FOLLOWING Mr Bell's visit to Rwanda with three senior students from the school, he gave a final presentation on the project to the house assemblies last week. This marked the end of the school's involvement in the project.
The school made a commitment to build one new house as their part of the overall project. At that time the cost of a new build house was £3,600. However, it has now risen to £5,500 due to the increased cost of materials and transport.
Even allow
ing for this increase, the pupils and staff have raised over £6,000. This total does not include the funding from the concert Mr Bell ran in the school theatre two weeks ago which raised another £1,400.
Mr Bell thanked the whole school on behalf of the people of Rwanda who are now benefiting from the project. The overall project will finish this October and enough money has been raised to build ten houses - the initial target was four; buy several large fields and plant crops which will be farmed by the widows as a food source and a cash crop; sponsor the education of several young people up to, and including, university level; buy a number of cattle and provide a water supply.
Mr Bell revealed that there have been major problems with the sinking of the solar power well and the Rwandans are now thinking in terms of supplying families with water tanks instead. He has agreed with them that whatever they decide is the best solution would be acceptable to the fund-raisers since the issue is to make sure the people affected get water.
Mr Bell was given a detailed account of the way the funding has been used and told all the pupils that all the money raised by them had gone directly to the project.
The three senior students who were on the trip to Rwanda – Corrie Drumm, Karis Winton and Rachel Hogan - had the opportunity to visit the houses and Corrie had the privilege of cutting the ribbon at the official opening ceremony.
The first house was named 'Carnoustie High School House' and a nameplate was hung up inside the house. The woman who now lives there with her six-year-old daughter is delighted with her new home. Mr Bell and Corrie went to see her old home and were shocked to see the appalling state of poverty that she had been living in.
It was really satisfying for the three students and Mr Bell to know that all the money raised by the school has had such a powerful impact on this one family in Rwanda.
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