Rwandan Girls Initiative: Gashora Girls Academy

In Rwanda, 97% of girls go to primary school, but less than 13% attend upper secondary school. Secondary school capacity is very limited, so only those with the highest test scores are able to attend. Even for a bright girl who is qualified to attend, she may face obstacles to success and graduation – including household responsibilities and safety concerns. -RGI Website

I met an incredible woman named Soozi through a friend (thanks Guj!) before I left for my trip. She created an all-girls college preparatory boarding school in Rwanda that focuses on STEM education. Their mission is to "educate and empower girls of Rwanda to reach their highest potential" and I was amazed to see how they live out their mission through 270 young women all across the country.

After a car ride with Soozi's family to a city called Gashora, just south of Kigali, we were greeted by the headmaster of the school. After introducing himself, he paused and his bright smile faded. A look of sorrow came across his face and he informed us that one of their students, a soon-to-be-graduating senior, passed away the day before. He asked us to join at the school flag pole for a moment of silence at 11:50am and then, before we could express any condolences, he immediately turned to guide us to a group of young girls by the classrooms.

I was quickly greeted by Aline, a "5th year" (junior) who wants to pursue a career in chemical engineering. She fiddled with her pleated skirt and sweater as she explained where she wanted to tour me around for the day. I admired the crest on her uniform, which she proudly explained the significance of and how the first graduating class came to be just five years ago. We walked from classroom to classroom, full of young women learning about chemistry, biology, physics, entrepreneurship, economics, english, and math. We spent a little extra time in the physics and chemistry room, as those were Aline's favorite subjects. Her face lit up, and her excitement was infectious; I couldn't help but to smile about her genuine passion for her education. The physics practice problems on the blackboard went over my head and the examples of "clinicals" that they worked on seemed like college-level work.

The next room was filled with LG desktops, which were used for academic research. Here, I asked her what differences she noticed between her old education at home (about an hour away) and her education here at Gashora Girls Academy. She explained how much she loved that her teachers would teach them the tools for how to explore the answers to issues, but that finding those resources and answers was completely up to them, whereas her old teachers used to give them everything and instead it was their job to memorize those given resources/answers. Essentially, she explained how her teachers knew how to empower people, how to teach a (wo)man to fish and not just give a (wo)man a fish. I quickly started to see how Gashora was created not to just be the best school in Rwanda, but possibly one of the best schools across the globe.

And I think it is. Young women who otherwise could have fallen into the 87% that drop out of high school were earning a spot and financial aid to attend universities like Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia, Brown, Michigan State, UBC, and the University of Rwanda to name a few from the last graduating class. The drive and deep appreciation for an education that these girls have is inspiring and humbling to say the least; when I asked Aline if there were any subjects that she did not like, she thought carefully and responded, "No. None. I really like them all. Some are more challenging than others, but they all teach you something." I loved seeing life through Aline's eyes and we asked dozens of questions back and forth -- a few of my favorites are highlighted in my post about her.

Time flew by and an alarm/bell sounded to bring everyone together at the flag pole. The girls crowded into a circle around the headmaster, chaining elbows and putting their arms around one another. The headmaster began to express his sadness about the student passing away and slowly the heads of girls began bowing, some covering their faces with their hands. A deep sorrow sat thickly and effected each and every girl, as she was a roommate, classmate, and/or friend to each. Swiftly, the headmaster transitioned from a moment of grief to one of reflection. He told the girls to see their loss, their regrets, their confusion into an opportunity to realize the fragility and value of life every day.

He stated how her unexpected death "could have been any of us. When we are born, we have to live with the truth that we will die one day. So when your day comes, how do you want to be remembered when you are gone? What do you want your loved ones and those that you leave behind to say about your life?"

Though the sadness persisted, the mood/tone in the atmosphere changed dramatically. Here in a country that is so forward thinking, always looking at how to improve and grow, I was deeply moved by the headmaster's words. A book I had just been reading posed the same question, asking if there were four speakers at your funeral (a family member, a close friend, a coworker, a church/community organization member) "What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life?... What character would you like them to have seen in you? What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember?" Actually writing this out, person by person, was one of the darkest yet authentic ways to define success and purpose in my own life.

What the headmaster went on to talk about was to translate the answers to his question and any persisting regrets into each girl's treatment of those alive and around them.

So what will you do with your one precious life? How will you live your best life? It's pretty clear to me that these girls live to take full advantage of an education, to inspire their community, to transform their country.

To learn more about the school, visit: http://rwandagirlsinitiative.org/home/index