Why Rwanda?

We have been asked many times why we come to Rwanda.  That is, why do PolyU take our students to such a far away places to do service-learning projects?  Spending so much time and effect, and money.  

In 2013 we came to Rwanda with about a dozen students and a couple of teachers.  In 2024, there will be 120+ from PolyU, 40+ from outside PolyU, and 100+ from Rwanda participating in Habitat Green 2024 in Rwanda.  Why do we invest so much in Rwanda?

The simple answer is that here we can do innovative projects with great impact much appreciated by the community, with great benefits for our students.  But why does Rwanda allow us to do that?  That takes a little more time to explain.  

To start with, Rwanda remains one of the poorest country in the world, with large areas of the country without running water or electricity.  Hence there is tremendous need, making it relatively easy to make a big impact with a modest effort.  We still have to work hard, be bold and innovative. But there is good prospect of making a strong impact, which makes one motivated to do more.  The result is a virtuous cycle.  

Secondly, we have found an extremely hard-working and effective partner non-government organisation. They have identified investment in child education as a key strategy for poverty alleviation, and have developed very effective self-help groups as a mechanism for organisation.  They have a big team of field workers covering the whole country, and have very good relations with the government at multiple levels.  Hence they are excellent partners for service-learning.  Over the past decade, mutual respect and trust have developed between us, forming the foundation of a strong relationship. The result is another aspect of a virtuous cycle.  

Thirdly, they have suffered from extreme evil in the form of genocide and civil war, but have chosen to focus on reconciliation rather than revenge as a response to the evil, much of it based on the Christian faith.  In the mean time, the country is developing rapidly, based on education, science and rule of law. The country is one of the cleanest in the world, not just in the city streets where it is visible to all, but also in the countryside where few people visit.  HeI have nce, there is much that our students can learn from.  What we offer is technology with a heart.  What we learn is the value of strong character.  

Fourthly,  Rwanda offers something exotic, so radically different from Hong Kong that is quite exciting for staff as well as students.  Rwandans are so dark that we look pale in comparison.  Their language, culture, history and environment are so utterly dissimilar to ours that it is scary for some, but stimulating for others.  What is undeniable is that it offers tremendous learning opportunities for those who can handle it.  

I believe I have been to Rwanda 16 times so far, since the first time in 2013.  All because of service-learning.  With good reason. I believe the same, or something similar, applies to hundreds of students and staff from PolyU, and so many of our partners.