Blog Archives

More Food Security Visits - 2 more new sites!

7/31/2014

Today were two more Food Security site visits! They are both new sites, but we did get to see them last year for a quick visit! The first site was Mubazi, we had about 80 people jammed into one of the primary school classrooms. Every single one of them eager to learn! There are 58 members of the cooperative, with two main goals; 1. improving animal husbandry and 2. improving agriculture. Listening to the group and their struggles, Rachael quickly changed topics and went over the importance of deworming and parasite control.

Sharing a sorghum drink! A popular cultural event.

The second site was Taba where there is an association of 75 members, 43 members came to the training. They also are working on goals of improving their animal husbandry and modern agriculture. Rachael and Leah taught on disease prevention and avoiding its transmission to people!

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Paravets & Visiting More Farms

7/30/2014

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This morning we met with all the assistant Veterinary Technicians, or paravets! There were the 9 certified, and the 4 new ones for the 4 new Food Security sites. The 9 veterans reported lots of positives! They all are proud of the work they are doing and feel they are helping farmers to improve in their farming abilities. They not only work closely with the Food Security veterinarian, they are also called upon regularly by the different sector vets. Rachael was very excited to hear about the difference they are making in the lives of people in the areas they serve!

The 4 new parapets are also excited about the learning they have had so far, and are already making use of their knowledge in their areas. All the Paravets expressed appreciation for the training they have been given and vowed to work their hardest to serve.

The veterans have formed an association, and all contributed money to join, and a monthly stipend. They started in March 2013 and have saved enough money to have already purchased one bull, and now have enough for a second. There goal is to put a bull in each area! Until they are all trained in artificial insemination, they feel this will be the way to improve the genetics in the cows.

After lunch we had an opportunity to meet with most of the new students for sponsorship! A very eager group of young people! There will be 26 new students available for sponsorship!

Afterwards we went off on a long walk to visit more of the APAP farms. Along the way we met many people, lots of great kids, some working, some playing!! Here are just a few....

A homemade soccer ball!

Bringing home sweet potatoes! This must be a heavy basket!!

This tire they run along keeping it going with a stick!

Another heavy load!

We visited 6 farms, all APAP members!

Rwanda - land of a thousand hills!!!

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A New Food Security Site - Mashiro

7/29/2014

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Today we drove (or did some Rwandan dancing) on a rough road - 2 hrs - to one of the new Food Security Sites! Definitely worth the drive!!! What a beautiful part of Rwanda, very close to the Burundi border, as a matter of fact, so close we were getting welcome texts on the phones! The cooperative in this area is made up of many people from many different denominations in the church. They have a vision of the reduction of the poverty in the area. They are working together, combining resources to work towards this end. There goal is by 2020 there will be no poverty!

Leah and Rachael taught a group of about 130 farmers all about rabies: where it comes from, what to look for, as well as what to do about it. They also spoke on prevention of other diseases that can go back and forth between cows and humans. They gave excellent advice on proper cooking of the meat, as well as preparation of the milk!

Gaspar, the Para-Vet, Pastor Augustin, his daughter & his wife, and the head of the local cooperative

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Secondary & Post Secondary Students

7/28/2014

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Today was spent with all of our students in the secondary sponsorship program. We had a fantastic time! What a dynamic group of young people!! Carolyn spoke to the group about kindness, and a challenge was made to 'Pay it Forward' as they have been blessed with so many gifts and talents as well as sponsors who have helped to pay their secondary school education. This sparked quite a discussion regarding students forming a fund for 'Savings and Credit' that they would all put into that will help any students in the program that have a need, and maybe even others that need fees! This expanded to all people within the diocesan programs that have been sponsored to be invited to contribute - this would extend to our two veterinarians! Was quite inspiring to see this develop. We have left them to figure out all the logistics, and are planning on heading back in 30 minutes to see what they have come up with!

Emmanuel Chretien MWIZERWA

Rose MUHAWENIMANA

After lunch, all of the students that are in our Post-Secondary program came to meet with us. This included the five new ones who have qualified for a bursary for the upcoming university year. We had a fantastic conversation, they shared the positives and the struggles, they asked lots of questions about school in Canada, and the returning students gave very good advice for those starting in September! We are extremely confident that we will see this group of young men and women being very successful and making quite a difference in their communities!!

Our 5 new post-secondary students!

9 out of 10 of our post-secondary students - they will be beginning 2nd and 3rd years in September!

As in years past, all the students expressed their gratitude for the support they've been given! I wish all sponsors could hear it!!! We took some video to bring back and share!

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We are in Kigeme, Rwanda and Back On Line!!

7/28/2014

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We arrived in Kigali at about 6 pm. We had to wait a bit for our hosts to come and get us. Then we were taken to a guest house, Scripture Union, in Kigali for the night. They fed us a great meal, then we went on a hunt to exchange some money - a first time experience, a 'drive through' Forex! We didn't seem to question the fact that the entire dealing was out of our vehicle and on a back street. Hey, we got a pretty good exchange!
Back to the guest house for some sleep, as we knew it would be an early start in the morning!

Some scenery along the drive to Kigeme.

We were correct about the early morning! We beat our alarm and were up at 4:55 - and had our people come looking for our luggage!!! A quick brekkie and we were on the road by 6 am and in Kigeme by 8:40 am!! That included a few stops for supplies along the way!

We were met by a number of old friends! Really felt like coming home!

We spent the morning 'moving in' to our homes for the next 3 weeks, unpacking and setting things up just right! We also unpacked all the supplies etc brought for this leg of the trip - lots of vet supplies! Including the microscope donated by Dr. Jaswant Singh, DVM, University of Saskatchewan. Then Rachael and Leah spent some time looking through the materials for the talks at the Food Security Sites.

In the afternoon we met with the APAP executive committee. APAP is the group of local farmers Rachael first started working with when she came to Rwanda. She was very excited to see them and here about all the great stuff that is going on. As well, the new committee seems to be a good group with solid plans and goals. We were really encouraged. THE BULL SAGA: So, the last of the current APAP bulls, "Fred" has been sold to a market. He did a good service to the local community having helped produce over 300 calves. Well done Fred!! We are currently suggesting that instead of a new bull, we concentrate on training the vets and paravets on artificial insemination.

Early morning city scape in Kigali.

Pastor Vet Felicien trying out the new microscope.

Rachael and Carolyn with the APAP executive Committee.

Sunday morning we went to church and found lots more of our old friends! We were treated to lots of singing, Rwandan's love to sing and participate in choirs!

In the afternoon we visited a few farms. On one farm, the milk production in the cow has increased to 10 L / day form initially 1 - 2 L / day! Quite an improvement. On the way to the last farm, we had to walk across the soccer field where there was a game going on. We were surrounded by lots of children watching who were from the Congolese refugee camp on the hill. They followed us! We walked through a section of the camp and picked up lots of kids! There was lots of laughter and touching of our white skin!!! A little hard when going down some of the hills as they were scrambling in and out of us and bumping us a little. Guess we were quite a show! The living conditions in the refugee camp are less than ideal but these people are amazing at making the best out of a challenging situation.

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Packing and Travel Day!

7/24/2014

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Today we will be finishing packing - we spent 3 hours organizing, wrapping and packing all our packages - we have only decreased in numbers of totes by 3! (Too much shopping? NO!) We are hoping to have a nice lunch with our host before heading to the airport for a 5 pm flight to Kigali! This might be the last entry for a couple days until we get our internet set up in Kigeme, Rwanda.

This has been our home away from home for the last 6 days! A very comfortable place where we were well looked after! Thank you to our Kenyan hosts!

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Kazuri Beads, Giraffes & a Board Meeting

7/24/2014

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This lady has worked at the factory since it opened - she produces 2000 beads a day!

Takes 2 years of practice to be able to do this!

We went to the Kazuri Bead Factory this morning. We were taken on a great tour to see how all their jewellery and pottery is made. This factory was established back in the 70's to provide employment for single mothers who were very poor.

And she's only been married two weeks!!!!!!!!!!

"This is her husband, Nick!"

Approximately 360 women are employed by the factory.

Painting the beads

After a trip to their store for some shopping, we were off to the Giraffe Centre to visit the giraffes! Leah was in heaven!! There were 10 giraffes at the centre and a few were really friendly!

Rachael is having a serious talk - "Leah's married!"

Late afternoon we met with the board for Tumaini. As usual it was very informative and we had plenty of good discussion. We heard how the school was doing, made some suggestions, listened to ideas and hopes for the future!

A big highlight is how the students have been doing! We are heading into our fifth class of grade 8's to write the National exam. Over the last four years our average scores have been rising; 295, 296, 302 and last year - 340! Total enrolment is 350, up from 288 last year.

Rachael and Carolyn with the Tumaini board

Rachael, Carolyn & Leah with Joy-Joy!

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July 23, 2014 Shopping Day

7/23/2014

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We left the house early this morning to go to a Masai market to shop! It actually was a great market and we all had fun 'negotiating' the prices. We think we mostly got close to the 'Kenyan price', not the 'Muzungu (white person) price'. Watch for the craft fairs in the late fall in both Sechelt and Edmonton.

This man specializes in limestone - we bought some really neat plates - he's finishing one of them off in this photo!!

We found a lot of new stuff!

The second part of our loot comes from the Tumaini Bead Ladies, a group of parents at the school who earn a living making and selling crafts. They are always very good to us, so we like to ensure we give them our business. A lot of what they make goes back into the school.

In the afternoon we were back at Tumaini to meet with as many of our secondary students that could make the trip in. Some are boarding at a school that is just too far (up to 300 km away) to make it in. Others were sitting exams. Any students we were unable to meet with, our people here will meet with at semester break and send us updated photos!

Dennis Ngazi and Rachael

We also went around to all the classrooms giving our bubblegum and causing great amounts of chaos!! It was a blast! Rachael demonstrated bubble blowing and caused raucous laughter!!

On the road we saw lots of storks!!!!!!!

Ann Kanini and her mother

Nick, Cherry's father, Cherry Hill, Leah

One of our secondary students, Ann, came to see us with her mother!

Leah and Nick were also privileged to meet the father of their sponsor student, Cherry Hill. He is a newspaper and book vendor, and brought them a book for a gift!!

It is so nice when we are able to meet family!

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Another Picture from Yesterday! Friendship Bracelets

7/22/2014

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July 22, 2014

7/22/2014

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Leah is receiving cooking lessons from our chef, Albert Kinyua, at the guesthouse. Be prepared to feast on Kenyan food at next year's Edmonton Auction!! We certainly are being fed very well here in Kenya!

Living Kids Educational Centre

Today we spent some time at our second primary school project here in Nairobi. The Living Kids Educational Centre. We have been working with this school for the last three years to help fund the building of the new school building. We were very excited to see the progress! As you can see in the picture below, the third level has been built! As well, the second level has been finished and railings installed up the stairs and along the front. and the doors and windows are in. The six classrooms are just about ready to move students in. Future plans are to finish the third floor and build on a fourth and final floor. There will be a metal roof put on one side, and a flat slab on the other to hold a water reservoir for the school. When the school is finished, it will have enough classrooms to hold the three pre-primary classrooms as well as grades 1 through 8. (Presently the school goes to grade 4, but will expand as the students move up in grade.)
There will also be a library and computer room, a meeting room, as well as a classroom to teach vocational skills to parents to help them find a way to earn a living.

As we were touring the building, we went into classes to see the students! We gave them all bubble gum and the grade 1 - 4's all received a bracelet made by young people back in Canada - Hannah Wing, and friends at West Sechelt Elementary, and Edmonton's Sebastien Dubois (with help from his mom, Edith)! The students were thrilled!! There are approximately 120 students at the school now. A fairly stable group, just a few transient due to family conflicts and situations.

Afterwards we were treated to entertainment - each class performed for us in the meeting hall! Was so much fun!

Then we met with Pastor Simon and the Head Teacher, Betty and went over all the building expenses and learned more. We had friends there from Tumaini, and were very excited about discussions over how the two schools could work together, especially in teacher mentorship and professional development. More pictures to follow later!