Bringing it Back!

Hello everyone!

We know you haven’t heard from us in quite some time. This is because we have been busy meeting and brainstorming on what the most effective way to bring it back would be. Over the past few weeks we have put together an awesome program that ties together several aspects of our trip.

This Tuesday, May 3 from 7-8:30 at the University Hillel Foundation (611 Langdon Street, Madison, WI 53703) UW Rwanda will be hosting our first event. We are starting off the event with a screening of the Oscar nominated documentary “God Sleeps in Rwanda,” a conversation about the challenges facing Rwanda today.

Movie Summary: The 1994 Rwandan Genocide left the country nearly 70 percent female, handing Rwanda’s women an extraordinary burden and an unprecedented opportunity. Girls are attending school in record numbers, and women now make up a large part of the country’s leadership. Working with two cameras and no crew except for their translator—a genocide survivor herself—the filmmakers uncover incredible stories: an HIV-positive policewoman raising four children alone and attending night school to become a lawyer, a teenager who has become head of household for her four siblings, and a young woman orphaned in her teens who is now the top development official in her area. Heart-wrenching and inspiring, this powerful film is a brutal reminder of the consequences of the Rwandan tragedy, and a tribute to the strength and spirit of those who are moving forth.

In addition, several of our trip participants will be speaking about their experiences in Rwanda and reading excerpts of their journals from the trip. We have also incorporated a fundraising aspect to the event and will be selling photos taken by UW students from Rwanda and all proceeds will benefit the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda.

To see the event on facebook, or if you would like to RSVP via-facebook, please visit: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120209284724611&index=1

On another note, when in Rwanda we were informed that one of the village’s biggest goals for the upcoming year was to obtain a water bottle for every student in the village with the ASYV logo printed on it. They would also like to have a few hundred extra to be able to sell to visitors and volunteers as another form of fundraising for the village. Our group has been trying to find someone or a company that would be able to donate the water bottles (approximately 1000 of them) but have not had any luck. Our next option would be looking into fundraising for them and then purchasing them on our own. Before we look into that however, we wanted to see if any of our blog readers had any connections or if the companies that they worked for may be able to make the donation or produce the water bottles. If you think you may be able to help us please contact Ilana Goren (Hillel Program Director and Trip Leader) at 608-256-8361 (main Hillel line)

 

Thanks and we hope to see you all at the event tomorrow!

-Jordan