Rwanda Service and Cultural Immersion, June 2015
The purpose of this trip is to continue our long-standing and meaningful relationship with our sister
school, The Maranyundo Girls School in Nyamata, Rwanda. This program will be similar to our
previous trips to the school with a focus on STEM education for girls as well as service to our sister
school in a way that meets a real need in their community. The long-term goal is to establish a
regular, on-going teacher and student exchange, both in terms of ideas and actual travel. After going
on safari at a national park, participants will spend 3 days at the school working on STEM-related
student-centered, collaborative projects, in conjunction with experts at MIT and Tufts University.
Additionally, trip participants will spend time with Gardens for Health International, assisting with
their agricultural work for long-term solutions to childhood malnutrition and join a Fun Run and
Empowerment Camp sponsored by Komera, an organization that focuses on building self-confidence
in young Rwandan girls. Before visiting one of Dr. Paul Farmer’s Partners in Health sites, they will
spend a day with Plan International, which promotes child rights to end poverty. The group will visit
with families of Westover's current and past Rwandan students, as well as meet with an alumna who
is heavily involved as a social entrepreneur in a burgeoning endeavor: The Rwanda Women's Bakery.
Students will complete pre- and post- trip education regarding the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, as well
as regular reflection on their unique and challenging cultural experience during the trip. This
experience will be a wonderful opportunity to connect with a different culture and explore true
global collaboration.
Partnerships:
Komera: Self Confidence, One Girl at a Time
http://komera.org
A small group of Westover students were invited to and participated in their We|KAN Social
Entrepreneurship Summit in October 2013. Isabelle Byusa, ’09, works with them in Rwanda and
we’re hoping to meet up with her and participate in their Fun Run and Empowerment Camp. They
specifically work for sponsoring Rwanda girls in school and to become scholars and social
entrepreneurs.
Partners In Health: Health is a human right
http://www.pih.org
This organization, started by this year’s graduation speaker, Dr. Paul Farmer, works on health for
those in need. They strive “to achieve two overarching goals: to bring the benefits of modern medical
science to those most in need of them and to serve as an antidote to despair.” We hope to organize a
brief sit visit to one of their world-famous clinics; one Rwandan site is located right next to Komera.
Rwanda Women’s Bakery: Empowering women and improving lives through social enterprise
http://rwandawomensbakery.com
One of the project leaders for this bakery is Markey Culver, a WO alum and an IIG mentor. This
organization works to empower village women with the skills and innovation to support economic
growth focusing on creating and selling healthy foods, including simple yeast bread, nutritious quick
bread, specialty cakes.
Maranyundo Girls School
http://www.maranyundo.org/the-marayundo-school/
Westover has had a long-standing commitment to this school. Starting in 2006 with an alum who
offered WO as a model for design and with Nicole Masozera’s mother, who was an inspiring
politician and social leader who worked passionately for girl’s education. Westover has financially
helped to support the school, but we also have participated in an on-going education exchange. Ann
Pollina has visited twice, as has Kate Seyboth, whose focus was on technology training. In addition
to Christopher Sweeney, Zulie and her father Kevin Dunn have also visited the school. We work with
the Maranyundo Initiative, based in Boston, on this continued relationship, with a focus this year on
STEM education. One long-term goals is to have a real exchange of not only ideas but both students
and teachers, and to this end we hope to be able to sponsor a small group of Rwandan students and
teachers to come stay at Westover.
Plan International: Promoting child rights to end child poverty
http://plan-international.org
We are working to bring their Youth United for Global Action and Awareness (YUGA) program to
Westover this spring to prepare for next year’s themed-year. This is part of their work in the US, but
they also have a great number of sites worldwide; their vision “is of a world in which all children
realize their full potential in society that respect people’s rights and dignity.” Sara Sykes, who
partnered with them previously, and Kate Taylor utilized their impressive “Because I am a Girl”
campaign for one of this year’s themed-year workshops. We hope to have a site visit to help with
their work in Rwanda.
Gardens for Health International: Providing Agricultural Solutions to Childhood Malnutrition
http://www.gardensforhealth.org
One of the board members of the Maranyundo Initiative is also on the board for Gardens for Health
and working there was one of the most meaningful aspects to the Dunn’s past visit. Gardens for
Health believes in “growing and eating healthy food” and their works is part of the long-term
solution to malnutrition. We hope to work at their 5-acre farm; here they do agricultural research and
the women who work at the farm also receive childcare, empowerment training and a community
lunch.
Akilah Institute for Women
http://www.akilahinstitute.org
“The first and only higher education institute in Rwanda open exclusively to women.” MGS has
partnered with them and Westover hopes to host a summer event with one of their scholars who is
currently in DC. We hope to visit them and see a presentation from their scholars and meet some
students as well.
For more information, please contact: Kate Taylor, Director of the Rasin Center for Global Justice at
ktaylor@westoverschool.org, www.westoverschool.org/rasincenter