School Update July 29, 2024

Graduation!!!

Well, we were sure surprized to get some new photos from the school of the graduation that happened in early July.  These were students we met in November, so it was just so emotional to see them now graduating.  They were so happy to dress up in the graduation gowns and in some traditional dress for the ceremony.

It is really something to see what your support does to change the world of some very deserving children and their community.  We have some of the photos in our photo gallery on our “What We Do” page.  You need to check them out and see the pure joy and confidence you have given these children.  Their parents are proud of them, and their hope has been raised for their children and that things will be different for them and their futures.

We got word that over 200 people from the community came to celebrate.  The parents, local leaders and other guests were amazed to experience a real graduation because this kind of ceremony is only possible for rich schools. Together we are making an impact.

All 24 students were welcomed in the partner school for September in G1!  So exciting!

The school building project is moving along, and we await some decisions from government and local leaders for moving forward on the brick and mortar stage of this project. We will keep you posted as things progress.

Thank you for your most valued support.  Change is being made thanks to you.

Update December 2023

Well, this update comes shortly after Mick and Lee were able to personally finance a trip to Rwanda to visit the students, staff and school location this past November 2023. 

There are so many memorable moments from the trip but none top the privilege we had to meet the teachers, students and staff of the Komeza Life school.  The joy, happiness and pure excitement felt in the school was so evident we couldn’t stop smiling. We had the opportunity to meet students, their parents and we even visited a few homes to get a real sense of where the children are coming from and the huge opportunity it is for them to be able to attend school.

The teachers were so involved in the process of learning and took great pride in their rooms and tools they did have to work with the children.  We were able to bring a small number of items to help enhance the learning environment for all the students. The staff were equally enthusiastic to what is happening in the school and Grace the director was a standout. The team seemed to really pull together to make sure they were using every resource they had to make the experience for these early learners the best it can be.

So much has happened with the school from last year to this, it was encouraging to see the partnership they have developed with another school to have the students seamlessly transition into the grade one from Komeza Life. The cooperation was easy to see between the two schools. Future plans are in the works for the building of the physical school and are on hold until we receive rezoning and permits for the brick and mortar.  These are nearer now than ever before.  We will keep you posted on that.

At present, the land that has been purchased is being used for growing much needed food to fed the children at the school. While we were there, there was a bean crop growing and looking healthy to be added to the nutritious meal plans they have for the students. The cook and helper have planned nutritious and varied menu to enhance the impact the school has on its learners.

For now, we can assure our supporters that their backing of the project is going right to where it should be and the people who need it the most are benefiting from it. Thank you to all of you for your continued support in helping these most vulnerable children get perhaps the only education anyone in their family will receive. You are not only changing the lives of the children, but that of the teachers, staff and the community they live in.

Update June 2023.

We got the good news that the kindergarten program was able to start!  Although, not as we had imagined, in a new school building and starting months ago, we are thankful the team in Rwanda was able to secure a building to start the program for the children of Gitagata village.  The children were extremely excited to start, some  playing with educational tools for the first time ever. On opening day they all enjoyed a balanced  meal with some of them using forks and eating spaghetti for the first time in their lives. Oh the stories they would have told that night at home.

We are grateful for the tenacity of the team there in pursuing this compassion project and ultimately getting the program up and running by the end of May.  The community, children and families are going to benefit in multiple ways by Komeza Life being there to help facilitate education for these valuable children.

We will keep you posted as things progress and news comes to us from Rwanda.

Update Jan 2023 

Over the past several months we have been in continuous contact with the directors of the Komeza Life ECE Center.  They had hoped to have begun Phase 1 of the building project in Gitagata Village in the Bugesera District by September 2022. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.  The land they purchased is zoned for agriculture (which is a good portion of all the land in the district) and had to go through the rezoning process. This use to be easy, but the Rwandan government has a new land protection initiative that takes time and requires  different levels of government to weigh in.  Good news is that the local leaders are excited and totally supporting this initiative for the people of the community.

Gitagata is one of the poorest villages in Burgesera. Despite delays they have faced they have been successful in moving the ECE program and all the staff from Kigali to Nyamata which is closer to Gitagata. The commitment of the staff to this program and seeing vulnerable children thrive is nothing short of inspiring.

Through community engagement the teachers are working with local leaders to identify children that would be the most vulnerable and benefit the most from the program. So far, staff have visited 115 families and teachers are taking this opportunity to build relationships with the families and children in that area.

The staff continue to build community understanding and build a strong relationship with partner agencies.  They are looking towards the exciting future of Komeza Life ECE program.

We can’t wait for the day to hear when its “full steam ahead “on the physical building of this much needed addition to the community in Gitagata.

May 2022

Things are ever-evolving with Komeza Life School, and we are happy to be a part of that. Serge and Jen, the directors of the program, have been thinking about, planning, and praying for a way to continue working on making education accessible for the most vulnerable of children in their community. That lead them to investigate ways to secure the future of the school and what that could look like for the long term. They have been able to procure some land just outside the city of Kigali in the district of Bugesera. This new venture is an exciting one as they wait to get all their building permits to BUILD A NEW SCHOOL!!!! Can you tell we are excited about this project and what it will mean to the children of the area of Bugesera? We can’t wait to tell you all more about the details as they progress for this life-impacting project.   This project will include three classrooms, a kitchen, bathrooms, water collection, a fence, and offices and if the permits come in quickly, we are hoping Phase One of the project can be done by Sept/Oct 2022.

Update October 2021

We are thrilled to hear that another term has begun at Komeza School. The 26 children that have begun this new school term are ready and excited to come to school, perhaps something their parents thought at one time not possible. We wanted to give you all a little overview of the school.

Earlier in October, the children started their primary education journey with their caregivers, school staff, and support with the beginning of a new school term. These little ones are all age 5, with over half being from a single-parent family. On average these students walk 1.5 Km one way to come to Komeza School. Early starts to come to school and then another 1.5 km to go home with their parents at the end of the day. These shining faces greet the teachers as they come into the building and get settled into their program schedule starting with the washing of their hands and a temp check. Covid has provided some obstacles for the schools in Rwanda but Komeza staff are working to make everyone safe and still engaged in the atmosphere best for the learning.

All students do receive a school uniform now and their school colors are yellow and green.  The uniforms are helpful for Komeza students as many of them don’t have enough clothes to come to school.

The school staff includes 2 teachers, 2 assistant teachers, a program director, a guard, and a cleaner.  The community also has a spiritual director who assists with many social and economical tasks as well. The school term is from October to July with two school breaks during that time period. The school is doing well and the children and community are loving that this option for education is there for them.

We again want to thank you for your generosity that helps to provide this education, snacks, and positive role models for these vulnerable children. We will continue to update as often as we receive information. We are so grateful and thankful for all the supporters who help to change the direction of people in such a positive way.

Your support means everything.

Thank you for considering purchasing an original AllOne Jewelry piece. Your generosity makes projects like these possible.

Komeza Life will also be partnering with Aspire Academy, a new primary school being built close to the new land. This partnership means children from our ECE program will be able to continue into primary school seamlessly, and we can focus on developing a quality ECE program.  The two ventures working together will make the impact on the children and community of Bugesera long-lasting and sustainable.

You, our supporters are making a real impact here at home and in Rwanda. Lives are being changed because of your generosity and partnership. You are making a difference. Thank you.

We look forward to sharing more details on this soon.