Happy Birthday to the Learning Center!

Zach here with some new stories from Kigali.

Last week Ioana and I headed to the Learning Center planning our English lessons just like any other Monday. Little did we know that we would only teach for half the day, with the rest being a large celebration. Moses, Eric and Francoise all gave speeches about their experience about and hopes for the Center. A few students and alumni stood up in front of everybody and gave speeches in English too. During the event Eric asked me if I'd like to say a few words, so I tried my best and gave a short impromptu speech as well. All the students had a great time and enjoyed complementary samosas.

The Learning Center began just 2 years ago with six students at the time with Moses as the only teacher. Since then the Learning Center has grown to over 100 student. It has gone from one room and one teacher to three rooms, three teachers and a dozen volunteers. In the meantime classroom materials have been steadily accumulating (except for dry-erase markers which have a 5% chance of working), with children's books, textbooks and laptop computers available for the students. With the beginning of the music school, the Center shows no signs of slowing.

With such dramatic changes in the first year of the learning center, what can we expect for the next year? Well, soon there will be comprehensive testing in order to produce Graduates with certificates representing their English fluency. The Alumni may then stay and teach more students or go off into the world and demonstrate their English-speaking prowess. Musiferi, for example, was a student in the Learning Center, and now he studies IT at a University and gives private English lessons. We hope all our students will go on to do great things.

What else is new? well, the August volunteers have all left. We welcome a new 5-week volunteer, Peter. Peter is studying to become a doctor and enjoys teaching the advanced group about staying healthy and the dangers of smoking.

Even more, we started a brand new project that has kick-started everyone's sweet tooth. I am proud to tell you about Wanda Bread, a new business started by Women Developing Rwanda and spearheaded by Ioana and I. Started as an income generating activity, Wanda Bread has given the women the business, baking and entrepreneurship skills that hopefully improve their economic situation. We realized that there is a unfulfilled demand for the fresh baked goods we take for granted at home, whether its chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, carrot cake or muffins of all kinds. The women are just as excited as we are about the future of Wanda Bread, as our products are entering the supermarkets and people's mouths! We use a large wood-fired oven graciously lent to us by Solace Guest House. However, we have searched all over Kigali for certain products that simply do not exist here. It could be simple ingredients like plain yogurt, shortening, sour cream or cooking materials like baking pans and rubber spatulas. But of course, every challenge brings a new opportunity, and our students are strong enough to surmount any obstacle. I hope they continue baking for Wanda Bread.

Well that's it for now! I wish you the absolute best! Stay tune for more updates!