Dear Friends
 
Our Spring Newsletter, coming at this extraordinary time, brings you a range of news from APIE. We plan to share the considerable achievements of the first quarter of 2020 in a second edition shortly. We are writing today with this special edition as we thought you would want to know how APIE is adapting to the new challenges and conditions caused by the coronavirus. We have always claimed to be agile and responsive so, like everyone, we are being put to the test! Here, we set out how everyone at APIE and Umubano Academy is working with creativity and energy to continue to deliver quality education to the students of Umubano Academy and collaborate with partners to drive forward the quality education agenda across Rwanda, despite the school closures and restrictions on travel and social contact that are as stringent in Rwanda as elsewhere. We also explain some of the challenges we are facing and how you might be able to help us mitigate against the direct impacts of COVID-19 for APIE. 
 
I also wish to announce that after almost six years at the helm of APIE I am now stepping down, as planned, as CEO and want to congratulate Amy Barnecutt, who has been our Executive Director in Rwanda for almost as long, who will succeed me from 1 April. With many years of experience in the Rwandan context, where APIE focuses its work, Amy is extremely well placed to lead the strategic direction of the organisation. Having our CEO in Rwanda will enable APIE to be even more responsive to the needs of teachers and children in-country whilst maintaining our international networks as ever. I will be continuing to support APIE in a consultancy role, focusing on the development and dissemination of our unique and powerful model of Education for Sustainable Peace.
 
At this time, we see that remaining mindful of the key aspects of this model - inclusion, wellbeing and citizenship - matters more than ever, and because of the investment we have already made in these areas, we feel equipped to continue working as well as we possibly can in collaboration, mutual support and peace. We have recently had a wonderful example of citizenship in action at APIE, when we were approached by Adeel Hussain, a Change Management Consultant from London, who wanted to share his expertise with us as a self-funded volunteer. Although his placement was cut short because of the pandemic, his time with APIE in Rwanda was hugely appreciated by the team - we learnt a great deal both from his expertise and from the experience of hosting a volunteer. Here is an article we had published this week about volunteer management and upcoming opportunities to volunteer with us (when the borders reopen!).
 
We wish you all the patience and positivity you need to get through the challenging times ahead and thank you for continuing to support the work we are doing in Rwanda, which we believe and hope shines a light on what is possible everywhere. Keep well and thank you. 

Angie
 

Angie Kotler, APIE Chief Executive

How has APIE responded to the COVID-19 pandemic?

APIE's greatest strength has always been its ability to respond quickly to changing priorities, and this week has seen the organisation rise to the challenges posed by the pandemic with speed and determination. We know that providing some sense of normality and community is more crucial than ever in times of challenge, and all our staff both in the UK and Rwanda are now working harder than ever from home to maintain momentum. We are so grateful for all who have helped us to develop technological learning facilities over the past few years, so that it is not too far a leap to imagine this soon being available to all and we are working round the clock to try to make that happen.  In an effort to ensure that the students of Umubano Academy continue to receive relevant learning opportunities, teachers have been creating WhatsApp lessons. We are also supporting the Rwandan Government with their initiative to get educational radio programmes out to homes on a daily basis - with a 98% coverage of the country, this seems to be the most inclusive way forward to ensure children and families receive the educational support they need. 

Beyond our work with Umubano Academy, our face to face teacher training sessions across the country cannot run at the moment, but we will continue to develop online and remote solutions, so that teachers feel connected, motivated and able to continue to support their students, wherever they are.
 
APIE is also part of national level discussions to identify how to support children across the country, who are unable to access education for the foreseeable future. These children are most likely to live in rural areas without access to web services or even the grid. We will keep you updated on a possible national-scale initiative.
 
Overall, APIE is determined to be a living example of how to continue to change lives for the better, whilst taking the action needed to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protecting all those we work with. We are mindful of the need to continue to create a sense of togetherness and support for each other, knowing that attention to wellbeing in a whole range of new ways is essential. This is an opportunity for us all to demonstrate how our belief that education goes beyond academic achievement and our investment in inclusion, wellbeing and citizenship enable individuals and whole communities to rise to the challenges of our times. 
 

How you can help

In school all students have equal access to technology but at home this is not the case. To ensure that the poorest do not suffer most at this time, we ask for your support to enable us to reach everyone remotely. Everywhere we are hearing that the crisis is not just a health issue but an economic one. In Rwanda this could also mean that teachers will lose their jobs. We ask all our supporters to consider making a donation to support APIE to ensure that we can continue to pay Umubano Academy’s teachers and continue supporting children across Rwanda to learn and thrive.

Your support is what allows our work to continue. If you'd like to get involved in any of our projects, please reach out to us at hannah@apartnerineducation.org. If you'd like to donate, please follow the link below. Thank you.