Rubona, Rwanda
ITP x ASYV
May 2023
Bridged Division(s):
Hutu + Tutsi
Project Summary:
Our first international project took us to the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) in Rubona, Rwanda, twenty-nine years after the genocide that killed close to a million people in a hundred days. ASYV provides more than 500 orphaned and vulnerable Hutu and Tutsi youth with the education, healing, and family environment they need to build brighter futures — and in May 2023 we spent roughly a month there working with 100+ students across three grades, building public-speaking and storytelling skills and creating a brand-new piece of theater from scratch. It culminated in "Village Time," a final performance in front of the full village community — an audience of more than 600 students, faculty, and community members.
Stats:
100+ students co-created the play
Partner Organizations: Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV).
Funders: The Polk Wealth Management Group.
In the Media:
BLOG POST: "From Rubona to Kigali and Back: Week 2 in Rwanda"
BLOG POST: "Ahazaza: Building a Better Future"