CASH WILL HELP RWANDA VICTIMS
Students at a Northumberland high school have been raising money for the survivors of the Rwandan genocide.
The youngsters from Hexham’s Queen Elizabeth High School presented a cheque for £700.- to Jo Chexal of the Tynedale branch of Soroptimist International. The money was raised during a recent fundraising day and ceilidh held by the school’s human rights and fair-trade groups.
The Hexham Soroptimists in cooperation with the Durham Soroptimist Club are fundraising to support the Kigali Etoile Club in Rwanda, in their bid to launch a catering training restaurant in the capital, Kigali. Jo Chexal said “We need to raise a total of £9,000.- to establish the Rwanda catering training restaurant and the QEHS contribution helps us make a good start. We also hope there can be other links forged between QEHS and the Rwandan project. Rwandan coffee and tea and recipes have already changed hands to assist with plans for a Rwandan dinner and coffee and cake event”.
The project was necessary after the Rwandan genocide 14 years ago left young people with little opportunity to acquire employment skills.
QEHS staff are keen to involve the students in this project. one member said “Our students are very excited about the link with Rwanda and it is also the start of an interesting team effort by our human rights group, the fairtrade group and our hotel services students. We are looking forward to finding out what life is like for young people in Kigali and hopefully will be able to play some part in helping them to achieve their ambitions as the country gets back on its feet.”
Tynedale Soroptimists first became aware of the needs of the young people in Rwanda following participation by one of their club members, Maggie Allan, in a Peace Marathon established with the help of European Soroptimists. The link with the Kigali Etoile club followed and the first £700.- was passed over to the Rwandan Club in February following a fundraising event last autumn.
Along with the QEHS support and both Durham and Tynedale are planning fundraising meals this year. Whatever additional funds can be raised before the summer, will be sent with the £1,100.- already raised to Rwanda via the European Soroptimists Water Congress in July, attended by both Rwandan Soroptimists and Soroptimists from SIGBI’s Northern England. Teamwork all round.!