NEWS
SUMMER 2024
During the summer months, projects in Nyamyumba and the association's work in Switzerland continued in full swing:
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the next phase related to the hypertension project, which will kick off during the month of October
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a project was prepared and presented to replicate the MHM Girls Room and training of girls and boys in another Rwandan school, at the invitation of district deputy mayor Assumpta Byukusenge.
The new location is the Mwoya school group, about an hour's drive from Nyamyumba and has 1758 students (844 boys et 914 girls)
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various works have been carried out in the village, including repairing the waterworks pipes, the roof of the hypertension clinic and the boundary wall.
Waterworks pipe repair
Waterworks pipe repair
Ambulatory roof repair
Ambulatory roof repair
Wall repair
Wall repair
MAY 2024
Dear friends, after the assembly here is the official documentation for the year 2023:
This is an important year for our association: the 20th since its founding!
So we thought we would organize a post-meeting aperitif to toast our achievements together in these two decades.
We look forward to seeing you:
Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 6:15 p.m.
at the multipurpose room of the municipality of Vezia (Via Daldini 13)
An aperitif will be held after the assembly. In order to better organize ourselves, please confirm your attendance by email to info@mabawa.org or by SMS/Whatsapp to 079/242.44.62 or 076/224.05.86 as soon as possible, and in any case by June 10.
To those who prefer to connect via Zoom: announce yourself, don't forget to email us, and we will send you the link!
Convocazione Assemblea.pdf
849 Kb
Here is the pdf document of the official convocation:
MARCH 2024
Dear Friends of Mabawa,
it has been a few months since we have given you updates on the latest projects.
In Nyamyumba all is going well: the construction of the 3 additional classrooms that were requested by the government for the
Secondary School and students are already taking classes in the new spaces.
Regarding the WASH 3 project, which included connecting the showers and latrines to the water supply, doubling the showers, and work on the probationers' rooms with addition of small toilet with shower, we are waiting for the last photographs. A visit to Nyamyumba in late May is planned and we will certainly share information and photographs when we return!
From Switzerland we are working on the preparation of the annual meeting (soon you will receive information and the "save the date" and the final reports of the projects executed in 2023.
This year we were asked to replicate the project MHM Girls Room in another school, creating a model that can be implemented throughout the District based on the success of the project carried out in Nyamyumba. During the visit at the end of May, a site visit will be made to the school group in Mwoya, about 45 minutes from the village.
The Girls Rooms built for Nyamyumba Secondary School and the related project to educate and raise awareness about issues surrounding menstrual health are working very well: girls are using the spaces, taking care of their hygiene, properly disposing of hygiene materials, and enthusiastically attending the seminars. The number of male students attending the seminars is also increasing month after month.
DECEMBER 2023
The construction work of the three new secondary school classes are progressing very well, and we are confident that the classrooms will be operational by the time the children return to school in January.
Classroom interior
Front
Rear
Virginia Tech University students have concluded their life-experience in Nyamyumba
They had an opportunity to inaugurate the new Casa Mabawa 3, consisting of two dormitories with toilets and showers.
NOVEMBER 2023
Thank you for the participation at the autumn dinner!
As every year, Mabawa holds an autumn dinner in November to have a good time with its many friends and supporters.
We look forward to seeing you, by reservation*
Thursday, November 23 from 7:00 p.m.
By our friends from the:
Trattoria del Glicine
Piazza Santo Stefano
Via Vittorio Veneto 1
22012 Cernobbio CO
The price is set at CHF 55 and includes:
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aperitif with bubbles or wine of your choice
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polenta with various side dishes, which was very popular last year!
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a variety of desserts
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water, wine and coffee included
During the evening we will scroll through photographs on the projects carried out this year and those still in progress.
* confirming your attendance by e-mail to info@mabawa.org or by phone/whatsapp to the numbers:
+41 79 240 15 07 (Katrine), +41 79 242 44 62 (Marinella), +41 76 224 05 86 (Barbara)
OCTOBER 2023
Our president Katrine returned from a trip to Nyamyumba, bringing news about current projects and many photographs.
The WASH 2023 project
After the friendly toilets (2021) and the MHM Girls Rooms (2022), for 2023, the project included connecting the showers and latrines to the water supply, doubling the showers, and work on the attendants' rooms with addition of small toilet with shower.
Girls dormitories
The arrangement of suitcases in the girls' dormitories created problems with the escape plan in case of fire, so simple shelves were built at the edge of the wall where they could be stored.
Classes for secondary school
Despite from the library carved out an extra classroom, the number of classrooms for juniors was still less than the demand: in the first juniors there were more than 86 kids! After discussions with district officials, we decided to start work on the construction of 3 new classrooms. Work began in early October and is already at a very good stage: speeded up by the presence of numerous laborers, a sign that the people of Nyamyumba really need the extra income in these difficult times.
Mabawa House 3
After a hiatus, construction work has resumed on House 3, which will house the VirginiaTech boys who spend time in Nyamyumba village each year.
Hypertension Project
Paola Galeazzi and Andreina Viviani, nurses from Ticino did an excellent job in Nyamyumba, working for the hypertension project.
Showers
Showers
Toilets
Toilets
Overseer's room
Overseer's room
Suitcase shelves
Start of works
...after a few days
Works after less than a month
Works after less than a month
Start of works
In less than a month
Nurse Paola Galeazzi
Nurse Andreina Viviani
SEPTEMBER 2023
New images have arrived concerning work on showers and toilets for the WASH 2023 project.
Showers
Showers
Toilets
Toilets
AUGUST 2023
Dear Friends of Mabawa,
although our site's news page has "gone on vacation" for the summer, we cannot say the same for projects in Rwanda.
Work on the WASH 2023 project continues at full speed, and after the probationers' rooms with bathrooms, the doubling and connection of the girls' showers to the water supply is well underway.
The library, which was implemented in early 2023 with lights and new tables, is also more beautiful and functional than ever.
A nice overview of the secondary school as seen from the entrance
Some pictures from this summer with description (click on photo for detail)
The three laboratories: chemistry, physics and biology
Interior of the physics laboratory
The friendly night toilets for girls
Detail of dormitories
Buried in the girls' "cloister": the boundary wall gave great privacy and intimacy to the girls
The boundary wall enclosing the women's section
One of the two Girls Rooms
The incinerator for "sanitary pads"
A meeting of the menstrual and sexual health project held on the steps of the sports field
Students
Batwa pygmies in celebration
Hypertension Project
MAI 2023
Mabawa participated in the Joint Action Development Forum - JADF again this year.
Our efforts took the form of building a house for a poor family and in Nyamyumba with the construction of the Girls Room (which are part of the governmental MHM project) but especially with the implementation of the boundary wall made especially necessary given its proximity to the new army recruit barracks, just a few hundred meters from the school complex.
Also as every year we participated financially.
A few words about the JADF (click here for website):
JADF members come from institutions and organizations working at the district level, including public, private, local, and international NGOs, faith-based organizations, and other development partners.
The JADF serves as a non-hierarchical discussion platform in which each member has an equal role: to represent their constituency; to provide open, comprehensive and transparent information on their development activities and achievements; to discuss progress in the District toward sustainable and inclusive local development; to learn; and ultimately to improve. JADF meetings are thus a key platform that facilitates the implementation of effective decentralization by providing a forum for service delivery and accountability for development planning.
The JADF builds on the traditional values of solidarity and mutual support to implement a common agenda to ensure the social welfare of people. The JADF applies the traditional practice that any urgent activity or task that could not have been handled without the help of the community can be assisted.
Visit from Assumpta Byukusenge, acting district deputy mayor for social affairs
The deputy mayor of the District visited Nyamyumba Secondary School and especially the facilities of the MHM Project which aroused strong interest among local authorities.
Thanks to the construction of the Friendly Toilets, the two Girls Rooms, the education and awareness project, and the ongoing work on dedicated showers and toilets for girls, the school has become the model site for the Sexual Reproductive Health Education project for all schools in the District.
Wash 2023 project: photographs of works
Photographs have arrived of the work on the women's dormitory probationers' rooms, part of the "WASH 2023" project co-funded by Fosit with federal funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
APRIL 2023
GENERAL ASSEMBLY DOCUMENTS
Dear Friends, dear Friends, here are the documents of the assembly for the year 2022 that was held on April 2023 at the multi-purpose hall of the Vezia town hall.
President's report
for the year 2022
Photographic presentation
*.pdf 15.9 Mb
Meeting minutes 20.04.23
Accounts and Budget 2022
MARCH 2023
CALL TO GENERAL MEETING
Dear Friends,
it is assembly time!
The general assembly for the year 2022 will be held:
Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 6:15 p.m.
at the multi-purpose hall of the Vezia town hall (Via Daldini 13)
or Zoom (upon request via mail)
and will be followed by dinner at the nearby Osteria Riva.
Of the 25 available places, very few remain, so we kindly ask you to confirm your attendance by e-mail to info@mabawa.org or by SMS/Whatsapp to 079 242 44 62 or 076 224 05 86 as soon as possible, and in any case by April 10.
The cost of the dinner menu is set at CHF 40 including an appetizer at the table, a dish of your choice between pork cheeks with polenta and perch fillets with rice, dessert and coffee, excluding wine ...They are all delicious, we tested them for you!
PS. With your confirmation also indicate your preference for the second.
Meeting minutes 19.5.22
.pdf 261 Kb (ITA)
Download invitation (ITA)
.pdf 393 Kb
REMEMBER NOT MUZZANO!
THIS YEAR WE CELEBRATE "IN THE HOUSE" OF MABAWA
Updated book
Have you had a chance to browse through, virtually or in hard copy, the photo book with the history of Mabawa and the accomplishments of these 19 years yet?
If you are interested click on the corresponding language to see the pdf!
FEBRUARY 2023
Directly from Nyamyumba
Our president Katrine left for Nyamyumba, accompanied by her husband Ermanno who is an Eng. ETH, left for Nyamyumba to supervise the plans for the start of work on the WASH 2023 project, which we had talked about last month, concerning the doubling of showers in the girls' section of the secondary school, work on the latrines and facilities for the probationers' rooms.
With the funds raised for the library a small improvement could be started: large tables and chairs for students and lamps for reading. For now it will be 9 2-meter tables for students, which we would like to increase based on the funds raised.
The two MHM Girls Rooms are now up and running and the girls involved in the " RED MOON " program: awareness and education on everything related to health and menstrual cycle management are already about 60.
As usual, a community meeting was held during Katrine's visit, a crucial time for listening to the needs and news of the inhabitants of the hills that make up the Great Nyamyumba.
JANUARY 2023
New 2023 project: third WASH phase for Nyamyumba Secondary School girls' area
We have received confirmation of funding in recent days for a major project planned for 2023, which we submitted to Fosit calls.
Some details about the project:
In 2006, when it opened, Nyamyumba Secondary School had 94 students. Only a few years later the figure had already doubled and today there are 518 students (221 boys and 297 girls). Facilities, built in urgency and on the basis of need, are largely insufficient in number and quality, having undergone only a few maintenance and improvement works in recent years.
After the implementation in 2021 of the dedicated school waterworks and the construction of the Friendly Toilets at night for girls (as part of the women's empowerment project associated with menstrual hygiene infrastructure) we are now ready to take action on the third and final part of this project:
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Part A doubling and connection of showers and latrines to the water supply + replacement of Turkish toilets in poor condition
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Part B adaptation of the probationers' quarters with the addition of a shower-wc room.
Being that the facilities in the boys' section were built a few years ago and are hygienically and numerically adequate, this is a very important project in our view; this is not only because of the work on the infrastructure itself: from the perspective of gender equality and the major commitment to women's empowerment, we believe it is essential to bring the basic hygiene facilities dedicated to girls up to the same level as those dedicated to boys.
DECEMBER 2022
Girls Room Updates
We received some updated photographs representing the inside of the Girls Rooms, the two rooms for the practical and theoretical management of menstrual periods (click here for more informations).
Construction work on the MHM rooms began in late summer 2022 and the two MHM rooms will be put into use by mid-January for the start of the new quarter.
These days they are being furnished 'sparsely' with material from the dormitories, pending the furniture to be supplied by a local carpenter. The interior decoration was done by students from Virginia Tech University, who for the past nine years have spent one or two periods a year in Nyamyumba, doing many useful jobs: construction, cultivation, computer training, English language,...
Included in the project is the construction of an incinerator for hygienic materials.
Mabawa 2022
During the autumn dinner, a screen showed a carousel of photos of the projects carried out this year.
We thought it would be a good idea to publish it on this page as well, to look back on these 365 rewarding days together!
NOVEMBER 2022
Mabawa Heart Project
IO DONNA.
An article in the Corriere's IO DONNA supplement discusses the experience of Isabella Hunjan and Clara Stroppa at the Nyamyumba Medical Dispensary for the Mabawa Cuore project for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular risks.
AUTUMN DINNER
Dear Friends of Mabawa,
we confirm that the fall dinner will be held:
Friday, November 11, 2022
from 7:00 p.m.
By our friends from the:
Trattoria del Glicine
Piazza Santo Stefano
Via Vittorio Veneto 1
22012 Cernobbio CO
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a rich aperitif with bubbles or wine of your choice
-
polenta with various side dishes
a variety of desserts
with water, wine and coffee included
CHF 50 per person
*for those who would like a vegetarian/vegan alternative, please specify this with registration, which will be confirmed with payment via QR coupon.
Friends of Mabawa Italy can pay directly on the spot upon whatsapp reservation at
Flyer in pdf
.pdf, 10 Mb
OCTOBER 2022
CONGRATULATIONS!
After the two months spent in Nyamyumba working hard on the Mabawa Heart project, "our" Ph.D. student Isabella Hunjan presented and discussed her thesis, based precisely on the hypertension project.
She received her Doctor of Medicine degree with 110 cum laude...
We are all so proud to count her among those who give "Mabawa Heart" great value and the light it deserves.
Tesi
.pdf, 19 Mb
Presentazione in PowerPoint
.pdf, 4.4 Mb
SAVE THE DATE
Dear Friends of Mabawa,
we anticipate that our regular fall dinner will be held:
Friday, November 11, 2022
from 7:00 p.m.
By our friends from the:
Trattoria del Glicine
Piazza Santo Stefano, Via Vittorio Veneto, 1, 22012 Cernobbio CO
NEW QR COUPONS
As you may know, since October the old coupons are no longer valid, and we too have been updating regarding dues payments and donations.
You can find them on the support us page or HERE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP US?
Making a donation with TWINT is really quick and easy, just follow the instructions below.
AUGUST 2022
We had been keeping an eye on it for some time, waiting for the updated images: finally the Google Earth satellites have passed over Nyamyumba again, giving us the updated overview of the whole village!
On the right is the detail of the secondary school with all the new features, including those of the last two years.
To all of you, thank you: together we did well!
JULY 2022
We have updated our historical "photo book"
where you can find the history of the association from its inception and accomplishments to date in the now
"Great Nyamyumba."
To take a look just click here!
Dr. Franco Muggli is in Rwanda for the start-up-delayed first by the pandemic and then by the international situation-of the second phase of the hypertension project, together with Dr. Isabella Junjan and Dr. Chiara Stroppa.
This is to deepen the clinical picture and take charge of the most at-risk patients identified during the first phase of the project. Great turnout and success for this second phase as well!
The picture was taken today, July 21 in Kigali at the
RCP HTA Symposium
for hypertension and cardiovascular risks.
MABAWA GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR THE YEAR 2021
Katrine and Ilaria are in Nyamyumba for important meetings and inspections for the Girls Room project.
They sent us some pictures of the Friendly Toilets for Girls, our new projects in Nyamyumba Secondary School...how wonderful!
More photographs and new updates soon.
MABAWA GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR THE YEAR 2021
After the organizational uncertainties of the last years, now the provisions make us hopeful and we can organize the usual assembly with aperitif and dinner in company that will be held
Thursday, May 19, 2022 at 18:15
at the multipurpose room of Muzzano (Via alla Selva 3)
with the following agenda:
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Election of the Chairperson of the Day
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Designation of tellers
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Reading of the minutes of the meeting of 06/24/2021
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Treasurer's and auditor's report of fiscal year 2021.
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Approval of accounts
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2022 Committee
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President's Report
In order to organize the best aperitif and dinner, we kindly ask you to confirm your presence by email to info@mabawa.org or by SMS/Whatsapp to nr. 079/242.44.62 or 076/224.05.86 within May 7.
DOCUMENTS
Assembly convocation
pdf file, 366 Kb
Committee
pdf file, 70 Kb
Assembly minutes 24.06.2021
pdf file, 272 Kb
Rapporto della presidente
pdf file, 748 Kb
Conti per il 2021
pdf file, 2.8 Mb
APRIL 2022
FRIENDLY NIGHT TOILETS FOR GIRLS' DORMITORIES
Last year we received a request from the school for night toilets (friendly toilets) adjacent to the girls' dormitory, which often took advantage of the surrounding lawn to avoid straying in the dark.
The works are progressing very well, as you can see from the pictures we received from Nyamyumba.
APRIL 2022
NEW PROJECT IN NYAMYUMBA
After the implementation of the friendly toilets that are under construction, we intend to give the girls an intimate space where they can manage everything related to hygiene and menstrual health by building two MHM Rooms (Menstrual Health Management).
This is part of a project that is focused on not only to building: giving access to suitable infrastructure will promote awareness and education to girls on issues that revolve around this topic.
What we would like to achieve will be a change of mentality not only of female students, but also of teachers and school management.
The structural project also includes the construction of an incinerator for the disposal of "sanitary pads", which today are thrown into septic tanks causing obvious problems to the structures and the environment.
MARCH 2022
The school project in Bwegera is now complete and we have received some updates:
there are 464 students including 198 girls and 266 boys, who now have 5 large and bright classrooms with furniture in the right amount, 12 toilets connected to the septic tank and a fountain for hygiene and hydration.
Thank you to the Adiuvare Foundation for making this possible!
After the wall to protect the girls...we're setting the stage for nightly "friendly toilets" in their dorms.
This project relates to Mineduc's commitment to the issue of menstrual health, which we took to ❤️
The boundary wall, which was somehow imposed by the government, initially seemed to us to be a non-priority expense.
Eventually, after pressure from the district who participated in the work by providing the bricks at cost price, the wall was erected around the girls' area.
With things done, we realize it was needed and we are glad we did it!
It gives them great security, especially during the night, and this is in addition to the extensive ongoing project for women empowerment: friendly night toilets, MHM room for menstrual management and incinerator for sanitary material.
FEBRUARY 2022
Nyamyumba is following the example set by the Pygmy-Batwa with tea-growing plantations has also been followed by Nyamyumba.
Here are the photographs of the implementation of the terraces.
It is an expensive investment for the farmers, but thanks to microcredit it is possible: the 4 hectares cost CHF 1500, of which 500 were advanced with microcredit.
Tea is a profitable crop and after 12 months it should start to give a first hint of harvest. We will keep you updated!
Here are some of the 15 university students supported by Mabawa with scholarships.
Benjamin, wanted us to meet them: he was one of those first head of household children that we have helped since 1999, first with food support and small things, then with scholarships.
He graduated, did a master's degree while working and today he is an important executive of an electronics company.
He will become one of our Tutors for secondary kids.
How satisfying!
Adeline Mukandera, a scholarship student since from the beginning in secondary school, is now studying pedagogy at the university.
She will become an elementary school teacher and if she wanted to, with a master's degree she could become a secondary school teacher.
Freshly harvested corn... Just arrived has been sold to the secondary school, which is increasingly attentive to children's nutrition.
To show it off, it was hung on the outside walls of the new dryin Silo before delivery.
The drying silo is part of the agricultural projects and was requested by the cooperatives and implemented in 2020 to solve the problem of mold that puts crops at risk.
The FOSIT website mentions the project underway at Nyamyumba Secondary School:
the construction of friendly toilets for girls, which will then be developed with the implementation of
- a room MHM (Menstrual Health Management) room for the management of the menstrual cycle
- an incinerator for hygienic material.
Here is the arrangement of the Books For Africa shipment in the special shelves built by our local carpenter Fabien.
The enthusiastic students were eager to unload and open the boxes, arranging the numerous books they received.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!
Here are the latest photos from the school in Bwegera (Congo DRC), where we built a new school with 5 classrooms, toilets with a septic tank, and implemented a fountain for the 347 students of the elementary school.
We are particularly happy with the success because, being a "difficult" country with a war situation that seems unresolvable, we were able to demonstrate that sometimes it is good to trust.
Many thanks to the Adiuvare Foundation for the important participation and FOSIT for the continuous support!
We have decided to start the construction of the boundary walls of the female section of the secondary school since it is an obligation from the specifications of the ministry.
So far we had not received any pressure but the "coming and goings" from the army recruit's training camp seems to be a sign of a certain urgency.
Would you like to help us build it? The price per meter for a height of two meters is about 90 CHF.
We also have Twint!
Curtains have finally been installed in the new hypertension project room.
The rest is on the way, the project is temporarily on hiatus due to Covid-19 and we hope to start phase two before long.
JANUARY 2022
...no longer hopeful: announced in mid-2019, the books donated by Books for Africa (USA) finally arrived in Nyamyumba. The delays are due to Covid-19 and all the related transport problems but now here they are!
All that remains is to place them in a library (construction of shelves and furniture), which will require some funds.... do you want to help us?
Every little bit counts! A library costs around 120.
A big Thank you, Books for Africa!
We also have Twint now!
December 2021
Dear friends,
the current situation does not provide any security... on security :)
The committee has decided unanimously not to risk organising another event and then having to cancel it.
This is why our wishes will be "virtual" but no less heartfelt! We are all thinking of you with great nostalgia.
Important projects have been carried out in Nyamyumba this year too, and for this we must also thank you for your loyal support.
In the photo, the secondary school children are trying their hand at a "friendly" basketball game... because the desire to win is not lacking!
NEW!
We have made donating to Mabawa even easier and more straightforward using the TWINT app.
Charity stall in favour of Mabawa
Dear friends,
we invite you to come and visit us on 12 December 2021 from 10:00 to 18:00 at the Hotel Pestalozzi in Lugano. A stall with children's clothes, African fabrics, honey from "our" Nyamyumba village in Rwanda and many other nice things! All the proceeds will be donated to the project 2022 dedicated to the girls of the secondary school.
October 2021
The lack of news on this page in the last few months is not due to Mabawa standing still... far from it! Here are some of the latest projects completed and in use.
Now we are preparing the new projects but soon we will update the pages of our website!
Don't forget to follow us on facebook and instagram!
September 2021
This Christmas, with the purchase of
MABAWA BRANDED GIFTS
present in the I GUINIGI catalogue, a reference point in the corporate gifts market, you can support our association!
Thanks to Mabawa Italia for working on this wonderful project.
Nyaruguru District, our long-standing partner, has won the Best District 2019-2020 award.
Click on the photo on the left for details.
Nyamyumba School won first prize for both Nyaruguru District and South Province!
