Savannah- Unbelievable Progress! 87%!

I feel the improvement here all the time. That’s part of what’s so captivating about Rwanda- the sense of forward momentum. But it’s not always easy to measure or solidly document. This week it was.

Kagugu Primary, the school IEE has been working with the longest, received the results of the National Exam. Last year, Kagugu had one of the highest percentages of students pass the National Exam- 40% passed.

This year an astonishing 87% of students passed the Exam! They more than doubled their success rate!

I am so proud of the hard work of the teachers and students at this school. Students who pass the National Exam are eligible for secondary school; those who don’t, end their education at sixth grade. That is why this test is so important. As I blogged about previously, after this group of students secondary school will be open to all students regardless of their exam score. However, this is still an indicator of how well students are learning.

Though the dramatic improvement is primarily a reflection of the students’ and teachers’ hard work, I do believe the efforts of IEE have contributed to their success. Over the past year we have built a library and supplied it with badly needed books, worked with the government to bring in water, electricity, computers, and internet, and brought American teachers to teach English, computer skills, and new teaching methods. These efforts alone did not make students at Kagugu successful, rather we have provided Rwandans with the tools they requested and needed. With these tools, they are making amazing change in their own lives!

The collective hard work of Kagugu’s teachers, students, IEE and our volunteers means greater opportunity for the 156 students who will now be eligible to continue their education through 12th grade! How exciting to be a part of this significant, lasting improvement!



On a personal level, I wanted the teachers to know how excited we are for their success, so I congratulated them in the best way I know how given my resources here- with a gift of baking! I baked cookies that spelled out “Congratulation Kagugu” (the “S” got burned). :D I think the teachers enjoyed a small after-school celebration although the real reward is in their own satisfaction and the increased opportunities now available to a whole class of bright students.





The excitement should not end here however. The Government is thrilled with what we have done already and wants us to do more. In February, we hope to begin teacher training similar to that we conducted at Kagugu at all five of our partner schools. Kagugu’s success this year has shown us that if we are willing to offer the needed tools, Rwandans are willing to work hard for success!

Savannah- Big Year - Big Changes

2009 is a big year for Rwanda. This year significant changes are taking place in public education, and there is reason to be excited. I met with officials at the Ministry of Education yesterday and was briefed on the changes.

Beginning this year...

...public education is free for all students up to 9th grade. In Rwanda, public education for primary school (grades one through six) has been free for years. This January the Government has extended that to include the first three years of secondary school. This is one step in the process of making grades one through twelve completely free. Currently less than ten percent of primary school students continue on to secondary school because they don’t score high enough on the national exam or because they can’t afford the fees. The government has now opened the door to all students.

...the language of instruction will be English instead of French. The official languages of Rwanda are Kinyarwanda, French, and English, but the government is now focusing most heavily on English as a part of a move to be more competitive in the global economy.

...the government will begin offering vocational training in careers such as hotel management, tourism, and internet & communications technology.

These are big and exciting changes. However, the challenges are equally big. Many of the teachers who now need to teach math, science, or history in English, lack the sufficient English skills to do so. This has caused concern among many that the transition was too swift. However, the Government is not without a plan.

The Ministry of Education is currently working on a Teacher Training Program to teach both English skills and new methods of instruction. This is precisely what IEE’s partner schools have been asking of us for many months. I am thrilled that we will now be able to partner with the Government on these programs.

The Government of Rwanda is remarkable. It seems every time I think I may have uncovered a way the public education system could be improved, they are already working on it.

For months we have been investigating how we can best be a part of the amazing progress in Rwanda. In February, we will begin an exciting phase in our project- implementing our plans. There is much to be learned, and there are many challenges as we work along side the government to train eager teachers. However, I believe in the government officials, teacher trainers, and teachers who are making this happen. It has been shown to me again and again that once Rwandans decide to accomplish something, they will do the work to make it happen. I look forward to seeing what Rwandan educators can do when given the right tools.

Savannah- It's good to be back!

One breath of the fresh, tropical, Rwandan air stepping off the plane made twenty-one hours in flight and twenty-six hours of layovers completely worth it. I’m so happy to be back!

One of the few frustrating things about Rwanda is how difficult it is to articulate what is so wonderful about being here. It’s the beautiful, green, rolling hills dotted with banana groves. It’s the smiles and spontaneous hugs from small children. It’s the palpable hope that seems to hang in the air. I’m not the only one who senses this. Before I came for the first time I heard from many people that, “It’s like you’re at home instantly- you can breathe easy.” Why does this sense of peace surround Rwanda, particularly when it has seen so much unrest? I don’t know. I guess that is part of what I hope to understand better one day.

In the meantime, there’s plenty to be done. School begins tomorrow (January 12th). This is the beginning of their school year. Unlike us, they begin the year in January and end in November. I am eager to get to Kagugu Primary in the morning to see all of the teachers and students I have only been able to correspond with via email for the past few months. I look forward to continuing the dialogue about how IEE can best partner with the government and teachers to improve public education in Rwanda.

This year marks an important transition for Kagugu. They will begin teaching all courses in English instead of French. This is going to be quite a challenge because the majority of the teachers speak only beginner English. One of the things teachers have always asked us for, English class, will now become even more important. Until we are able to begin a full-fledged Teacher Training Program that will include English lesson, I’m pinch-hitting and teaching them what I can. The teachers are fun students, and I’m excited to get those classes going again as soon as they are ready.

While I was back in the U.S. the International Education Exchange as an organization was strengthened by the time we had to work together as a team face to face. We also created some great partnerships with American Universities that I believe the teachers at Kagugu will be excited about.

As you can see, the future holds many possibilities for IEE and its partner schools. Alongside the Government, teachers, students, and people of Rwanda, I sincerely think we can do some great things. I look forward to seeing it all happen!

Savannah- Economic Challenges

A famous social activist once said, “Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.” That quote has had great meaning to me during the past month. The work of IEE went largely unaffected by the financial crisis for sometime. One week in November, however, a number of our loyal donors called in to say they were simply unable to make their monthly contributions. It is certainly understandable why these people felt this way, but for IEE this was serious news.

The whole IEE team had to come together and decide how to respond to this challenge. I am pleased to say that discouragement did not overcome us. While funds may be lacking at the moment, support is not. We still feel as confident as ever that the programs we have developed in conjunction with the students and teachers at Kagugu as well as the Government of Rwanda are going to make significant, long-term improvements in the education system in Rwanda.

The question has been, how are we going to continue to accomplish our ambitious and exciting goals with significantly less funding. The answer is, by sharpening our programs and making certain that each piece of each program is deeply impactful. What is most needed by students in Rwanda, and how can we maximize our resources to make significant strides in this area?

Teacher training has been the consistent request of teachers and the Government alike, so IEE feels its efforts in 2009 should be focused on establishing and improving the Teacher Training Program. We see the slowdown as an excellent opportunity to put our focused effort on creating the best teacher training at Kagugu so that we will be ready to expand it to all of our partner schools in 2010.

This does not mean that we are forgetting about the other three initiatives that make up our four-part program ( Teacher Training, Education Through Athletics, Classroom Connect, & Infrastructure Improvements). Throughout 2009, we will continue to work diligently on developing these programs alongside the Government, teachers, and in association with partners in the U.S.

In short, this current economic challenge has far from paralyzed IEE. Instead, it has helped us to discover more about who we are. We have looked seriously at our priorities and realized that our goals are still attainable and worth our effort. We are energized to launch our programs this year, and we’re looking forward to the successes and challenges that are sure to come.