African Road

This wonderful #AfricanRoad Learning Trip team traveled to #Burundi last Saturday! Time well spent in the #indigenousBatwa villages of Gahombo and Mwendo today—taking a farm tour, visiting the preschool and primary school, and creating pottery with help from Batwa friends.

The #AfricanRoad Learning Trip has begun! Last Friday, African Road friends gathered in #Rwanda. They spent the morning with #Changemakers Philbert Kalisa and Steven Turikunkiko, and then visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial. A time of listening, learning, and reflecting.

ID Kits & marriage ceremonies were cause for much celebration & joy in 16 #indigenousBatwa villages in #Burundi on Aug. 11th. Changemaker Evariste & the ASSEJEBA team distributed #IDKits, impacting 1,450 Batwa. That’s 1,450 people empowered & equipped for lasting change!

For the first time since 2019, friends of #AfricanRoad are heading to #EastAfrica for a Learning Trip! Starting next week, the traveling group will witness what is possible through long-term, relational partnership with African Road and the #Changemakers. Stay tuned!

#Changemaker Consoler Wilbert is a haven to vulnerable young women in #Tanzania, who have experience gender-based violence. Consoler and her husband create a caring home, known as #NewHopeForGirls. Here, girls can heal, be loved, learn important life skills, and be empowered.

Voices sang out at #Togetherness Cooperative in Rwanda as choirs practiced, and children danced + played. Executive Director Kelly Bean stood by the soccer pitch with Changemaker Steven Turikunkiko + reflected on the beautiful #progress made over time: youtu.be/jmdKcBvmVaM

Changemaker Evariste is a remarkable leader + advocate for the #indigenous Batwa people of Burundi. Partnering with #AfricanRoad + his leadership team, Evariste empowers + equips his people through education, increased food security + training, and legal right with #IDKits.

It was an honor to explore, vision, and co-create for a strong future together over four days time in Kenya. Pictured: Changemakers Penina, Evariste, Consoler, Eliya, Philbert, and David. (Changemaker Steven was present but not pictured, due to a bad cold).

Providance Turikunkiko is an African Road #Changemaker + the mother of House of Bright Hope, which has been a loving home for over 115 children. Since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in #Rwanda, Providance has been a safe harbor for children & a strong advocate for women.

This was made possible through a matching funds grant from One Day's Wages + your generosity. Your gifts are already being put to good use with Evariste + his team, who have started registration for new batches of #IDKits. This is the transformational power of #community at work!

Since October, friends of African Road have worked together to raise funds to equip Changemaker Evariste to transform 1,300 indigenous Batwa lives in #Burundi. $20k was raised and became $40k, which will unlock education, healthcare + legal rights for the indigenous Batwa people!

Madison thought she could imagine what a bustling household of young women might be like. Experiencing the hum of activity at NHGO in person during the Feb. working trip was remarkable, beyond what she had envisioned. Read African Road's newest #blog: africanroad.org/warm-welcome/

"I would describe #NewHopeForGirls as a vibrant, love-filled, and flourishing hive. The queen bee, Mama Consoler, sets the tone of love, peace, and care that is shared with each of the girls and emulated amongst each other." -Madison Zurcher, Grants Manager and Impact Curator

Changemaker Philbert Kalisa is the founder of REACH Rwanda. After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Philbert knew he wanted to play a part in reuniting #Rwanda for peace and healing. After 25+ years, REACH continues to facilitate #empowerment, restoration, and #transformation.

President @PaulKagame: “Above all, and as always, I thank my fellow Rwandans for the courage they have shown in overcoming impossible odds, and working together to build a new and better nation.” #Kwibuka29

Today marks the 29th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi. We remember the over 1 million lives lost and renew our commitment to fight genocide ideology, hate and discrimination. 📹 @Arsenal #Kwibuka29🕯️

#Soccer has been a powerful and impactful tool in Rwanda, in the devastating wake of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Different communities, coming together with a shared interest; #healing, growing, thriving.

On the International Day of Sports for #DevelopmentandPeace, we recognize the unifying power sports. The positive influence of sports is seen at Togetherness in Rwanda, where Changemaker @e_murangwa + @FoundIshami use soccer to cultivate peace, build bridges, and empower youth.

Since then, the #cooperative has grown, becoming a reliable and sustaining hub for the surrounding #community – offering a soccer pitch for sports, a well-equipped preschool and growing primary school for students, and many income-producing activities.

In the wake of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in #Rwanda, Changemaker Steven Turikunkiko brought widowed women and orphaned children together to create space for support and healing. From this initial act of compassion + care, #TogethernessCooperative was formed.