Enrichment Year at ASYV The beginning of a
4 year journey in Transformation & Growth
Term III 2015 Village Times
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Recruitment Process
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3 Welcome Week
ASYV Mama
Table of Contents
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LiquidNet Family High School
8 Informal Education Department
Agahozo-Shalom believes that Rwanda will not only overcome the tragedy of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis, but will go on to become a prevailing model of hope for neighboring countries. We also believe that such change can only happen through the empowerment of individuals across every region of Rwanda.
HOW ARE OUR STUDENTS SELECTED? We aim to have 4 representatives from all 30 districts of Rwanda in every Grade
ASYV has had over 380 students go through the 4-year program since our beginning in 2009. Unlike most schools, students are not selected based on factors such as exam scores or their ability to pay for education, but instead on vulnerability.
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The recruitment process begins by reaching out to community leaders in each of the thirty regions of Rwanda for a list of the most disadvantaged children in S3 who are orphaned by one or both parents. Then in July three teams of inter-department staff travel far and wide to visit each child on the list. Our recruitment team conducts a home visit and a school visit in order to gain a better understanding of each child’s unique situation.
Vulnerability has many different faces. Some students can only be reached by driving for hours until the terrain becomes too steep for a vehicle, and our team must crawl up a muddy hill on hands and knees. Some students are from the middle of the Capital and their vulnerability is expressed differently. Through observations and interviews with relatives, teachers, neighbors, and, of course, the students themselves, our team must try to select the 100 kids who have the highest need and will benefit the most from Agahozo-Shalom.
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arrival
A month before the official school year begins, the new Enrichment Year class arrives at the Village with their guardians. They are welcomed by Jeane-Claude Nkulikiyimfura, ASYV’s Executive Director, and shown
For some of the kids, this was a day of firsts – someone they can call Mama, a supportive family unit, their very own bed, a flushing toilet, shower, shelter, and 3 warm, nutritious meals. around their new home.
Welcome Week
the 8 hour welcome picnic
To welcome the incoming students, ASYV hosts an annual picnic at Lake Mugesera, in which the entire grade hikes 7 kilometers to the picturesque lake. After finally arriving, the kids spend the day dancing, taking pictures, and eating. Each family has the opportunity to go on a boat ride, soaking in the view and singing songs together. This tradition celebrates and welcomes the latest students to the Village.
Gearing up for Success After settling in, the new grade must be equipped with basic supplies. They begin the school year with time watches on their wrists, a school bag to carry their books, a pencil and pad of paper, as well as a new pair of pants, tshirt, and set of underwear. Agahozo-Shalom is so happy that we are able to provide these necessary supplies to our students, so that they can focus on their personal growth and education.
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After touring the Village, the new grade heads to the football field for
announcing the new families
Each grade has 8 houses (5 female and 3 male) where 16 students and a family mother live together for 4 years
The Village philosophy aims to promote a smooth transition to ASYV with the added support of a Big Brother or Sister to bridge the age-gap between Mama’s and students.
Additionally, Enrichment Year families are given an International “Cousin,” who acts as a mentor and helps increase English language skills.
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Mama Ernestine Meet
Abigail Adam Smith Family, Imena Grade
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To be a Mama is to be a teacher, because I help my kids with their homework after school. To be a Mama is to be a Nurse. One of my daughters has Malaria right now, so I must wake up at 3 in the morning every night to check on her and give her medicine. I am a farmer as I support my family learning about agriculture over the weekends. I am a businesswoman, learning how to use a computer and type reports. The kids are all from different regions and to develop one culture within the family home is not easy for the Mama, or for us as educators. Every girl has her
“To be a Mama is to be a teacher, it is to also be a nurse, a farmer, a businesswoman� culture, good or bad. Some girls arrive at the Village speaking French, English, Swahili, many languages, very well. Some are incredibly poor, with no shoes or clothes. There are many challenges, but we work through them together.
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Family Time Family Time is another very important part of my day, where the family meets together to share and discuss before bed. It is very special. It is a place to sing, to dance, to laugh, and to share. It is the life of a family. It is a class on many lessons like culture, to learn one core value by one core value in our family. For me, family time is the best!
DNA DNA is a philosophy at ASYV that stands for Discussion, Negotiation, and Agreement, and is used to resolve any problem that arises. It is different from other places in Rwanda because most high schools only use punishment. DNA is more than punishment. Before coming to ASYV, I was a teacher in Primary School. When I would punish a student, they would cry and cry and cry, and after two minutes they would make the same mistake. At ASYV it is the first time a lot of kids are able to discuss about the mistakes they made. They are given the opportunity to understand their mistake, and can take a decision to change their habits. It is from their heart.
Success Stories There are many success stories from being a Mama. I have watched all sixteen girls working together to improve their English, and they have even taught me. When I see my daughter who was very shy participating in Family Time and practicing public speaking, this is my success. I see my daughter who did not have a home in her district, but now she is very proud to live in a house with a family. The biggest success, however, is to see the whole family speaking one language. When I say speak the same language I do not mean Kinyarwanda or English or French, but I mean to be working together. They are united; they do service at the dining hall together, they study and sing together. We speak the language of a family. Every day, I gain experience. AgahozoShalom is a good teacher.
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LiquidNet Family High
School When 128 students are recruited to ASYV, they spend the first year in an Enrichment Year program. The goal of Enrichment Year is to review the subjects from Senior 1, 2, and 3 in order to bring everyone to an equal academic level. It is important that students are well prepared to enter Senior 4, where they will choose their Combination of subjects to focus on in Secondary School.
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Creating life-long learners Life Skills Classes Life Skills are four classes that are designed and taught through our Health and Wellness Center. Each week our students participate in a two-hour discussion led by each grade’s social worker to ensure that every kid is equipped with the indispensable knowledge of mental and physical self-care.
Taking care of the individual student Our students arrive at ASYV having come from a variety of different backgrounds and challenges. Our teachers and school administration aim to assist individual students in identifying what they need in order to find their strengths, academic interests, and to perform successfully in school. Enrichment Year is classified into different levels (basic, intermediate, and advanced) based on marks from an aptitude test in Mathematics and English. Teachers individualize lesson plans by selecting appropriate tasks and materials to further enable students to learn at their own pace. Basic and intermediate students are taken through the curriculum at a slower pace with an emphasis on communicating in English, not only in their respective classes, but also outside of school.
In addition to teaching critical thinking, LNFHS aims to teach students to enjoy learning. If a student loves to learn and has a curious mind, she will become a lifelong learner and will continue learning throughout her life. In order to accomplish this, much of the Enrichment Year is focused on “learning to learn” – a highly important skill in this ever-changing world. For the 128 Enrichment Year students, we have four different classes of around 32 students per class, distributed based on their capability. During the third term, all EY students have the opportunity to select a combination, with guidance from their homeroom teachers, that they will study during Senior 4, 5, and 6.
Instrumental Enrichment (IE) Instrumental Enrichment is a program that uses a variety of tools to help students improve learning strategies. One of the most common phrases you can hear the students say when asked a question is, “just a moment, let me think” – the tagline of the IE program. Instrument Enrichment emphasizes on hands on skills and makes students critical thinkers.
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Informal Education
ASYV believes in the power of healing through selfexpression. During Enrichment Year students are encouraged to explore extracurricular programs in order to develop their own sense of identity and pursue un-explored passions. Students choose both Art and Science EPs for one term, as well as a year-long Club.
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“EY was the year that I discovered I was loved” -ASYV Alumni
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