One of the first things we wanted to do when we arrived in Rwanda was to meet the students and staff of Orphans of Rwanda. We were so excited by the generous donation our friends and family gave to the organization during our wedding, and we wanted to be able to report back with what we saw.
We have no doubt in our mind that this was the right beneficiary of our gifts. The organization receives thousands of applications each year from eager students with difficult backgrounds, but only a handful are selected (somewhere between 20 and 30 students). Each student receives a full scholarship for university education in Rwanda, in addition to housing, health insurance, and a stipend. In exchange for the scholarship, students are required to take additional courses offered by the organization in English, computer skills, and leadership. These are some of the brightest young people in Rwanda, and unquestionably the next leaders of this country. It is only appropriate then that the organization recently changed its name to Generation Rwanda to reflect a more forward thinking attitude.
I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering on various projects with Generation Rwanda while I continue my job search. I have to say, the staff is just as driven as the students, and it’s been a real privilege to be able to work with them. One day while in the office, the opportunity to teach a leadership class to the students came up and I jumped on it! Knowing Sushant had taken several leadership classes at Wharton, I knew he’d be interested in co-teaching.
We taught the first class on a lovely Saturday morning at a local restaurant that offers Generation Rwanda discounted use of their space. We booted up the projector, passed out the handouts, and started the lecture. We were quite nervous that the students would be apprehensive about participating in discussions, but it turns out it was the complete opposite. The students raised interesting questions, had passionate discussions, and were visibly eager for the knowledge.
We had such an amazing time with the students that we’ve asked to continue teaching these courses during our time in Rwanda. We hope to maintain the relationship we have with Generation Rwanda for years to come, and look forward to introducing many of you to the students and staff when you come visit!
(Megha)
We have no doubt in our mind that this was the right beneficiary of our gifts. The organization receives thousands of applications each year from eager students with difficult backgrounds, but only a handful are selected (somewhere between 20 and 30 students). Each student receives a full scholarship for university education in Rwanda, in addition to housing, health insurance, and a stipend. In exchange for the scholarship, students are required to take additional courses offered by the organization in English, computer skills, and leadership. These are some of the brightest young people in Rwanda, and unquestionably the next leaders of this country. It is only appropriate then that the organization recently changed its name to Generation Rwanda to reflect a more forward thinking attitude.
I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering on various projects with Generation Rwanda while I continue my job search. I have to say, the staff is just as driven as the students, and it’s been a real privilege to be able to work with them. One day while in the office, the opportunity to teach a leadership class to the students came up and I jumped on it! Knowing Sushant had taken several leadership classes at Wharton, I knew he’d be interested in co-teaching.
We taught the first class on a lovely Saturday morning at a local restaurant that offers Generation Rwanda discounted use of their space. We booted up the projector, passed out the handouts, and started the lecture. We were quite nervous that the students would be apprehensive about participating in discussions, but it turns out it was the complete opposite. The students raised interesting questions, had passionate discussions, and were visibly eager for the knowledge.
We had such an amazing time with the students that we’ve asked to continue teaching these courses during our time in Rwanda. We hope to maintain the relationship we have with Generation Rwanda for years to come, and look forward to introducing many of you to the students and staff when you come visit!
(Megha)
Seems like a great place to invest your energies. As you get to know folks better at Generation Rwanda, we'd like to know more about them. How do they see the world? What are their hopes and dreams? Fears? After all they've been through, how to do they mutually support one another, if they do. Are they encouraged to reinvest in their community after they take their degrees? I know, it's a lot to cover...but there's a lot for us to learn on our end as well.
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