Roz Carr Cultural Center
The building pictured above was first built as a pyrethrum drying house on Roz’s 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 for the Imbabazi Orphanage. There were two dormitories on the top floor, one for the girls and 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 dormitories were built to accommodate them all.
Thanks to a generous grant, this building has been restored to its original glory and named the Roz Carr Cultural Center. While the orphanage was running, the center housed many resources for our children, including a computer lab, music room, library, sewing room and classroom.
Most recently, the upstairs of the building is being 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 process of pyrethrum production and the amazing life of Roz Carr and legacy she left behind through Imbabazi.
Music Room
Thanks to Rick Bay and the Australian-based organization SoundSchool, the Denise Bay Cultural Chamber at Imbabazi was equipped with a music room that includes both traditional and modern drums, guitars, a keyboard and much more. Our children received music lessons at Imbabazi and from the surrounding community with the help of local musicians and musically-inclined visitors.
Technology Center
Thanks to generous donors, Imbabazi opened a computer lab in our orphanage’s technology center. The children benefitted enormously from this project as they were able to learn important skills such as typing, Microsoft Office and English with the numerous educational programs that were installed. Our goal in the future is to extend the benefits of this resource center into the community by offering computer classes to local leaders and students.
English Training
All English language training at Imbabazi was formerly led by our Peace Corps Volunteer. The children were grouped into English clubs according to their competency level that meet during school vacations. Classes utilized different resources and creative teaching techniques such as computers, music and art to improve their language skills. We were able to 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.