In 2010, three ATN Volunteers attended Literacy International’s Literacy Institute in Tulsa, OK. They were trained how to use LI’s Firm Foundation Literacy materials to teach others how to read and write their heart language. These materials, developed in dozens of languages, all use the same method and technique. Thus, once a teacher learns the method, he or she can use the materials in any language. These three ATN volunteers returned to Rwanda and trained other ATN volunteers and staff to use these materials.

In the summer of 2011, Christine Crowson, began a pilot Kinyarwanda Literacy class with vulnerable women in Kicukiro using LI’s Kinyarwanda Literacy materials. The class began with one and quickly grew to four. Christine was then able to model and train a Rwandan woman how to use the materials to teach others. Now, she is doing the lessons and Christine is in a mentor/advisor role.

The joy on someone’s face when they learn to read is indescribable. Our hope is that all Rwandans will be able to receive this gift: reading and writing in their heart language of Kinyarwanda.

First was a single lever that produced about 200 psi of pressure. It only cost about 2000 rwf to build. It didn’t provide as much pressure as needed but was easy to build, durable, light weight, and inexpensive. The second model used a double lever design, costs around 5000 rwf to build and generates about 400 psi of pressure. this press was less durable, uses hardware, is more expensive, and is harder to build, but it generated almost double the pressure of the single lever. This second model was used in production as a test and generated on average one small briquette per minute. While trying to produce additional briquettes at maximum pressure this press split in one of the lever arms. Because of this we saw the need to make another model of press. We used the same design but used wood that was double the thickness of the previous double lever press. The estimated cost of this press is 10,000 francs. It is more durable than the other designs and produced the best briquettes because of the greater pressure (an estimated three times the single lever design).

Additionally we looked at briquette design after having experimented with a pyrolyzed type made from tree branches as well as a non-pyrolyzed type made from sawdust and paper. We settled on the sawdust and paper model as it was more environmentally friendly and during this month have run burn tests on four different models.

Lastly, two trips were made to Musanze to meet with others making briquettes, Art of Conservation, and the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project. On the second visit the press was tested and briquettes were made cooperatively. ATN promised to participate with them through future visits and a commitment to share learning and technology.

We spent the weekend of November the fifth and sixth training in Taekwondo movements, routines, and Olympic style competition. We had over thirty athletes of advanced levels with eighty-five percent being from Rwanda but also from Congo and Burundi. They were taught by Peter Kamau and Martin Koonce from ATN. Peter is the assistant national coach of Uganda and has competed internationally for many years. This is his third trip to Rwanda to assist Taekwondo here. We had three training sessions on Friday and Saturday and then ended the weekend with a banquet to present the first seven Taekwondo masters of Rwanda with their certificates from Kukkiwon and the World Taekwondo Federation (this is the governing body for Olympic Taekwondo) in Korea. In attendance at the banquet was the vice president of the Rwanda Olympic Committee, representatives of ATN, as well as the executive volunteers from KOICA. In addition to this we had two more training sessions.

In addition we had the privilege of meeting with the Rwanda Medical Student Association. Our combined goals are to meet again to begin planning Healthcare Camps in rural villages. We hope to see this partnership growing as the year progresses.

The tournament was held on Saturday, May 8, at E.T.O. The four schools who participated were: Nyakabanda Primary, G.S. Kicukiro Primary, St. Joseph Primary, and Authentic International Academy. The four teams played very well and Nyakabanda Primary finished in first place and took home the first ATN Peace Cup Trophy. Authentic International Academy finished in second place, while G.S. Kicukiro finished third and St. Joseph Primary finished in fourth place.

All schools received new footballs for participating. Cash prizes were awarded to the first and second place finishers. Lunch was also provided for all the teams and coaches, as well as for school officials and others involved with the tournament.

The tournament will continue next year as we seek to involve more schools in the development of peaceful student athletes.

In May, 2010 Africa Reads brought over 11 volunteers who worked with Green Hills Academy and our neighborhood school – Groupe Scolaire Kicukiro – which is the largest in Rwanda with over 3600 students. The group worked with over 200 students and 15 teachers in various settings.

For two weeks, Africa Reads targeted four classrooms at the primary level where they demonstrated new teaching techniques for learning English. Not only did they help students learn English, they modeled to the teachers a better way for English acquisition.

This modeling was furthered by a Teacher Training Seminar held at Green Hills Academy. 13 teachers/administrators came from GSKI to participate in the seminar about English Reading and Vocabulary. These participants were awarded a certificate for their accomplishment and ATN has hopes to do a follow up meeting with these attendees to talk more about these new teaching techniques. GSKI was extremely thankful for Africa Reads and ATN’s partnership. The school threw a surprise party due to their appreciation.

For more information about their trip, see their website @ http://africareadsnow.org/

As a ministry Xtra Mile, daily confronts poverty; Poverty of money, poverty of family, poverty in the mind and heart.The benevolence commission was created to help overcome this our greatest challenge and obstacle.

The commission meets weekly on Saturday morning from 10am-12pm. They meet beforehand to pray, then begin meeting people and problems. Before making any decisions they visit the people at home to pray over them and get a feel for their problems first hand. The benevelonce commission can’t help everyone materially and they understand from experience that handouts often aren’t the answer. They seek to heal the cause not only the effect.

The orphans involved in the Xtra Mile Ministries community voted for who they thought would be best able to help others. Many on the committee have faced unimaginably difficult times and have overcome