Autumn Newsletter 2020

Dear Supporters,

 

As the year draws to a close, I think I can safely say that 2020 is a year that many of us will remember for a long time. Back in early spring, Umubano Academy was buzzing with international visitors - including APIE staff, volunteers and UK schoolchildren - and we were all looking forward to an exciting school year ahead.  Coronavirus was still nothing more than the latest health scare in another part of the world and we were busy making plans for Umubano's contribution to CHOGM 2020 - the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which was due to be held in Rwanda for the first time. Within a few weeks, several APIE staff had hurriedly returned to their home countries before the sudden closure of Kigali airport; Umubano Academy had closed along with all schools in Rwanda; our plans to deliver training to teachers across the country were thrown up in the air; and CHOGM 2020 was cancelled. 

 

The challenges were huge: APIE's staff was now a diaspora working from 4 different countries; in-person teacher training became impossible because of the national Rwanda lockdown; Umubano pupils were facing the prospect of months of home learning, with little or no access to the internet; our teachers lost their salaries overnight; and all our plans for fundraising events had to be cancelled. But with our usual determination, team spirit and ingenuity, we quickly supported Umubano to set up online learning via WhatsApp, and the US Friends of APIE sourced technology and funds to help families without smart phones. We immediately started fundraising for our Hardship Fund to support teachers and the poorest families in the school community, and made rapid progress towards our £24,000 target thanks to the incredible generosity of donors in the UK and US. Amazingly, teachers across Rwanda were also able to continue their professional development thanks to our much-praised eLearning training package. 

 

Finally, after almost 9 months of home learning, Umubano Academy has now opened its doors to children once again, and we are working closely with the school's leadership team to ensure that pupils and staff are safe. Thanks to a generous £1500 donation from the Victoria League to buy new  classroom materials the children will have some great new resources for creative learning - a welcome change for them after so many months stuck at home. We've had more good news in the form of a new grant from the British and Foreign School Society to support our Education for Peace project. And we've been absolutely blown away by the money raised for APIE at a virtual crowdfunder with The Funding Network when a whopping £16,000 was raised to support our work to give children in Rwanda a high quality education. We're also really excited to be taking part in this year's Big Give Christmas Challenge in the first week of December when all donations to the campaign will be doubled by match funding - we hope you will consider making a donation to give a child in one of the poorest countries in the world the gift of quality education for Christmas. 

 

Despite the many challenges that remain, we're really hopeful that 2021 will be full of possibilities and partnerships that will support us in transforming education in Rwanda. Thank you for the amazing support you've shown us this year, and I wish you and your families every happiness in 2021. 

 

 

Amy Barnecutt, APIE CEO

Umubano Academy opens its doors again

 

After 231 days of home schooling, Umubano Academy opened its doors to children again on 2 November. We're so proud of all our students, families and teachers for showing such resilience during the last 8 months. 

 

Everyone has worked hard to ensure that children can learn safely, with teachers and pupils wearing face masks, and social distancing and hygiene measures in place. We're now busy fundraising to help Umubano buy more handwashing stations so children can wash their hands in different locations around the school. 

 

 

 
Donate now to improve school sanitation facilities

Double your donation for one week only!

This year, APIE is taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge, a match funding campaign in which all donations will be doubled. Donations have to be made between midday on 1 December and midday on 8 December on our Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign page. Your support for this campaign will be so much appreciated.  

 

 
Double your donation from 1-8 December

An evening of crowdfunding with the TFN

APIE was honoured to be selected to pitch at at The Funding Network's Virtual Autumn Fundraiser in September and enjoyed a fabulous evening which was executed to perfection by the TFN team. Here at APIE HQ, we've only just come back down to earth after an incredible £16,000 was raised for APIE on the night. Thank you to all the donors for helping us to change lives in Rwanda.

 

 

Project Power!

As well as supporting Umubano Academy to provide quality education to children in Kigali, APIE also works in partnership to deliver  projects which impact on education on a wider scale across Rwanda. The first phase of our EQUIP project - funded by UK Aid Direct -  is now drawing to a close and has supported over 400 Nursery teachers across the country to improve their play-based teaching methods. We're also delighted that our Education for Sustainable Peace project, which supports Rwandan educators to teach skills for peace building, has just been boosted by a new grant from the British and Foreign School Society. This grant will enable us to go into schools and teacher training colleges to coach teachers in delivering Education for Peace.  

Donate here

As always, we love to get feedback and hear ideas. If there is anything you want to let us know, then please get in touch.

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