Debi's Amazing Journeys Continue: Building from the inside out

Friday July 26 was as equally inense as yesterday but on a far different perspective.

It began with a visit to ADRA an organization based on the seventh day adventist but with an inclusive goal for all of Rwanda, They are involved in many projects involving the refugee issue in Rwanda, Their mission is to address health and nutriton, education ( teaching English- they moved from teachng French to English) and agricultural cultivation
there are over 57,000 refugees from Burindi in one camp and 5 refugee camps for people from the Congo. over 50000 . In Rwanda ADRA supplies food and househld supplies o over 143,000 households of poverty level families. They feed over 57,000 school children. They discovered many children were not going to school because they were missing the only meal they received so ADRA changed the situation by serving breakfast at school. Most funding comes from the UN
The cost to send one child to school with supplies and food is $510 a year. They also addressed the psychological effect on refugees as these people have no choice and cannot go home.

There is a street teen problem and we were told when Pres George Bush was going to visit they government sid the streets had to be clear of street urchins one month before and one month after the visit, They lured the kids with drugs to keep them occupied and "happy"showing a lack of integrity

The three representatives Christoff(From the Congo) and Jackie painited a picture of a brighter future and a true passion for their work

We then headed by bus to Y,Amallina for lunch. Mitch, Lynn and I sat with two young men who turned out to be absolutley captivating as they explained that they are technicians for tthe creation of these new sustanable machines that turn manure and houselhold waste into gas. The want to save the trees as most people use wood for fuel. They re installing both huge machnes and mobile ones into university and homes. I took a photo of their design. We showed them photos os our families and of NJ/NY snow

THEN we headed to our hike to the Sina Gerard school. Up the famous hills of Rwanda The village of Nyirangarama about an hour north of Kilgai. The mountain road is at an incline of about 2000 feet straight up winding dit road.. The altitude is 7000 feet and the climb literally straight up on a dirt road dotted with villages along the way. It was truly a challenge. I was so proud of my buddy Larry and me as we were supporting each other and we made it! about 3.5 miles

I took photos along the way of women carrying babies on their backs, kids,and other very colorful sights, The climb was hard but well worth it
Many villagers were curius abut why we were there but always wih a smile on their faces. The scenery was truly something out of National Geographic

We stopped at a church that was just built weeks ago and a few more uphill climbng to the school. We met with teachers and taked about their boarding school and the mission they have for their students. The classroom is sparse, simple, no smart boards, and all small wooden desks. BUT they have 100% success rate and there is no question they are respected as teachers and the students are grateful for the opportunity to be there.

There was a lot more and you can ask me if you are curious. The founder of all of this is Sina Gerard a Rwandan entreprenur that says things are not impossible everythingg IS possible. He believes in innovation and making the impossible possible. he said "My aim is to make sure the Rwandan people build themselves and get out of poverty."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sina_Gerard

We then visited a farm created by Gerard and you can see the bull! a symbol of Rwanda