RSVP would like to thank everyone who has supported us in this challenge. We didn't make the cut this time but we are very encouraged to receive 21 donations towards our work with children in Rwanda. The £194 raised will fully fund our holiday revision classes in 2010, giving those children who have made it to secondary school a greater chance of completing secondary education and hopefully continuing to university or vocational training.

• RSVP_March_Newsletter.pdf (PDF)
  

The first meal for this first term was served on 4th February 2009. This is because although schools resumed a month earlier, the mayhem associated with the education changes meant we had no choice but to wait. Children have a meal only when they are on the afternoon shift. They take turns such that a given child gets a meal every second day. However, the good news is that we have expanded the programme so that we now provide meals to all P4, P5 and P6 children. This year we have been informed that the Government will be providing curriculum books for Integrated Science, Primary Mathematics, Primary English and Primary Social Studies. However no book has so far reached our school, and there is news that these books are being sold to schools. With the first school term almost over (6 weeks to go), our dilemma is do we buy these books or do we wait? Unfortunately, waiting has meant children are going to school and not learning anything! This has been compounded with the news of further changes in the language of education: As from 25th February, children aged 7, 8 and 9 will learn all their subjects in Kinyarwanda. Not English as previously directed! To continue to support the school in this area RSVP have provided some support books (dictionaries and teaching books) in the meantime.

• RSVP_February_Newsletter.pdf (PDF)
  

This month has seen the children at Mihabura achieve record results. The results were as follows; First Class Grade - 8, Distinction Grade - 10, Satisfaction Grade -11, Pass Grade - 10, Fail Grade - 2. There was understandably great celebration at the school when the results were announced. Unfortunately this has turned to disappointment for some as the requirements for secondary school places include agregated results. This means only 13 of the 18 children who achieved First Class and Distinction Grades qualify for secondary school places. Among the successful 13 is Solange who is featured on our DVD. One of the things that stands out from the results is how well Mihabura has done in comparison with the other four schools in the village, accounting for 42% of the children who will go on to secondary school from the village, where as they represent only 15% of the number of village children who took the test. RSVP believes these results substantiate the work we are doing with Mihabura and our hopes to extend this to all 900 children in the school and to the other village schools. The school is really starting to see the results of your support.

• RSVP_January_Newsletter.pdf (PDF)