For immediate release
March 2, 2021
Ottawa-Gatineau, ON-QC/Victoria, BC: The International Rwanda Youth for Development (“IRYD”) Canada and This Is My Earth (hereafter, “TiME”) with generous support from the Harmony Foundation of Canada (hereafter, “Harmony”) are pleased to announce their inaugural collaboration for schools and communities a pilot named the Israel-Rwanda School Biodiversity Program. Our goal for the program is to create cooperative student learning and action between junior-high school students in Rwanda and Israel for conservation of biodiversity.
The three collaborators have selected Rogozin school in Kiryat Ata, Israel, and Shelter Them – Batarure (“Shelter Them”) and Groupe Scolaire Rugando (“GS Rugando”) in Rwanda as their pilot phase implementation partners, through an existing memorandum of understanding with Rwanda’s Ministry of Education. Key objectives of the project are aligned with the Government of Rwanda’s National Biodiversity and Action Plan 2016, which seeks to increase early awareness among young generations about biodiversity through school programs. This project will enable students in both countries to learn together about the vital importance of and practical actions for conserving biodiversity, experience group decision-making while identifying habitat for protection, enhance language and communication skills, learn new cultures and skills for cross-cultural cooperation, develop new skills in agriculture and other fields to protect biodiversity.
This collaboration will yield positive results for communities through youth knowledgeable about and committed to environmentally responsible development. TiME, IRYD and Harmony are proud to be in association with organizations, schools and communities committed to positive change and action for our planet.
For enquiries, please email:
ROGOZIN HIGH SCHOOL – ISRAEL
GS RUGANDO – RWANDA
About TiME
This is My Earth (TiME) is a non-profit, international environmental organization that offers every citizen of the world an opportunity to protect biodiversity. TiME suggests a very affordable membership ($1/year) that enables every member to vote democratically and equally for their favorite biodiversity hotspot. It is supported by an international scientific committee and board of directors and works with local communities to preserve biodiversity.
TiME provides a global, transparent, and democratic platform for anyone and everyone to help preserve biodiversity. TiME’s curriculum is at the centre of this initiative
About IRYD
The International Rwanda Youth for Development – IRYD (‘I Ride’) is not-for-profit independent platform engaging young Rwandan-Canadians and their friends from other communities on socio-economic issues affecting them in Canada and abroad.
In 2017, IRYD was awarded a YouthConnekt Champion Award by the First Lady of Rwanda, Imbuto Foundation and the Ministry of Youth.
About Harmony
Harmony Foundation of Canada is a registered charitable organization recognized internationally for its leadership in multi-sector cooperation and creating innovative training programs and educational materials for educators, youth, the workplace, local leaders, and communities.
Harmony was created in 1985 by Michael Bloomfield to provide the education and encourage the cooperation essential to development which is socially and environmentally sustainable. Harmony believes that sustainable societies depend on informed people working together for positive change, transforming harmful growth patterns into a positive movement toward long-term prosperity, social harmony, and ecological stability.
About Shelter Them
Shelter Them Batarure is a national non-governmental organization registered in Rwanda. Shelter Them-Rwanda’s Mission is to empower vulnerable and underprivileged children in Rwanda, by first ensuring they are integrated in an environment where their basic growth and development needs are met, and by then providing them and their families with the tools and resources they need for these children to have a bright, independent and sustainable future.
About GS Rugando
Rugando Group Scolaire is one of several Government sponsored rural community schools in Rwanda. This school is in the south-eastern part of Rwanda, in Eastern Province, Bugesera District, Nyarugenge Sector, and Rugando Cell. It’s a community school which is currently a lower high school that serves the Rugando community to have access to nine years of basic education for all children and providing them with quality education and skills necessary to achieve their full potential.
About Rogozin, Kiryat Ata
The Rogozin Educational Campus in Kiryat Ata is made up of two junior high schools, one senior high school and one college – at which students work towards a two-year practical engineering diploma in electronics or computer sciences before entering the army. The institution’s ethos is that it makes every effort to attract the brightest and most able students, but at the same time works hard to ensure the success of the academically weaker students.