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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2014
REWRITING RWANDA’S FUTURE, ONE SCHOOL AT A TIME
20 Years After The Genocide, Wellspring is Equipping a New Generation of Rwandans
Langley, BC: This week, as Rwanda commemorates the 20 year anniversary of the devastating genocide in which over 1 million people lost their lives, the world’s attention is once again focused on the horrors that took place there two decades ago. The anniversary calls us to stand alongside the people of Rwanda in remembering, while also reflecting on the new story that is being written in their country – a story of healing, reconciliation, rebuilding and hope. Over the past ten years, The Wellspring Foundation has had the privilege of seeing first-hand how education has the power to change lives, and to change the direction of a nation in its journey towards unity and restoration. Based in Kigali, with a support office here in BC, The Wellspring Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to empowering Rwanda’s next generation through quality education. Wellspring staff work alongside school leaders, teachers and parents in 48 Rwandan public schools, equipping them to create a vibrant learning environment in which the 70,000+ children in these schools can thrive and fulfil their potential.
Wellspring CEO Andy Harrington says, “2014 represents a significant milestone for the country of Rwanda, and for The Wellspring Foundation. As a country emerging from an unbelievably painful past and looking to create a new legacy, investment in Rwanda’s children is absolutely essential. At Wellspring, it is our privilege to journey alongside school communities, empowering teachers, parents and leaders to provide a quality, values-based education that will transform their lives, and their country.”
These 48 public schools, in the Gasabo District of Rwanda, are experiencing change through an innovative and holistic School Development approach, which sees the Wellspring training team walking alongside entire school communities to bring sustainable transformation and measurable results. Seeking to bring change and hope at an individual and school-wide level, we train in servant leadership, peace and reconciliation, quality education, worldview, parenting, and the integration of values into the curriculum. We are seeing lives changed in tangible ways, and therefore as we remember the past in the days to come, we also look with hope and anticipation to the future of this vibrant African nation.
About The Wellspring Foundation: Since 2004, Wellspring has built a model Christian school in Kigali, offered training to hundreds of Rwandan teachers, supported the growth of the Association of Committed Teachers (ACT) Rwanda, and launched an innovative School Development Program. Wellspring is also actively engaged with local and national government and currently chairs the Rwanda Education NGO Coordination Platform.
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LOUISE REILLY
Campaigns & PR Coordinator
THE WELLSPRING FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION
louise@thewellspringfoundation.org
604 427 4808
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