Agahozo Shalom Youth Village

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Committee on Conscience - Anne Heyman is Interviewed

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
www.ushmm.org

Adapting an Israeli model for helping orphans, Anne Heyman is leading efforts to create a youth village for Rwandan orphans. She discusses the inspiration for the project and how she has managed to make it a reality.

DECEMBER 25, 2008, A PLACE WHERE TEARS ARE DRIED

BRIDGET CONLEY-ZILKIC: Welcome to Voices on Genocide Prevention. This is Bridget Conley-Zilkic. With me today is Anne Heyman, whoâ€™s the founder of the Agahozo Shalam Youth Village in Rwanda. Anne, thank you for talking with me today.

ANNE HEYMAN: Itâ€™s my pleasure to be with you.

BRIDGET CONLEY-ZILKIC: So to help our audience understand the project, what is the Algahozo Shalom Youth Village, Iâ€™d like to start out by asking how you first learned about what had happened in Rwanda, about the 1994 genocide.

ANNE HEYMAN: I think, you know, it was, certainly, having been an adult during that time, I was aware of the genocide. But in the fall of 2005– Iâ€™m involved in a program at Tuft University, called Moral Voices. And we were doing our year that year was Moral Voices on Genocide. And we had a speaker, Paul Rusesabagina, who was the gentleman from the movie, Hotel Rwanda, that that movie had been made about. And I had dinner with him before the eveningâ€™s program. And my husband said to him, you know, â€œWhatâ€™s the biggest problem facing Rwanda today?â€ And he said, â€œIn a country where you have 1.2 million orphans, with no systemic solution to deal with them, thereâ€™s no future for the country.â€ Immediately it struck me that, you know, Israel doesnâ€™t have an orphan problem. After the Second World War, there was certainly a tremendous influx of orphans. And what did they do with them? They built youth villages. And so I, actually, even at the table that night, said, â€œYou should build youth villages.â€ And it was just, like, â€œYeah, fine.â€ You know, pass the salt, and dinner went on. But it was an idea that really stuck with me. And I couldnâ€™t let it go.

[To read more of this interview, download the PDF]

Local woman works to heal African orphans

Tina Wyatt, Agahozo-Shalom Project Coordinator, has been working on the project since it’s inception. Recently, she traveled to Rwanda for the opening of the village..

by Robert Wiener
NJJN Staff Writer
January 1, 2009

With expertise gleaned from a successful program in Israel, a Livingston woman is seeking support for a youth village in Rwanda for teenage orphans scarred by genocide

The newly opened center is called Agahozo Shalom. It was inspired by a youth village in Israel called Yemin Orde, founded in 1953 to care for orphans of the Nazi Holocaust.

â€œYemin Orde is a model,â€ said Tina Wyatt, who is working as a paid consultant for the project in Rwanda. The village, located just south of Haifa, â€œhas done tremendous work in healing kids who have come from traumatized backgrounds and making them whole again so they can lead productive lives.â€

[To read more of this article, Download the PDF]

Missouri Woman Works in Rwanda

Tanya Fredman, a Missouri native, is currently volunteering at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village to provide therapy through art.

January 1, 2009
By Margaret Gillerman
St. Louis Post - Dispatch

ST. LOUIS â€” About a month ago, Tanya Fredman was sipping coffee and animatedly discussing art at a Clayton coffeehouse near the home of her parents and younger brothers in University City.
Now she is more than 8,000 miles away on a jungle hilltop in the African country of Rwanda, helping Tutsi and Hutu orphans at Agahozo Shalom Youth Village.

[To read more of this article, download the PDF]

Rwandan genocide orphanage heeds Holocaust model

December 15, 2008
Afrique Centrale

An orphanage modeled on those constructed for Holocaust survivors opened Monday in Rwanda by welcoming 120 children orphaned by the African country’s 1994 genocide.
Funded largely by Jewish American and international donors, Agahozo Shalom Youth Village will eventually take in 500 orphans, whose families died in a bloody ethnic cleansing campaign which claimed 800,000 lives in 100 days.

The project, which has attracted celebrity support from actress Natalie Portman and the Clinton Global Initiative, is modeled on the Israeli orphanage Yemin Orde, constructed to assist young survivors of the Holocaust following World War II.

[To read more of this article,download the PDF]

Home based on Jewish Principles to help Rwandan Genocide Orphans

December 15, 2008
By: Nicole Kallmeyer
The Globe and Mail

Rwandan genocide survivor, Innocent Gisanura, doesn’t know much about Judaism, but the counselor at a new home for genocide orphans can explain the Jewish philosophies of tikkun halev and tikkun olam.

“The first is healing the heart, the second is healing the world,” he said.

These are the guiding principles of Agahozo Shalom Youth Village, built amid the undulating rural landscape of Rwanda’s Rwamagana district, 50 kilometers from the capital of Kigali.

[To read more of this article, download the PDF]

Anne in Rwanda - Thursday, December 18

Thursday, December 18, 2008

It was lonely to wake up without Jason todayâ€¦.I missed our early morning snuggle. I went to take my usual cold shower with my usual dread, but when I turned on the tapsâ€¦.no water. Unfortunately one of the big issues we have is that â€œpeopleâ€ - who knows who â€“ turn on the taps and just leave them running. Its possible that they turn them on and there is no water and they just leave them open, but I have seen village people â€“ i.e. our people â€“ walk by the outdoor laundry sinks where the water is running away and not bother going over to turn it off. Lots of education on every front is really needed.

My plan was to say goodbye to everyone at lunch, and then to hang out with Nir for a couple of hours before we left, and he was going to drive us to the airport. The Liquidnet team, who were still crazily installing the wireless network, trying to get as many houses covered as they could before they left, wanted to leave as late as possible. They have really been amazing. Not only were they up until all hours of the night every night, but they made a real effort to get to know the kids and the counselors and volunteers. They were warm and friendly and funny and everybody really loved them. The fact that they came bearing gifts was wonderful (we had asked the Liquidnet family if they could help collect watches for us as we wanted each of the kids to own their own watch â€“ time management is something that needs a lot of work in Rwanda). In response, one Liquidnet employee, John Adam, took it upon himself to purchase the watches and give them to the kids as a gift, which was extraordinarily generous. The kids were very excited to receive the watches, which were given out by the Liquidnet team going from house to house a few nights ago during â€œfamily timeâ€. As thrilled as they were to receive the watches, they were beyond ecstatic when they learned that the Liquidnet team was in the village to install a wireless network. The fact that they were to be connected to the internet just blew them away. For Rwandans to show excitement is rare; these kids could not contain themselves. Interestingly enough, the next morning very few of the kids were wearing their watches. I noticed, however, that over the next few days more and more had them on. By the time school rolls around, I am sure they will not only be wearing them but using them wellâ€¦.all the time. (no pun intended)

As lunch ended I stood up and told the kids that I would see them in a few months, and at that time I would expect them to be speaking English. I also told them that I would do my homework, which is to learn all their names and faces so that next time I can call them by name, and really begin to get to know them. There are a few, who already stand out in my mind, but so many of them came up to me with hugs, and thanks, and promises to do wellâ€¦.it were really very heartwarming. The hugs from the housemothers were particularly warm really meant a lot to me. As I was walking back to the office with Sifa one young man approached us with a poem he had written. Poetry writing is a particular art form in traditional Rwandan culture, and apparently he had written a traditional Rwandan poem about me. Sifa read it and tried to translate as best she could (she said we need our friend Thomas from the National Museum to do the poem justice) but she could barely hold back the tears as she read it. Sifa has learned the art of being unemotional during translation, and for her to be so touched meant a lot to me. I asked her to have it translated, and then I am going to frame it and put it on my wall.

Apparently the car that was taking Manlio to the airport had gotten stuck behind the drilling machinery that we had brought in to dig our borehole, and the other car did not have enough space to take all of us to the airport later. This meant that Sifa, Tina and I had to go with Manlio, who was leaving for the airport immediately.

Unfortunately this did not give me the opportunity to say goodbye to everyone â€“ I ran out without seeing most of the volunteers and counselors, and it was really too bad. I did get to say a quick goodbye to the office staff (who, by the way, are truly great â€“ not only do they work hard and are really good at their jobs but they get the village philosophy and they understand that they are part of a team trying to do something really different in Rwandaâ€¦.and they love it). I guess the good part of rushing out is that I didnâ€™t have time for sad farewells. It was really fun being with everyone, and it was especially wonderful to spend a lot of time with Nir, sharing our vision and strategies about the village. I will miss being with him there as he sorts through the myriad of challenges we face; it is not the same dealing with issues over the phone. That being said, I am very glad to be going home to my other family, who I seem to miss more and more each time I go to Rwanda.

Anne in Rwanda - Wednesday, December 17

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

I woke up this morning and was very sad looking over at Jason in the bed next to me, realizing that he was going â€œhomeâ€ â€“ back to Israelâ€¦.without me. I poked him and asked him for a snuggle. He is such a good sport, and it was really fantastic to have him around, even if it was just for 3 days. He worked so hard, and given that he flew in from Israel, went straight to work, stayed up late at night and got up with the sun in the morning, by the time I packed him off he was exhausted. He slept the whole way to the airport. I think he had a great trip â€“ the kids loved talking to him as he is their age, and although he didnâ€™t have the time to really hang with them I know he made an impact. When we left for the airport, as we were driving out of the village, we heard one of the kids yell â€œBye Jasonâ€. We arrived in Kigali a little early, and went to Chez Lando for a quick drink. One thing with not having a ready supply of drinking water at the village is that you are always thirsty! While we were grabbing our quick drink I got a message that the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, who I had come in to Kigali to meet, was ready to meet (she had come in from a ceremony at an orphanage in the Southern Province which she attended with the First Lady, Jannette Kagame), she was dressed in her traditional mashanana which was really beautiful. So I had to send Jason off the airport with Nir and head to that meeting. I felt so guilty about not going with him â€“ he was kind enough to point out that he obviously didnâ€™t mean that much to me but it was ok because he was a big boyâ€¦..He is so great. I donâ€™t know what I did to deserve such an angel of a child, but I am so grateful for him â€“ as I am for my other 2 children, and my husband, and all the other good things I have in my life â€“ every moment of every day. That is what working on a project like this will do for you.

I donâ€™t know if I have commented on meals at the village, but generally they are as follows: Breakfast is either a â€œdonutâ€ â€“ a little different in texture but very sweetâ€¦.I think it is fried, sweetened dough, or otherwise flat bread, whose name escapes me at the moment but is kind of like a tortilla â€“ very good (I keep saying how good they will taste with Agahozo-Shalom honeyâ€¦..). Lunch and dinner are much the same â€“ rice and beans with a different sauce each time; and generally there is another side dish â€“ either banana based or potato based. Occasionally there is fruit, like sliced pineapple, laid out as well. The food is actually quite good, but the hardest thing for most of the westerners to get used to is the fact that breakfast is at 7:30, lunch at 1:00 and dinner at 7:00. There is no option of snacking â€“ there is absolutely nothing to eat in between meals. One way to cure yourself of that unnecessary snacking.

After dinner I asked Innocent how it was going, and he proceeded to regale me with stories about the kids. One of the things he told me was that they had said to him they loved how they were treated here, but they were wondering if it was going to change. Innocent told them that they were part of the team who was supposed to make sure that things did not change. He said that they all agreed that together they would make sure it wouldnâ€™t changeâ€¦.there are going to be a million little steps but I actually have great confidence that these kids will â€œget itâ€ and we will accomplish what we set out to do.

Tonight was really moving. At dinner I was approached by one of the house mothers who told me that the counselor in her house had told the kids that I would be stopping by for a visit last night, and they were disappointed that I had not shown up. So after dinner I went, with Sifa as interpreter, to the house and the kids were wonderful. They are all very shy, and it is hard to get them to talk as for most English is a real challenge. I have to hand it to them though, they usually try, and only when they get very frustrated do they break into Kinyarwanda. They are really great. They all introduced themselves to me; I told them a little about myself, my own kids, where I was fromâ€¦.and answered a few questions. They thanked me very movingly, and gave me a gift â€œfor my daughterâ€ â€“ it was a hand cloth embroidered by the house mother, and a picture drawn by one of the kids. I told them I would give the embroidery to Jenna, but the picture I was going to frame and put on the wall of my office.

After this meeting I went to Nirâ€™s office to finish going over some stuff, and at 9:00 the counselors and house mothers (informal educators) called Nir and I into their meeting. They have this meeting every night at 9:00 to review the day, address problems that may have arisen, talk about what went well, and generally help each other out. I told all the informal educators that the past few days have been the realization of a dream that had been 3 long years in the making. I told them that I had felt a little trepidation at the beginning of the week, as I knew that whether or not the dream became a reality was no longer up to me, but up to them. Having spent the last few days watching them with the kids, however, I told them that I was leaving perfectly reassured that my dream was in good hands. A number of people made little speeches about how they would not let me down, how wonderful this time had been, etc. etc. The head house mother was especially moving. Each and every one of these people is so special in their own way.

We then called the Liquidnet Family, 4 volunteers who have been working on expanding the wireless capability in the village, to come in and say their goodbyes. They each made a very moving speech about what being here had meant to them, and reassured all that they would work incredibly hard to share the story of the village with others and help raise the funds that are so needed. Cathy spoke last, and by the time it was her turn she was already crying (as were many in the room). She started to sob as she really spoke from the heart about what this experience had meant to her, and so did many others. After they spoke the Liquidnetters gave out Liquidnet hats to the volunteers and counselors and Liquidnet bandanas to the house mothers. Then it was picture taking time, and then time to say goodnight. Many of the Rwandan staff began to hug me to say goodbye, thanking me, squeezing me tight, asking G-d to bless me etc. etc. It was very very touching.

Anne in Rwanda - Tuesday, December 16

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Today was spent in the village, generally walking around, observing, and taking things in. I want to say something about the farm, which is really taking shape beautifully. The organic farm will be located at the base of the houses, slightly below where the visitor houses are being constructed. There is a piece of land which has been flattened with the generous help of our construction companyâ€™s bulldozer (they have been great, allowing us to pay for gas and the labor but giving us free use of their equipment). On that land our volunteers are currently marking out the location of the cowshed, which will house 40 cows. On the right side of the cowshed is the feeding trough, and there are plans to eventually build another shed on the other side of the feeding trough so that eventually we can have 80 cows. This will provide the village with its daily milk needs when the village is at capacity. Next to the cowshed we are planning to build a chicken coop, housing egg producing chickens, and next to that, another chicken coop, housing chickens for food. The cook would like the kids to have one meal a week containing meat; for the most part it is rice, potatoes, beans and cassava with a variety of soupy sauces. There will also be a storage shed in the row of sheds. In front of that will be the vegetable garden, where we will soon be preparing the land for our first crop. Again, the goal is to provide the kitchen with as many of its vegetable needs as possible. Surrounding the farm area will be fruit trees that are cultivated: Citrus trees (orange, lemon etc.), mango, pineapple, banana and coffee are all in the plans. It is so exciting to see all of what was onceâ€¦.and not so long agoâ€¦.just talk, or thoughts, taking shape.

Walking through the village and noticing kids engaged in various activities, hearing singing and clapping on occasion, feeling the rhythm of life being established is just an indescribable feeling. After being in the village without kids, it is amazing how the â€œfeelâ€ has changed just by their presence here. It really feels like a youth village. The kids have begun to settle in. You can see them getting more and more comfortable, kicking a soccer ball around in their free time, laughing and joking together. The noise level on the dining patio has increased substantiallyâ€¦.but it is incredible how everyone quiets with a clap of the hands. Hopefully in a couple of weeks the dining room will be useable, but itâ€™s great that the weather allows us to eat outdoors all the time. The spectacular views are something I will never get over.

The guys were supposed to come and begin digging the borehole todayâ€¦that never happenedâ€¦they are now supposed to come on Thursday. Hopefully they will do that, the neighbors will be fine about it, and we will soon have a steady supply of water at the village. Of the issues confronting us, this is undoubtedly the most important.

Once again I had to run into Kigali â€“ this time for a fundraising meeting. Tuesday night was my big TV debut, and apparently those associated with the village but living in Kigali (i.e. those with TVs) got a lot of phone calls saying how impressed they were with the village, and we were even contacted on our website by someone who works in East Africa saying that she would like to bring a potential donor to the village. Pretty awesome. I am hopeful that at least some of the Rwandans who watched will contact Alain or the village and we will be able to gain some traction on this front in Rwanda as well.

After dinner I visited some of the childrenâ€™s houses. They have an hour of â€œfamily timeâ€ in the evenings, and it is a good time to just go and chat and let them ask questions and see how they are doing. This was also the night the Liquidnet team was going around giving out a gift and explaining who they were and what they were doing in the village. (You should check out their blog for news and pics of their visitâ€¦.absolutely amazing!!!) The kids I visited were very shy at first, but after I pointed out that Jason, who was helping Asaf with the videotaping, was my son, they asked him a couple of questions and then asked me about my family. I told them about my other son (14) and my daughter (16). They asked me when my daughter was coming to the village (hmmmmâ€¦did I mention that this was a boys house?). One of the kids then asked me what my husband does, and I told them simply that his company trades shares over the internet instead of on the stock exchange. In response to some really blank looks I told them that he would explain all about the stock exchange when he came in June, and they all started clapping. They had now warmed up a little, and began to ask me questions that I knew had to come from the â€œice-breakerâ€ games they had played earlier in the day, like…â€what is your favorite animalâ€ (horse, for those of you who couldnâ€™t figure that one out). It was really a lot of fun hanging out with them.

ASYV Teachers in Israel - Complete ICELP Training

The ASYV High School Teachers have completed their training at the International Center for the Enhancement for Learning Potential (ICELP) in Israel and received their diplomas. They now will now begin a week of training from Cisco Systems and head back home to Rwanda.

Anne in Rwanda - Opening Day, Monday, December 15

Monday, December 15, 2008

Today was just unbelievable. The morning started out very slowly, and in dealing with (and watching Nir deal with) so many frustrating issues (water, houses not complete, things not working, not enough beds)â€¦and many others that I wonâ€™t go into here. Anyway, at some point Sifa and I turned to each other and said â€œwe are going to ignore everything from now on and just enjoyâ€ â€“ and shook hands on it. It is interesting that both of us were feeling kind of down this morningâ€¦.I was exhausted too, which didnâ€™t help.

The kids started arriving at about 11:30 this morning. They gathered at the dining hall, and then in groups of about 20 they were taken on tours of the village by the counselors and house mothers. At 2:00 pm gathered on the veranda of the dining hall. Each child was supposed to come with one guardian, but of course many many more showed up. Everyone was very gracious though, and it was good. At about 2:30 we started, with Sifa introducing all the village staff, and then me. I told the kids that they would be asked the story of the village many times, so I thought that it was appropriate that they heard it from the source. I basically went through the history, with Sifa translating. Many â€œgruntsâ€ of acknowledgement, as you know the Rwandans do when they agree and are following, and lots of bursts of clapping. It was really wonderful, and quite incredible really to be standing with that beautiful view, talking about the future of both the kids and ASYV. I had been asked many times what my hope was for these children, and I told them it was for them to see this as an opportunity, to take advantage, to learn as much as they can and realize how much they can achieve, and then to take those lessons and share them with someone else. The vice-Ambassador for the U.S. had asked if she could come today, and I told her yes, but no speeches as this was just a welcome home. When I went to sit down next to her she had tears in her eyes, and saidâ€¦.â€the power of oneâ€¦what an incredible storyâ€.

After I spoke Sifa invited one of the guardians who were dropping off a child to speak. It was Jean Pierreâ€™s idea, and he could not have picked a better person. The mother he picked was a genocide survivor. She had a large machete slash on the side of her face and also on her arm. Her eye too was damaged. She spoke beautifully about what a miracle it was that this has happened; about how G-d has not forgotten Rwanda, and this place is proof. She spoke about how she lost her 4 kids in the genocide and her husband, and that even though she had taken in another kid; it was difficult for people like her to parent as they were constantly thinking of their own kids. She talked about how difficult it was, and what a blessing this wasâ€¦even though so much time had passed and they thought they were forgotten, this was not the case. She urged the kids to make the most of their opportunity, to be what we believed they could beâ€¦.I was told afterwards that what she said in Kinyarwanda was very very emotionalâ€¦and that a lot was lost in translation. The English speakers were crying anyway, so whatever she said had a great impact. After that Jean Pierre spoke, and he too was inspirational, talking about the Village, not a school, houses and not dormitories, and what that all means. His speech was followed by a brief snack (peanuts and vegetables in fried doughâ€¦like samosaâ€™s) and mango juice (mixed with a lot of water).

The kids then went down to the soccer fieldâ€¦or the beginnings of the soccer field, where each house mother and counselor stood with a sign that had her name and the counselors name, with all the children who were living in their house. The childrenâ€™s names were called one by one, and they went to their group/houses. The various houses then went with their guardians to show them where they were going to liveâ€¦some of them were really overwhelmed, and I should tell you that other than beds and wardrobes, and curtains home made by the house mothers, there is nothing in the houses (we have ordered furniture but it is not ready yet or is coming in a container that has not arrived). Of the 125 kids 5 did not respond to their names at roll call.

After spending some time in the houses, the children walked their families back to the minibuses that were taking them to various locations, and they picked up their luggage and returned to their new homes. I was sitting outside at the beginning of the row of their houses (there are 5 girl houses, 3 boy houses, in keeping with the Rwandan advisory committee to make the village 60% female). With 4 kids from each district, we have 5 spots reserved for staff â€“ Jean Pierre has a sister who is here (she is of course an orphan as well) and the groundskeeper has a daughter who is attending too. As the kids came by I waved, said hello, welcome. They all smiled and waived backâ€¦it was great. They each had varying amounts of luggage â€“ a few with small suitcases, most with back packs or back pack size carry bags, and a few with just paper bags. The plan is that a list has been made of what every kid in the village should have. Those that have, will use what they have, and those that donâ€™t will be supplied by the village, so that every child is on more or less equal footing. For the next couple of hours, kids continued to arrive (4 new ones). Sifa explained that some of them had to go by a combination of boat, car, bicycle and walking. It took some 2 days to get here. Since we had counted 120 children at the field though, and knew 2 more were supposed to come tomorrow, Sifa was a bit concerned and went off to check and double check the lists.

After spending time playing ice-breaking games in their individual houses, we all went to dinner. This is a little bit of a challenge as we didnâ€™t realize until the night before last as we were walking to dinner that once you leave the village area and head up towards the dining hall it is very very dark. We have a few flashlights between us but there is definitely a need for solar path lighting and the bogo lights. Everyone sat down at the dining tables and there was a lot of noise with everyone chatting but no one got up to eat. The food was set out buffet style at 3 stations. We need at least 4, and more kitchen staff, for sure. I heard Nir ask Jean-Pierre why they were not eating. Apparently they needed to be invited. Jean-Pierre clapped his hands twice and there was immediate dead silence. Can you imagine that happening with a group of 125 kids in the US? Israel? It was amazingâ€¦like a magic trick. The kids lined up to eat and they piled huge amounts of food (the usual â€“ rice, beans, a sauce and potato) on their plates. As we watched them we realized a few things: some of them probably hadnâ€™t eaten all day; some of them probably never had the opportunity to eat till they were filled at one sitting; some of them probably had to worry about when the next large meal was coming; and â€¦.we definitely needed to increase the amount of food made each night, at least until the â€œfood grabâ€ settles down, which it undoubtedly will. I should tell you that while every ounce of food was gone, almost every plate was completely empty. They definitely were not just wasting the food. On the food front it is interesting to note that many of the Rwandan staff also pile their plates high, but they too always eat everything. The fact that the meals are so starchy doesnâ€™t affect their figures at all â€“ for the most part they are lean in the direction of thin.

After dinner we walked back to the soccer field, where some of the Israeli volunteers had planned to light a fire sign that said Agahozo-Shalom. On the way a big snake crossed our paths, which wasâ€¦interesting. It didnâ€™t bother me although I am no fan of snakes. I have been told there are no poisonous snakes in this area butâ€¦.you never know. The path on the way back had been lighted by torches made of cans filled with some type of fuel (maybe kerosene) and ragsâ€¦a wind had picked up and quite a few of them had blown over and gone out. Even the others flickering in the wind made me nervousâ€¦.I was really afraid they would blow over and set the brush on fireâ€¦.we have to get some lanterns here quickly. At the soccer field the sign lighting was â€¦welllâ€¦.a failure. It was too bad. Jean-Pierre explained to the kids in Kinyarwanda what they had tried to do, and then sent everyone to bed.

Regrouping In the office later Sifa, who had reviewed and re-reviewed the lists concluded that 122 children had shown up yesterday. This did not include the 5 that were on the list and didnâ€™t show. Hmmmm. Apparently though Nir had met at least one of the kids who wasnâ€™t on yesterdayâ€™s list and they had definitely been chosen. It seems at some point there was another list, and â€¦.hence the confusion. Well, we do have enough beds to house 128 kids, soâ€¦while not idealâ€¦.if the other 5 show up some time in the next couple of days (I know at least 2 more are coming todayâ€¦they had difficulty getting here yesterday)â€¦worst case we have 127 kids in our first class at the village.

It was hard to talk to many of the kids in depth, but I did hear a few stories. One about a girl who was thrown into the river during the genocide and a man pulled her out and raised her with his own children. One of our kids here is a junior national level volleyball playerâ€¦.we have to get that volleyball court up and running asap. Jason befriended a boy named Patience. His English isnâ€™t that good, but he did manage to convey that he came from the Western Province â€“ near Lake Kivu on the complete other side of the country. It doesnâ€™t do any good to ask the kids how they are, whether they are ok, because they will always tell you that all is good and they are very happy, which may indeed be the case (although I saw at least one teary girlâ€¦I assume she was home sickâ€¦.sitting at dinner). Given the challenges of the day I think all went very smoothly. I am pleased Asaf was here to videotape; I think we should probably post the raw footage, as filmedâ€¦.all in all it was a very very good day.

Liquidnet At the ASYV Village Opening

There are four members of the Liquidnet Family in Rwanda to attend the opening of the village and to set up the village’s internet capabilities.

To view their impressions of the village and their trip; visit their blog at http://race4rwanda.tumblr.com/

Anne in Rwanda - Sunday, December 14

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Wow. The day before the kids arrive. Still seems unreal. I opened the window at about 6:00am and saw 2 of the most beautiful hawks, sitting in the tree right outside the window. I went onto the balcony and bird watched for about 20 minutesâ€¦.there were a lot of large birds around this morning â€“ I am not a bird person but it was so awesome to see them flying around and really up close. Sifa picked me up at the apartment and the Liquidnet team, who spent the night with me in the apartment in Kigali, went to the village with one of the village employees, Jean Bosco. I went to the TV station for my interview. It went really well, and the interviewer was really great, and ended the interview by asking how people could donate in Rwanda. We have to really figure that one out, but for now I gave him the address of our office in Kigaliâ€¦and told him that if no one was there, they should leave a note and we would get back to them. He kindly mentioned the location of the village too, if someone wanted to visit, and said that they could also contact us through his show, which was great.

After the interview Sifa and I went to the Novotel to work until the planes from Ethiopia came in (Jason and Asaf Periâ€¦.here to make an update movie; Shimon Solomon â€“ Ethiopian Israeli, Yemin Orde and Feuerstein graduate and a wonderful asset to the village, and Dr. Rick Hodes, who is going to do the medical assessment of the kids on the day after their arrival. After a 2 hour delay at the airport, we were very joyously reunitedâ€¦it was so great to see everyone again (especially Jason, of courseâ€¦.I couldnâ€™t stop hugging and kissing him). Shimon could not contain his excitementâ€¦he told me he has been counting the minutes until this time. We arrived at the village eventually and right away everyone got to work immediatelyâ€¦.well, after a little lunch of..rice and beans and cassava. Jason and Asaf took off, the Liquidnet guys started trying to figure out the internet, and everyone else went back to moving furniture and cleaning.
The rest of the afternoon was spent moving, cleaning and otherwise getting ready. The kitchen moved up to the dining hall, and we at our first meal there this evening. Very dark walking up thereâ€¦and a little scary walking back. Not sure how this is going to work with 125 kids. We obviously need to figure out some lighting.

Water continues to be a major issue here. Despite paying to be on the local distribution, we donâ€™t get anything near what we are supposed to or what we need. We have decided to go ahead and dig a borehole, but the place most beneficial to dig is slightly off our property. The owner has no problem, but he says that the villagers who work the site are very upset, and unless we give them some of our water they are going to â€œdo somethingâ€â€¦i.e. damage the pump/pipes in someway. Because of the way a borehole is dugâ€¦.the pump pushes the water directly into a pipe to somewhereâ€¦there is no way to â€œshareâ€ from one boreholeâ€¦.sharing is not a possibility. Threats are not too good eitherâ€¦but we think we will be ok if we go ahead and dig anywayâ€¦.it is a bit of a dilemma. We have to figure it out though, and soon. No water again this morningâ€¦.it wont be good when the kids are in the village.

Anne in Rwanda - Saturday, December 13

Today is Shabbat. The sun was up, the birds are chirping awayâ€¦.I donâ€™t know if I have mentioned the birds here but they are really extraordinaryâ€¦and so many of them. We could do eco-tourismâ€¦..call our visitor housing an Eco-Lodge and we are in business! I know Brian is in favor. I wonder if they will disappear when we clear all the brush that still surrounds us. Of course we will be planting thousands of trees, but they all start as little saplings, so it will take a while until we have real trees.

After grabbing my coffee I spent a little time catching up on e-mail, and met with Sifa who is spending the morning reviewing the basic principals of our informal education with the Rwandan staff in Kinyarwanda. We canâ€™t go over this stuff enough, and even so it is going to take ages until they actually get what we are talking about. But it will come.

Walking back from the house where the meetings are conducted (to the house where the kitchen/dining hall is temporarily located) I stopped for a moment to look around. It is another beautiful sunny day here. At the house to my left about 15 people was hand tilling the land and then they will hand plant grass. Between the landscape workers and the construction guys there are almost 500 people working on the site everyday. The guys doing the landscape get approximately 1.20 per day. It would cost more in gas and electricity if we were to do all the work with machinery. I think the realization as you look around that everything you see at the village â€“ from the landscape to the drainage ditches to the plantings was all done by hand is one of the most amazingâ€¦almost overwhelming things. As you look around and take it in, you canâ€™t believe that this was accomplished in a year. Remember groundbreaking was August 17 of 2007.

Standing on the road which goes between 2 rows of houses, looking around, breathing it inâ€¦.all of a sudden it hit me. Look at what I made happen. I certainly didnâ€™t do it alone, and I really donâ€™t like when people â€œlaudâ€ me or give me credit but for the first time I really realized â€œWow. This is unbelievable. And it wouldnâ€™t have happened but for meâ€. Tears started to pour, and if it wasnâ€™t for one of the counselorsâ€™s coming down the road I think I would have broken down â€¦I was really overwhelmed. I have been particularly unemotional (for me) during this visit. Lots of work, lots of worries. (The water issues, not all the houses are ready, the dining hall isnâ€™t ready, the trainings, I could go on and on. I know this stuff will come right, some of it pretty soon and so I am not worried about it, but it does keep you busy). The construction workers are literally working around the clockâ€¦.good thing we have reliable electricity. And speaking of electricityâ€¦..last night we came back from Kigali at about 7:30 so it was already dark. As we turned the corner where you see the village for the first time, I was completely blown away. With the path lights on at night, and the lights in the houses, it looks from afar as if you are approaching a city. Really remarkable. Miraculous â€“ there is that word again.

The counselor who was walking towards me stopped to talk to me and, drying my eyes, and knowing that he was a few minutes late for his seminar, I said to him â€œyou better runâ€ â€“ meaning of course that I didnâ€™t want to keep him as he had to be somewhere. As he took off running down the road I couldnâ€™t help but chuckle. You forget that even though this particular counselors English is very good, they donâ€™t know sayings and really interpret everything literally. I hope he doesnâ€™t think that he was in trouble.

Nir and I were supposed to meet butâ€¦.water issues once again this morning so he went to the central pumping station to check it out. I was going to work on some proposals but realized that now was the time to take a moment and just walk the entire village, to take it all in, to revel in it a little. I went to find Tina and asked her if she wanted to go for a walk, and we started at the very top of the village where the farm and school are located. As we walked through the school I was once again struck not only by the incredible views from up there but the beauty of the school itself. It is open and spacious, built around a central courtyard. With administrative offices on your left and right as you enter, you then step into an open courtyardâ€¦.its not so easy to describe but I will take pictures (ok, have them taken â€“ I donâ€™t even have a camera) of the buildings inside and out and post them on the website. Anyway, trust me. You wish you could have gone to school in a building as good looking as this! We wandered down from the school to the dining hall which does have a bit of a monstrosity of a wall as its faÃ§ade. Somehow the dimensions were way off, and no one caught it or corrected it. Rather than spend the money to take it down though, I think we can really use it constructively. It is an incredible setting for a mural, and for the opening day I think a map of the village, with everything we eventually want to be in the village depicted will be both great to see and a great fundraising tool. From there we walked across the football fieldâ€¦which right now is just a huge, leveled piece of land in the slight valley between the two hilltops of the village, and then took the lowest road to see how construction was going with the visitor housing.

The walls of both visitor houses are going up â€“ they are about 4 -5 ft tall at the moment. It gave me the chance to see the size of the rooms, which are actually large enough to take 3 bunk beds â€“ i.e. 6 kids per room. With 5 rooms each visitor house can hold potentially 30 kids, so that is pretty cool. It is so hard to convey the vastness of the village. It takes about 20 minutes, walking at a decent pace, from the furthest childrenâ€™s house to the school. It is a great walk though, and unlike our western children for these kids it is a nothing walk.

I have to head to Kigali now - going to meet the Liquidnet guys at the airport, and then tomorrow am being interviewed on a talk show on Rwanda Television. Jason comes in at noon tomorrow. I am incredibly excited for him to see the village. I can only imagineâ€¦.

Anne in Rwanda - Friday, December 12

Friday, December 12, 2008

Today began much like yesterday, although I was looking forward to my early morning cold shower. I hopped out of bed, turned on the fawcett and â€¦.no water. I didnâ€™t shower last night because I was told that the tank had just been filled; and since it was past midnight when I went to my room and it was chillyâ€¦I decided to wait. Now I was kicking myself. After trying for Â½ an hour I gave up, and got dressed and organized to go to breakfast. I decided to try one more time before I left the roomâ€¦andâ€¦miracle of miraclesâ€¦.there was water! Turns out there had been water all along, but someone forgot to turn the tap that opens the water tank into the pipes. I can tell you that were the best cold shower I have ever taken!

The day today was devoted to scheduling the first 2 weeks of the childrenâ€™s lives at the village. There is so much work that still needs to be done but I remind myself of 2 things: 1) they have been in the village for a month, during which time Jean-Pierre, their fearless leader, spent over two weeks traveling the countryside arranging for the kids who had been chosen to come to the village; Nir was crazy busy with construction, move in etc., and Anne and Sifa were nowhere to be found. 2) They have the warmest hearts and are so excited to be here and to make a difference. They do not understand yet how to apply what they have learned, but they have barely had time to internalize the â€“ so far purely theoretical - philosophy and methodology they have heard. I do believe they will get it but I am reminded that this project is exactly thatâ€¦.a project. And it is going to take quite some time on every front.

I had to leave the Village around 11:00 to go with Nir and Sifa into Kigali where we had some fundraising meetings. Despite going to the wrong coffee shop (can you believe there are now 2 Bourbon Cafes in Kigali?) we eventually found our potential donor and had a really goodâ€¦.and really longâ€¦conversation about ASYV and also about corporate social responsibility (she works at a bank that actually has a corporate social responsibility department). She was great, and told us that the next step was to meet again with her management and then to submit a proposal. Her management team however is unavailable this week as they are trying to close the books before Christmas, soâ€¦.we will have to see where this goes. We were introduced to her by a Rwandan PR/fundraiser who would like us to put him on retainer. He also happens to have a TV talk show, and asked if I would go on it. It is a half hour live interview, and we will be doing it on Sunday morning. I will probably go into Kigali tomorrow night and sleep at the apartment (yaayâ€¦hot shower) and then go from the interview to pick Jas up at the airport (yaayâ€¦.Jason). Jason and a hot shower in the same day. Wowâ€¦I am looking forward till tomorrow.

I am sitting in my room at the village and the 3rd weird looking bug just crawled past my feet in as many minutes. I am all for nature butâ€¦.why canâ€™t they stay outside! Today was relatively uneventful but it was good to spend a bunch of time with Sifa and Nir today, mostly talking about different issues at the village and with the project, but also enjoying the rare opportunity to have a little personal interaction (the 45 minute ride to and from Kigali goes quickly and is a great opportunity to chat.)

We arrived back at the village around 7:30, which is late to eat dinner, but all had waited for us. The Israeliâ€™s had taught the Rwandans a Shabbat song and they were singing, the Shabbat candles were already lit. 2 of the volunteers explained Shabbat (in English, translated to Kinyarwandan) and its symbols. Washing hands, Kiddush, and challah breaking (yes, there is a place that makes Challah to order in Rwanda) was followed by yet another delicious mealâ€¦.of rice, beans and of course potatoes. It is amazing how you can eat rice and beans for lunch and dinner every day, and each time it tastes completely different. I donâ€™t know if I mentioned but the cook here is very cool. He is the sweetest man, always with a smile in his eye and on his face. Truthfully everyone here seems so nice and so jazzed to be part of this team. I am going to enjoy it while I can. I know there are tough days ahead, but given what we thought we would haveâ€¦and what we actually have in our staff, I think we are actually in pretty good shape. It will take time, but we will definitely get there.

Anne in Rwanda - Thursday, December 11

Thursday, December 11, 1008

Today was orientation at the Village for all the staff who are currently living and working there (that is everyone except the teachers, who are still in training in Israel). We began the 3 day seminar, with some introductory remarks by Jean-Pierre, and then some â€œice-breakerâ€ games which were led by Mor, one of the Israeli volunteers. We had to learn to say â€œmy name isâ€¦.in Kinyarwandan; and â€œmy job isâ€¦â€¦..â€ and then go around introducing ourselves, and then had to recite who we met and what they did. Not easy, but fun.

After this, I had the floor, and I spoke to everyone for about 2 hours about the origins and history of ASYV and also the philosophy behind what we are doing, who our partners were that made it happen, etc. They were really fascinated â€“ they had heard partial stories before, but it kind of blew them away. After a break, they had more questions for me, which we eventually had to cut off â€“ I think they could have gone on forever. The truth is they are so serious about trying to understand exactly what we want from them â€“ i.e. what it is that they need to do in order to create the type of Village we are talking about. They want to discuss not only tools but how to use them, in what circumstances. They asked really great questions, and I think were genuinely pleased with the answers. After a break for a really delicious lunch (rice and beans are a stapleâ€¦you would love it here) and a great salad too with avocadoâ€¦.my favorite â€¦anyway Sifa then spoke about the ASYV philosophy in the Rwandan reality. This quickly led to a continuation of our previous discussion â€“ i.e. applied philosophy. After this 3 of the counselors led an exercise where we were each paired with someone and given a list of personal questions designed to let them get to know you (meaning of your name, favorite place, food, animal etc.) and also to talk about the personal meaning of being at ASYVâ€¦.I am here becauseâ€¦..; I wish I could findâ€¦â€¦at ASYV; The thing I like most about ASYV isâ€¦.; the thing I like least about ASYV, etc.

At the end of the exercise everyone came together and there was a general discussion, first in our small groups and then in the larger group of what everyoneâ€™s responses were. While the attention and the questions had been intense and engaging all day long, and people were very attentive at all times, it wasnâ€™t until this final summation that I really got a sense of how much everyone â€“ counselors, housemothers, volunteers, security guards â€“ you name it - all really and truly understand their mission. They know that success depends on all of them working as a team; that they all have a role to play, and that they all fulfill an important purpose in these childrenâ€™s lives. They are deeply appreciative of all the thought that has gone into the construction â€“ why things have been placed where they are; why the village is beautiful â€“ and they understand that not only do these kids deserve this but it is an important tool in creating what they expect to achieve themselves after they leave ASYV. They know that we have thought about many many issues (hard to say all, but I canâ€™t imagine what we have forgotten); and they also know that in many cases we donâ€™t have answers as to what is best. We can share thoughts and solutions from other places, but at the end of the day it is going to be up to them, working as a team, to develop the solutions that are best for ASYV.

I am pleased to report that I remained tear free all dayâ€¦.but then they killed me at the end. Statements like â€œI am awed by the fact that one person can have an idea and can make it happenâ€; seeing you here and seeing how everything you have done is done with such love and caring helps me to really understand what we need to doâ€â€¦.â€I canâ€™t even comprehend that someone who is not Rwandan, and didnâ€™t even know Rwandanâ€™s before this would do something like this.â€ And then there was someone who was so touched that Jenna had found the name Agahozo (â€œa place where tears are driedâ€) on the internet â€“ all agreed that we could not have come up with a better name.

As we walked to dinner one of the counselors told me about how his father had been beaten by the authorities for supposedly supporting the RPF and had died from the beatings when he was 10, in 1990. The 8 remaining members of his family â€“ his mother and brothers and sisters â€“ were all killed during the genocide. He told me that he struggled for years with the fact that he was the lone survivorâ€¦.without any good reason. And he told me that the night before his family was killed he had a conversation with a brother who was 10 years older than he, who asked him what he would do if he was the lone survivor. He told his brother he would commit suicide, and his brother said donâ€™t do that; if you survive you have to live for all those who didnâ€™t. He told me how his mother, who was a deacon in her church, told the pastor to please pass her bible on to her child that survived. The pastor said if 2 survive should I tear it in two; and she said no; give it to the one that survives.

He told me that after the genocide he didnâ€™t know anyone; everyone in his world had disappeared. But he was able to get support from people he hadnâ€™t know before, and finished high school and university. He told me that he has always had an affinity for Israel and the Jewish people, knowing that they, unlike others, truly knew what he had experienced, and he, unlike others, knew what the Holocaust had entailed. Nevertheless, he still felt that it was incomprehensibleâ€¦.he said he just couldnâ€™t grasp that we would come here and do this for him. He told me that he knows that there are good people in the world, and that he knows there are a lot of them. I donâ€™t know how, but somehow, it seems his faith in mankind has been restored. I told him that this village would be in the business of turning out more and more of those good people who would help others, just as he was doing.

After dinner which wasâ€¦quite similar to lunch, with a delicious looking banana dish added ,we then saw a movie as a group â€“ French movie with Hebrew and English subtitles â€“ brought by Nir. It was about a French boarding school with a nasty Headmaster and a kind teacherâ€¦.and I am sure there were lots of lessons to be learned. We are going to discuss it in one of our sessions tomorrow, soâ€¦I guess I will figure it out then.

Anne in Rwanda - Wednesday, December 10

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Anne in Rwanda - Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Once again on the plane from Brussels to Kigaliâ€¦.it seems to be the only time I have a moment to sit and reflect on where I am, what is happening in my life. I like this leg of the journeyâ€¦it allows me time to prepare for being in Rwanda. It feels as though I havenâ€™t been here in so long; in the life of this project 5 months is indeed forever. So much has changed since the last time I was here. I have no doubt though, that there is much that has remained the same.

In the last month or so I have often been asked what it feels like, now that our first 125 kids are moving into the village. I am thinking about what we have accomplished in the last year. On August 17, 2007 we had a groundbreaking ceremony on a piece of land that had no roads, no infrastructure â€“ a bulldozer had just cleared some land upon which we could hold a ceremony. We did have the village plan, and the land that was cleared was intended to be â€“ and is now â€“ the village â€œcenterâ€. Today directly behind this spot is a 2 story dining hall large enough to seat 750 people, with an incredible outdoor patio with extraordinary views of the beautiful surrounding hills and lakes. 32 childrenâ€™s houses are nestled beautifully into the opposite hillside; a soccer field is slowly taking shape between them. On a hill behind the dining hall sits the ASYV high school, nearing completion for its opening day in January. And these are just the buildings.

How incredible it is to know that our teachers are not only in their 6th week of training at International Center for the Enhancement of Learning Potential (ICELP), but are following that with additional training in Israel in IT and the teaching of internet technology. Who could have foreseen the partnership with Cisco Systems, which resulted in this computer training, and also in Cisco contributing greatly to the building of the villageâ€™s computer infrastructure? I am struck as I sit on the plane filling out the immigration card for entrance into Rwanda that my intended residence while in Rwanda is not a hotel or apartment in Kigali, but the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village And now I am also struck by the fact that I will be able to answer e-mails while residing at the village. How awesome is that.

Other dreams have come to fruition as wellâ€¦..an agro-forestry program; a â€œhome farmâ€ â€“ organic, of course. But now I luxuriate in thinking how many will benefit from the introduction to modern agriculture technologies that our children are exposed to. Although these programs are just little seedlings at the moment, I know they will flourish and grow and become a source of learning, teaching and sustenance, just as they were intended to be. Already our thoughts have turned to next year, to the building of a visitorâ€™s center, to volunteer groups, and to others who are already waiting to come and learn from our â€œexpertsâ€.

We have hired an extraordinary staff at ASYV, led by Nir, our Interim Director who was really just born for this job. He is knowledgeable, passionate, kind and dedicated. He, and his family, who are moving to Rwanda in July, amazes me. Who does something like that? The extraordinary staff at ASYV, many of whom are true heroes and who have undergone things in life most of us could not even imagine, are working so hard to be ready for the arrival of our kids. But perhaps most miraculous are the children, who Jean Pierre so painstakingly collected from the four corners of the country. How will it be to meet them, to see them, to put faces and names to those whose lives ASYV will change forever? And how many others will be affected by this first class of ASYV residents?

These are some of my thoughts as I sit on the plane heading to Rwanda. When we land it will be dark. No street lights, no flashlights, only the pitch black of rural Africa - nothing but stars and occasional headlights to guide the way. What will it be like to crawl into bed in one of those beautiful houses whose design we agonized over 2 years ago. What will it be like to wake in the morning to those beautiful, extraordinary views? What will it be like to sit with the staff, old (who are so treasured by me) and new (who I donâ€™t even know) and know that they are now in charge of making it happen. I know tomorrow, and the day after, and many more days in the immediate future will be filled with work as we struggle to ensure the future of this Village. But I also know that there will be moments, every day during this trip, when I will take the time to acknowledge what deep down inside ASYV has already proven to me. There are a lot of really good people in this world. And miracles really do happen.

ASYV Founder in Rwanda for Opening of Village

Anne Heyman, Founder, ASYV, has traveled to Rwanda for the opening of the village. On December 15th, the first 125 residents will come to the village to begin their new lives.

While in Rwanda, we will be posting Anne’s thoughts about this wonderful event. So stay tuned and come back often to hear a day by day account of a dream come true.

THE VILLAGE IS OPENING ASYV Update - December 2008

With the doors of the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) set to open this month, and the first cohort of Rwandan youth about to make ASYV their home, we want to take a moment to both look back with pride at all that had been achieved and look forward to all that has still to be accomplished.

The following timeline shows the highlights of the project chronologically; from immediately following the lecture Anne Heyman attended in November 2005 at which she first learned of the lingering legacy of the Rwandan Genocide, until today, when the first Youth Village in Africa stands ready to receive its first residents.

Anneâ€™s first step, with the guidance of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), was to research youth villages in Israel. In so doing she came up with a model which could be followed and replicated, that of the Yemin Orde Youth Village. The next step was to determine whether this model would make sense in the Rwandan context. A trip to Rwanda in May of 2006 soon confirmed that not only would the model fit well with Rwandan cultural norms but that there was a desperate need for it. A subsequent trip to Rwanda in July of 2007, during which a group of Ethiopian Israeli graduates of Yemin Orde shared the model and their stories, led to the formation of a group of Ethiopian Israelis who will each spend time volunteering at ASYV. During that trip Sifa Nsengimana was hired as the projectâ€™s Executive Director and a local Country Director was hired as well.

In light of the research in Israel and Rwanda, it was determined that ASYV would meet three primary needs: A protective, permanent home; a high school education to prepare orphans to be contributing members of society; and a medical clinic to care for their physical wellbeing.

Forging a Partnership with an organization who had the ability to make this happen became Anneâ€™s next priority. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) has been sponsoring programs of rescue, relief, and renewal and tikkun olam since its inception in 1914. The ASYV project, which reflects all of these key goals, became a special project of JDC in October, 2006. Since then, JDC program experts based in Israel, New York, Ethiopia, and Rome have been supporting ASYV by providing expertise and guidance, playing a significant role in its programmatic development.

In the latter half of 2006 a team of Rwandans representing the fields of health, education, orphans, reconciliation, trauma, youth and culture all traveled to Israel to study the youth village model in depth, so that they could advise the project on how best to adapt the model to fit with the Rwandan context. This Rwandan Pioneer Group continues to provide advice and guidance to ASYV today. In addition, the beautiful piece of land on a hill overlooking Lake Mugasera was selected and purchased and a contract was signed with a major Rwandan construction company.

The first half of 2007 saw the emergence of a unique and dynamic philanthropic and service partnership with Liquidnet Holdings, Inc, and the project’s website and informational package was developed. At the same time architectural drawings and construction plans were being put into place, important educational documents were gathered from the Rwandan Ministry of Education, and a training program for ASYV staff in the Mediated Learning Experience technique of the renowned Israeli International Center for the Enhancement of Learning Potential (ICELP) was developed.

The month of August, 2007 was an extremely busy, successful and momentous one in the life of the project. The ASYV groundbreaking, dedicating the future site of the ASYV, took place on August 17. This was a moving, inspiring, celebratory, and much anticipated benchmark moment! Construction on the site began immediately following the event. While the ASYV management team and the Israeli Ambassador were gathered in Rwanda for the groundbreaking, they were granted an audience with H.E. President Paul Kagame, which is illustrative of the support that ASYV continually receives from the highest levels of Rwandan government. In fact, there is recognition and appreciation from all Rwandans who come into contact with the project that ASYV - and its unique philosophy - is a serious investment in the future of the country.

The Ethiopian-Israeli Volunteer Team, ASYVâ€™s US-based Advisory Board members, and representatives from Liquidnet Holdings, Inc.â€™s Global Social Engagement Division all traveled to Rwanda during that summer, which was critical for their understanding of the local reality and familiarization with the culture to which the Israeli model youth village would be adapted. Following the groundbreaking, the hiring of Village staff began. Two key positions (future Head of High School and Head of Informal Education) were filled by members of ASYVâ€™s Rwandan Pioneer Group, who are therefore familiar with the goals and philosophy of the village.

Great creativity has been shown by ASYV supporters in the way they have raised funds and awareness for the project. Over the summer of 2007, Liquidnet employee Rowley Aird was one of the first to do so by completing a 250km race across Chinaâ€™s Gobi desert on behalf of ASYV. The project was also recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative, which seeks to bring together innovative leaders to devise and implement strategies for meeting global needs.

Moving into 2008, the project continued to progress at a rapid pace thanks to the dedicated team of highly passionate and innovative staff and volunteers that had coalesced across three continents. The ASYV office opened in Rwanda, which greatly eased communication with New York. Given the high costs of building in Rwanda and the need to import the majority of the materials, the decision was made to construct the Village in phases. It was decided that phase I, consisting of 32 Childrenâ€™s Homes, a High School for 500 children and a Dining Hall for 750 would be completed by November of 2008, allowing our first residents to move in before the start of the school year in January 2009. If sufficient funds can be raised the plan is to move directly into phase II, which in addition to further infrastructure and sports fields also includes the construction of a visitor center (part of the sustainability plan). It is hoped that phase II can be completed by February 2009.

Meanwhile, lots of traveling was occurring! JDC organized a mission to Rwanda, during which ASYV was recognized as a key contributor to the development of the country, and ASYV management visited Israel to finalize the adaptation of the Israeli model to Rwanda. The Head of High School and Head of Informal Education came to the U.S in order to receive training and learn from best practices. Back in New York, the first draft of a pedagogic curriculum was developed based on reconciliation and advanced studies adapted to the Rwandan context. Job descriptions were developed for teachers and staff at the Village, and the two year Interim Village Director was hired.

The hiring process seriously got underway in July of 2008, with additional key hires being followed by the hiring of the first contingent of ASYV teachers, who were scheduled to go to Israel for six week training in November - December. In keeping with ASYVâ€™s goal to be cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally sound, a study on feasible energy alternatives for the Village was commissioned. Also, plans were begun on an ambitious reforestation program which is to be implemented in partnership with Keren Kayemet Lâ€™Yisrael/ Jewish National Fund, Israelâ€™s well known forestry department. A plan was also developed for an organic home farm, which will start its first year with an outdoor vegetable garden, hot houses and a chicken coop.

To date and impressive $9 million dollars has been raised for the project! This figure was reached by a variety of individual, foundation, and corporate gifts. One of the most dynamic groups of donors is the bnei mitzvah who not only donated their gifts to ASYV but also took action and organized projects in support of the Village. The first group of these inspiring young philanthropists was honored at an event held at the home of Anne Heyman in the spring. There are so many innovative ways in which people have shown their support for the project: An art auction at which the artist donated the proceeds of 3 paintings towards ASYV, an Africa themed parlor party, the sale of ASYV bracelets, and many more. Then there is Liquidnetâ€™s Rowley Aird who has just completed another run, this time across the Sahara Desert, raising awareness and additional funds for the project.

In addition to actual dollars raised, the outpouring of Gifts-in-Kind has been beyond our expectations, with many groups and individuals holding drives and arranging donations to provide for so many of the villageâ€™s needs, from clothing to bedding to school supplies. For example, the first thousands of books for ASYVâ€™s library and school have been donated by Pearson Education and Pearson Foundation. The sharing of expertise in everything from architecture to agriculture has proven invaluable, as have the incredible partnerships developed along the way. One of these is with Cisco Systems Inc., which has offered to work with us and to provide funding to build our internet infrastructure and to train our teachers, some of whom will be remaining in Israel after their training with ICELP to begin their computer training.

Volunteerism has played such a critical role in every aspect of ASYVâ€™s development since day one that we would be remiss if we did not mention it here. Liquidnetâ€™s Family of Volunteers have helped us in so many areas: Development and maintenance of our website, strategic planning, budget development and financial projections, community outreach, gifts-in-kind, the development of an internet and communications plan, just to name a few. And there are so many others, from high school interns to the first cadre of ASYV volunteers who are about to move to the Village where they will live and share their professional expertise for a year. Our U.S. Based Advisory Board, our Rwandan based Pioneer Group, our Israel based Ethiopian Volunteer group, as well as the many individuals who have stepped forward and asked to be counted amongst those who will make this dream come true. ASYV is a model of partnership, volunteerism and cooperation and this has played no small role in the rapidity with which this project has moved forward.

Over the past few months ASYV’s Head of Informal Education has been focused on the difficult task of identifying those children who will make up ASYVâ€™s inaugral class. He travelled to all 30 Rwandan districts where he met with local officials, children, and those who care for them. Using carefully developed criteria, four children were selected from each district. Teachers, informal educators and support staff for the Village have all been hired, and as mentioned above our Head of School and Formal Educators are currently in training at ICELP, to be followed by training with Cisco Systems, Inc. In Rwanda our interim Village Head, an Israeli with both agricultural and Youth Village experience, has begun working with his new team to prepare for the arrival of the first 125 orphans who are to live and learn at ASYV. In accordance with our view that the ASYV can serve as a model for dealing with the orphan crisis that exists in much of the developing world, we have been working with Tufts University to develop an independent evaluation program which will follow these children throughout their stay at ASYV and beyond, and hope to soon have that implemented.

We are now only a short time away from the day our first residents arrive: December 15, 2008. We look forward to the coming year with great anticipation, although we are of course aware of the difficult challenges that face us on many fronts. Putting all the carefully developed educational programs, both formal and informal, into effect will require patience, flexibility, and constant reassessment. In stressful economic times we need to raise the funds necessary to fully pay for phase I of construction and the initial trainings of all our staff â€“ approximately 2 million dollars. At the same time we need to move forward with phase II of our building program, which will be so important to the sustainability of the village (an additional 3 million dollars). One exciting way that we hope to raise the necessary funds to care for ASYVâ€™s orphans is through the launch of a sponsorship project, whereby each orphan at the Village will be supported throughout their time at the Village by an ASYV supporter in the US. Our agricultural programs also need careful nurturing and tending, as they are critical to ASYVâ€™s sustenance and future. But who could have possibly imagined, even as recently as August of 2007 that we would be where we are today. Thank you for joining us on this miraculous journey. We look forward to conquering the next yearâ€™s challenges together.

Anne E. Heyman
Founder, ASYV

Sifa Nsengimana
Executive Director, ASYV

Will Recant
Assistant Executive Vice-President, JDC

ASYV Teachers at The Feuerstein Institute

December 1, 2008

Below is a photo of The ASYV Teachers studying at the International Center for the Enhancement for Learning Potential (ICELP). They are engaged in a 6-week program designed to provide them with the skills to maximize the studentsâ€™ aptitude for learning.

Field Report from ASYV - November 2008

On a recent trip to ASYV, JDC Executive Assistant Vice President, Will Recant, had an opportunity to meet some of the counselors, housemothers and future kids that will be living at the village.

Below is an excerpt of his field report to the rest of the team:

All,
Quite an eventful and fruitful visit to Rwanda.

Construction- on average 300 workers on site every day. Drains are going in throughout housing section. First 5 houses have been moved into this week. One house is the admin building, dining room and kitchen. Alain did a wonderful job at putting together a makeshift temporary kitchen. The kitchen manager and his staff of 3 have been cooking and serving the staff all week. The food is wonderful - if I can say this, I have no doubts everyone will be happy. Our Rwandan staff most certainly is happy. The kitchen staff all stays together in one house. The Kitchen Manager said he will need to hire 3 more when the kids arrive.

The dining room still needs a lot of work. They now have all of the materials and are starting to work on installing the ceiling. The Kitchen is coming together nicely. Marmeet is in; oven is being put together brick by brick. They are finishing all of the floors in the dining room and kitchen. The kitchen will be complete and there will be a finished section for kids and staff in dining hall ready to go.

Water treatment plant going in. All material now in country. It is huge and deep!

Soccer field and v-ball and B-ball area all now filled with soil. 3 tractors were flattening the area almost every day. It looks great.

Fence is being erected. Already up from entrance all along the road on housing side and now winding around the back. Nir told them to complete it all along the road - all the way to the school and to finish everything that abuts to the road.

The container from NY arrived today and was going to be unloaded quickly.

Move in day — last Monday the house mothers and counselors all moved into the village along with Nir, Andrew and the kitchen staff. Lots of excitement and the Rwandan staff all felt at home immediately. Everyone cleaned their houses and set up shop. Furniture and mattresses were put in the appropriate places.. Last Sat a few of us went there and moved furniture into their places. The construction workers enjoyed seeing the Muzungo carrying the furniture!

Training- the training for house mothers and counselors has been taking place all week. Jean Pierre, Nir and I welcomed everyone with the initial orientation and inculcating everyone with the philosophy and culture of ASYV. Lots of interactive participation and in my 3 days with them I have the feeling they “get it” and are really excited. One house mother said she lost 3 kids and her husband in the genocide and now feels like a mom again.

Breakfast is served at 7am- tea and fried flour - like doughnuts.. Lunch is a large servings and everyone piles on lots of food. The rice and vegetables are delicious. For our first dinner everyone was treated to chicken and fish.

Sundown and evenings are very peaceful and special. The frogs start their croaking around 530 and the sound is soothing. We were all treated to a full moon this week which was magnificent as it rose over the hilltops.

Sleep was deep and sound for all. We purchased netting for everyone. The lights outside of the houses made for a very nice look and feel. Very cozy. Flashlights were distributed to everyone.

The highlight of the week came on Wednesday afternoon when Jean Pierre brought 8 of our kids to the village. They arrived at lunchtime and were served lunch with the staff. Alain asked if someone wanted to offer a prayer and they immediately bowed their heads and were led in prayer by one of the girls.

Immediately after lunch the house mothers and counselors went up to each kid with hugs and smiles. I lost it when each kid came up to me with hugs of appreciation and thanks. We then walked-many of us holding hands into one of the finished houses and saw their mouths drop as they viewed their new home. One kid said that she felt that we brought America to them. The counselors and mothers had the same feeling.

We all gathered outside of a house and several of the kids spoke. “We promise to be good children and work hard.” “We are very thankful for you brining us to this beautiful home and will do our best not to disappoint you”.

Jean Pierre told us the story of one girl who is on the junior national volleyball team. She is an only survivor who hid under corpses in a church where hundreds were killed including her parents. She stayed there for nearly 2 weeks. Her smile was not to be believed and she promised that we will “bump” the volleyball when I come back in Feb. I can’t wait to shoot baskets and play volleyball with them! Andrew is keen to kick the soccer ball on our new field -as soon as it is ready.

Thank you all for the privilege of working on this very special project.

Will

ASYV Teachers in Israel

The ASYV High School Teachers have been in Israel for a 6-week training program from our partner the Feuerstein Institute â€“ International Center for the Enhancement for Learning Potential (ICELP). This included a visit to our model village Yemin Orde where they met with one of the ASYV Volunteers but also had the incredible opportunity to meet with Mr. Elie Wiesel. The impact this trip has had on the teachers has been transformative and they are deeply appreciative of the new skills they are being taught. We would like to share some highlights and comments from their trip:

â€¢ ICELP is a catalyst/turning point toward a new way of thinking.
â€¢ We are not teachers, but facilitators
â€¢ We can finally highlight the relevancy and diversity of all we teach to the students’ life and society
â€¢ They compared their educational and learning process thus far in Rwanda to the “assassination of Mozart” in that even the most creative, brilliant, and imaginative minds were snuffed by a relatively ineffective and limiting teaching method.
â€¢ One teacher said that he would trade in his BA and MA for the two weeks he’s had at ICELP and the recent weekend at YO
â€¢ The trip this weekend to YO was moving and referred to the Yemin Orde staff as their counterparts.
â€¢ The Teachers are amazed by Israelis’ inquisitiveness, the many questions they ask, and their bold curiosity
â€¢ YO gave them a taste of what ASYV may look like in practice.
â€¢ Their meeting with Elie Wiesel was beyond moving. He addressed the group in French and shared his insights into the Genocide (before and after)

Orphaned by Genocide and AIDS, a Generation Poor and Depressed

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Published: September 8, 2008
New York Times

Rwanda, a country that suffered 100 days of tribal genocide in 1994 and has also been hit hard by the AIDS epidemic, is believed to have the highest percentage of orphans in the world.

Now a survey finds that depression is alarmingly common among teenage and young adult orphans there who head households and care for younger children.

The survey, conducted by Tulane University researchers working with Rwandaâ€™s national school of public health, appeared in last monthâ€™s issue of The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, part of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

While orphans in many African countries are taken in by relatives or neighbors, â€œsuch systems are increasingly overwhelmedâ€ in Rwanda, the researchers found, and young people without parents or close adult relatives are having to form their own households or live on the street.

Their survey of 539 orphans ages 12 to 24 caring for others in one rural province found that 77 percent were subsistence farmers and 93 percent had less than six years of school. Almost half had eaten only one meal a day in the last week.

More than half â€” 53 percent â€” met the criteria for depression on a psychiatric screening scale.

Seventy-six percent said their community rejected orphans; only 26 percent said they had a close friend. About 40 percent said life was meaningless or that they had lost faith in God since their parents died.

The authors suggested that large-scale interventions would be necessary â€œif the next generation of youth is to thrive.â€

Children (and their parents) help raise a village in Africa

A chance meeting with the wife of the CEO of her husbandâ€™s employer has drawn Collins Drive resident Susanne Biancamano into an effort to build a school for impoverished children halfway around the world.

Since meeting Anne Heyman, wife of Liquidnet Holdings CEO Seth Merrin, two years ago, Ms. Biancamano has organized fundraisers, collected good to send to Rwandan children and traveled to Rwanda in the summer to see the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in development.

â€I was invited to go to Rwanda by Anne along with five other people who are working on the project to see ASYV this July,â€ she said. â€œIt was a remarkable life changing trip. I learned the history of the country and visited genocide memorial sites and a childrenâ€™s orphanage.â€

Ms. Biancamanoâ€™s week-long trip began July 7th.

â€I saw poverty you only read about in magazines and witnessed death on a massive scale that I only visit in my worst nightmares,â€ she said. â€œI also witnessed hope, love and commitment as I saw the progress of this miraculous village and met people who truly are making a difference in the world.â€

The Agahozo Shalom Youth Village, modeled after the Yemin Orde Village built in Israel after the Holocaust, is scheduled to open in November. It will have 32 childrenâ€™s houses, each housing 16 children with a house mother. There will be a dinning hall with seating for 800, classrooms, a library, a chapel and an infirmary.

According to the youth villageâ€™s Web site, Agahozo Shalom.com, the project started after Ms. Heyman met Paul Rusesabagina, subject of the movie â€œHotel Rwanda,â€ the story of his efforts to protect his family and friends during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Ms. Heyman asked Mr. Rusesabinga what the country needed and he said the country needed schools: with 1.2 million orphans â€“ 15 percent of the countryâ€™s population â€” he said helping the children was the greatest need.

Ms. Heyman recognized the similar challenge that Israel faced after World War II, when there had been a large influx of orphans from the Holocaust. To care for these traumatized youth, Israel built residential living communities called youth villages, a model she copied to try in Rwanda.

She met with officials at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), an international humanitarian organization, and the ASYV is now a special project of JDCâ€™s international development program.

â€I volunteered to work on the outreach committee,â€ Ms. Biancamano said. â€œThis project is immense and will change the future of the country.â€

Ms. Biancamano organized a fundraising event in April, with the help of Sherrie Spaltoff, Linda McGill, Mary Thomson, Lori Thole, Lisa Claus and Cynthia Neydon. The Africa-themed cocktail party drew 80 people and raised more than $6,000.

â€We served only African food and drinks,â€ Ms. Binacamano said. She noted Ms. Spaltoff baked cookies shaped like huts as favors and her husband arranged for a South African wine vendor to donate 23 cases of red and white wine.

â€I gave a 20-minute talk about Rwanda and showed a short video. The response was heart warming,â€ she said.

She said, thanks to the April event, a neighborhood clothing drive held in the summer was also very successful.

â€Thanks to the children who delivered the flyers to the message in bulletins, e-mails and word of mouth, Hillsborough is making a difference a half a world away,â€ she said. â€œHillsborough truly is a community with a big heart.â€

ASYV Founder Visits Site July 2008

July 10, 2008

I have been sitting here staring at the blank screen of my computer for about 5 minutes, not knowing where to begin to tell you about today. I know that the â€œLiquidnet Familyâ€ is keeping a blog of their experiences, and I feel sure that one of them will be able to put things into words far better than I can. I am tempted to leave it to them, but that would be cheating.

I awoke to yet another sunny, crisp spectacularly clear and beautiful day snuggled among the hills of Kigali which is the beautiful view I have from my window. Everyone was very excited as we piled onto the bus. In addition to the Liquidnet Family and our donors we were joined by another couple from New and the JNF guys from Israel. From ASYV Sifa, Tina, JP, Eugenie and I were on the bus. Alain met us at the site, as did the architects and construction company.

On the way out I spoke to everyone about ASYV and the progress we have made, and where the project stands today â€“ of course mentioning what it will take to get us to â€œopening dayâ€. Then I asked Sifa to talk a little about what the project means to her and to Rwanda, which she did beautifully, and then we turned the mike over to JP. JP spoke about his life post genocide and his work with the orphan community and the frustrations that were associated with that. He began working with orphans in 1995, just one year after the genocide in which he lost most of his family. He talked about when he was in Israel learning about Yemin Orde and Feuersteinâ€™s methodologies and how he couldnâ€™t stop thinking that if only he had had some of this information back then he may have been able to help some of those children stay in school. And he talked about how even today those that want to help this vulnerable community so much are unable to because they donâ€™t have a system; they havenâ€™t been taught the methodologies necessary to do it in any meaningful way, and that for him this is one of the biggest gifts that ASYV brings to the country.

As JP finished talking we neared the site of the village, and as the red roofs began to appear in the distance silence fell over the bus. We drove quietly passed the school, passed the main entrance, and up to the site of the childrenâ€™s houses. The vast majority of them are roofed; many have plaster on and I would say that they are about 90 â€“ 95% complete. They looked simple but absolutely breathtaking in the sunshine, carved into the mountainside looking out at the rest of the world. As you know from being there, looking out at the hills on the other side of the lake it appears as if those hills just go on forever.

As we got off the bus people quietly started milling aboutâ€¦it was if they couldnâ€˜t really believe what they were seeing. Many came over and just hugged me. There really are no words to describe what you are feeling when you see the village â€“ I was going to say for the first time but the reality is, every time. Fred, Thomas and Kiki greeted us warmly, and Thomas walked the group through one of the childrenâ€™s houses, explaining the layout and what it will take to get the project completed. After milling about (and listening to the excited chatter with great joy) we got on the bus and drove up the hill, passed the dining hall under construction, to the school, which is also under construction. Both of those buildings, which were essentially nothing more than foundations a month ago when I was here, are now almost at the half way point. On the way Sifa asked Alain to talk about the land purchase, and I have to tell you that this project could have no better spokesperson. He talked about the process â€“ how we looked for the land, how the criteria had to fit the philosophy of the village, the importance of growing up in beautiful surroundings and the importance of being able to â€œsee farâ€. He also talked about the purchase of the land, the decision to purchase rather than have the government expropriate for us, and the three week negotiation under the tree â€“ the tree which stands proudly at the top of the Childrenâ€™s Houses. He talked about how the way in which we have gone about building this village has earned the respect of everyone, from the local people to whom it has brought jobs and increased property values, to the architect and builder and officials in Rwanda. It is too bad it is only a 2 minute ride up to the school â€“ I could have listened to him go on forever.

Fred and Kiki were literally beaming with pride as they walked everyone through the school. We stood in the courtyard, and once again I was amazed at the simplicity and beauty of the building. Standing on the top of the schoolâ€™s hill is the most spectacular view. On this beautiful day I could have stood up there gazing at the distant hills and nearby lakes forever. After a quick walk down to the dining hall, where we reviewed the plans, we walked down to the main entrance. The dining hall, which is a 2 story building, is essentially built into the hillside. In contrast to the cement block, a beautiful stone exterior wall connects the dining hall to the hill. Thomas was very proud to tell us that women were building this wall. At the front entrance we planted two trees â€“ one planted by the Friends of ASYV (donors) and the other by the Liquidnet Family. As has become our usual practice, we marked the special occasion with â€œshehechiyanuâ€ â€“ a prayer of thanks for allowing us to get to this time and place.

Then it was back on the bus and a drive down to Lake Muhazi, where we at lunch on the banks of the lake, some competing with exotic birds for their food. The place had a very â€œsafariâ€ feel and it was great to relax and just enjoy. You really felt like you were somewhere peaceful and quiet in the middle of Africa. Then I went to the ladies room, and on the way passed a blaring television (on an outdoor straw covered patio) which was blaring an ad for the new game â€œguitar heroâ€ â€“ one of my kidsâ€™ favorites! I couldnâ€™t help but chuckle. We can kid ourselves as much as we want but our worlds are really so connected, and it is just going to get more and more so.

After driving back to Kigali everyone had a little time to rest, blog, go shopping, and at 8:00pm we went to Legend, a Rwandan restaurant where traditional dance is part of the eveningâ€™s entertainment. The food was really excellent, and the dancers were incredible. At one point they pulled the audience â€“ our table(s) were the only one in the room, others had come in to watch â€“ so they pulled everyone from our table up to dance. Everyone was a really good sport about it and had a tremendous amount of fun. At 11:00 I broke up the party, but the dancers insisted on doing a little something special for us, so by the time we got home it was quite late. All in all, a really excellent day!

Liquidnet Visits ASYV

Several members of ASYV’s corporate partner, Liquidnet Holdings, Inc., recently traveled to Rwanda on an ASYV mission. The members are part of The Liquidnet Family, whose time and efforts are geared towards supporting Liqudnet’s Global Social Engagement projects, which ASYV is one.

To see a video of their trip and pictures, click on the following link http://liquidnetfamilyrwanderers.tumblr.com/

Sowing Seeds for Future Generations: â€œThose who sow in tears will reap in joyâ€ (Psalm 126)

Anne Heyman, ASYV Founder, visited the site in May to see the construction that is currently forging ahead. While there, she planted a tree â€“ a symbol of the students who will also put down strong roots at ASYV. Through its nurturing environment, individualized therapies and other innovative methodologies, ASYV will sow the seeds that will ultimately maximize each studentâ€™s potential, cultivating the youth to grow into contributing members of society

Thoughts from ASYV Founder on Recent Trip to Rwanda

May 26, 2008

As I think of you all, literally a world away, I wonder if you have any inkling as to the impact of your contributions to the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village. I wish you could have been with me today, not only to see what I have seen, but to meet the people I have met so you could truly understand the scope of the impact we are having here in Rwanda.

On our way to the village, we stopped to meet with a couple individuals to update them on the current status of the project. The most exciting part about both these meeting was that comments were made in how ASYV would be a place to learn, a laboratory if you will, and that it is hoped there will be 10 more like this village in a few years. This has always been our vision: to create excellence in education, both formal and informal, to bring new knowledge in the areas of agriculture, forestation and IT, and to make ASYV a place where others can come and learn about any and all of these areas. While transforming the lives of so many children at ASYV, we have the ability to impact the lives of so many, many more.

The highlight of my dayâ€¦and undoubtedly the highlight of this tripâ€¦was our visit to the ASYV site. When we arrived at the site which, on this beautiful sunny warm Rwandan day was so extraordinarily beautiful â€“ to say you could see far doesnâ€™t begin to convey the feeling of being able to see lakes, hills and mountains unfolding without end. Standing on the top of our village hill, you truly feel that the world is at your feet.

As you drive into the village grounds â€“ through our gate house (no gate yet, but the buildings are there) you arrive at a central area where they have started construction on the dining hall. At some point this central area will also have a library and a spiritual center, all carved into the hillside with beautiful gardens terraced around them. Our architect and contractor were on site already, waiting to give us the tour. Justifiably proud, they walked us through one of the 32 childrenâ€™s houses which now ring the hill on the left side of the property. The roofs have started to go onto these houses, and all the materials for completing their construction are on site, with the exception of some interior doors which should be there soon. On the center level of the property is the site of the two-story dining hall being built into the hillside, and then on the hill on the right side of the property is the site of the school. I grew up in South Africa and attended a high school which was across the street and overlooking one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I didnâ€™t think there was any view that could possibly be better. Today I discovered you can see three, not two lakes from our site; words simply cannot do justice to what I felt as I looked out on this incredible view, encompassing the miracle that is our village growing before our very eyes below us.

Do you have any idea how big a foundation footprint for a 500 student school is? It really has to be seen to be believed. The walls are beginning to go up on one side of the school; I have no doubt that when I return in July it will be done. The pace at which our builders are working is amazing, and I give them so much credit.

We concluded our visit to the village by holding a very emotional tree planting ceremony. Alain, our Country Director, was master of ceremonies. He started by giving a lovely speech and then I planted a tree on the road from the gatehouse after you have entered the village. Will Recant, Assistant Executive Vice President â€“ JDC, then planted a tree on behalf of the JDC, our architect, builder, the Mayor of Rwamagana, a representative from the Governorâ€™s office. Next a visitor planted a tree on behalf of all who have made donations to the project. Then another JDC member planted a tree on behalf of all those who work on the project and a representative of the ministry of education planted a tree, lastly some of the local children planted a treeâ€¦each time with Alain saying something moving and profound. The end result is 18 trees lining the entrance to the villageâ€¦.little baby ones at the moment but what a wonderful way to mark the growth of this project. I canâ€™t wait to come back in July and see how â€œmyâ€ tree is doing; and to show it to my family on their next trip

When we returned to the bus that was to take us back to Kigali I asked our first time visitors from the government and ministry of education what they thought of the project. Their simple response was â€œits amazingâ€¦I donâ€™t know what to sayâ€¦.â€. I am pleased to report that Alain says this is a common reaction from first time visitors to the ASYV site, particularly Rwandans. They have never seen anything like it before. This makes me so happy; and it should make those of you who know you have played a part in bringing about this smile too. Know that your efforts are truly appreciated by the people of Rwanda. It sounds so trite, but nevertheless it is true: you are helping to make this world we live in a better place.

ASYV April 2008 Update

Dear ASYV Partners, Friends, and Supporters,

As I read through the April 2008 Update of the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV), I am amazed by the astounding progress we have made so far and excited by how much is yet to unfold. For a continuous update on the development of the project, as well as more photographs, please visit our website www.agahozo-shalom.org.

April is Genocide Memorial Month in Rwanda, and I cannot think of a more fitting way to mark the moment than by pledging our determination to say â€˜never againâ€™ by creating ASYV â€“ a place where Rwandaâ€™s next generation will garner the tools they need to build a brighter future for themselves and their country. Thank you for partnering with us in this vital endeavor.

With best regards,

October 2007 - April 2008
Major Accomplishments

â€¢ Visit to Israel by two ASYV Management Team members to finalize the adaptation of the Israeli model to Rwanda
â€¢ First draft of informal and formal curricula developed
â€¢ Job descriptions developed for teachers and staff at the Village
â€¢ Phase 1 of the building process solidified
â€¢ Hiring of Project Manager to oversee construction
â€¢ Study on alternative uses of energy commissioned
â€¢ Final contract signed between JDC and ICELP
â€¢ Interviews for -and hiring of- the two year Interim Village Director
â€¢ Furnishing/supplies needed for phase 1 compiled by Village Needs Committee
â€¢ Training in the U.S for Head of High School and Head of Informal Education
â€¢ Close to $6 million raised; a further $5.5 needed
â€¢ Event for first group of bnei mitzvah who donated their gifts to ASYV
â€¢ ASYV local office opened in Kigali, Rwanda
â€¢ JDC Board Members visit to Rwanda

[To read more of this article, download the PDF.]

Inspiring Teens

The ASYV project, while â€˜restoring the rhythm of lifeâ€™ for Rwandan orphans, also includes an effort to educate and engage the next generation of Americans in global social responsibility. We are very proud of the bâ€™nei mitzvah who are showing their support for ASYV and their belief in tikkun olam â€“helping others less fortunate than themselves, by making ASYV their personal mitzvah project and asking friends and family to donate to ASYV in lieu of their bar mitzvah gifts. These youngsters are making a tangible effort to fundraise and raise awareness on behalf of other youth who are so in need. These inspiring young philanthropists are also taking action by organizing projects in support of the Village that include: Collecting bottle caps and cans; screening the movie Hotel Rwanda and inviting friends and family to join in on a conversation afterward; speaking at a synagogue and a school, encouraging others to support the project too.

To show our gratitude for the commitment they have made to transforming the lives others, the teens were recently honored at an event held at the home of Anne Heyman, ASYV founder, were she and ASYVâ€™s Executive Director Sifa Nsengimana gave an update on how these efforts are making a real difference, and presented framed certificates in recognition of their work on behalf of ASYV (see photo below).