Sponsor's update from Gikongoro, Rwanda

Update for child sponsors from the SOS Children's Village Gikongoro, Rwanda from Winter 2007

Dear sponsor,

The children, the mothers as well as the staff of the SOS Children’s Village of Gikongoro in Rwanda, address to you their sincere greetings. We are also happy for this occasion to announce to you news of our SOS Village.

Our area came very close to consecutive food shortage during the dry season of July-August. Harvests were never abundant, a delay, prolongation or reduction of rain were enough to create an imbalance. Until today, the prices of the foodstuffs are still high. Currently, the authorities sensitize the population for an agricultural reform which is supposed to eradicate the recurring famine. We are looking forward with great hopes for positive results.

SOS Children’s Village of Gikongoro currently has a total of 117 children including 57 girls and 60 boys on a maximum admission capacity of 120 children. Two children are on the waiting admission list and whom we hope to admit within 2 weeks. At this end of the year, ten children will be transferred to the SOS youth’s hostel and the investigations for admission of other children are currently carried out.

Children's activities at Gikongoro

Children were trained in acrobatics and they were able to exhibit the leant activities during the SOS International day on 23rd June 2007. After two working weeks with our children, a consultant in psychology provided us with recommendations concerning strategies about our problematic children. An implementations plan action of was elaborated. A psychiatric center is operational within 30km from here and with its advice, two of our SOS children were sufficiently relieved the sufferings.

This year, there was, as usual departures of the Aunts (two) and always for the same reason of marriage, two were then recruited to replace them and there will be other departures of the mothers or aunts at the end of this year.

Mothers and aunts (8), accompanied by the Director and the SOS Assistant Social worker, visited SOS Children’s Villages of Gitega and Bujumbura (in Burundi) at a distance of 180 km from Gikongoro. A certain number of the good practices were noted and will be tested on our premises next year. The Mother's Day was celebrated on 16th June, 2007 and was combined with that of the African Child.

This year, the Village received an important gift which enabled the SOS families, the SOS Youth’s Community and the administration to acquire the equipment they lacked. The SOS youth’s Community deals with 73 youths and among them, 18 are in the trainings in the professional studies, 44 in general studies and 10 are either at the University or attending for the admission to the university. One will be emancipated by the end of the year, while another was emancipated a few months ago, while another is already reunified with his family.

Our youths are preparing themselves to take part in a holiday camp which will be organised at the national level of our District. A site was localised; community nature activities are being prepared. Corresponding to the long holidays of the national school calendar, this camp will be organised in November of this year.

Supporting children and communities at Gikongoro, Rwanda

A New Coordinator of the family strengthening programme has been recruited at the Village level and he is assisted by two Community volunteers. He will be advised by the assistant SOS village worker and the Director of the Village, who in addition to their work loads of the Village, will lend a hand in activities of this program. A steering committee at the Village level will support this team. If all goes well as planned, the number of assisted children will increase from 150 to 250 from now taking place.

Concerning our schools, the nursery school has 141 pupils among which 69 are girls and 72 boys and the primary school has 392 including 194 girls and 198 boys. The pupils of the primary school took part in a contest of languages initially at district level of the school sector and while thus progressing, one of our pupils arrived at the national level and we are looking forward for the results. Pupils of the primary school were able to rich at a collection of 30.000 Frw (≈ 50$) through their activities of the anti-AIDS club and in favour of the children of the community, affected by the VIH-SIDA.

Receive dear sponsors the actual situation of our SOS Village and we wish to you a joyful Christmas and a happy New Year 2008.

With kind regards,

BAZERA Sebugwira,

Village Director