Recent trip to Rwanda and Burundi

I have recently returned from 5 weeks in Rwanda and was fortunate not to have traveled alone. This trip I was accompanied by Katria and Eric Weckenbrock from The Snowbowl Ski Patrol in Montana, and my cousin Patrick McGlynn a film student at San Francisco's School of Visual Arts.

Katrina and Eric were visiting Africa to attend the World Cup and included Rwanda in their travels. Katrina asked if they could meet with CHABHA and the associations when in Rwanda. Together we decided the associations could use a First Aid workshop. With the help of The Snowbowl Ski Patrol they provided each association with very complete First Aid kits and conducted First Aid workshops for the leaders and some of the older children. Now at the the gatherings the First Aid Kit is brought along with the footballs and jump ropes. Katrina and Eric commented on how well the participants did in the workshops. Watch for the videos.

My cousin Patrick volunteered his summer to travel to Rwanda and film the projects CHABHA is supporting in Rwanda and Burundi. His days were spent traveling with the leaders to activities, home visits, gatherings and workshops. He also volunteered to be the video guy for the wedding of Justin and Jeannette. Justin has been a member of AMAHORO and is one of the leaders on the AMAHORO committee.

AMAHORO with the help of "The Global Fund for Children" started up a new activity called "Ubufatanye" which means "Helping Hands". Each month AMAHORO will identify a family in need of assistance at their home. The first project was to assist a home with making mud bricks to build a kitchen. 80 children participated making almost 200 bricks for the new kitchen. The children are taught that working together they can accomplish more and to give back to their community.

AMAHORO has also been successful in creating a sustainable rabbit project in Bumbogo. The first 14 families to receive rabbits turned over the next generation of rabbits to 11 families. Each family when receiving rabbits signs a contract agreeing to provide proper structure and food for the rabbits, they also agree to pass on part of the first generation of rabbits to a household in need identified by the AMAHORO committee. After that the families raise the rabbits for their own consumption and sale.

AJESOV has begun a kitchen garden project using the emergency food money to purchase seeds and tools. To date they have 77 households with kitchen gardens. This complements the "Goat Project" AJESOV introduced two years ago. Last years AJESOV did a workshop that focused on kitchen gardens for the older children that was well received.

AGAPE has established a strong committee of women that look after the children at the weekly gatherings and make home visits. The children's report cards overall were fantastic and Anna Marie (AGAPE Administrative Assistant) is doing a wonderful job developing this committee and providing care for the children. Thanks to Patrick's mother we were able to bring some footballs from the states that we gave to the AGAPE association and had great fun playing at the gatherings. The playground equipment needed some attention and thanks to my Mom we got it fixed and the children have a merry-go-round again.

Fortunately we had time to visit the Mubafashee association in Bujambura, Burundi. We attended the weekly Sunday gathering and again had some footballs for them to enjoy. The children and many parents and grandparents came to the gathering. The five leaders of the association are well organized and have secured an office space that is accessible to the members. They have been successful at identifying the academic needs of the children by visiting the schools and accessing the progress. They have also identified an organization in Bujumbura that will provide free counseling and HIV testing for the members of Mubafashee. While in Bujumbura we visited a bank that will work with the association members to begin a micro finance program assisting the households in small business enterprises. The bank will provide training and monitoring of the activities. Burundi is one of the op 10 poorest nations in the world with one of the highest rates of malnutrition among children. We are very fortunate to have established a presence there.

We had a second wedding to attend in Kigali. Richard Mutabazi CHABHA's Country Director and his beautiful wife Eliana. Another joyous occasion that brought all the CHABHA staff and Associations together

Will keep you posted on additional activities we started while in Kigali this trip. Thank yu for taking the time to read the blog.

David