I am writing about 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. The genocide has produced a generation of uneducated orphans who lack the resources and the support to become successful and strengthen their country. Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) improves 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 successful 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 February, 2011 at volunteering 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 operates on the financial support and generosity of outside communities and individuals. As a group, we are committed to raising at least $5,000 in order to build a new structure to continue the expansion of the village. Donations are tax deductable in the United States.
It is absolutely crucial that we raise $5,000 by January 10th 2011. Please be a part of our mission by making contributions to Agahozo Shalom Youth Village online.
To donate:
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 (otherwise your generous contribution may go towards a different ASYV project).
Thank you for taking the time to read about our mission and considering to assist in the financial support. Please contact myself or Talia Weiss with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Tamar and The Social Action Track of Young Judaea
Talia Weiss
Program Coordinator
Social Action: Rwanda (Young Judaea)
(054) 789-7144 
No comments:
Post a Comment