February 11, 2013 This program was started by Celia Reddick, medical education coordinator for PIH in Rwinkwavu, along with a group of volunteer teachers form Nkondo School in Rwinkwavu Sector.  They had been meeting in the Nursing training center at PIH, lugging teaching materials each week and had no access to computers for ICT instruction. Once the RCLLC was up and running it seemed like a natural fit for the Sunday School to make its home there.  The students were thrilled to have computer class added. The original goal for the Sunday School was to work with Primary 6 students in general to enhance their skills and knowledge and in particular to prepare to take the National exams in hopes of gaining a coveted place in one of the top quality boarding secondary schools around the country.  The year before the enrichment program started not one student at Nkondo School passed the exam.  This past December we had 10 earn spots. In an effort to improve the results and support more students we doubled the number in the program (160 now) and will be working with them for 2 years, starting in P5.  The first year will be focused around a concentration in English and computer skills and year 2 more subject/content-based, test preparation. Each Sunday, groups of 20 students move from station to station; computer, English, art activities, games, quiet reading and read-alouds. At the end of the 3 hours they all gather outside in a circle and one of our teachers, Pacific, leads them in a rapid-fire question and answer game….all eagerly raise their hand in an effort to win a pen or pencil for the right answer. Until May, Jean Marie Habimana our ICT Manager, worked with Celia on the ground in Rwinkwavu coordinating the program. Now that she’s back in the US he has assumed that responsibility and continues to collaborate with her in developing curriculum. Moving forward we  hope to be able to share our model and curriculum and train teachers in other schools to set up their own

We’ve just added another member to our RCLLC family, Brad Melaugh.  Aside from fitting the bill perfectly for what we were looking for to spearhead our music program, Brad also happens to be the brother of our Program Director Matt.  Who says nepotism is always a bad thing. Brad has a music education degree from McGill University in Montreal and spent 2 years in South Korea teaching English.  He’s also an accomplished pianist, plays guitar and will shortly be learning how to play traditional Rwandan Ingoma drums. Brad will be in Rwinkwavu for 8 months.  He has come prepared, having researched the music scene in Rwanda and making contacts there and throughout East Africa and has hit the ground running!