Why Now is the Time to Invest in Rwanda's Visionary Women's Empowerment Initiative

Training young women is one of my greatest joys. Early in their careers, they sit like sponges, eager to learn and digest everything the world offers. It is so much fun to share some lessons with them. This past week, the third cohort of Women GAIN's Intwari Women launched at CoKiyovu. Twenty women were chosen from an applicant pool of over 200. I'm so glad I was here to meet them all and be among their first trainers.

This program is the heart of CoKiyovu's vision. My session for them focused on goal setting and how goals evolve into plans. But before goals, there are dreams. This felt so on point as I worked on turning my dreams into tangible goals and plans to reach them. I wish I had been taught this lesson much earlier in life. I'd have much more to show for it all.

I explained to the women how practical this session was for me, as I'm putting these exact principles into practice myself with CoKiyovu. There's something powerful about teaching a process you're actively living through—seeing your dreams transform into goals and those goals into concrete plans right alongside theirs.

As I prepare to leave Kigali today for the States (first Boston, then DC), I'm filled with a familiar sadness and anxiety that always accompany my departure from Rwanda. Knowing how much work lies ahead for both the Intwari Women and our growing CoKiyovu initiative is especially difficult this time.

The energy from these twenty women was remarkable during my session with them. Each of them signed up for this program because they want to become leaders. Listening to them talk about becoming leaders and the leaders who inspire them was a joy. Seeing their enthusiasm and engagement, as we discussed transforming dreams into actionable plans, reminded me why this program matters. Their questions and insights showed me glimpses of Rwanda's future business, social innovation, and civic leaders. I'm also so proud of our team, which has organized to make this Intwari Women program happen.

While leaving physically, I'm confident in their leadership and will carry the knowledge that I’ll make significant progress without me there. This trip marked important milestones—I officially registered CoKiyovu as a community benefit corporation in Rwanda and opened our bank account. These seemingly simple administrative steps represent giant leaps toward transforming our vision into reality.

As my flight departs today, I'll think about those twenty young women full of determination and potential. Their dreams are becoming goals, and their goals are becoming plans. Meanwhile, CoKiyovu's dream is to follow the same path—transforming from a dream vision to reality step by step.

The pressure to move these goals forward is real—the clock is ticking, and I have less than four months to purchase this land, which is the next and most critical step. So many people here believe in me and our CoKiyovu vision. There are creative ways to do it, which require my time and focus in the US now. Please let me know if you're reading this and interested in learning more.

On days like today, my journey between Boston, DC, and Kigali feels like a lot, and I feel deeply divided between these homes and cultures. But home isn't just one place—and each has special people (and dogs) who keep me grounded. Each trip is important for moving different parts of my dreams forward, bringing us closer to fully realizing what CoKiyovu can be.

Until next time, Rwanda.

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