defies description and leaves one speechless in its splendor.
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Below is an article published in Rwanda regarding our contribution and the celebration at ACEJ. The picture is of Mr. Gatare the school's Headmaster, The President of the ACEJ Association, Erik Roys (you have to look closely to see him behind Mr. Gatare), and myself presenting the giant $55,000 check. Thank you again. I do wish you could have all been with us to present the check adn experience the moment with us. I believe it is the proudest day of my life. We were honored to represent all that pitched in to support the project. Sorry I don't have a translated version...I am working on that... Until then this will be a good test of your Kinyarwanda! |
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Ishuri ACEJ/Karama ryizihije isabukuru y’imyaka 25
Gahunda y’uburezi ikenewe ubu ni uko higa abana benshi kandi ababyeyi ubwabo bakagira uruhare rugaragara mu myigire y’abana babo. Ni muri urwo rwego ishuri ryisumbuye rya ACEJ/Karama ryubatswe n’ishyirahamwe ry’ababyeyi barenga ijana mu mwaka wa 1984, ryizihije isabukuru y’imyaka 25 ku cyumweru tariki ya 20/09/2009 hagamijwe kureba aho rigeze n’icyerekezo rifite mu gihe kiri imbere. Ishuri ACEJ/Karama ryubatse mu Murenge wa Muhanga, Akarere ka Muhanga, Intara y’Amajyepfo riri ku birometero hafi bitanu uvuye ku Karere ugana ku Kibuye, ababyeyi bemeye ko bazatanga inkunga ngo hubakwe inzu y’igorofa y’icumbi ry’abahungu kuko ubusanzwe ubu bacumbitse hanze y’ikigo, gusana amashuri atatu no kubaka laboratwari byose hamwe bifite agaciro ka miliyoni ijana na mirongo itatu n’cyenda (139.000.000 frw) bikazafasha abanyeshuri gutsinda kurushaho n’ubwo n’ubusanzwe icyo kigo gifite ishami ry’ibaruramari kibarirwa muri 20 bya mbere bitsinda ku birenga 800 ku rwego rw’igihugu. Muri ibyo birori hanatanzwe ibihembo ku bakozi bo mu kigo bagaragaje ubwitange, umwarimu w’indashyikirwa, umunyeshuri uhagarariye abandi n’Abanyamerika babiri b’inshuti z’ikigo, Bwana Kevin Stalder na Erik Roys bashyikirije ACEJ/Karama inkunga y’amadolari y’amanyamerika ibihumbi mirongo itanu na bitanu (55.000$) ni ukuvuga amafaranga y’u Rwanda arena miliyoni mirongo itatu (30.000.000 frw). Umuyobozi w’Akarere ka Muhanga, Madamu Mutakwasuku Yvonne yibukije abari bitabiriye ibyo birori ko abashyize hamwe imbaraga zabo zitizanya umurindi. Madamu Ivonne yashimiye ababyeyi barishinze kuko ubu ritanga umusaruro mwiza. Ikindi kandi ni uko gahunda ya « Garuka ushime » ari iyo gushyigikirwa kuko ineza itera ibyishimo umubyeyi. Yashimangiye ko ari abahize kera, ari abaharererwa n’abaharerera bakomeza ubufatanye bakiyubakamo icyizere bityo hakagerwa ku iterambere. Umuyobozi w’Akarere kandi yagarutse ku gutoza abana bakiri bato umuco wo kwifasha hagacika umuco mubi wo gusabiriza n’ubwo nta gihe utasindagizwa igihe utishoboye. Ati « Icy’ingenzi ni ukwiyubaka ubwacu, tukikura mu bukene duteza imbere uburere n’ubumenyi ». Ntiharatwa inkongoro, ahubwo abo zareze Bwana Gatare Gaspard, umuyobozi w’ishuri ryisumbuye rya ACEJ/Karama yibukije ko umuntu atabaho nta zina, akaba ariyo mpamvu umwaka wa mbere wahawe izina ry’Inkindi naho uwa kane ukitwa Indatwa. Kwita izina amashuri bikaba byaratangiye mu 2003. Hifujwe ko abarangije mbere nabo bazahabwa amazina. Kugira izina ni inkingi ikomeye ku banyeshuri bahiga mu myigire n’imyifatire yabo. Urumuri rwahawe abahize rukomeza kumurikira n’abahaza ubu. Ikindi kandi ni uko hataratwa inkongoro gusa, ahubwo abo zareze nk’uko umuyobozi w’icyo kigo yavuze, bitewe n’uko baboneka mu mirimo itandukanye nk’abadepite, abacamanza, abacungamari, abarezi n’abandi. Yongeyeho ko hategurwa uwo munsi bwari uburyo bwo gushimira ababyeyi bubatse iryo shuri no guhuza abahize ngo hashyirweho ihuriro ryabo, kumenyekanisha ibikorwa byagezweho n’ingorane zihari ndetse n’uburyo bwo kuzikemura. Hateganywa kuzanamo amashami ya siyansi mu gihe kiri imbere. Umwe mu babyeyi barishinze, Bwana Bizimana Christophe, yavuze ko barishinga babitewe n’uko abanyeshuri babaga barangije amashuri abanza batabonaga amashuri yisumbuye kubera gahunda y’iringaniza yari mu burezi. Naho Bwana Niyonteze Célestin uhagarariye abahize, yashimye ishyaka n’ubutwari ababyeyi barishinze bagize. Ashishikariza barumuna babo baryigamo kutazatezuka ku ntego y’uburere bwiza no gutsinda nk’uko bigaragarira mu mazina bagiye bitwa nk’Abadacogora, Abadahigwa, Ingenzi n’andi. Yasoje avuga ko ishema ry’abahize n’imyitwarire yabo n’uko bari ubu bubatswe n’icyo kigo cya ACEJ/Karama (Association de la Contribution de l’Eduction de la Jeunesse). Nyiraneza Judith
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Orinfor@Copyright
2009 E-mail: info@orinfor.gov.rw
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PROJECT RWANDA
ACEJ 2009
Association pour la Contribution a' l'Education de la Jeunnesse
(Association for Youth Education)
These beautifully engraved bricks are available to anyone that donates $100 or more for the ACEJ Dorm Project!
All donations are 100% tax deductible through the non-profit organization, Axiom International, and 100% of every cent that is donated goes directly to ACEJ. There are no hidden expenses or operating costs.
Help us make this dream a reality! Working with ACEJ Karama has been rewarding beyond anything we could comprehend. Completing this project can make an impact on generations of students in Rwanda, and help build educated, decision making adults in a country that faces many difficulties.
Buy a Brick
and make an impact that you never thought was possible!
Axiom International is an officially recognized 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. When making a donation, find out if you company provides for gift matching to non-profit organizations. We can supply the information needed to verify our status to maximize your gift
All donations are 100% Tax deductible!
The plans for the ACEJ dormitory project!
“Project Rwanda” was
born from an experience in Africa that involved students at a school, an
afternoon of sharing questions and answers in 3 languages, and a promise
to try to get those students the materials that would help them learn and
improve their possibilities for success in a country that isn’t
overflowing with success stories. That was in October of 2003.
In late summer of 2005 came the opportunity to return to Africa, Rwanda
specifically. Plans were made for the trip to be in December. The promise
to bring the supplies to the ACEJ Karama Secondary School in Gitarama was
taking on a life of its own. The endeavor took several months of planning,
telling stories of Africa and their needs, and frankly a lot of leg work.
During this time we made our intentions known to our friends and families,
those that we knew would care. With their assistance we were able to take
the students tuition money and nearly a thousand pounds of supplies
that made studying a little easier in Gitarama, the calculators were a
particularly big hit.
Now a new opportunity has arrived. It is an opportunity that not only will
impact the current students at ACEJ, but will affect the students and
people of Rwanda for generations.
A plan for a much needed dormitory is in the works and provides the chance
for everyone, including you, to pitch in to make it happen. One hundred
percent of the contribution that you are making, will go to the
construction of this much needed housing project, and will provide
students with a safe and comfortable place to live and study while
attending classes. This project has endless ramifications to the future of
this tiny African country by supporting a much needed education system.
We have made this project a priority and in doing so; we have made
contributing easy and rewarding for donors. Not only is EVERY CENT
collected dedicated to the cause with no hidden costs or agendas, EVERY
CENT is fully tax deductible.
The process is simple:
Write a check to the Ames based Non-Profit Organization: Axiom
International. On the memo line, write in “Rwanda Dorm Project” to
identify what project your donation is intended for. Mail it to Kevin
Stalder or Erik Roys (address information below) to ensure it will get to the Axiom
International Treasurer. After your check has been received, you will
receive a letter in the mail thanking you for your donation and providing
information of the 501(C3) status for you to use at tax time.
Your contribution is appreciated by all of us involved in making this ACEJ
Dormitory dream a reality, and we will keep you apprised of the
project’s progress as it grows. Most of all, the students of the ACEJ
Karama Secondary School in Gitarama, Rwanda will be speechlessly thankful
for this life changing gift.
Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills and is home to Virungas National Park and the largest and most endangered ape, the Mountain Gorilla.
Meet the kids of rural Rwanda near Gitarama. They live on a little dirt path we call "New Farm Road". These kids will be the new class of ACEJ Karama, and they need a safe Dormitory to live in while at school.
