Archive for the ‘Mutsora’ Category
It has been a good surprise to see the buildings almost ready. The rehabilitation of Kengele and Mutsora Primary School are not a dream any more, but the result of progress, hope and hard work.
The old and the new buildings, standing side by side.
Mutsora Primary School
Kengele Primary School As scheduled, Safari (on the right) from Soderu is confident that both buildings will be ready by the 25th of January.
No more learning in classrooms like this, with no walls, as from next month……
Jambo to you all! I have arrived yesterday to Mutsora, and would like to share the pictures of my road trip. I landed in Entebbe (Uganda) and Kizito came all the way from our camp to pick me up. It takes 8 hours to get from Entebbe to Mutsora. The route across Uganda is a wonderful wildlife experience, as we go across Queen Elizabeth National Park. We were lucky to see baboons, antelopes, buffaloes and many bird species.
Monday is market day in DRC. Busy people, mostly women, selling their goods.
A common job for men to carry goods from the Ugandan side to Kasindi Port (Congolese side). This guy, with two others, are carrying 27 empty jerry cans in a bike, for 1 km distance, for u$s 1 the trip.
Many thanks to TAM and South African Airways who allowed me to bring 90 kilos of extra luggage of clothes and toys for the children in Mutsora. Boxes arrived all broken, but everything was in there!
These people clearly didn’t.
Photo taken at the weekend in Mutwanga, not far from the park station and WildlifeDirect office in Mutsora.
Samantha
I was in Mutsora on Saturday with Godefroid Wambale, who has just started blogging with us. I know many of your saw his first post, a video. So you know he has literally come back from Ranger School in Tanzania and is bursting with knowledge and enthusiasm.
He really really really needs a laptop. He explains on his latest blog post in a video why this is - he is sharing one with 12 other people here in Mutsora.
Blogging at the weekend in the WildlifeDirect office. I want him to learn, to blog, to communicate, and to raise funds for his projects here, that largely involve the chimpanzees close to Mutsora where WildlifeDirect has their main office.
Does anyone in London, UK have a laptop they would wish to donate to Godefroid? Please?
I am English and will be in London over Xmas. From 19th December to 5th Jan. I would really really appreciate it if anyone can help. I will personally come and pick up the computer and carry it back to DR Congo for Godefroid. This guy is great and deserves this opportunity 100%. As you know the Rangers in DR Congo are very under-resourced.
It would be great if the laptop has Microsoft installed, and wireless. Please leave me a comment here if you can help. Thanks!
Samantha
Hello again, here with the weekly report on the rehabilitation of Mutsora and Kengele Primary School.
There are many new exciting projects under way to assist both schools as much as we can, and I will be sharing them with you as we get closer to completing both buildings (end of January 2008).
Another day in school for the congolese children.
Christian, a student at Kengele Primary School, introducing himself to the world…
Hello again with the report on the construction progress for the rehabilitation of Kengele and Mutsora Primary School. Although it has been a rainy week, builders have managed to keep up with the timing.
I have recorded one day of class in Mutsora.
Every Saturday all the children participate in outdoor activities helping on their farm (manioc and beans).
The weather in Mutsora could not be better for the construction of Kengele and Mutsora Primary Schools. Very sunny and VERY hot. The rehabilitation project is running just on time, looking good.
Here are some pictures to show you the progress of the two buildings.
Every morning, the children gather outside to pray and sing the national hymn. I have recorded the ending for you.
On the left, William and Safari, from Soderu, checking on the progress.
The rehabilitation project of two primary schools in Mutsora and Mutwanga is fully underway. We are now on the second week of construction and I would like to share with you these images that show its progress.
You can see Kengele Primary School on the back, and the foundations of the new building on the front.
The bathrooms/latrines.
Mutsora Primary School and men in working progress.
Another day in school for some happy faces. In Kengele P.S. 58% of the students are girls, while in Mutsora P.S. it is 63%. Encouraging statistics that show promising signs of gender equality.
A new development project has begun to take shape today. As you may already know, WildlifeDirect, together with Zoological Society of London, are rebuilding Mutsora, the station of the northern sector of Virunga National Park. Funded by the EU, the construction of buildings for two primary schools becomes part of the same project. Soderu will be overseeing the work, and the contracting company is Great Lakes Construction. Two schools have benefited form this project: Kengele Primary School, in Mutwanga, and Mutsora Primary School, in Mutsora. Each school will have a new building (of 52 meters long) containing 6 spacious classrooms. It is planned to be finished by mid January 2008. I was overwhelmed by the happiness of the school staff when I arrived yesterday to take some pictures. These images need no words to explain the appalling conditions in which these children live and study.
Kengele Primary School
Mutsora Primary School Sister Kahambu Vitaya, the Director of Kengele Primary School, was telling me they have got 565 registered students, and only 14 rooms available. Some classrooms, specially 1st and 2nd grades, hold up to 60 students each. Very difficult conditions for teachers to handle such big numbers. The government sends money for only 6 teachers. They have got 16, so the money has to be divided between everyone, and that makes u$s 11 each.
On the other hand, Mr. Kule Sayira, the Director of Mutsora Primary School, was telling me he has got 200 registered students, most of them sons and daughters of Virunga’s National Park Rangers. Although this school is officially recognized by the government, they do not get any money to pay for their teachers. They have got 6 teachers employed, who receive u$s 5 a month, because most of the children’s parents are too poor to pay for the school fees.
Sister Kahambu Vitaya on the left, Safari from Soderu in the middle, and Sister Masika Ndekeninge
Kengele Primary School and the Rwenzori mountains on the back
This is Virginia from WildlifeDirect. I wanted to share with you all the e-mail sent by Robin Andreae yesterday with regards to the past Art Auction done on eBay last week. Thanks so much! We raised $2156.96 !I ‘ve been incredibly busy with tallying everything up and helping the members through the donation process. I’ve also got to ship a few items. A couple to Christine. Gary from the blog bought two paintings from me and is giving them to Lisa nad Sheryl from the blog. As soon as I have both of their addresses, I’ll be shipping those also. Whew! We will be setting up a page on our website for works being donated to WildlifeDirect and are hoping to see if we can get the letter extended for the year. If we do, we can raise money throughout the year and can mobilize to do another big group auction more quickly should the need arise. Well , I’m off and running. All the best, Robin Below some of the paintings purchased by Christine:
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