GO FUND PIERRE'S NEW NURSERY SCHOOL IN RWANDA!

Go fund Pierre's new nursery school in Rwanda!

Who we are:

Muraho! Hello! We are Youth Bridge Global, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that facilitates youth theatre productions in domestic and international developing communities.

What we normally do: 

Work with, mostly, high school to college aged youths, local producers, translators, choreographers, local stage and set builders etc. to rehearse and perform hybridized Shakespeare and musical theater in their own communities.  Check out our former projects at Youth Bridge Global

The pandemic brought an abrupt end to our usual efforts. We had to quickly pack up, say our goodbyes and fly back from the Marshall Islands in early 2020 after completing only 3 performances of The Music Man out of the planned 6 - a major disappointment, but completely understandable.

We are uncertain of our return to the stage at this moment in time, nonetheless, we feel YBG can continue to respond to the needs of youth around the world. Due to the pandemic and the emergency closure of schools a YBG alum needs our help to continue lifting up and teaching the youth in his community!

We could not personally back the funds needed for Pierre to reopen his nursery school but we knew we could get the word out and organize this fundraiser for him.

So who is this Pierre guy, anyway?!

• Pierre Nambajimana performing the part of The Prince in Romeo and Juliet, 2013.

Pierre Nambajimana is a former YBG cast member in Rwanda, an educator, a husband and recently, a new father. He exhibited his dedication and commitment to our success throughout the project in 2013, often engaging with the cast and the directing team in a thoughtful and positive manner. Pierre has always expressed his desire to uplift the youth in his community, a goal that is no stranger to Youth Bridge Global's own core mission and beliefs. 

At the time he performed in the play, Pierre was attending the University of Rwanda, College of Education. He studied English with a focus on education in order to be able to teach English as a foreign language in secondary school. He graduated in 2015 and has been teaching until he noticed a dire need in his community and decided to open his own nursery school. 

"Last year I wanted to improve education in Rwanda and thought of helping my community to access school by bringing a nursery school closer to home. Currently, many children have to walk long distances to get to the school and many of them are not able to pay fees. This is how I got the idea to start a nursery school that can benefit my community. I want to help the families that struggle to pay fees and secure transportation for the long distances. Therefore, I secured a loan from the bank with the goal in mind of trying to run a school which is closer to home and that everyone can afford and with quality education. 

Then the pandemic happened and all schools were closed, to potentially re-open after one year. I am hoping with your help to re-open in September. We are doing our best to buy equipment and abide by the COVID protocols to show the government that we are ready to re-open the school again."

"As you remember, I acted as the prince, where I unified the two families: Montague and Capulets. This role gave me an opportunity to practice confidence in my own leadership. I learned a lot from the team of YBG, their: love, commitment, kindness, teamwork, time management, and respect for humanity. These are the qualities I search for when I hire leaders to come together to lead the children to their future!"

Typical day for the children:

7:20 - 8:000.  Welcome and warm up

8: 00- 8:40.  Courses on our environment

8:40---9:20. Courses that develop English language

9: 20- 10:00. Break 

10:00-  10:40.  Breakfast.

10:40--  11:00. Courses in 4 corners

11:00---11:40 course that develop Kinyarwanda language

Why is funding a nursery school important to a young child's development and learning?

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2010) has described three foundational areas of child health and development that contribute to physical and mental well-being:

• Stable and responsive relationships—Such relationships provide young children with consistent, nurturing, and protective interactions with adults that enhance their learning and help them develop adaptive capacities that promote well-regulated stress response systems.

• Safe and supportive physical, chemical, and built environments—Such environments provide physical and emotional spaces that are free from toxins and fear, allow active exploration without significant risk of harm, and offer supports for families raising young children.

• Sound and appropriate nutrition—Such nutrition includes health-promoting food intake as well as eating habits, beginning with the future mother's nutritional status even before conception.

(Committee on the Science of Children Birth to Age 8: Deepening and Broadening the Foundation for Success; Board on Children, Youth, and Families; Institute of Medicine; National Research Council; Allen LR, Kelly BB, editors. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2015 Jul 23. 4, Child Development and Early Learning. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310550/)

What this money will provide:

The overall purpose of the money is to buy supplies, books, water, electricity, food for breakfast, game equipment, and didactic materials. Part of the money will also be used to meet the standards for COVID protocols.

Projected costs for the school per month:

Rent for 7 rooms - $200

Water and Electricity - $400

Food for 250 students - $1900

Supplies, materials and books - $150

Pay for 5 other teachers - $300

Full disclosure:

Generally, when YBG raises money, we take the money with us to spend in the community in which we are staying. This time we will not be traveling to Rwanda and will be unable to personally account for the purchases. Pierre will do his best to keep track so that we may hopefully send a future update highlighting needs that were met.

We will do everything possible to ensure and insure that the money reaches its final destination and ask that Pierre update us on his progress to re-open the school.  Western Union is a possibility, but the goal is a straight bank to bank transfer. 

With many of our online crowd fundraising efforts there usually comes a token of appreciation for your donation (a mention in the play bill, a copy of the project's poster, etc.). Understandably, this is something we will not be able to offer if we have a successful fundraiser. We will work with Pierre to come up with a culminating and creative way to "account" for the expenses that our raised funds were able to help.  

Thank you for supporting Youth Bridge Global, Principal Pierre Nambijimana, and, most importantly, the children of Kigali, Rwanda. Many of you have bolstered us over the years with your well wishes and resources. We are forever grateful.