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July 17, 2007
FIRST LADY TO TRAVEL TO RWANDA WITH VIRGIN ISLANDS DELEGATION TO HELP CHILDREN ORPHANED BY HIV/AIDS CRISIS On Friday, July 18th, First Lady Cecile deJongh will join a delegation of eleven students and five adults to travel to Rwanda in an effort to assist children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The initiative was first launched by a group of students at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School who showed concern about the events taking place in Rwanda and the plight of its people. "The children of Rwanda, especially those affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, face tremendous challenges that we can only imagine. It was only fourteen years ago that the country was devastated by genocide, with nearly one million lives lost in the war, and over 500,000 children orphaned by parents afflicted with HIV/AIDS," First Lady deJongh said. "It is in the spirit of cooperation and peace that I am proud to be visiting Rwanda and joining this Virgin Islands delegation to spend time with some of the orphaned children of this proud nation. I also look forward to meeting with the President and First Lady of Rwanda," deJongh continued. The "Rwanda Project 2008" was recently founded, based on the efforts of Ivanna Eudora Kean’s World Religion Club, to focus on providing care and assistance wherever possible to young people in Rwanda affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis. The club "adopted" a young girl named Vicky Umuhoza last year, a child orphaned by AIDS who was also a victim of the 1994 genocide. In an effort to continue their campaign of service, the club made plans to volunteer in Kigali, Rwanda where they will work in orphanages and schools. In addition, money has been raised through community fundraising efforts to purchase school supplies for the children in the Rwanda orphanages. The First Lady was approached to assist in raising funds for the trip to Rwanda by Barbara Young, a teacher of English and photography at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School and leader for the "Rwanda Project 2008" effort. Young’s friend, Sonya Melescu, spent two months in Rwanda last year working with Women for Women International, and brought the idea forward to provide further assistance to Rwandan children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Together, and with the First Lady’s assistance, the group has raised enough money to cover the costs of the trip for the entire Virgin Islands delegation, including purchasing school supplies for three orphanages. The First Lady will travel to Rwanda with her daughter, Rene, and will be joined by eight students from Ivanna Eudora Kean High School of the "Rwanda Project 2008" group, as well as Barbara Young and her daughter, Julie. Wilma Galiber of St. Croix will also join the V.I. Delegation and will be traveling with her daughter, Chelsea. Sonya Melescu, a photographer, and Shaun Pennington, V.I. Source publisher, will be traveling to Rwanda to document the trip, as well. The group will have an active agenda, starting with a visit to the "Genocide Memorial" just moments after landing in Kigali on July 20th. The group will be assisting the Amizero, Benimpuhwe and Rebero orphanages during their stay in Rwanda and will return to the Territory on August 5th. The Virgin Islands delegation will bring a variety of items to the orphanages including toys, mosquito netting, mattresses, clothes, diapers, plastic sheeting and pacifiers. The group will also bring seventy school uniforms made by the Women for Women organization for the Rebero Orphan Center in Rwanda. "It is our hope that this relationship continues far into the future, fostering communications and cultural exchanges between the Virgin Islands and Rwanda for years to come. This is as much about a reflection of our Community and our values as exhibited through these students as it is about the Rwandan Orphans. It is an opportunity for our young people to see the world, experience other cultures while helping to make the Virgin Islands and the world a better place," deJongh said. First Lady deJongh will be sharing insight on her trip to Rwanda through updates of her Travel Journal which can be found on the First Lady’s website: http://www.governordejongh.com/firstlady. She will sharing her experiences, including sending photos and updates about her trip, as well as highlights about special meetings and programs. In addition, First Lady deJongh has made arrangements to pay a courtesy visit to meet the President and First Lady of Rwanda, His Excellency Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Nyiramongi. As a special thanks, the First Lady acknowledges the generous support from members of the community who assisted in raising funds towards this important trip. |
