Rwanda Followup EMAILS FROM DELEGATES
Items (latest item listed first):
ICD 2016 Outreach Document (information about donation of dental hand pieces)
Email from Kim Harms, 4/13/2016
--- older ---
Email from Kim Harms, 3/16/2016
From the minutes dated: 12/9/15
Email from Holly, 11/24/15
Email from Holly, 10/12/15
Subject: RE: Books for Africa book and computer donation 7/30/15
Email from Kim, 7/16/15
Email from Holly, 6/26/15
Email from Jo Von Tiehl
Email from Sylvia, 3/24/15
ICD 2016 Outreach Document (information about donation of dental hand pieces)
Email from Kim Harms, 4/13/2016
--- older ---
Email from Kim Harms, 3/16/2016
From the minutes dated: 12/9/15
Email from Holly, 11/24/15
Email from Holly, 10/12/15
Subject: RE: Books for Africa book and computer donation 7/30/15
Email from Kim, 7/16/15
Email from Holly, 6/26/15
Email from Jo Von Tiehl
Email from Sylvia, 3/24/15
Kim Harms, email on 4/13/2016
Dear Delegates,
If you are able to collect any hand pieces or instruments (all kinds are welcome as they have very few instruments in Rwanda and there are lots of patients) please let me know so that I can ship them all together. Probably the easiest way to ship them to me is through the "if it fits it ships" boxes at the Post Office.
Once again, thanks so much!
Kim Harms
8151 33rd Ave S #208
Bloomington, MN 55425
Email address is [email protected]
Kim Harms, email on 3/16/2016
Hello Delegates!
Last month I spent a week in Rwanda and saw lots of activity associated with the Delegation's visit last year. I will try to summarize as best I can! The most amazing part was meeting new delegate Jane (Mary's sister) who introduced me to Clare (see NY Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/23/us/from-a-rwandan-dump-to-the-halls-of-harvard.html?_r=0) who is running a culinary and sewing school for students considered the "poorest of the poor" in Rwanda. Her adopted son Justus had worked with Tom Allen and Bridge to Rwanda (Justus is now at Harvard) but Tom and Clare had not yet met. We were able to bring Clare to Musanze to see Tom's library. It was all pretty incredible. Other highlights include:
1, Akilah Institute: We were able to visit Akilah to introduce Patrice Doral who is our local contact for book and computer delivery. She is the headmistress of The White Dove Foundation, a technology school for girls. I was able to meet my new mentee and also deliver communications from Holly to her mentees. Akilah was grateful for the donations from the Delegation (Mary sponsored a computer library and additional donations from the Delegation took care of shipping and custom fees) which will bring them 10 computers. The computers are expected to arrive in a few months.
2. Tom Allen/Bridge to Rwanda: Tom had just finished building his village library and we were able to tour it while the front porch was being completed. It is an unbelievable place and I hope you can all return to see it. He will be receiving 5,000 books from Books for Africa to fill it up. The library is part of a community center and we were able to see the area next to the library being prepared for a playground. The library also includes built in risers for lectures, movies and sporting events.
3. Clare's Library: Clare was also able to meet Patrice and through some creative wrangling we were able to find some room in Patrice's soon to be delivered pallet of books for some culinary and sewing books for Clare's students. Books for Africa typically does not accept cooking books, but Jane miraculously found over 100 cooking and sewing books for Clare's students that we could send in Patrice's pallet. You would not believe how excited Clare's students were in anticipation of these books. This project alone was worth the trip!! Thanks Jane!! We hope to raise some funds for a bigger culinary and sewing library for Clare in the future.
4. Dental Loans: In January Linda was able to arrange a meeting with the Rwandan Ambassador to talk about the problems we were having in trying to work with banks in Rwanda to give CD secured loans to dental professionals who were trying to start practices. Through the advice of Linda, the Ambassador and Ceeya Bolman all came together and the first loan (through The Oral Health Care Foundation of Rwanda, not a bank) has been awarded. We hope to use this as a starting point to provide sustainable funding for future loans, The first class of Rwandan Dental Surgeons will graduate next year (the loan recipients were dental therapists) so the timing on this is great!
I am attaching a number of pictures of libraries and students. If you have any questions, please ask away!!
Also I wanted to thank Carol Heen as well for her valuable advice in helping with the dental project and mention that Beth Fluke is working with a group of jewelry makers in Rwanda and I was able to transport some bracelets for her! Thank you all so much for your help in Rwanda!!
Blessings to all of you!
Kim
From the minutes dated: 12/9/15
Kim reported that Akilah will get a new computer lab facilitated by the donations made by members of the board. She reported that any information must be in by Jan. 1st as the next container goes out in January to 16 libraries. Jill reported that she had a request from her daughter, Amy, to identify women entrepreneurs in Rwanda who might be interested in working with NEST, a non-profit group. Holly will get back to Jill with some names. Holly also reported that she raised $500 for an instructor to give sewing lessons and patterns to the sewing group we visited.
Email from Holly, 11/24/15
Dear Kim and All,
It is exciting to hear about the new libraries, and I'm glad they were able to send the computers to Akilah! Thank you for your continued diligence Kim, it is so wonderful to be a part of a group that can make a difference in other people's lives.
I wanted to report on the remarkable visit of my mentee, Aimée and Rose, the two Akilah students chosen to represent their school during the recent fundraiser celebrations. I was fortunate to attend the fundraiser in New York where the staff from New York office was present, including the executive director who actually created the women to women center that we visited in January. I got to meet Elizabeth Dearborn Hughes, The founder who is only 28 years old! It is remarkable what she has done in such a short time!. She was on maternity leave when we were visiting in January.
Rose and Aimee came to Philadelphia for a long weekend and we had a wonderful time. They were such great guests and made themselves at home. We got to see the sights in Philadelphia and even go to Atlantic City to put our feet in the Atlantic ocean! It was their first time to see an ocean. On Monday they went to school with Beth's granddaughter. The school actually has an Akilah club because some of the families were very actively involved in supporting Elizabeth's work. In the afternoon I hosted a Tea for friends to meet the girls and we raised over $1500 Much to my surprise!
Being with these young women really solidified my impression of what a remarkable school Akilah is and how committed these young women are to giving back to their families and country. Everyone who met them, including members of my church were impressed with their ease, grace, outgoingness and their stories. They are quite an inspiration!
Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving!
Holly
Email from Holly, 10/12/15
Hi Everyone and especially those of you who were on the recent Rwanda trip,
While we were in Rwanda, we made connections with “mentees” who we’ve stayed in contact with since our trip. Our intention is to offer support, sometime financial assistance and friendship to the young women who are enrolled in the Akilah Institute, a women’s college focusing on Entrepreneurship, Hospitality and Information Technology. My mentee, Marie Aimee, has informed me that she has been selected to travel to various US cities with the team representing Akilah on a Fall Celebration tour. They will be in Washington DC, New York, Boston, Tampa, San Francisco and Los Angeles (date not yet posted for LA).
More information about the College is available on their website: http://www.akilahinstitute.org/. Information about the tour is available under the Get Involved tab/Events. I hope you will be able to attend one of the events, I am planning to go to NYC on November 5 - I hope to see some of you there! http://www.akilahinstitute.org/events/ If you can’t attend, consider donating to the organization - they are doing wonderful things for young women in Rwanda!
All the best,
Holly
Subject: RE: Books for Africa book and computer donation 7/30/15
Dear Cathi,
Thank you for the very lovely message you just wrote. It is always a pleasure to know that friends and visitors of Rwanda have appreciated their stay with us. As already said in the past, please know that you are most welcome to come and visit us again at Imbuto anytime you wish to do so.
Thank you as well for confirming that all paperwork has been received and that Rachel is starting to process the shipment. We apologize for having taken this long, but for some reason we thought we had sent it. No excuse at all but probably an omission due the workload!
We will definitely reach out to you for any other support or collaboration we believe we could work on together.
Kind wishes, Diyana
Email from Kim, 7/16/15
Dear Delegation,
I am currently still working on sending another shipment of books to Rwanda.
Also, I am working with the International College of Dentists to help develop a loan program working with Rwandan banks to help dentists start their own practices. Currently Rwanda is graduating dental professionals, but many have to leave the country or find other jobs as there is limited opportunity for employment in the hospitals. There is a tremendous need for care, professionals who can provide it but limited opportunity to connect the two. We have a couple of banks interested but they do not understand this type of professional practice financing. There is really no risk for the banks as we intend to provide a fund to cover the collateral. We do ask the banks to use the interest that would typically be earned on the collateral fund to offset the interest charged to the dentist/dental therapist.
Any connections that the delegation might have would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!!
Kim
Email from Holly, 6/26/15
Hi Sylvia,
I am sorry it has taken me so long to get this to you:
Beth and I did a presentation about our trip May 1 for about 25 people at my church.
We are planning another one in Maine in July.
I am doing another one July 14 for my community Rotary club (the club actually sponsored the Roz Carr orphanage when she was alive - some time back!)
Next week I am doing a presentation about empowering girls and will use the Girl Hub video from Rwanda.
I’ve been in touch with the Dr from the AIDs clinic that Cathi, Kim and I visited before the rest of the delegation arrived. She carried things to the Ineza (sewing cooperative) group for me - members of my church sent sewing notions to them and I commissioned them to make 20 vests for me out of the wonderful prints they use. They are great and I will try to sell them with the hope that we can commission more from them.
That’s it for now!
Cheers,
Holly
Email from Jo Von Tiehl
Thank you, Sylvia, for your follow ups.
I have wired the tuition for my "mentee" at Akilah" and have a tablet that I first thought I would send to her, but now I believe it would be better to send to administration. (She knows nothing about this.) I cannot offer "data" for it in Africa, but as long as one can connect to Wi-Fi, someone should be able to use it. Patti - is there another way?
Also, I will pay her tuition for her final year next year. She writes infrequently, and she is quite needy, but I do not believe that is unusual for someone who lost both parents in the genocide.
Am still working but may retire soon. Would enjoy spending more time on behalf of the Delegation at some point. Come see me, anyone....
xo Jo Von Tiehl
Dear Delegates,
If you are able to collect any hand pieces or instruments (all kinds are welcome as they have very few instruments in Rwanda and there are lots of patients) please let me know so that I can ship them all together. Probably the easiest way to ship them to me is through the "if it fits it ships" boxes at the Post Office.
Once again, thanks so much!
Kim Harms
8151 33rd Ave S #208
Bloomington, MN 55425
Email address is [email protected]
Kim Harms, email on 3/16/2016
Hello Delegates!
Last month I spent a week in Rwanda and saw lots of activity associated with the Delegation's visit last year. I will try to summarize as best I can! The most amazing part was meeting new delegate Jane (Mary's sister) who introduced me to Clare (see NY Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/23/us/from-a-rwandan-dump-to-the-halls-of-harvard.html?_r=0) who is running a culinary and sewing school for students considered the "poorest of the poor" in Rwanda. Her adopted son Justus had worked with Tom Allen and Bridge to Rwanda (Justus is now at Harvard) but Tom and Clare had not yet met. We were able to bring Clare to Musanze to see Tom's library. It was all pretty incredible. Other highlights include:
1, Akilah Institute: We were able to visit Akilah to introduce Patrice Doral who is our local contact for book and computer delivery. She is the headmistress of The White Dove Foundation, a technology school for girls. I was able to meet my new mentee and also deliver communications from Holly to her mentees. Akilah was grateful for the donations from the Delegation (Mary sponsored a computer library and additional donations from the Delegation took care of shipping and custom fees) which will bring them 10 computers. The computers are expected to arrive in a few months.
2. Tom Allen/Bridge to Rwanda: Tom had just finished building his village library and we were able to tour it while the front porch was being completed. It is an unbelievable place and I hope you can all return to see it. He will be receiving 5,000 books from Books for Africa to fill it up. The library is part of a community center and we were able to see the area next to the library being prepared for a playground. The library also includes built in risers for lectures, movies and sporting events.
3. Clare's Library: Clare was also able to meet Patrice and through some creative wrangling we were able to find some room in Patrice's soon to be delivered pallet of books for some culinary and sewing books for Clare's students. Books for Africa typically does not accept cooking books, but Jane miraculously found over 100 cooking and sewing books for Clare's students that we could send in Patrice's pallet. You would not believe how excited Clare's students were in anticipation of these books. This project alone was worth the trip!! Thanks Jane!! We hope to raise some funds for a bigger culinary and sewing library for Clare in the future.
4. Dental Loans: In January Linda was able to arrange a meeting with the Rwandan Ambassador to talk about the problems we were having in trying to work with banks in Rwanda to give CD secured loans to dental professionals who were trying to start practices. Through the advice of Linda, the Ambassador and Ceeya Bolman all came together and the first loan (through The Oral Health Care Foundation of Rwanda, not a bank) has been awarded. We hope to use this as a starting point to provide sustainable funding for future loans, The first class of Rwandan Dental Surgeons will graduate next year (the loan recipients were dental therapists) so the timing on this is great!
I am attaching a number of pictures of libraries and students. If you have any questions, please ask away!!
Also I wanted to thank Carol Heen as well for her valuable advice in helping with the dental project and mention that Beth Fluke is working with a group of jewelry makers in Rwanda and I was able to transport some bracelets for her! Thank you all so much for your help in Rwanda!!
Blessings to all of you!
Kim
From the minutes dated: 12/9/15
Kim reported that Akilah will get a new computer lab facilitated by the donations made by members of the board. She reported that any information must be in by Jan. 1st as the next container goes out in January to 16 libraries. Jill reported that she had a request from her daughter, Amy, to identify women entrepreneurs in Rwanda who might be interested in working with NEST, a non-profit group. Holly will get back to Jill with some names. Holly also reported that she raised $500 for an instructor to give sewing lessons and patterns to the sewing group we visited.
Email from Holly, 11/24/15
Dear Kim and All,
It is exciting to hear about the new libraries, and I'm glad they were able to send the computers to Akilah! Thank you for your continued diligence Kim, it is so wonderful to be a part of a group that can make a difference in other people's lives.
I wanted to report on the remarkable visit of my mentee, Aimée and Rose, the two Akilah students chosen to represent their school during the recent fundraiser celebrations. I was fortunate to attend the fundraiser in New York where the staff from New York office was present, including the executive director who actually created the women to women center that we visited in January. I got to meet Elizabeth Dearborn Hughes, The founder who is only 28 years old! It is remarkable what she has done in such a short time!. She was on maternity leave when we were visiting in January.
Rose and Aimee came to Philadelphia for a long weekend and we had a wonderful time. They were such great guests and made themselves at home. We got to see the sights in Philadelphia and even go to Atlantic City to put our feet in the Atlantic ocean! It was their first time to see an ocean. On Monday they went to school with Beth's granddaughter. The school actually has an Akilah club because some of the families were very actively involved in supporting Elizabeth's work. In the afternoon I hosted a Tea for friends to meet the girls and we raised over $1500 Much to my surprise!
Being with these young women really solidified my impression of what a remarkable school Akilah is and how committed these young women are to giving back to their families and country. Everyone who met them, including members of my church were impressed with their ease, grace, outgoingness and their stories. They are quite an inspiration!
Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving!
Holly
Email from Holly, 10/12/15
Hi Everyone and especially those of you who were on the recent Rwanda trip,
While we were in Rwanda, we made connections with “mentees” who we’ve stayed in contact with since our trip. Our intention is to offer support, sometime financial assistance and friendship to the young women who are enrolled in the Akilah Institute, a women’s college focusing on Entrepreneurship, Hospitality and Information Technology. My mentee, Marie Aimee, has informed me that she has been selected to travel to various US cities with the team representing Akilah on a Fall Celebration tour. They will be in Washington DC, New York, Boston, Tampa, San Francisco and Los Angeles (date not yet posted for LA).
More information about the College is available on their website: http://www.akilahinstitute.org/. Information about the tour is available under the Get Involved tab/Events. I hope you will be able to attend one of the events, I am planning to go to NYC on November 5 - I hope to see some of you there! http://www.akilahinstitute.org/events/ If you can’t attend, consider donating to the organization - they are doing wonderful things for young women in Rwanda!
All the best,
Holly
Subject: RE: Books for Africa book and computer donation 7/30/15
Dear Cathi,
Thank you for the very lovely message you just wrote. It is always a pleasure to know that friends and visitors of Rwanda have appreciated their stay with us. As already said in the past, please know that you are most welcome to come and visit us again at Imbuto anytime you wish to do so.
Thank you as well for confirming that all paperwork has been received and that Rachel is starting to process the shipment. We apologize for having taken this long, but for some reason we thought we had sent it. No excuse at all but probably an omission due the workload!
We will definitely reach out to you for any other support or collaboration we believe we could work on together.
Kind wishes, Diyana
Email from Kim, 7/16/15
Dear Delegation,
I am currently still working on sending another shipment of books to Rwanda.
Also, I am working with the International College of Dentists to help develop a loan program working with Rwandan banks to help dentists start their own practices. Currently Rwanda is graduating dental professionals, but many have to leave the country or find other jobs as there is limited opportunity for employment in the hospitals. There is a tremendous need for care, professionals who can provide it but limited opportunity to connect the two. We have a couple of banks interested but they do not understand this type of professional practice financing. There is really no risk for the banks as we intend to provide a fund to cover the collateral. We do ask the banks to use the interest that would typically be earned on the collateral fund to offset the interest charged to the dentist/dental therapist.
Any connections that the delegation might have would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!!
Kim
Email from Holly, 6/26/15
Hi Sylvia,
I am sorry it has taken me so long to get this to you:
Beth and I did a presentation about our trip May 1 for about 25 people at my church.
We are planning another one in Maine in July.
I am doing another one July 14 for my community Rotary club (the club actually sponsored the Roz Carr orphanage when she was alive - some time back!)
Next week I am doing a presentation about empowering girls and will use the Girl Hub video from Rwanda.
I’ve been in touch with the Dr from the AIDs clinic that Cathi, Kim and I visited before the rest of the delegation arrived. She carried things to the Ineza (sewing cooperative) group for me - members of my church sent sewing notions to them and I commissioned them to make 20 vests for me out of the wonderful prints they use. They are great and I will try to sell them with the hope that we can commission more from them.
That’s it for now!
Cheers,
Holly
Email from Jo Von Tiehl
Thank you, Sylvia, for your follow ups.
I have wired the tuition for my "mentee" at Akilah" and have a tablet that I first thought I would send to her, but now I believe it would be better to send to administration. (She knows nothing about this.) I cannot offer "data" for it in Africa, but as long as one can connect to Wi-Fi, someone should be able to use it. Patti - is there another way?
Also, I will pay her tuition for her final year next year. She writes infrequently, and she is quite needy, but I do not believe that is unusual for someone who lost both parents in the genocide.
Am still working but may retire soon. Would enjoy spending more time on behalf of the Delegation at some point. Come see me, anyone....
xo Jo Von Tiehl
Email from Sylvia, 3/24/15
I had a nice lunch with the former American ambassador Robert Flaten who was there in Rwanda from 1990 to 1993. His wife and Martin came too. He lives in Northfield where our college St.Olaf is. He must have been there as a senior when I was a freshman but though I knew his father who taught art I don't remember him.
It was interesting visiting with him after getting half way through a book - another 1000 Hills - but A Thousand Hills, Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It, byStephen Kinzer - a book Carol Williams told me about and I got from the library. Published in 2008 its about Kagame.
Ambassador Flaten knew him as well as many of those that were there at the time as all this was building up. He hadn't read this book. But it isn't one that makes Kagame sound wonderful like Flaten guessed it might be. I recommend it.
Likely I will not use pictures when I do my talk on April 1st, though I want to use a map and I might do a bit more. I would like to get into using pictures though. The talk is short as the talk at church will be too because the choir (I'm in it) leaves before adult class is over as we need to practice a bit before services.
Still plugging away. Good work. Sylvia
I had a nice lunch with the former American ambassador Robert Flaten who was there in Rwanda from 1990 to 1993. His wife and Martin came too. He lives in Northfield where our college St.Olaf is. He must have been there as a senior when I was a freshman but though I knew his father who taught art I don't remember him.
It was interesting visiting with him after getting half way through a book - another 1000 Hills - but A Thousand Hills, Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It, byStephen Kinzer - a book Carol Williams told me about and I got from the library. Published in 2008 its about Kagame.
Ambassador Flaten knew him as well as many of those that were there at the time as all this was building up. He hadn't read this book. But it isn't one that makes Kagame sound wonderful like Flaten guessed it might be. I recommend it.
Likely I will not use pictures when I do my talk on April 1st, though I want to use a map and I might do a bit more. I would like to get into using pictures though. The talk is short as the talk at church will be too because the choir (I'm in it) leaves before adult class is over as we need to practice a bit before services.
Still plugging away. Good work. Sylvia