Build a preschool for 100 Batwa Children.

It turns out, that a preschool is more than a building and that by starting to build the new preschool, we ended up building a center for community engagement. With a focus on food security, sanitation and hygiene, healthcare, education, and jobs, and with a whole community in support of these ends, we soon began to see improvements all around the village.

The children were more playful because food gave them more energy. The mothers were happier because they had soap to wash their families’ clothes, and the fathers were busy raising rabbits and making bricks to improve the walkways near the school so that their children could come and go in the rainy season without tracking mud all over the place.

One step at a time, the school has pushed forward improvements in many parts of life that have led to a more sustainable and happier future for everyone. With classes about health for the parents, with vaccinations for the children, and with opportunities to screen people for serious disease, the benefits have spread beyond Cyaruzinge Village. For example, thirty-eight students in Kinyana Village are now receiving support from three teaching assistants and the donation of notebooks and pens to practice their new lessons.

Abahuza co-operative is leading people in learning how to compost their food scraps. They came together to harvest their gigantic compost pile. Then the rich compost was added to the fields because people have learned how fertilizer enhances crop growth.

As they worked, the leaders helped discuss with parents the benefits of supporting their children to attend class regularly: food for growing young minds to accompany food for growing new plants!

The dry season is here, and the water supply is low. Yet, there is good news, because a new water tank was installed during the wet season and filled with rainwater. Now the income from selling water can help support the families and their students, too!