Posted by Tracy Arabian on Feb 21, 2022
Gloucester and Rockport Rotaries partnered together, along with funding from a District Managed Grant and several additional individuals and organizations, to purchase and install a standby power generator for Kivu Hills Academy in Boneza, Rwanda.  Boneza is a community similar in size to the combined population of Gloucester and Rockport and has limited infrastructure.  In the past several years, Gloucester and Rockport have worked with the Arise Rwanda organization to support the installation of a kitchen at Kivu Hills Academy and a well for the citizens of Bugarura District.   The well project was also supported with a District Managed Grant. 
 
Arise Rwanda is a multi-dimensional education, community building, and infrastructure improvement organization.  They facilitate project selection and completion based on community members' expressed needs and the community's own priority setting.  Education has been a leading and pressing need in the region.  As a result the Kivu Hills Academy, an accredited Technical and Vocational Secondary School, was founded in 2016 and now serves a student body of 273 high school students.  (Kivu Hills Academy is the only high school in the region.)  Kivu Hills Academy offers academic programs in Masonry, Computer Systems Technology and Networking, and Tourism.
 
Consistent electric power is required to maintain the productivity of the academic environment, power the pumps bringing water to the school, provide safety and lighting, and prevent power surges that can destroy expensive computer equipment.  The generator installed this winter will meet this need of a stable electrical supply.
 
Thank you to Gloucester Rotarian David McKechnie for bringing this opportunity to our attention.  Thank you also to the District Grants Team for your support with these important projects.