On Monday,
July 13th we visited HeHe Labs, a Rwandan company located in Kigali. On their
Facebook page, HeHe Limited defines itself as "a leading Mobile
Technologies Research and Innovation Lab." HeHe is dedicated to exploring
the market, or ecosystem, to identify problems or pains and create
technological solutions for them.
Richard
Rusa, HeHe's Creative Director, introduced us to some of this year's fellows
and members of the staff. HeHe administers "Code Club" and partners with
schools to teach secondary students how to code. The ability to understand
computer languages is a vital skill in the modern workforce, so HeHe is a
game-changer ensuring that future Rwandan leaders are equipped with the
necessary skills to accomplish their dreams. HeHe has created a fellowship
program where Rwandan students in their gap year can spend six months receiving
training while also teaching younger students how to code in the Code Clubs. It
is an incredible program that not only inspires students, but it also motivates
them to inspire others.
We had the
chance to meet several incredibly talented, intelligent, and passionate HeHe
fellows. I truly connected to the students because a lot of their perspectives
meshed with mine; we all had a similar entrepreneurial, out-of-the-box way of
thinking. The similarities became apparent in our pitches, where HeHe fellows
and DSST students started pitches with "pain points" or problems. I
believe this highlights that both HeHe and DSST E-Ship view entrepreneurship as
a way to solve problems, not simply invent products. As we
discussed pitching, investing, and product testing, I realized we
understood the same language and even had questions about the same situations. It
was exhilarating to find so much in common with students our age in Rwanda!
Our visit to
HeHe was also successful due to the fun exercises that enabled us to step out
of our comfort zones and interact with HeHe members. Playing Ninja was fun and
hilarious, and it was a chance for us to share something from our school and
culture with people in a different country. Learning and listening goes both
ways; true exchange is not one-sided. I remember some HeHe fellows remarking
that it was definitely "different" from a usual day at HeHe Labs, but
judging from all of the grins and laugher, it was a welcomed change. Blank-blank.com
and the Christmas card pitch were two pitching games that inspired creativity
and a little humor. It was also very interesting seeing optimism in the first
game transform into pessimism and dark humor in the second game.
At HeHe, I
was inspired by students my age doing real work and solving problems in their
communities. I was thrilled to learn about the HeHe fellows' projects: the app
that connects taxis to passengers; another that helps people find their lost
devices; a final one that connects employers to qualified employees. It was
clear that the fellows spent a lot of time understanding the ecosystem, and
their solution fit the problem like a puzzle piece. For example, Lionel, a
fellow, mentioned that his team decided to minimize the graphics in the app because
people in Rwanda were worried about using their airtime. Sometimes, people are
focused about creating very complex technology that seems cool and
sophisticated, but Lionel's team kept their user in mind.
Ultimately,
visiting HeHe was one of my favorite moments of our trip to East Africa.
The experience was truly the embodiment of knowledge exchange. I look
forward to keeping in touch with HeHe and its members to continue being
inspired and learning from them.
