My Personal Rwanda Story
Part 5: Why Rwanda, Why Now
A lot of people ask me why I’m so committed to Rwanda. The answer is complex but also personal. I've been spending time in Rwanda on and off for fourteen years.
In 2010, I decided to spend the next year abroad. I wasn't sure where, even if I knew why, which was deeply personal. At that point, I had traveled to a few countries for the National Democratic Institute (NDI) as a political trainer, and I hoped I might get a full-time assignment from them somewhere. I honestly expected to return to Iraq, a program I'd been part of for a few years, but a close friend convinced me to expand my search and look for beautiful places specifically.
Another friend with NDI who knew about my search reached out to see if I would consider Rwanda. At that moment, I only knew two things about the country from some news and two movies - Hotel Rwanda and Gorillas in the Mist. It's famous for its tragic Genocide against the Tutsis and the gorillas. It is still surprising to me today that I received an offer to go there as NDI's country director just 24 hours later.
Before committing, I read some briefing papers that NDI provided me; one stuck out in particular. It was called "Engendering Rwanda's Decentralization: Supporting Women Candidates for Local Office," written by Elizabeth Powley and published by the Initiative for Inclusive Security. As someone who has been committed to electing more women leaders and promoting gender equality in the US for many years, this paper was part of why I jumped at taking the job.
I arrived in Rwanda in January 2011, ready to serve as NDI's new Country Director. It was my first time on the continent.
In honesty, I was clueless about the country and the larger continent. Early in my career, I was passionate about opposing apartheid in South Africa and inspired by the leadership of Nelson Mandela (whom I was fortunate enough to work with during his first trip to the United States back in 1990), but knew little about anything else on the continent. So little is covered about Africa in the media, and even less is taught in our schools. But my passion for travel, democracy, and women's leadership pushed me to take this job.
My Early Commitment to Women's Political Empowerment
My passion for electing women started very early in my career. The first person I worked for in politics was the first woman in leadership in the Massachusetts State House, Representative Mary Jane Gibson. In 1994, about the same time as the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis was happening, I was managing my first EMILY's List race in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I helped Lynn Rivers, then a local state representative, run for Congress. She had to defeat a candidate who had the support and endorsements of the Democratic Party of Michigan, the AFL-CIO, and every incumbent member of Congress from Michigan. You can't fully imagine the challenges we faced, but because of EMILY's List support and the power of other women supporters, Lynn defeated these powerful institutions. Lynn went on to win this challenging primary and the general when Democrats lost control of the House in 1994 for the first time in 42 years.
Coming Home to Rwanda
In 2015, I returned and rented a house I thought I'd stay in for three months. Ten years later, I'm still there and still the property steward —more committed to this incredible country than ever.
Rwanda is not a perfect country. There is a long way to go to lift most people out of poverty and face other challenges common to the continent. President Paul Kagame has been criticized by many for not allowing enough political space, though I find his leadership to be pretty amazing, especially when you put him up against other African presidents - and now to our own in the United States. To fully appreciate how extraordinary Rwanda is, you have to understand its history and the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. You need to understand just how bad things were in 1994 to appreciate where they are today. But President Kagame’s commitment to women’s leadership and women leaders is a huge part of why I admire him so much. Check out his speech at Women Deliver in 2023 for a just a small sample of it.
Inspired by Akilah Institute
One of the first people I met in Rwanda was Elizabeth Dearborn Hughes, the founder of the Akilah Institute for Women. It never occurred to me you could just start a college - but she did it! Though not alone. Lisa Martilotta Lamprecht, her thought, creative, and work partner in creating Akilah, was the first expat I met in Kigali and pulled me deeper into their work. Karen Sherman who, became President of Akilah, recruited me to join their board in 2018. Each of these women is a friend, shero, and a massive inspiration for my work and commitment to Rwandan women.
I attended a women’s college for three of my five years, which substantially impacted my learning and professional growth early in my life, so I jumped at the opportunity to be part of Akilah. I love connecting with the student body, the campus, and getting to know some of the young women who attend.
The Birth of Women GAIN Rwanda
In 2020, I was leading a women's political leadership academy for NDI in the Mano River region when the pandemic started. We moved the program online, which inspired me to create more content that could be used virtually.
In Rwanda, like most of the world, all but critical businesses shut down, and most in-person work was canceled. I received word that our graduation class at Akilah Institute for Women would be unable to finish because their mandatory internships were canceled. Because I still had my incredible space rented in Kiyovu, I offered to take on a group of them—to use Global GAIN (a US nonprofit I had founded in 2018) as the vehicle for giving them an internship and launching an apprenticeship program geared towards teaching some of the students how to do communications and storytelling.
Our program started with 20 women, and what was supposed to be 90 days turned into a year. Ultimately, few wanted to stop doing the work. So, I encouraged them to start an ongoing program with a new cohort of young women and to form a local NGO. This had its learning curve. Starting an NGO in Rwanda is NOT easy, but they have done it. The third cohort of Intwari Women launched in March of this year.
Rwandan Women Inspirations
So many othersiuo have played a role in solidifying my commitment to Rwanda, but a few more need to be cited.
When I first met her, the Honorable Aloise Inumba was a Rwandan senator, but her remarkable career included many other distinguished roles. She had also served as the Minister of Gender. She was a key figure in the Rwandan Patriotic Front, the movement formed by Rwandan refugees to end the Genocide against the Tutsi and reclaim their homeland.
As a consultant and teacher for our NDI Youth Leadership program, she generously shared her deep knowledge and personal experience. Through her, I gained a profound understanding of women's critical role in rebuilding Rwanda after the war.
Her life was tragically cut short in 2012 due to an aggressive cancer, but her legacy continues to resonate. Her impact on the country was immense, and it is my hope that we will honor her at Co-Kiyovu by naming a space or developing programs in her memory—a tribute to her strength, leadership, and enduring influence.
Joy Ndugutse and Janet Nkubana, sisters and founders of Gahaya Links and Mary Barikungeri, founder of Rwanda Women’s Network, embraced me like family and have taught me so much. I’ll share more about them in their posts, but each has played a special role in my Rwandan experience and are part of my commitment to this beautiful country and inspiration for this project.
Coming Full Circle
The journey with Rwanda has been transformative for me personally and professionally. Now, with CoKiyovu, we have the opportunity to create something that honors the extraordinary women who have rebuilt this nation while creating pathways for future generations of women leaders—here and around the world.
Through CoKiyovu, we want to help create a world where female leadership is not the exception but the norm.
Please join us in making this vision a reality. Together, we can create a space celebrating Rwanda's extraordinary women while inspiring visitors worldwide to envision new possibilities for women's leadership in their communities.