2017 Africa Braintrust

This year’s Africa Braintrust was held on September 22nd as part of the 2017 Congressional Black Caucus. The event was aimed at exploring the various ways the United States can renew and strengthen its engagement with Africa in the domains of economic investments,...

Rwanda’s Largest Solar Field Also Empowers Orphans

To increase electricity access in Rwanda, a 42-acre solar field was constructed on land leased from Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village 60 kilometers from Kigali. The youth village is a boarding school that houses around 500 orphans from the 1994 Rwanda genocide which left...

Harvesting to Heal

Three years following the Rwandan genocide, Sr. Mary Rose Mukukibogo founded the farming association Dususuruke to revitalize the agricultural economy. In the local language of Kinyarwanda, Dususuruke means “warm solidarity.” She was first faced with hesitancy and...

Rwandan Women Healing the Nation Post-Genocide

On June 26, 2017, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) held an event titled “Women Guiding Peace After War: Lessons from Rwanda.” The panel discussed the incredible progress women have made since the 1994 genocide. In the twenty-three years since the Rwandan...

Africa’s Education Needs

On June 15, 2017, the Wilson Center’s Africa Program in Washington DC held an an event titled “Transforming the Education Sector to Meet Africa’s 21st Century Needs.” The event provided unique perspectives on the issue of education in Africa today. The speakers...

Listening to Heal a Nation

The Benebikira Sisters, the oldest indigenous congregation in Rwanda, have a number of nuns in their community referred to as “Sister Listeners.” Their job is simply to listen – to listen in order to help the country heal following the 1994 genocide. Sr. Marie...