The building pictured here was first built as a pyrethrum drying house on Roz’s pyrethrum plantation. When the pyrethrum industry collapsed in the 1970s, the building fell into disrepair until 1994 when it was refurbished and converted into the first home of Imbabazi Orphanage. There were 2 dorms on the top floor (one for the girls, one for the boys) and a large open area on the ground floor for eating and playing. By 2005, Roz had acquired so many children that new dorms were built to accommodate them all.
Thanks to a generous grant, this building has been restored to its original glory and dubbed the Roz Carr Cultural Center. The Center houses many resources for our children, including a computer lab, music room, library, sewing room and classroom. A portion of the building has been renovated to show its original use as a pyrethrum drying facility, and soon a museum will be unveiled for visitors to learn more about the amazing life of Roz Carr, her friendship with Dian Fossey, the founding of Imbabazi and the process of pyrethrum production.
Music Room
Thanks to Rick Bay and the Australian-based organization SoundSchool, the Denise Bay Cultural Chamber at Imbabazi is now equipped with a music room that includes both traditional and modern drums, guitars, a keyboard and much more. We host music lessons for the children at Imbabazi and from the surrounding community with the help of local musicians and musically-inclined visitors. The goal is to provide children with a method for creative expression that can in turn increase their self confidence, improve their concentration and allow them to have fun!
Technology Center
Thanks to generous donors, Imbabazi has 4 working computers in our orphanage technology center. The children benefit enormously from this project as they are able to learn important skills such as typing, Microsoft Office and English with the numerous educational programs that have been installed. Our goal is to extend the benefits of this resource into the community by offering computer classes to local leaders and students in the future.
English Training
All English language training at Imbabazi is led by our Peace Corps Volunteer. The children are grouped into English clubs according to their competency level that meet during school vacations. Classes utilize different resources and creative teaching techniques such as computers, music and art to improve their language skills. We also provide weekly English classes to orphanage staff as well as local government officials. In the future, we would like to extend these services to community health workers, local school teachers and students in the community.