And We're Back!

Dear Readers,

Muraho muraho! Welcome back to the EWB-CU Rwanda blog. The bad news is that it's been quite a while since we last posted here. The good news; we've come so far since our last post and we're excited to share that with you. As we approach the summer 2012, be sure to check in here regularly for updates and pictures!

Since our last trip to Rwanda in January of 2012, our team has been working diligently on all different fronts. We have been wrapping up our work with our partners at the Children's Village Kigarama. This has included following up with the monitoring and evaluation we did during our last trip. This includes updating and finalizing the Operations and Maintenance Manual, developing a maintenance plan for the fuel-efficient cookstoves we installed several years ago, and lastly producing education curricula for the orphans and den mothers to be carried out this summer!

In parallel, we have begun planning work with our newest partner, the Rwandan Orphans Project (ROP). Located just outside the capital city of Kigali, this group takes in boys who have been living on the streets in order to provide them with food, clothing, shelter, and education. This incredible organization was founded in 2005 and has an amazing history that you can read about on their website. We met with members of their staff in January of 2012 while in Rwanda and were highly impressed with their commitment to these orphans. Now that our team is officially partnered with the ROP, we have been vigorously planning our Assessment Trip for the summer 2012. They have asked for our support in the construction of a catch-up school for children in the ROP as well as the local community. This will help close the educational gaps many of these children have because of their time living on the streets. We're so excited to get started!

Please do continue to follow us on our blog, like our Facebook Page, and look for our new website coming soon! If you feel compelled to donate based on what you've learned, please visit the donations page on our website.

EWB-CU Rwanda team photo in Boulder, Colorado.

Photos courtesy of Louis Han

Thanks to all those who have supported us thus far and we look forward to the future! Please contact EWBRwanda@gmail.com for any questions and comments you may have.