First Visit to Nyabirehe Primary School (Post #9)

 On March 29, I got to visit the Nyabirehe Primary School for the first time and meet with the teachers and principal.  

The school is about a mile up the hill from the IREME office so we gathered our backpacks and walked.  

Until I walked with my own two feet, I really did not understand the transportation issues in this community.  Teachers are always asking for more transportation stipends when they come to trainings and extra classes that we put on.  Before this trip, I was always tempted to make this one of the first budget items to cut if necessary.  It seems like something we here in the west would not think about because we have so many options for transportation.  But in this community, there are teachers who walk for miles each way, uphill, on bad roads, to get to school.  Many of them have little food, so they are hungry as they travel.  And in bad weather, which happens often, this commute can take a good part of their day and energy.  Even after my first walk uphill, I now understand why transportation help is such a game changer for these people.  In coming years, we hope the government is going to pave at least part of this road so that more options like bicycles are realistic.  But for now, people walk up this hill each day to go to school.

As we walked, children came out into the street to say hello to me.  As a white person, I was clearly a foreign attraction.  Whenever I passed, children would call out "Muzungo!" which means white person.  Many times, they saw me as a source of money or resources, but also they just found me very curious!  I always got smiles and waves, especially when I called back "Good morning!" So as we walked, we collected a group that went all the way up the hill with us.

 This part of the road just before the school has a few switchbacks with houses along it, but in a few spots there are "short cuts."  I must say, they cut down on the number of steps needed, but these short cuts are very steep, so I am not sure it made my trip any faster.  

When we finally got to the school, I was so excited!  The campus is a grassy plateau with about 8-10 long brick buildings.  Most of the schools I saw in Rwanda have a similar look.   Long classroom buildings with open outdoor space in between.  This area is very hilly still, so it is difficult for the children to have a good place to play outside, but like all children, they figure it out.

When I came up the hill, I saw a bunch of teachers gathered, and I was ecstatic to see some familiar faces from my Zoom classes.

Everyone was so welcoming and kind, each greeting me with a smile and a hug.  I couldn't believe I was finally there.

  Then we came into the classroom that I have only seen in pictures or on a screen. It felt so good to be on that side of the camera. The library was there, and the desks the teachers move around for debates, and the beautiful teachers.  

 

Once I greeted everyone, we sat down to talk and get some work done.  The principal of the school was there to open our meeting and lead his teachers.  

After a very nice welcome, we got down to business.  I wanted to know from them what they needed, how they thought Move Up Global and IREME could help them improve their school and community.  They were very professional and serious, however it was really difficult for them to imagine much change.  At first, they asked for things like more transportation fees or some pieces of paper so the younger students could practice handwriting.  They have so little that it is almost impossible for them to imagine systemic change. 

But after a bit of talking, I asked them to try and imagine a new sort of school.  Instead of giving something that will be used up in a day, I wanted them to imagine what would change their ability to raise themselves up out of survival mode.  With slow, baby steps, we started to discuss things like building new classrooms, and expanding food programs.  Instead of ordering a few more outdated textbooks, I suggested training them to teach with computers that have access to thousands of online books.  We chatted about the possibilities of transitioning to student centered learning and how student groups can help alleviate overcrowding.  

The teachers were obviously skeptical at first.  They did not want to hear that I was not going to help their immediate hunger.  They clearly did not have experience with people coming in with long term hope.  But I sat and talked to them patiently about how they have the power within themselves to transform the way they live and work.  We are here to offer starting assistance and support, but they are the ones with the power already in them to build a better world.  It is not for me, or for anyone at Move Up Global, or even for IREME that I was there.  It is for them, to reimagine the possible.  

By the end of this meeting, the room was quiet and unsure, but I could feel a glimmer of hope.  These people who keep showing up each day because they love their students and their community, these are the ones who opened a courageous door of trust that day and started to believe me that change is possible.

   

After a great meeting, I was able to have a delightful lunch with the teachers.  We ate food made from the school garden and all had eggs from the chicken farm!  It was very special to share some fellowship with these people I am getting to know better.  I also wanted to feel the difference between being in this place hungry, and what would change after being fed a nutritious meal.  This is one main goal of MUG, to feed the children so they are healthy and ready to learn. 

  

    

To cap off the day, I gave the teachers my gifts.  I brought each of them a green drawstring backpack to carry things up that hill.  With it, each teacher got a a pair of earbuds.  They can use them now if they have phones (many of them got phones from MUG about a year ago) but we hope to get them set up with online English and teaching resources soon.  I let them choose their colors, so the room got very festive as the teachers turned into little kids getting gifts!

And lastly, I capped it off with a piece of Belgian chocolate for everyone.  In this place where there is no room or energy for anything beyond pure necessity, it felt like a nod to the future to share something decadent.   "This is just the beginning," I kept repeating, because I truly believe if we just keep showing up for each other, we can all help transform the world.