VOLUNTEERING IN
RWANDA
Rwanda
Volunteering is a valuable and life-changing experience. Being a volunteer means giving help to people who need it. At the same time it is rewarding because you can gain new experiences, acquire new skills, meet people from different walks of life, whilst learning to value and respect their differences. In fact, everyone is qualified to be a volunteer and has something to teach and share with others.
To sum up, working as volunteer involves offering your time, knowledge, experience, ideas and skills without getting paid for it. It also means that individual actions help to improve larger populations.
Never Again Rwanda
“Working for a future where sustainable peace and development will be driven by creative, involved and critical-thinking citizens”WHY RWANDA?
From 7th April 1994 to the end of July of the same year, 75% of the Tutsi population was slaughtered by the Hutu-majority Government. This was known as the Rwandan Genocide. Rwandan society is still trying desperately to cure these deep wounds.
These tragic events have marked a turning point in Rwanda. As a result, we were convinced of the need to find out about what actually took place and to provide our assistance to the different populations needing aid in the country.
PROGRAMMES
We have prepared two different programmes, depending on the interests of volunteers:
The first programme is focused on Human Rights and is handled by our partner in Rwanda the NGO Never Again. You will have the opportunity to meet young Rwandese, share their experiences and learn how they are trying to overcome their experience of the genocide.
The second programme involves cooperating with two different local schools: Massaka primary school and the “Centre Enfants de Dieu” Orphanage.
Both our programmes are not only based on the social aspect of volunteering, but also offer maximum security for a safe trip. “Safe volunteering” is our motto.
Why do we recommend volunteering in Rwanda?
- You will be able to learn first-hand about the biggest genocide since the 2nd World War
- You will learn about a new culture
- You will gain an understanding of how the Rwandese have been able to recover from the genocide of 1994
- You will live an unforgettable experience
- You will have invaluable volunteering experience to put on your CV
- You will be able to earn credits for your university degree
Are you ready to enter into the heart of Africa with us?
WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS?
Never Again Rwanda
Never Again Rwanda (NAR) is a peace building and social justice organization that arose in response to the 1994 genocide perpetrated against Tutsis. Guided by a vision of a nation where citizens are agents of positive change and work together towards sustainable peace and development, NAR aims to empower Rwandans with opportunities to become active citizens through peacebuilding and development. NAR places a particular emphasis on the youth as the future of a peaceful society. NAR is one of the leading national peacebuilding organizations with nearly 13 years of experience building a cornerstone for peace. To date, around 150 young people from all around the world have participated in our programmes.
Another of its projects is “Space for Peace” in which young people are helped through dialogue to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence. Likewise, Never Again has created the Citizen’s Forums to foster governance.
Major Goals:
To promote mutual understanding, respect, and use of conflict resolution processes among young people in order to build sustainable peace.
To engage citizens in decision-making processes within their communities and to assist them in connecting with key stakeholders and decision-makers about governance and rights issues in order to foster a democratic and just society.
To strengthen the social and economic agency of citizens so they can take an active role in development and the establishment of a just, inclusive, and peaceful society.
To promote quality research to describe the magnitude, causes, and impact of societal problems and to identify, evaluate and document best practices to address them.
“Enfants de Dieu” Orphanage
Located in the suburbs of Kigali, this orphanage houses around 100 children from the ages of 4 to 18. At the same time, it is an academic, artistic and sports training centre.
Our project, besides protecting children who have been rescued from the streets, most of whom have drug problems, is focused on two aspects:
IT: Volunteers teach the children basic computer skills. These courses require the presence of local teachers, as many of the kids do not understand English.
Art: The centre has a painting workshop, where children can learn painting techniques and develop their talent. The paintings are then put on sale, to help fund the centre. Volunteers help to sell the paintings, uploading them onto the website where the personal history of each “artist” is posted alongside the paintings.
Massaka School
This primary school is located in the rural village of Massaka on the outskirts of Kigali. Even though it is a village, it is lacking many resources and has almost no infrastructures. The school is run by nuns and the volunteers give English lessons and organise play activities for the younger students.
Part of the funds of this volunteering programme go towards financing the Massaka School. This helps with the running of the centre and increases the number of new students accepted at the school.
Gallery
Contact
Our local office