Rwanda update

Our Rwanda group has split up into different committees that consist of public relations, tzedaka(which i'm in), Shabbat committee (programs we'll do for shabbat in the village) and field trips in Rwanda. My committee is in charge or raising the 5,000 dollars that we need in order to go. Basically we'll use that 5,000 to build a new structure there so the village can expand. A lot of the work we'll be doing there is manual labor, but we'll also be putting on programs and getting to know the teens that live there. So in order to raise that moneyI'm writing four different letters that we'll send out to America asking for donations- one letter is to jewish organizations and synagogues which I'll incorporate jewish philosophies like tikkun olam and mitzvot and lessons from the torah, one formal letter to non-religious organizations and corporations, one personal letter to family and friends, and one letter to the parents of young judaeans. So far I've written two! Were also making T-shirts and bracelets and selling them to young judaea participants.

(Below is the first letter I wrote)

I am writing to you in reference to my upcoming volunteer venture as part of Young Judaea’s Year Course’s Social Action: Rwanda (SAR) project.

In 1994, the country of Rwanda experienced one of the most horrific acts of genocide in history as the world turned a blind eye. The aftermath of the violence left Rwanda and its people in ruins; nearly 1,000,000 lives were lost and 75,000 children were orphaned.

Though the situation in Rwanda is now stable, the future is uncertain: A generation of uneducated orphans scarred by the past and lacking the resources and the support to become succesful and strengthen their country. Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) attempts to improve the lives and futures of these orphans. Agahozo literally means “a place where tears are dried.” ASYV’s mission is “To enable orphaned and vulnerable youth to realize their maximum potential by providing them with a safe and secure living environment, health care, education and necessary life skills. To utilize education and service to model and create socially responsible citizens in Rwanda and around the world.”

ASVY, established in 2006, supplies a secure and caring environment in which the children are able to grow, mature, and heal themselves. Through group and individual therapies, the children are afforded the psychological support necessary to advance and mature. In addition, each student is assigned a family which provides a home structure novel  to many of the orphans. Formal and informal educational opportunities provide the students a chance for a succesful future.

We now have the opportunity to repair and revive the damages that we failed to prevent. We are a group of 16 American, British, and Canadian college students volunteering and studying in Israel on Young Judaea’s Year Course program. This year marks the commencement of Year Course’s Social Action: Rwanda (SAR) specialty track and it is our mission to spend this February at ASYV contributing to the well- being of the village and its inhabitants.

 Donating our time, skills, and physical labor is unfortunately not enough. The village runs on the financial support and generosity of outside communities. As a group, we are committed to raising at least 5,000 dollars in order to build a new structure to continue the expansion of the village. We are also collecting new items such as sports equiptment, clothing, musical instruments, towels, and shoes to donate to the village. Donations are tax deductable in the United States.

It is absolutely crucial that we raise 5,000 dollars by January 10^th  2011. Please be a part of our mission by making contributions to Agahozo Shalom Youth Village online.

To donate:

1.    Go to www.jdc.org/donation/donate.aspx?type=ASYV. 

2.    Select program “ASYV in Rwanda”

3.    Enter information and donation amount

4.    Check that the gift is a tribute to someone

5.    From the drop down menu, select “Other” and write Young Judaea.

Anything you can donate is greatly appreciated.  Every penny counts!

Thank you,

            The Social Action Track of Young Judaea

"I've been fighting my entire adult life for men and women everywhere to be equal and to be different. But there is one right I would not grant anyone. And that is the right to be indifferent."                                - Elie Wiesel

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