KIGALI PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS
Funds Raised: $300,000 -- 145 million Rwandan Francs
Additional Pledges: $160,000 -- 76 million Rwandan Francs
Goal: $1.2 million -- 570 million Rwandan Francs
SPECIAL ISSUE - FOCUS ON LIBRARY SUPPORTERS IN
THE UNITED KINGDOM
THE BRITISH FRIENDS OF THE KIGALI PUBLIC LIBRARY
After the successes of the American Friends of the Kigali Public Library
(AFKPL), it became apparent that other regional Friends' associations
would be valuable in recruiting volunteers and organizing events to raise
funds for and public awareness about the Kigali Public Library.
Steps have been taken to establish a British Friends of the Kigali Public
Library, initiated by AFKPL founder and president Zachary Kaufman and
Heidi Stalla, who had previously worked on PEN's grant to the Kigali
Public Library. Both Stalla and Kaufman are currently postgraduate
students at the University of Oxford.
The British Friends of the Kigali Public Library (BFKPL) will serve as the
locus of British efforts to support the creation and maintenance of the
Kigali Public Library. The BFKPL's first activities are 1) to recruit
volunteer members of the BFKPL; 2) to identify and begin soliciting
funding sources in England and elsewhere in Europe; 3) to facilitate the
Marshall Scholars' project to support the Kigali Public Library (please
see below); 4) to deliver presentations in England to raise awareness
about the KPL, starting with the Rotary Clubs of Cambridge and Radlett;
and 5) to host a fundraiser in the spring of 2003.
If you would like to join the BFKPL or have any questions or comments,
please contact Heidi Stalla at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or Zachary
Kaufman at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
The British Friends of the Kigali Public Library looks forward to working
closely with the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga and the American Friends of
the Kigali Public Library to build Rwanda's first public library.
The Kigali Public Library Committee hopes that other Friends' associations
will begin in other regions of the world. If you are interested in
establishing a Friends' association, please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MAGDALEN COLLEGE RAISES FUNDS FOR THE LIBRARY
On November 10, 2002 the students at Magdalen College, University of
Oxford raised over $1,600 towards building Rwanda's first public library.
The Magdalen College Junior Common Room (JCR), the college's undergraduate
student government, accepted a proposal by Zachary Kaufman, currently a
postgraduate student in Magdalen College, that the JCR host a fundraiser
to benefit the Kigali Public Library. The JCR agreed and on November 10,
hosted a talent show, the proceeds of which were donated to the American
Friends of the Kigali Public Library. The event also raised public
awareness about the library and sparked the interest of several
individuals to become volunteer members of the British Friends of the
Kigali Public Library.
The Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga would like to acknowledge and express
its sincere gratitude to the Junior Common Room, Magdalen College,
University of Oxford, 2002 for its generosity. In particular, the Rotary
Club would like to thank all of those who participated in and donated to
the talent show fundraiser, and would like to recognize the individual
efforts of Upasana "Paz" Tayal and Nivedita "Niki" Velamati, the
co-chairpersons of the Magdalen College JCR Charity Society, and Fahim
Ahmed, Sarah Martin, Tanusri Prasanna, Charlotte Steenbrugge, Ari
Alexander, Megan Steven and Alexandra Buckle, who, along with Zachary
Kaufman, were members of the winning act.
SUPPORT FROM MARSHALL SCHOLARS
The 2002 Class of Marshall Scholars, which is a group of Americans awarded
2-3 year full scholarships by the British government to study any
discipline at a British university of their choice, have decided to
actively support the Kigali Public Library. The initiative is led by 2002
Marshall Scholars Benjamin Heineike (University of Cambridge), Matthew
Frazier (London School of Economics), Courtney Mills (University of St.
Andrews) and Zachary Kaufman (University of Oxford).
The 2002 Marshall Scholars are currently conducting research on Rwanda and
working with the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga to plan the volunteer
activities they will perform when they visit Rwanda in the summer of 2003.
Once the group returns from Rwanda, it will fundraise for and raise
public awareness about the Kigali Public Library. Learn more about the
Marshall Scholars from their web-site at:
www.marshallscholarship.org/profiles2002.html.
ROTARY CLUB OF CAMBRIDGE HELPS BUILD THE LIBRARY
The connection began with a visit to Kigali, Rwanda in April 2001 by
Rotarian Nigel Wallace and his wife Rosemary, now also a Rotarian, to
enjoy a holiday with her son Richard Erlebach who was on a two year
contract working as an economist with the Rwandan Ministry of Finance.
They met with a number of members of the Kigali-Virunga Rotary Club,
amongst them Neil and Jill Fenton and Sonja Hoekstra Foss, and were most
impressed with both the need and the initiative taken by the Club so soon
after they became a chartered club in September 2000. Nigel brought the
matter to the attention of the Cambridge Club's International Committee
and it was decided that the proceeds of their annual International
Evenings should be dedicated to this cause. So far over $1000 has been
raised for the Kigali Public Library.
The Cambridge Club's International Evenings have been held at Wolfson
College, Cambridge annually since 1984. Nigel started them when he was
president of the club and at the same time being a fellow of the college.
Wolfson is relatively new (founded 1965) and caters for the increasing
number of graduate students that flock to Cambridge University from all
over the world. It has 800 students at present coming from 80 different
countries, many from Africa. The 'Evenings' are an excellent introduction
to Rotary for these potential leaders in their countries. The Cambridge
Clubs (there are 4) are also hosts to about a dozen ambassadorial scholars
sent by Rotary from other countries to study one-year post-graduate
courses and they have played a significant part in these events, mixing
with the students and giving a short talk after the dinner.
The Rotary Club of Cambridge was founded in 1922 and has 67 members of
whom 7 are ladies including, this year, its President. It meets every
week on a Tuesday, usually at lunch time, but breakfast meetings have been
introduced recently on a monthly basis, and bimonthly evening meetings
when we have a number of prestige speakers on topics of regional and
national importance. Many projects are undertaken for the aged and
disabled in the local community, for young people such as essay
competitions, 'Young Inventor of the Year' and Life Education; on the
International front, raising money for housing orphans in war and Aids
torn countries and many other relief work, often in collaboration with our
twinned club of Heidelberg in Germany.
It is most encouraging that Zachary Kaufman, the President of the American
Friends of the Kigali Public Library, is at Oxford University this
academic year, and we are expecting him to soon visit Cambridge for our
regular weekly lunch meeting to give our members a greater insight into
the needs and plans for the Kigali Public Library.
The Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga would like to thank the Rotary Club of
Cambridge and specifically Nigel Wallace for its support of and
contributions to the Kigali Public Library.
ROTARY CLUB OF RADLETT'S KIGALI PUBLIC LIBRARY APPEAL
In the autumn of 1999 and during the spring and summer of 2000, Rotarian
Mike Foers was working with the Rwanda Revenue Authority designing forms
for the new VAT system. At this time, the nucleus of a new Rotary Club
was holding its weekly meetings at the Umubano Hotel in Kigali. Mike
attended many of the meetings of what was to become, in September 2000,
the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga. Indeed, the banner of the Rotary Club
of Radlett, was the first international club banner presented to the new
club.
At one of the early meetings, Beth Payne, at the time a member of the
staff at the American Embassy in Kigali, suggested to those present that
the club should set itself an ambitious project to mark its incorporation.
The project was to build the first public library in Rwanda. Mike
promised that the Rotary Club of Radlett would provide some financial
support for the project. This might have seemed a little presumptuous,
but Mike was to be the President of the Radlett Club in 2001-2002 and knew
that he would be able to nominate charities to receive donations from the
Club's fund raising efforts.
Each year, the Rotary Club of Radlett, together with two neighbouring
clubs in St Albans, hold a charity band concert. In March 2002, the
Ambassador of Rwanda, Mrs Rosemary Museminali, and her husband John
attended a concert in the Alban Arena by the band of Her Majesty's Royal
Marines, Portsmouth.
The Radlett Club chose the Kigali Public Library Appeal as one of the
charities to receive a contribution from the proceeds of this concert. As
a result, a donation of £500 was sent to the Rotary Club of
Kigali-Virunga. The Club's International Committee are hoping to continue
to be able to give support to this project.
Radlett is a village, 15 miles from London and on the fringe of the London
Rotary District, District 1130. It has 34 members, including two ladies,
and meets on Mondays at lunchtime. The Club was incorporated in May 1977
and celebrated its 25th birthday in May 2002.
In July, at the end of Mike's year as President, he was presented with a
Kigali Library tee-shirt, purchased by the Club Secretary Graham Nichols
at the Barcelona Conference. This was the least the Rotary Club of
Kigali-Virunga could do to express its thanks to the Rotary Club of
Cambridge and Past President Mike Foers for all their support for this
exciting project.
HOW YOU CAN HELP BUILD RWANDA'S FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY
The library project is in critical need of funds to complete the next
phase of construction for the building columns and first floor. Your
contribution will ensure that the next phase is completed as soon as
possible and that Rwanda is one step closer to opening its first public
library!
U.S. contributions (tax deductible) for the Kigali Public Library can be
made to the American Friends of the Kigali Public Library (AFKPL). The
AFKPL is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity incorporated in the
District of Columbia.
Checks made out to the American Friends of the Kigali Public Library can
be mailed to:
Beth Payne, Secretary
American Friends of the Kigali Public Library
501 Slaters Lane, Apt. 122
Alexandria, VA 22314
Checks made out to the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga can be sent to:
The Kigali Public Library
c/o American Embassy Kigali
2210 Kigali Place
Washington, DC 20521-2210
For those in Rwanda, checks or cash can be given Past President Gerald
Mpyisi, Kigali Public Library Committee Chairman, (08500130), or deposits
can be made directly into the following Rwandan Franc account:
BACAR -- Siege Social Kigali
20 Blvd de la Revolution
BP 331 Kigali
A/C 070-2702690-62-307
A/C Rotary Club of Kigali Virunga
Dollar payments can be sent by wire transfer to:
Citibank New York
111 Wall Street
New York, NY
A/C 36144591 SWIFT CITIUS33
A/C BACAR
DETAILS: A/C 070-2702690-62-318
Rotary-Kigali Virunga
(Make sure you specify that the funds are for the Rotary Club of
Kigali-Virunga, Kigali Public Library project and email us that the funds
have been transferred so we can properly thank you for your contribution!)
All contributors will receive a written receipt from the Rotary Club of
Kigali-Virunga. Persons contributing $100 or more will receive a "I
Helped Build Kigali Public Library" t-shirt. For a complete list of
suggested donations, or if you've made a contribution and not received a
written receipt, please email us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or contact
Gerald Mpyisi at 08500130.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the Kigali Public Library project, or to add
your e-mail to our mailing list, please contact Past President Gerald
Mpyisi, Kigali Public Library Committee Chairman at 250-08500130 or e-mail
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
For more information about the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga, please call
Musa Kasonka, Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of
Kigali-Virunga, at 250-083-02292. Also visit our web-site at
http://www.kigalilibrary.org.
For more information about AFKPL, please call Beth Payne, Secretary of
AFKPL, at 202-312-9695 or 703-549-3470, or email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Or, email Zachary Kaufman, President of AFKPL at
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
KIGALI PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS is published bi-monthly by the Rotary Club of
Kigali-Virunga. Editor: Beth Payne ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
January 8, 2002
Vol. 2003, No. 1
