Hi everybody!
I'm Katie Carlson from Vancouver, Canada. I am an
independent gender and development specialist and have been living and working in Rwanda
for the last three years.
I recently started a small Canadian non-profit known as Paper
Crown Institute with the goal of supporting young girls around the world to become more confident and
more knowledgeable, and to achieve whatever goals they set for themselves in
life. That's how The Uwicyeza Project began!
The name "Uwicyeza" is a Kinyarwanda word, meaning "the one holding brightness; beautiful and
radiant inside and out and making others beautiful and radiant".
So what is The
Uwicyeza Project?
So many
of the issues that girls face today are not
addressed in traditional education systems or cultural learning, and yet
are just as critical for their personal growth, confidence and quality of
life. The Uwicyeza Project aims to revolutionize how girls are informed and empowered
in Rwanda - outside of the box.
Our goal for this first project in Rwanda is to develop knowledge and
practical life skills for secondary school girls in Kigali to help build that
kind of lasting
self-confidence.
So how exactly will do we do this? We start with six weeks of group workshops focusing on gender and leadership to lay the foundation, but what happens after the classroom?
We head into the field for another six weeks of community development!
What better way to build meaningful and lasting personal confidence in young girls than by giving them the knowledge and skills they’ve been asking for, and then supporting them as they take that newfound knowledge and apply it in real life, with a hands-on group project that directly benefits their own communities? And all while being mentored and coached by teams of accomplished Rwandan women.
Sounds like an
awesome idea, no?
But to make all of this happen, we need to raise $13,285 USD to
implement the pilot project in Rwanda - and we really hope that you'll want
to help!
So what does the money go towards?
- Managing the project itself for a full five months (an additional one month before implementation for coordination and one month following for evaluation), including developing the curriculum and running the workshops, as well as managing mentoring meetings, overseeing the process of each group's community project and arranging the final project showcase event
- Operational costs, including transportation for students and mentors, internet charges, telephone, venue rental, photographer/videographer fees and group project subsidies for students
- Final project showcase and celebration event, including things like venue rental, tables, chairs, food & drink, A/V equipment, and student completion certificates
The Benefits of Uwicyeza (in a nutshell!)
- Increased self-confidence
-
Critical thinking and problem solving skills
- Improved public speaking and personal presentation skills
- Hands-on practical experience with project management that has a positive social impact
- Invaluable mentoring relationships with Rwanda's women leaders
- Vital gender knowledge
- Awareness and understanding of gender-based violence and resources available to survivors
And who exactly are we?
The Uwicyeza Team and Advisory Council is made up of gender,
education and youth experts that
have come together voluntarily to make a change for girls in Rwanda. We are comprised of
Rwandans, Canadians, and Australians. Our team is based in Rwanda full time
with decades
of experience in the country.
The content developed for the core curriculum is based on critical
feedback received from
previous workshop participants from the project’s target demographic, as well
as on the particular expertise and contextual knowledge of our team.
The Uwicyeza Project is crafted to produce empowered and educated critical thinkers who will stand as
visionary leaders and role models
for others. Can we count on your support?
Please donate now and SHARE our campaign widely - and don't forget the
Indiegogo share tools!
Thank you so much for taking the time to check us out!
With love,
Paper Crown and The Uwicyeza Team