A partnership is born

In 1995, the basis of our Rwanda Project was the desire to support the pupils of the primary school Ruli.

We knew that education could help to break the vicious circle of poverty.

For this Purpose we collected almost a ton of different goods, starting from school materials to sports equipment and clothing, which our then Foreign Minister took with him to Rwanda.

During our first visit in November 1995 the materials were handed over.

We learned. In the following years we collected money here in Germany and bought books, pens and books in Rwanda.
We still support the primary school with urgently needed teaching and learning materials – along with several other more important projects.

We are building a school in Rwanda

Between 2000 and 2003 we succeeded in building the new primary school in Ruli thanks to an overwhelming joint action of the students of the Immanuel-Kant-Gymnasium and the Realschule Süd Bad Oeynhausen. The highlight was the sponsor run in 2002, when Arne Friedrich and Kenyan professionals ran together with our students for building the new school in Ruli. We collected more than 60000 €, a fantastic success.

In addition, we were supported by the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

In Ruli there was a big party when the school was opened.

Water

Water for the Primary School

In 2007, we bought five plastic cisterns in which water for the school can be stored. This not only ensures a better water supply, but also prevents erosion, which occurs when during the rainy Season large quantities of water flow down the slope from the roofs of the school, which is about 1900 m high.

Windows

After their stay in Ruli, a group of IKG students started a campaign “A window for Ruli” in order to collect money for glass windows in the very dark primary school. It was actually possible to equip the classes with glass windows, which made learning much more pleasant (2008/09).

Sports field

In 2017 the primary school could open a new volleyball and basketball court, financed by the activities of the students in the Schulzentrum Süd Bad Oeynhausen and the Realschule Hausberge/Porta Westfalica. Due to the climatic conditions in Rwanda, the sports field has to be concreted. Otherwise, the athletes sink into the mud during the rainy Season and during the dry season the dust would be terrible. Now, sports can be easily practiced in both climatic periods.

 

Pure joie de vivre!

   

Renovation

Also in 2017, the roofs of the school buildings could be derusted and repainted – in the typical sky blue.

Our current project “Students help Students” 

At the end of 2018/beginning of 2019, the students in the Wood construction sector of the vocational School ETS Ruli  built furniture for three classrooms of the Ruli primary school. The exemplary project was financed by the pupils of the Realschule Hausberge through their participation in the Tagwerk campaign and with a donation from the “Minda cares” campaign organized by Minda Industrieanlagen GmbH in Minden.

 

A student in a MINDA shirt after work
The pupils are very happy about their new desks

             

Plans for the future

In January 2019 6 IKIRARO members visited Ruli in order to get an idea of the current situation directly at site.

We found out that the toilets of the Primary School urgently have to be renovated. This Projects was discussed in detail with the headmasters of the Schools.

The current condition of the toilets…..

You will find the detailed diary for the building of the new toilets HERE.

 

School Present campaign / hygiene course

At the occasion of the school re-opening after the long interruption due to Corona, which was unfortunately postponed several times until finally November 2020, we prepared the school present campaign for the first time in September 2020.

All 800 students received various school consumables (notebook, pencil, ruler, sharpener, eraser, for pupils starting from grade 4 a mathematical set) as well as soap, toothbrush and toothpaste. Since school had not yet started at that time, the teachers of the primary school personally invited the students in small groups/class groups to the school grounds to receive the presents.

More information can be found here under the news.

Afterwards, Delphine’s new organization OSO (Our Sisters Opportunity) conducted a hygiene course with instructions on proper washing and brushing teeth.