Cankuzo 06/14/13

For the second part of the Leadership exchange, 10 of our students traveled to the province of Cankuzo.  Cankuzo is one of the poorest providences in Burundi.  Hanna, Jack, and JR went with 9 of our 8th grade students.  The students were selected based on their discipline record, and a leadership essay in JR's leadership class.

 

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go, but I found the trip interesting.

 

A group called the Lutheran World Federation hosted the event.  Our students traveled to one of the 9 villages that the students that visited us live in.  The chose that village because you could get to it in a vehicle.  Some of the other villages you can't get to other than walking or by motorcycle.

 

Headmaster JR.

 

Lutheran World Federation (LWF) does a number of projects, and one of them is a three part Leadership program for youth and young adults.  They teach entrepreneurship, agriculture, and citizenship.

 

For entrepreneurship, they teach students how to manage a business.  I think outside of the program, LWF has been involved in doing micro loans to encourage economic growth.  One of the problems they are finding with micro loans in Burundi is creativity.  The proposals from people on what businesses they would like to start haven't been unique.

 

While the students were in Cankuzo, they go to see one of the agricultural lessons and projects.  Students in the leadership program learn to make small three tiered gardens. 

 

 

The citizenship program was not what I would have guessed.  It has different parts, but two things the program encourages is for people to get official marriage licenses, and for people to get ID cards.  But...getting either can be difficult.  People may walk a day to a government office, and then when they arrive, they may find the office is closed.  The ID cards made sense to me.  With ID cards, young adults can be more involved in community activities, and they can vote.  At first, I didn't understand why the marriage licenses were important...

 

For the exchange, the kids that came to our school for the exchange did a performance.  The play was about a man and a woman.  They fell in love and got married.  Then, the wife got pregnant and had a baby.  The man went out and married another woman.  Because there was no proof of the first marriage, he wasn't held responsible for the baby or for taking care of his first wife.  One of the things the performance demonstrates is the importance of getting an official marriage license. 

 



Locals climbed a tree to see the performance.

 

A picture from the performance.

 

One of our students.  Notice what's on his shirt.  Appropriate for a boarding school?

 The marriage license is also important if something happens to the husband or the wife, like if one dies.  Recently I learned that women can't own land.  Because of that, it's actually easier for foreign women to get citizenship then for a foreign man. Simeon has lived here for over ten years, and just got his citizenship last week.

On Sunday, the group visited the first church built in Burundi.



 

 

The hotel the group stayed in.  Very nice!



Some of the students at the hotel.

Hanna, the photographer of these pictures.

Leadership Exchange 6/5/13

For the third term, 9 students visited the school from the province of Cankuzo.  Cankuzo is one of the poorest provinces in Burundi.  For the visit, I was responsible for doing an activity Friday afternoon, shortly after the students arrived.  The students did not speak any English, so instead of English Club on Friday afternoon, we made an exception and called it Kirundi Club.

For the activity, I decided to do something from my days as a camp counselor.  I decided we should play Queen Sheba.  I had the students divide into groups with ten students each.  Then, I had them to competitions to try to impress the queen.  JR, our schools headmaster, was the queen. 

The first activity we did was see which group could make him the best robe in ten minutes.  After the ten minutes, representatives from each group presented the robe to JR.  Many came with plants, and one group even kissed his hand. 

 

For the second competition, a student from each group put a medical latex glove on their head, and had a straw from the glove to their mouth.  Then, students raced to see who could blow up the glove, and make it come off their head first.  Sorry, I didn't get pictures of that event.

Unfortunately, the Cankuzo kids didn't participate that much.  I should have done something else to encourage more team work.  After the event, I found out that each student was from different villages.  I'm not sure any of them had more than a 4th grade education.  Each one was chosen from their village to visit our school, so they didn't know each other very well.  But...later we had a dance party.  I hope they enjoyed their time at our school.

South Carolina Blessing 6/3/13

Nine people from South Carolina visited recently.  Most of them only spent less then a week in Burundi.  They got to spend some time with Youth for Christ and some time in the town I am in, and some time with another organization called Harvest for Christ.  They were going to fly out to Burundi with Mom, but the flight from Charleston to DC was cancelled!  5 people arrived a day late, and 4 people arrived two days late, but we were happy to have them.  There were 9 people, and they brought 23 bags!  They brought some science supplies...petri dishes, eye droppers and crucibles.  They also brought text books, and sound equipment for chapel at school.  They also brought things for the kids at the children's home and some medical supplies.

In the second group, a young lady named Sherry came.  She will be in Burundi for a year teaching women how to do hair, and other activities to educate and empower women in Burundi.  She will probably be living with Jen and I.  So...I have a new roommate!  I look forward to getting to know Sherry.

One of the ladies that came was a doctor.  So, for one day, she examined kids from the Homes of Hope, and I believe some kids from the primary school.  Mom and another visitor played with the kids waiting to be seen.

By the primary school, Youth for Christ opened a small store.  Mom and a couple volunteers painted the store.  Mom's done some painting before.  When they got the paint can, Mom told people working with her to shake the can.  They didn't.  They opened in, and the paint was separated.  Instead of stirring it, they added paint thinner, then stirred it.  So, the paint was thin and drippy.  It might still be drying, but the store looks beautiful!  They will be selling basic supplies..laundry detergent, some food, cookies, some school supplies, and bread.  I'm guessing the store in Chibitoke (where the other Children's Home is) was a success, so Youth for Christ decided to open one here.

Waterfalls 6/2/13

Last Sunday, Mom and I traveled to some waterfalls in Burundi.  I drove JR and Ryan's van.  Mom and I went with Peter and his wife, and four kids from the Children's Home.  The four kids just took the national test and hope to enter 7th grade next year.  So, in a way this was their 6th grade graduation trip.

 

We left town after chapel.  We drove two hours.  Ok...normally it would be an hour and a half, but I was driving.  I've been told I drive like a Grandma.  One hour was on paved road, and the other hour was a four wheel drive trail.  The van didn't have that much clearance, and unfortunately I did hit the under carriage a couple of times.  Hopefully it's alright.

 

On the way to the waterfalls, we did see some deforestation and split logs along the road.  Bummer, but what are people to do?  The logs will probably be used for charcoal, and longer poles for building.

 

Wood stacked beside the road.  Notice the stumps on the left of the road.

When we arrived, we parked near some of the waterfalls.  The area I believe is a National park, and is protected.  Before the trip, I hadn't seen much forest in Burundi.  The tree in the parking area was pretty impressive.



The van that I drove to get to the waterfalls.  Our guide is in the pink shirt.

Going to the second set of waterfalls, we hiked down some steep rocky stairs.  We made it!  Mom compared the stairs to the nose bleed section of Sports Authority field.


The steps to the bottom of one of the waterfalls.

The set of waterfalls by the parking area.

The four kids from the children's home.



Peter and his wife.  They haven't been married a year yet. 
Peter is in charge of the Youth for Christ activities in my town.

Mom and me. :)

They're Multiplying...Like Rabbits! 06/03/13

They're multiplying like rabbits, probably because they are rabbits!  Over the past couple of months, Youth for Christ has been increasing the number of animals we have at both Children's homes.  At the one I live at, we went from having one or two cows, to having a number of goats, few cows, three pigs and a couple of dogs.  The pigs live off of the wasted food from the school.  It's mostly old beans and rice.

 

Now...we have bunnies.  The group from South Carolina bought the supplies and started the work to build rabbit cages.  I was hoping to finish the cages, but the next day, it was finished by some of the Burundians.  This week, rabbits were delivered from the capital city.  I'm sorry for those of you who love rabbits.  In Burundi, they aren't pets, they are food.  I don't think I have had rabbit before, but chances are, it will be part of my diet in the near future.  We often eat goat, and had one of the cows for the Worker's day celebration.

 

 

 

The pigs were anxious to receive their next meal.  We had Patty (aka Sausage Patty), Wilbur, and Charlotte.  I'm not sure which two we have left.

 

 

Milking one of the cows in Chibitoke.

 

New puppy at the Children's home where I live.  He doesn't have a name yet.

 

Rabbit houses being constructed (in the background).
One of the girls from the Children's home, working on a scarf with pieces of yarn.

Mom 6/3/13

Mom has arrived in Burundi!  There was a mix up, and unfortunately I wasn't at the airport to meet her.  I got word that the group she was supposed to be traveling with was delayed by a day.  It wasn't until right before she arrived did I get word that she wasn't delayed.  Other than troubles with her arrival and her fighting a cold she brought with her, I think she's doing well.  It's been a blessing having her here.

In Burundi, mother's are called by their children's name.  So, at the Children's home and at school, the kids call her Mama Kim.

Mom sent a couple packages to my organization.  One in January, and one in February.  I got them both Saturday...about five months after she sent them.  I opened them up with her and some of the girls at school.  It took us a second to demolish the cheese crackers.  :)  Mom included some stamps and gel pens.  I used to use stamps in America for marking good papers, and forgot to pack them.  I don't think my students have seen rubber stamps before.  I showed them how to use them to stamp papers, then the boys discovered them and had fun stamping themselves, like the stamps were  temporary tattoos.  The girls started drawing on their skin with the gel pens.  Oops!  Not the best things to do minutes before parents arrived for visitation day to our boarding school.  The packages also included string for friendship bracelets, hot drink mixes, stickers, beef sticks, and pens.

Thank you Mom and my friends for the things Mom brought!  I got contact solution, movies for the kids at school and at the Children's home, and it's a miracle that the chocolate didn't melt too much.  I am looking forward to using the sloppy joe and Mexican food sauce mixes.  Mom brought more arts and crafts supplies for club, coloring books, and some mechanical pencils for prizes or gifts for some students.

Mom had learned how to hand wash her clothes by hand.  She's helped with the memory books for the kids at Homes of Hope, and has joined me in my classroom when I teach.  And miracle of miracles...she has helped me with grading and I'm almost caught up!