![\"The](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/rwanda-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nThere are 525 students in four grades. All students begin with Enrichment Year, a non-academic year focused on building community and ensuring that all of the students are on a similar academic footing. The school recruits vulnerable teenagers from all 30 districts of Rwanda, and many come with emotional or psychological distresses.<\/p>\n
The biggest emphasis is on creating stable \u201cfamilies\u201d for each student, of around 20-24 classmates, that become a student\u2019s home base for their time at the Village.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost kids didn\u2019t get a chance to live in a family to have them guide them about what\u2019s right to do, so this is kind of creating a family spirit,\u201d explained Patrick Rwirahira Rugema, a Senior 6 (12th grade) student who was elected minister of foreign affairs in the school government. His duties as minister include serving as the host for visitors.<\/p>\n \u201cYou keep your \u2018momma\u2019 for all four years, and you stay in the same house,\u201d Rugema added. \u201cWe also have \u2018family time\u2019 every day, which is when all of the family gets together after dinner to share how their day went and a good thing they faced during the day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have emulated a model that really works, and the impact is huge,\u201d said Nkulikiyimfura. \u201cWe are raising them through love and compassion and skills and helping them think how to give back to the community. Think about it: Five to ten years from now we\u2019ll have 2,000 or 3,000 people doing good in Rwanda.\u201d<\/p>\n About 80% of graduates go on to university, and 50 alumni have received scholarships to study abroad in the United States and Canada. ASYV spends at least $4,000 per year per student, compared to Rwandan public schools, which spend about $800 to $1,000 per student per year.<\/p>\n {{Harnessing the sun}}<\/p>\n The Jewish American philanthropist Anne Heyman, who founded the youth village, broke ground on the school in February 2007. ASYV accepted its first class of students in December 2008. Heyman tragically died in a horse riding accident in 2014, just before construction started on the solar field.<\/p>\n Heyman was the one who made the connection between Abramowitz, of Gigawatt Global, and the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. Heyman and Abramowitz were both in the same Young Judea movement, and they reconnected because both had volunteered at Kibbutz Ketura, though at different points. Abramowitz eventually moved there with his family, while Heyman met her husband, Seth Merrin, as a volunteer and kept the place close to her heart.<\/p>\n Abramowitz was one of three co-founders of the Arava Power Company, which built the largest solar field in Israel at Ketura. When Abramowitz considered expanding abroad, Heyman invited him and his family to volunteer for two weeks at the Youth Village in order to convince them to place the solar field at the school.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for ASYV being already in existence with roots in Israel, the solar field wouldn\u2019t have happened in Rwanda,\u201d said Nkulikiyimfura.<\/p>\n Through Heyman\u2019s vast connections in Rwanda, she knew the government was desperate to increase the country\u2019s energy production, and she helped link Gigawatt Global to the Rwandan Energy Ministry.<\/p>\n Leasing the land from ASYV was practical on a number of levels. It is difficult to obtain large tracts of land in Rwanda, because the vast majority of the land is divided among private owners, explained Twagirimana, the plant supervisor of the solar field. When Heyman bought the land for the Youth Village in 2007, she had to purchase it from 96 different families. The school buildings take up about 20% of the land, and the rest is dedicated farmland. ASYV grows about 80% of its own food, in an additional bid for financial sustainability.<\/p>\n Leasing the land from a single entity meant that Gigawatt Global could get started immediately on the planning and construction, without first negotiating with individual landowners. One of the government\u2019s requirements for the contract was that the solar field would be built and producing energy within six months. \u201cThey just wanted the energy and they wanted it now,\u201d Chaim Motzen, the country director of the project for Gigawatt Global, said ahead of the field\u2019s dedication in 2015.<\/p>\n The location was also beneficial, given the area\u2019s proximity to regional power transformers and geography. \u201cIt\u2019s located in eastern Rwanda, where there is longer sun per day and less mountains,\u201d explained Twagiramana.<\/p>\n Although many governments across Africa are struggling to increase their countries\u2019 energy production, they often do not turn to solar, because the initial cost is so high. The Gigawatt Global project cost $23.7 million, and it will be profitable starting in 2025.<\/p>\n Today, the solar field can produce about 7.8 megawatts of electricity at peak production, which is about 5% of Rwanda\u2019s total energy budget of a bit less than 200 megawatts. Comparatively, the US uses almost 100,000 megawatts of power over the summer.<\/p>\n {{\u201cIf we haven\u2019t started using coal, let\u2019s not start\u201d}}<\/p>\n The solar technology still requires additional development before large commercial solar fields will become widespread across Sub-Saharan Africa. Solar fields produce energy during the day, but consumption is needed mostly at night, Twagiramana explained. That means that the electricity must be stored in large battery packs, which are expensive and break easily.<\/p>\n Still, Rwanda was willing to take a chance on solar when many countries are still reliant on dirty energy sources. \u201cRwanda said, if we haven\u2019t started using coal, let\u2019s not start, let\u2019s use what\u2019s available and clean,\u201d said Twagirimana. Unlike other countries in East Africa where environmentalism is an afterthought, Rwanda is dedicated to green initiatives. The country outlawed plastic bags more than a decade ago, and many streetlights in Kigali and the surrounding area are energy-saving LED bulbs running on solar power.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a need for energy, and Rwanda understands the importance of clean energy,\u201d said Twagirimana. \u201cThey said, \u2018We\u2019ll eventually use solar, so let\u2019s just start now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The solar field was part of ASYV\u2019s plan to become financially independent. \u201cWe want the village to be self-sustaining, really functioning as a village,\u201d explained Nkulikiyimfura. \u201cAnne Heyman also wanted a business to employ ASYV kids, but she wanted something positive. If it doesn\u2019t immediately benefit Rwanda, then she wasn\u2019t interested.\u201d<\/p>\n Nkulikiyimfura was hoping that ASYV students or graduates would be employed cleaning the panels, cutting the grass, or carrying out other general maintenance, but it hasn\u2019t worked out that way: Although the solar field provided 350 jobs during construction and was projected to have 50 ongoing jobs for maintenance, in reality it takes just five full-time employees to keep the solar panels clean and humming.<\/p>\n Twagirimana noted the low cost and manpower needs are one of the major benefits of solar fields. \u201cThe initial cost of solar is high, but the running costs are very cheap,\u201d he said. \u201cThe maintenance is done on a monthly or yearly basis.\u201d<\/p>\n The solar field pays a predetermined amount to ASYV, which covers all of the students\u2019 medical costs. Abramowitz said the company pays an amount higher than market value for leasing the land, but admitted the solar field is not supporting the Youth Village financially as much as Heyman had hoped. Abramowitz said the Rwandan government demanded a lower price for electricity, cutting into their profit.<\/p>\n {{Solar selfies}}<\/p>\n The innovative projects in the isolated region of Rwamagana, located 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Kigali, also draw a number of visitors, many from abroad. The Youth Village and the solar field each host about 500 visitors per year. At the Youth Village, many of the visitors come from the US or Israel. About half of the visitors to ASYV also visit the solar field, according to Twagirimana.<\/p>\n The solar field has hosted a number of international and national politicians and investors, including the ministers of energy from Mali and Kenya and the US ambassador to Rwanda. \u201cDuring the last two years, we have become a pioneer project,\u201d said Twagirimana. \u201cWe receive people who want to build their own projects, even abroad. Rwanda sends investors here to showcase [the solar field]. There\u2019s also some tourism, and we\u2019ve received famous people and some VIPs like Bono, Tony Blair, and others. ASYV always has visitors that are interested, and this is really good when they visit because it promotes us. We benefit from them and they go out with new knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Twagirimana noted that visitors who come expressly for the solar field often do not make the trek down the hill to visit the Youth Village.<\/p>\n Nkulikiyimfura said the two entities retain cordial relations, even though there is not as much cooperation as he had hoped.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are purely business, they\u2019re not giving us any special favors,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Nkulikiyimfura is looking at new business plans to create income for the school and provide jobs to graduates. ASYV is considering building 300 units of affordable housing outside Kigali that will utilize green energy, in an effort to both employ graduates in every step of the project and create affordable housing for young families in the capital.<\/p>\n {{It\u2019s village time!}}<\/p>\n In the meantime, as the solar panels bask in the sun and store up their silent energy, ASYV continues its approach of inspiring each student to unearth their passion.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re taking a holistic approach to education,\u201d said Nkulikiyimfura. \u201cWe want them to look at heart and healing. We want them to be a compassionate human being, to find their skill set through academic and extracurricular activities and put it into practice.\u201d<\/p>\n That is never more evident than during the highlight of each week, \u201cVillage Time,\u201d a talent show on Friday nights. Each show is different, featuring traditional Rwandan dance, contemporary dance, poetry readings, songs, monologues, a roundup of the week\u2019s news from the journalism club, or a presentation from successful alumni about their chosen fields. While the participants rotate, the excitement surrounding the talent show is the same each week, with all of the students telling visitors, \u201cjust wait, you won\u2019t be disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n As the lights go down at the amphitheater each Friday night, the student body goes into a happy frenzy, jumping out of their seats to cheer on their fellow classmates.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is so important for us to encourage those who are not superstars, those who have not already discovered their talents,\u201d said Nkulikiyimfura. Two students whose talents veer toward fine arts rather than performing arts spend Village Time painting a canvas in front of the audience, off to the side, while others perform on the stage below. During a Village Time extravaganza in February, one student painted a woman carrying a milk jug with bold colors and expressive strokes. \u201cI grew up without a mother, and cow\u2019s milk helped me live, so I have a special feeling in my heart for milk,\u201d the shy student explained afterward, to wild applause from the crowd.<\/p>\n Heyman started Agahozo Shalom Youth Village after attending a lecture about the Rwandan genocide in New York in 2005. When she asked about Rwanda\u2019s biggest need, the speaker told her that hundreds of thousands of orphans were growing up with no schooling or family support. Heyman immediately thought of the Israeli youth villages that operated after the Holocaust, and sought to replicate the model in Rwanda.<\/p>\n \u201cAgahozo\u201d is a word in Kinyarwanda, the local language, meaning \u201ctears are dried.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, the students at ASYV were all born after the 1994 genocide against Tutsi. Many women were raped and contracted HIV but did not get proper medical care, and died afterward, leaving young children behind. Most of the students at ASYV are orphans, according to the United Nations\u2019 definition of orphan, which means they have lost one or both parents.<\/p>\n Nkulikiyimfura said while the genocide\u2019s legacy is inescapable, ASYV emphasizes teaching students resilience, creativity, independence, and compassion, to positively impact Rwanda\u2019s future. The innovation and new initiatives in education and energy broadcasting from this hilltop are reaching across the country, he believes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe try to be creative every day, we are open for ideas, we believe in always recreating ourselves,\u201d said Nkulikiyimfura. \u201cIf you educate with positive values, you teach the community positive values.\u201d<\/p>\n [In Rwanda, Israeli-inspired youth village is walking on sunshine->http:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/in-rwanda-israeli-inspired-youth-village-is-walking-on-sunshine\/]<\/p>\n Source:The Times of Israel <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" {Rwamagana, Rwanda \u2014 The field that produces approximately five percent of Rwanda\u2019s energy is so quiet you can hear a bird landing on the grass.} \u201cYes, you can meditate here,\u201d said Twaha Twagirimana, the plant supervisor of the vast solar field in eastern Rwanda, where 28,360 solar panels are laid out in the shape of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-33645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33645\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33645"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=33645"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=33645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Patrick](\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/dscn7373.jpg\")
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