Rwanda

Community Description
Kamabare is located in Rwanda's Eastern Province. Although Rwanda is known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, the Eastern Province is much different than other provinces because it is flat and dry.

When you ride a bicycle on the dirt roads, you can see breathtaking views of valleys and mountains far away in Rwanda's Southern Province. You pass mud brick houses and see households- -men, women with babies strapped to their backs and able-bodied youth working hard to hoe their small plot of land.

Almost everyone in Kamabare village cultivates for a living. There is no electricity or running water in the village and the closest commercial center is about two hours away on foot. Beans and cassava are the two most commonly harvested crops. Yields are relatively small since the soil is not fertile and the region is prone to drought.

Groupe Scolaire Kamabare is the main school in the village. It provides nine years of basic education (P1-P6, S1-S3) and in line with the Government of Rwanda's plan to provide 12 years of basic education, the school is in the process of building a new classroom block to accommodate S4 students next year.

The head master and teaching staff work hard to sensitize parents on the importance of education. Most parents are illiterate and struggle to find enough money to buy clothes and school materials for their children.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA) attendance is low and the administration recognizes that educating parents must remain a high priority throughout every school year. The head master believes that creating and maintaining a healthy, positive atmosphere at the school will help convince parents that education is valuable.

The district is one of only two in Rwanda that receives food assistance from the World Food Program.

Most schools in the district have problems obtaining water for cleaning, cooking, and drinking. At Bugesera schools, where lunch is served three times a week, water is in high demand. The headmaster believes that an adequate water supply can improve hygiene at the school and would help supplement the feeding program.

Groupe Scolaire Kamabare received a 5,000 L tank from another NGO operating in the area. The tank sits empty in the middle of the school grounds because there is no money to buy installation parts, build a cement stand, and pay labor costs.

The school currently buys water. Using the tank would reduce the school's water burden and would save time and energy, as fetching water would be easier and closer, with the tank situated directly in the center of the school's grounds.

The school normally receives capitation money three times a year from the Ministry of Education but there have been several delays this year and most districts in Rwanda have only received one installment (in the first term, January-March). Schools in three sectors in Bugesera district received tanks but most schools lack money for installation.

Project Description
This project is to construct an adequate rainwater capture and storage system at the school. It will utilize the existing tank and the gutters that are already installed on one classroom block.

Project funds will be used to buy needed installation parts, build a support stand, pay for transport of materials, and pay labor costs.

Project Impact
1,186 people will benefit from this project, including 901 Primary students (P1-P6), 258 Secondary students (S1-S3), and 27 teachers and administrators.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Kelly Miller

Comments
Having a functional rainwater capture system and storage tank ready for use before the end of the rainy season will greatly help the school get off to a strong start with a full tank when the new school year begins in January.

Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00

Donations Collected to Date
$555.00

Dollar Amount Needed

$0.00 - This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of CannedWater4Kids.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Kelly Miller of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Kelly and/or those other PCVs in the country of service.

Community Description
The Rushashi Health Center is located in the Northern Province of Rwanda (Gakenke District). The catchment population of the health center is 19,046 people.

The local population consists mostly of farmers (potatoes, sugar cane, pineapples, passion fruit, manioc and corn) and cow farmers. The primary health problems of the community are parasites, upper respiratory infections and diarrhea.

This rural health center has been open since 1946. It is a relatively large health center with six buildings, including HIV and maternity services as well as routine consultation services. The health center has 20 employees.

Currently in the consultation rooms there are no sinks. The nurses wash their hands using a small metal container, which must be constantly refilled with water. This leads to problems washing hands after each patient.

Patients stay overnight in the hospitalization rooms, sometimes for extended periods of time and they have all of their meals in the room. Oftentimes these patients already have weak immune system and are at risk for contracting diseases from other patients and from the medical staff.

The family planning, hospitalization, consultation rooms, injection room, and pharmacy services do not currently have running water. One of the services has a sink but it is not connected to a water source.

Project Description
This project is to install sinks and running water into the following services of the health center: family planning, hospitalization, 3 consultation rooms, injection room, and the pharmacy.

The health center will pay over 35% of the total cost in order to complete the project. This contribution demonstrates the motivation of the health center.

The maintenance staff has already been trained in how to fix and clean the new sinks that they will install as a result of a previous Appropriate Projects project.

Project Impact
The entire catchment population of the health center of 19,046 people will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Kitty Hall

Comments
This project will result in an improvement in the hygiene and sanitary conditions of the health center. It will allow the nursing staff to wash their hands and materials before and after consultation with patients and will reduce the rate of transmission of hygiene-related diseases within the health center.

Kitty previously completed the Coko Health Center Water Project – Rwanda, Gakenke District Health Centers Plumbing Training - Rwanda, Rusoro Health Center Water Project - Rwanda and Rutenderi Health Center Water Project - Rwanda.

Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00

Donations Collected to Date
$555.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of the Elmo Foundation.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify the Peace Corps Volunteer of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by the PCV and/or those of other PCVs in the country of service.

Community Description
Groupe Scolaire Sainte Famille has a long history educating the children of Rwanda’s capital, Kigali. Established in 1913, it is Kigali city’s first school. Currently, the G. S. Sainte Famille is one of nine Basic Education Schools serving the Nyarugenge District of Kigali.

The school currently has nearly 3,000 pupils, roughly equally divided between boys and girls. Additionally, a caring, competent staff of seventy adults leads the school. This entire school population shares only thirty-four toilets.

Additionally, Sainte Famille graciously donates their space each Sunday for WE-ACTx’s (Women’s Equity in Access to Care and Treatment) Sunday Support Group for Youth Living with HIV. This group of approximately 175 youth, peer leaders and WE-ACTx staff meet for support groups and recreation.

Currently, there is only one tap on school grounds for hand washing. This tap is not located near any of the toilet blocks making it difficult to encourage proper sanitation among staff and students.

Project Description
This project is to purchase and erect twelve handwashing stations at locations near toilet blocks and throughout the school grounds.

The hand washing stations come fully assembled and include a metal stand. The 20-liter containers are made of plastic, and will be purchased from a local market in Kigali.

The containers will be filled regularly by the custodial staff. The school has access to the city water supply so the containers can be filled from that source.

Project funds will be used to purchase the containers and stands.

The Peace Corps Volunteer will provide hygiene lessons on the importance of proper sanitation and demonstration of good handwashing techniques to both the school and support group communities.

Project Impact
2,924 students and teachers at Groupe Scolaire Sainte Famille and the 175 youth who participate in the weekly WE-ACTx Sunday Support Group will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Anna Cowell

Comments
Handwashing has been proven to be the single most important behavioral change in the reduction of diarrheal disease. This project will promote hygiene and sanitation for all students, staff and visitors at the Group Scolaire Sainte Famille.

Dollar Amount of Project
$300.00

Donations Collected to Date
$0.00

ADOPT THIS PROJECT BY CONTRIBUTING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT NEEDED BELOW

Donations of any amount will be appreciated. The full amount will give you "naming rights", if that is something you would like.

Any contributions in excess of the Dollar Amount of Project will be allocated to other projects directed by this PCV and/or projects of other PCVs in this country.

Dollar Amount Needed
$300.00

Community Description
Rutenderi Health Center is located 3 km (or 20 minute drive on a dirt road) from the main paved road that leads to Kigali. Although it is close to the main road it is one of the least developed health centers in the District of Gakenke (Northern Province, Rwanda).

The catchment population of the health center is 17,152 people. For the most part these people are poor, mostly uneducated farmers who live off of their crops (potatoes, sugar cane, passion fruit, bananas, pineapples, manioc, corn and beans).

Rutenderi is small, has no electricity, and is the only health center in the district that has absolutely no source of running water.

Currently none of the services have running water, and the staff must walk 45 minutes to carry water to the health center in jerry cans. Water is put into buckets, affixed with faucets, which are used by the staff and patients to wash their hands and materials.

The consequence is that the rate of parasites and diarrhea seen at the health center is high and contamination within the health center is a large problem.

At Rutenderi, the leading causes of consultation are intestinal parasites (830 cases in 2009) and diarrhea (796 cases in 2009). Contagious dermatological diseases are another leading cause of consultation in the health center (648 cases in 2009). These diseases are highly contagious, and patients and staff are at risk of becoming infected.

One of the struggles of the health center is to convince women to give birth in the health center rather than at their houses, with unqualified assistance and unsanitary conditions.

Project Description
This project is to provide water to the Rutenderi Health Center and provide sinks for all 5 of the services.

The health center will be connected to a water source that is located over 100 meters away.

The broken pipes leading to the well and water tank will be repaired.

Sinks will be installed in the following services: primary and curative consultation, prenatal consultation, laboratory, pharmacy, and maternity.

Project funds will be used to purchase fixtures, piping, and materials.

The health center will provide the remaining funds needed to complete the project.

Project Impact
The project benefits all 17,152 people in the catchment area.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Kitty Hall

Comments
By installing running water, the health center will be able to reduce the spread of disease among patients and staff. This will create an incentive for pregnant women to give birth there, and not at home. This in turn will reduce infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the community.

Kitty previously completed the Coko Health Center Water Project – Rwanda, Gakenke District Health Centers Plumbing Training - Rwanda, and Rusoro Health Center Water Project - Rwanda.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$500.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has now been fully funded through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Kitty of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by the PCV and/or other projects in the country of service.

Community Description
Banda Village is located on the periphery of Nyungwe National Forest. The 6,000 villagers originally lived in the rain forest until the government forced them out upon the decision to protect the rain forest.

Banda Village is one of the most densely-populated villages in Rwanda, with 550 people per square kilometer. Villagers have a 1 ½ hour hike up the mountain and then another 1 ½ hour vehicle ride to the nearest town.

Until recently, many people had never even seen a car or left the village. The community is willing to help anytime they are asked and offer any money they have to help, although they are very poor.

The challenges they face include HIV/AIDS, endemic diseases, unemployment, lack of access to clean water, environmental degradation, and a legacy of genocide.

Banda Village has two primary schools. The Gasanane Primary School recently implemented the Gasanane Primary School Rainwater Catchment Project - Rwanda under the direction of Jarod Ring.

The second school, Banda Primary School, has approximately 1,600 students. They are currently expanding their facilities to hold additional children.

A water catchment system from the rain forest that filters and supplies water in 3 locations around the village was previously constructed by another organization. However, at present, this hardly serves even a quarter of the population. Many people, including the students attending the schools, are forced to draw water from the creeks.

Project Description
This project is to provide potable water for the Banda Primary School.

Pipes will be attached to the current water catchment system and run a distance of 680 meters to the school.

Members of the community will donate their labor to dig the holes and help the school to install the piping.

Project funds will be used to purchasing the piping. The school will pay all costs beyond the project amount, and will be responsible for attaching spigots and a small pump.

Project Impact
1,600 primary and secondary school students and 20 teachers will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Sarah Ring

Comments
This project builds on the existing infrastructure and utilizes it to bring potable water to the school. It is extremely cost effective, serving a large and unserved population using the appropriate technology.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$500.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 - This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Sarah Ring of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Sarah and/or those other PCVs in the country of service.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.