HeHe Labs

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.

Hope Haven

On Sunday we had the pleasure of touring the Hope Haven campus with Nate and Fonda (thank you for graciously taking the time to talk with us!). Nate and Fonda live on site at the campus and Nate is the campus manager. We stayed at the campus the previous two days during our time in Rwanda so we were excited to learn more about Hope Haven’s work in the community.

Hope Haven is an NGO working in Murindi, Rwanda that was founded by Susan Hollern after she visited Rwanda in late 2009. During her visit she was impressed by the nation’s focus on development and economic growth, as well as the manner in which the government values its citizens and their ability to work together to drive forward the entire nation. However, for these goals to be realized, the youth of Rwanda must have access to a quality education.

Nate talked with us about many topics ranging from how NGOs operate, to the permaculture practices being used at the school, to the future construction plans for the campus. One of the biggest takeaways from visiting Hope Haven is that it is more than just a school. When Hope Haven first started working in Murindi the team immediately sat down with the community leaders and asked them about the community needs. The needs that were identified included grading the road, constructing a school, improving access to clean water, and constructing a medical clinic. Nate and his team have continued to engage in dialogue with the community that over time has allowed them to gain the trust of the community and allow for the development of a true partnership. It would appear that Hope Haven is not viewed as an outsider, but instead is viewed as a community member. It was interesting to see this focus on keeping the user in mind, which is something that we have discussed repeatedly in our entrepreneurship course, talked about in the context of NGOs. Just as many products fail when companies don’t design with the user in mind, many NGOs also fail because they forget this key tenant.

Hope Haven is located on a seven acre site that currently serves just over 300 students from nursery through P2. The school site has been designed to allow for the construction of both a primary and a secondary school, but to date only the nursery and first two primary buildings have been completed. The facilities are outstanding and the school even has a computer lab that is being used by the primary students. Hope Haven currently charges students approximately 10,000 Franks (~$13 USD) per term. Since there are three terms in a school year, school fees total approximately $40 USD per year. Hope Haven does not turn students away whose families cannot afford to pay their school fees. If a family cannot afford their child’s school fees, they can work in the school’s permaculture gardens to pay these fees. Parents who work in the gardens not only contribute to the student’s nutrition since everything used in the gardens is consumed by the students, it also allows them to learn new agricultural practices that they can then employ at their own homes. Along those lines, Nate indicated that next year in P3 students will be creating sack gardens, which is a permaculture technique that allows you to create a garden in a smaller space. Not only will the P3 students learn about agriculture, they can then go home and teach this technique to their families. Continually throughout our conversations with Nate and Fonda it was clear that the teachers and staff at Hope Haven have very high expectations for the children and that they have successfully created a strong student culture built on student investment and accountability.

As previously mentioned, Hope Haven is much more than just a school. In 2012 they put in two borehole wells, one that is used for the school and one that is across the street that can be used by anyone in the community. Hope Haven is also offering evening classes for adults and they currently help advise three different community savings groups. Moving forward, Nate also hopes to begin using the computer lab for evening community classes as well. Hope Haven has ambitious plans that included installing water filtration and sewage treatment plants, constructing a volleyball court, hosting monthly concerts, and too many other things to list. As we discovered, Hope Haven is a true community partner that has taken the time to build empathy and work in tandem with the community members. 

Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre and Nyamata Church

Yesterday evening, we crossed the border and entered the beautiful country of Rwanda. Today, we learned more about the Rwandan genocide that occurred 21 years ago.

First, we visited the Genocide Memorial Centre in Kigali. The people of Rwanda have deemed the genocide a tragic event yet one that must be preserved for education and future genocide prevention.

Before entering the memorial centre, we watched a video of three individuals who survived the genocide. Their stories introduced the sad fact that the genocide turned neighbors against neighbors and friends against friends. The orators also explained how the museum was like a sanctuary to remember their loved ones who were killed.

From start to finish, the museum describes how colonialism, political instability, and propaganda lead to the one hundred day genocide. Numerous excerpts described the graphic atrocities committed against the Tutsi people, especially women, children, and the elderly. For example, I was shocked to see how sex crimes and torture were employed on such a large scale. Women were often raped repeatedly in front of their families. Additionally, HIV positive men would deliberately rape and infect their female victims to cause lasting pain. Some children were thrown down latrines and stoned until they died. Others were killed in churches along with their parents and siblings.

Many of the perpetrators were normal people who had Tutsi neighbors, friends, employees, and spouses. However, the political influence was so powerful that people who were otherwise average Joes became ruthless murderers. As a group, we reflected on how we'd all like to think that we'd never kill those closest to us. Unfortunately, it's impossible to predict what each person is capable of and what they'd do in that situation.

One of the most unsettling facts is that numerous lives could've been saved had other countries/world leaders stepped in. The commander of the United Nations forces in Rwanda at the time, Roméo Dallaire, requested additional forces to put an end to the violence before it began, but his requests were denied. If that wasn't bad enough, the troops sent to evacuate non-Rwandan citizens had enough man power to stop the militia before the genocide. The people of Rwanda were abandoned. 

Another section of the museum described the recovery process that happened weeks, months, and years later. In addition to the international aid given to the country, the survivors had to learn to forgive. Soon after, national pride of being Rwandan (not Hutu or Tutsi) swelled. 

The next section of the museum outlined other genocides in the world including the Holocaust, the Cambodian genocide, and the Armenian genocide. Despite the world becoming more developed, genocides have continued to occur. 

The final and most heart-wrenching section was dedicated to children who lost their lives in the Rwandan genocide. Each wall held a full sized photo of a child and a description of their favorite foods, activates, toys, and the way that they were killed.

Outside of the museum, a mass grave of 250,000 men, women, and children remind visitors of how much permanent damage the genocide caused. 

From there, we drove to the church at Nyamata, which is a place where numerous people sought refuge and safety. Instead, everyone was killed.

Before entering, we were told of the history of the church. Previously, the Tutsi people had been protected by the church. However, during the genocide many people were killed by militias, known as the interahamwe, in different churches throughout Rwanda.

The militia threw grenades into the church and shot through the gate to get inside and kill the people. The original gate, filled with bullet holes and blown out on one side, is like a historical event frozen in time. 

Once inside, we could see the pews overflowing with the clothing of the victims in the church and surrounding area. It was hard to miss the white and red baby shirt sitting on top of one of the piles.

Our guide pointed out a few bags in the back: they were the remains of new bodies found in the area. To this day, bodies of those murdered are still being found in pit latrines.

From there, we walked into the basement. In the center was a glass case filled with fractured and broken skulls. Below that was a coffin that contained a woman who was tortured before and after her death.

Outside of the church included the graves of two people - a pastor and a woman who tried to save the Tutsis and alert the world to the impending genocide. Beyond that was a mass grave for over 50,000 people. All of us walked below ground to an area containing coffins, skulls, and bones. The dimly lit hallway was filled from floor to ceiling with the remains of the victims. Our guide explained to us that some people deny that the genocide ever happened; the clothes, skulls, and bones are proof of the deplorable event.

We were hit with a lot today. By walking through the museum and church, we not only learned a great deal but also adopted a new responsibility. Now that we know what happened 21 years ago in Rwanda, we must go out into the world and share the truth about the genocide and the people it affected.

Pygmy Village and Bright's Village

Today we had the opportunity to visit the Batwa, who are also referred to as pygmies. Our day began very early because to get to the pygmy village we traveled about forty five minutes by boat across the lake and then hiked for thirty minutes up from the edge of the lake to the village. When you are at Lake Bunyonyi all of the hikes seem to go up from the shoreline, so be prepared for challenging hikes when you come to visit! When we arrived at the village, we were greeted with a welcome dance from the adults and children. The pygmies were all very welcoming and we enjoyed dancing with them. Afterwards, we were given a tour of their houses. A pygmy house was very simple and small considering that six people lived in it. Historically the pygmies lived in forests, as the term pygmy refers to the ancient dwellers of the forest. However, in Uganda with the formation of different national parks, such as Bwindi and Mgahinga, the Batwa were evicted from the forest. The Batwa who are now located in villages along Lake Bunyonyi were displaced with the formation of the Echuya Forest Reserve in the Kabale and Kisoro districts. With the relocation, very few Batwa own agricultural land, which for many has resulted in extreme poverty. As a result, in conversations with the Entusi staff, we learned that the pygmies struggle with food security.  Tourism has become a main source of income to help feed their families. One source of income is from selling crafts and gifts to tourists. After our group purchased different crafts we also gave the chairman and chairwoman a ride in the boat to the nearest market so they could purchase food. Depending on tourism alone will not lead to a sustainable existence for the pygmies. Donations are a temporary fix; however, it is crucial that other solutions such as the teaching of farming techniques are explored to help the pygmies become self-sufficient.

After visiting the pygmy village, we had the opportunity to visit a local primary school which has classes ranging from nursery to P4. The school is community funded and it educates the pygmy children and other local students. With the geography of Lake Bunyonyi students would need to travel a significant distance to access a government funded school, hence the creation of a community funded school. During our visit we were able to walk through the classrooms and talk with the teachers. We observed a similar trend to what we had seen at other schools in that class sizes decreased significantly as students moved up in grade levels. Since the school is community funded they rely in part on donations, so we contributed funds that would be used to purchase roofing material for the new P5 classroom (the school is adding one grade level a year).

To conclude our day we visited Bright’s village. Bright was our activities coordinator at Entusi and he accompanied us throughout our stay at Lake Bunyonyi. To reach his village we embarked on a fifteen minute boat ride followed by a ten minute hike. The school and church for the village had a beautiful one hundred and eighty degree view of Lake Bunyonyi. It was absolutely stunning! At the school we were able to play a volleyball game with students, which we lost by quite a lot, and we played our final soccer game in Uganda. 

Visiting Kabale and the Witch Doctor

On our second day at the Entusi resort, we visited various places around Lake Bunyonyi. Our first stop was at Kigezi High School in Kabale. When we first arrived, Robert, who is the agriculture teacher, gave us the opportunity to exchange dialogue and interact with the students, all of who are studying at the S6 level. All of the students were so warm towards us. They continiously repeated, "you are most welcome here," and called us "friends" rather than "visitors" as we exchanged introductions. It is incredible to always witness how the people of Uganda have never hesitated to meet and interact with us. They don't worry about following a certain schedule and care more about the human interactions that we can engage in. The students were very curious and they asked us many questions about our backgrounds and our lives back in the US. It was a great chance for both of our groups to get to know each other and connect. After the introduction, the students showed us several demonstrations about their work and studies in agriculture and science. The demonstrations showed us how the objects and things we throw away every single day can be reused to benefit the environment. For example, they showed us how to create a vineger from pineapple peelings that are typically discarded as trash. They combine water, sugar, and pineapple peelings together. Once the peelings have fermented for about two weeks, it can be consumed for a better night's sleep or for improved digestion. Another demonstration combined components such as ash, chicken droppings, weeds, and water to create liquid fertilizer. Robert has truly fostered the idea of reusing what you already have to create something instead of relying on purchasing products to do the same task. Plus, for each of these demonstrations Robert talked about how students could take this knowledge back to their homes and even how potential industries could form. It was inspiring to see such entrepreneurial thinking in action.

Our next stop was at Kabale University, which is currently a private university serving approximately 5,000 students. The university is relatively new, as it was founded in 2001. It is also currently in the process of converting from a private to a public university. We were able to tour the school and we even had the opportunity to speak with the vice chancellor. The university is very big and beautiful, and it has an outstanding view of Kabale since it sits up on a hill. I was surprised by the university's size and the diversity of the majors offered. Something that stuck with me on the visit was the fact that many university students have a hard time finding jobs after they graduate. This is both due to a lack of jobs and the amount of preparation that university students receive for a job. While each student is required to complete an internship, these opportunities rarely translate into future jobs. However, despite this, the students at the university continue to be ambitious and focused on their learning. This situation is not unlike what occurs in universities in the US, as there is more emphasis on theory than practice and application.

In the afternoon we had the opportunity to visit one of the most prominent witch doctors in the region. Initially, I naively thought that the witch doctor was a person who used mysticism and cursed people. However, once we visited his small home, which also serves as his clinic, I found out that many people travel very far to visit him because he is a doctor and a healer. The doctor, Sam, showed us some of the medicines that he uses to treat patients. The medicines are composed of natural plants, and they can treat many things ranging from a lightening strike to paralysis. I was surprised that the doctor works in conjunction with the hospitals in the region, and if the doctor cannot treat a patient, he/she is sent to the hospital. This relationship between the hospital and the witch doctor is remarkable because there is an exchange of respect for one another's practices and methods.

Lake Bunyonyi Secondary School

Today, Monday July 6th, we woke up to a breathtaking view of Lake Bunyonyi. When we arrived late the previous night, we rode the motor boat approximately 15 minutes across the lake with only stars to light the way. As a result, we did not realize how beautiful the lake is until this morning. We were all very humbled by the incredibly warm welcome from the Entusi staff. I believe we all felt truly at home when we were greeted with waves and a delicious dinner that included chocolate cake for desert. We are truly grateful for the kindness and hospitality of the Entusi staff.

After a restful morning that included a scrumptious breakfast and an outstanding lunch, we had the opportunity to visit Zoo Island and the Lake Bunyonyi Seconday School. On the boat ride, we had a beautiful view of the water and the surrounding islands. We spotted Punishment Island, which is a tiny island where unmarried pregnant girls used to be dropped off to either be picked up by a man or left to starve. This is no longer practiced (the practice ended at some point in the 20th century), but all of the Ugandans we met at the lake today mentioned this history. We also spotted Zoo Island, where the governor set aside land for zebras, impalas, monkeys, and other wildlife.

My favorite part of the day was visiting the Lake Bunyonyi Seconday School. The Lake Bunyonyi Secondary School is located on Sharp's Island where a leprosy colony was previous established in the 1930's. Many of the school buildings date from this time.

In true Ugandan fashion, we were warmly greeted by Dennis, the science teacher, and the students. Dennis introduced us to the school with a tour, where we saw the staff room, computer lab, library, science laboratory, and a couple of classrooms. Afterward, the students welcomed us with energetic songs and dancing. Dennis introduced us to the students, and each of us stood up and stated our name and age. It was very cool when everyone repeated "Sheila" after I said my name - Sheila is a very common Ugandan name, so I think the students found my name to be familiar. The students split up and each of us joined a group of students. We were immediately greeted with lots of curious questions about the American education system, technology, and even our marital statuses. I love how naturally inquisitive all of the students were. They learned a lot about us, but we also had the chance to learn about them.

We learned that there was a single computer lab on the entire lake and that it was located at the school. Due to this, in the ICT classes (computer technology classes) there may be four or five students sharing one desktop computer. As a result, students do not have the chance to really become familiar with the keyboard, software, and the basics of using a computer. Additionally, we learned that Ugandans first complete four years of seconday school (O level or ordinary level) followed by two more years of secondary school (A level or advanced level). Afterward, students may attend university, but some of the students expressed frustration about the lack of job opportunities after university. Ugandan education, especially in primary school, operates on repetition and memorization rather than critical thinking. Secondary school introduces the application that compliments the theory, but just like in the US students can definitely benefit from more application of knowledge. Additionally, while there are approximately 200 students in the school there are only about 25 students studying at the A level and this small group currently includes zero female students.

We were sad to leave the students, but we were ultimately grateful for the experience of meeting the staff and students. Most importantly, we appreciated the school's generosity and the student's curiosity.

We finished our day with a thrilling volleyball match at Entusi with the staff and time after dinner was spent playing dominos and relaxing by the fireplace. We are so very fortunate to be on this journey.

Saint James Primary School

After testing our water curriculum at the Busawuula Primary School, we visited the Saint James Primary School where we found out that we would be teaching P1 through P7. Saint James is located only 1 km further down the road in the Katale area from the first school. Upon arriving, we were enthusiastically welcomed to the school by the entire student body and teaching staff. We first met with the teachers and headmistress to discuss how we would group the students since we only had 6 teachers for 7 classes of students. Initially it was determined that we would teach the students in three groups, P1-P3, P4-P5, and P6-P7. However, the P1-P3 group would then be very large with 67 students. The large group size was definitely a concern for us, so after futher discussion we divided this large group into its three individual classrooms. Additionally, we were also nervous about teaching the younger students in P1 and P2 since we had only previously taught the curriculum to P3-P7 students. This means that we needed to futher adapt and simplify our curriculum for the youngest students.

On the first day of teaching at Saint James we met with a group of six students from Makerere University who are also a part of a group called Ideas for Uganda. Ideas for Uganda is a youth led movement working on issues of environmental sustainability. This group of students would observe us teach and help us in the classroom, as their organization will be taking on the teaching of this curriculum in the future. We found teaching P1 and P2 to be a challenging experience due to a greater language barrier. However, the university students and the teachers from the school helped us both with translation and teaching of the content. As a result, the students definitely understood the content better. After finishing teaching for the day we had an opportunity to debrief the lesson with Billy and Lauren from SPOUTS as well as the Ideas for Uganda students. We received a lot of helpful feedback about how we can futher improve the curriculum to provide the best possible experience for students. This curriculm has already gone through a lot of revision. For example, when we first designed the curriculum we were unaware of how frequently songs and games were used in the Ugandan classroom for instruction. But, we have really tried to incorporate more activities, songs, and games so that the lesson is more interactive. These revisions really seemed to be successful in helping students better understand the information about clean water and hygiene.

The second day of teaching the students at this school went more smoothly. We all felt more comfortable with the students and the grade level we were teaching. The students eagerly participated and engaged with the lesson. We taught students about how to properly wash their hands, how to clean dirty water, and we also introduced the SPOUTS filter. It was important to teach the children about the benefits of filters versus boiling water since there are a number of distinct benefits both for the family using the filter and the environment. At the end of class, the students were able to understand the basics about how a filter worked and how it could be an alternative to boiling water. Overall, testing this water curriculm at two different schools has helped us gain insight about what we need to improve in the curriculum when we retun to the US. The biggest element that we need to consider is how to make the curriculum applicable and adaptable across multiple grade levels since a P1 classroom is dramatically different than a P7 classroom.