Isoko BlogRichard Cyubahiro: ORI’s 11th University Graduate!The great news today is that Richard Cyubahiro became the 11th ORI scholar to graduate from university! He successfully defended his dissertation, which focused on the quality management of orphanages in Rwanda. Here’s a photo of Richard, who studied economics and management at the Universite Libre de Kigali:
All of us congratulate Richard on his fantastic achievement today! ORI Students Excel at Indego AfricaIndego Africa, an innovative NGO dedicated to alleviating poverty by providing training and sustainable skills-building for Rwandan women artisans, is one of ORI’s closest partners. Indego currently employs six ORI students — five as part-time interns and one as a full-fledged employee. The ORI students lead Indego’s Hand Up Training Program, which enables Rwandan women working in local cooperatives to develop economic self-sufficiency through sales of high-quality handicrafts. The program also provides Indego’s artisans with a range of workshops in areas such as literacy, computer skills, Internet technology (IT), and financial management. ORI’s students deliver these trainings and, as they work with the women in Indego’s cooperatives, they develop their skills as leaders and managers. Eugene Nteziyaremye, a second-year student at the Kigali Institute of Education, says that one of the best things about the internship is getting to “train the women in reading and writing Kinyarwanda and English.” Valens Rutazihana, a third-year student at the School of Finance and Banking, originally interned for Indego Africa and — after excelling in his role — he was asked to become part of the staff (his official title is Management Team Leader). For Valens, his work at Indego “is my contribution to build my country because I am not able to help the citizens financially but I have knowledge needed by most people who did not attend school.”  Valens Rutazihana Our relationship with Indego is extremely special because it gives our students the opportunity to take what they’re learning in the classroom and through ORI trainings and put it into practice in a way that directly empowers others and supports Rwanda’s economic development. The ORI scholars are very pleased to work for Indego, which is one of many NGOs in Rwanda where our students are working either as interns or part-time employees. Our mission is not just about enabling students to graduate from university — it’s about preparing them to be leaders and dynamic professionals, which is why the Indego-ORI partnership is a model for our relationships with every company and organization that employs our students. ORI’s Medical Students Intern at King Faisal Hospital
ORI’s medical students: Carine Uwakunda & Emile Turatsinze Emile explains how the students participated in numerous aspects of the hospital’s operations: I worked in three services: Pediatrics, Surgical and Maternity. I used to do morning rounds with nurses and doctors. I always participated in the doctors’ meeting in the morning where reports of admitted patients during nights were given and some cases were explained by a specialist. In pediatrics, I mostly observed nurses’ activities but sometimes I would assist in the dressing and catheterization of patients. Both students enjoyed the surgery component of the internships, as they had the opportunity to assist in minor surgeries, including Caesarian sections and the dressing of wounds. As for what inspired Carine to pursue the internship, she said, “I wanted to practice what I had learned and, of course, get more knowledge.” ORI’s newest university grads: Aimable and ChristelleORI is proud to recognize the achievements of our two newest graduates: Christelle Umutoni and Aimable Niyitegeka!  New graduate Christelle Umutoni
 Aimable defending his dissertation Christelle graduated from the Universite Libre de Kigali (ULK) with a degree in Social Sciences, and obtained an outstanding score on her dissertation! (The dissertation was about the work of ORI.) Aimable also graduated from ULK and his dissertation had the following title: Impact of Information Technology Applications to the Improvement of Services; Case of Electrogaz. Aimable, who also scored very highly on his dissertation, has worked for Electrogaz — a utility company in Rwanda — for the past two years and he will continue to work there. Christelle and Aimable are the 7th and 8th ORI students to graduate from university! Congratulations to them both! Reflections from Rwanda by ORI Board member Eloise AustinThis summer, I returned to Kigali to spend time with our current students and to observe final interviews for the new class of ORI scholars. The student selection process is a four-month marathon that seeks to identify students with the greatest potential to develop into innovative thinkers and leaders in their respective fields. Our team assesses each candidate’s background, capabilities and motivation through a review of written applications, language exam scores, academic accomplishments and in-person interviews.  Eloise with students and ORI co-founders Dai Ellis and Oliver Rothschild ORI students support the “One Dollar Campaign”Earlier this year, members of the Rwandan Diaspora launched an international effort called the “One Dollar Campaign.” The Campaign’s goal was to raise $1 from each member of the diaspora in order to build shelters for survivors of the genocide. The Campaign has been a huge success and has raised thousands of dollars in donations throughout the world. ORI’s students — led by Julliet Busingye, former Student Government Association president — played a part in this effort. An ORI supporter gave our students a challenge: she would match all contributions that the students made to the Campaign. Over the last few months, ORI students made their contributions, which totaled 50,000 Rwandan francs (about $89). The donor matched this amount and, earlier this month, Julliet presented the combined contribution to Robert Masozera, Director General for Diaspora Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation — and the person responsible for coordinating the campaign. Mr. Masozera stated that the donations from ORI’s students were extremely meaningful and he thanked the students for their generous support of the Campaign. Here is a photo from the occasion:  Director General Masozera and Julliet Busingye The Butare Debating SocietyLast Friday, I was in Butare to spend the day with our students at the National University of Rwanda (NUR). We now have 50 students at NUR and, every Friday, two members of our team go there to provide supplementary English language training. The students are organized according to their proficiency level and the assignments for one of the groups was a debate on the merits of Rwanda’s membership in the East African Community.
(Left to right) Emmanuel, Clarisse, Sylvere, Eric, Clementine in debate mode ORI student Oliver Kansiime stars on the radioOne of our students at the Kigali Health Institute – Oliver Kansiime – was on the radio recently representing her school’s Dentistry Department. She (yes, Oliver is a woman’s name in Rwanda) answered questions about the school’s work educating people throughout Rwanda about dental-related health problems. Great job, Oliver!
The Future of Rwanda: A Preview
Earlier this month, Innocent Mushenyi – an ORI scholar studying law at the Université Libre de Kigali – defended his undergraduate dissertation. Innocent not only defended his dissertation successfully but he also received the highest dissertation grade in ORI history; he is now the fifth ORI scholar to graduate from university. This is great news at any time, but I could not help connecting Innocent’s achievement with the incredible speech about Africa’s future that President Obama gave on July 11 in Accra, the capital of Ghana. Leadership & cultural exchange: ORI students volunteer in KenyaOne of ORI’s main areas of focus is providing our students with opportunities to accept internships that build their skills and prepare them for future leadership roles. Emily Hayter, one of ORI’s fantastic volunteers in Kigali over the past year, shared the following news about the first-ever ORI students to intern outside of Rwanda. One quality about ORI students which has always impressed me is their strong motivation to help others. Despite having faced enormous challenges in their own lives, they are determined to use any success they may achieve to support other people. The students are all very aware of Vision 2020, the government’s ambitious development plan. They have set their sights firmly on being part of it, and many are already volunteering, mentoring, counseling and supporting their communities. more… |
Two of ORI’s scholars — Carine Uwakunda and Emile Turatsinze — are medical students at the National University of Rwanda. Over their holiday break in late 2009, Emile and Carine interned at King Faisal Hospital, which is the top hospital in Kigali. In addition to becoming the first-ever first-year medical students to intern at the hospital, what was extremely impressive about this achievement is that Carine and Emile approached the hospital on their own. As Carine says, “I went there with a recommendation letter from ORI and just requested the internship.”
