Join Us in Providing Life Changing Support to Vulnerable Young Women in Kigali.

In 2020, when the pandemic was unfolding and the world turned upside down, I created a virtual apprenticeship program with Global GAIN to train students at Davis College - one of our program partners. They needed internships to graduate, and employers had canceled most. We taught civics and democracy, storytelling, communications, and community organizing. We focused on learning digital skills by telling the stories of women advocates in politics, policy, and government.

The group named themselves Intwairi (Courageous) Women, and the program, meant to be three months, turned into a year. When it came to an end, the participants asked if we could make it available to others - so we set out to establish it as a permanent program. We had no idea how challenging this would be. Registering an NGO in Rwanda is a very long and complicated process. Two-plus years later, we still have an essential milestone for permanent registration.

Below are more details about our work and immediate goals.

Join us in supporting real change in the lives of young women in Rwanda. One requirement for permanent NGO registration status is a commitment to community service and tangible financial support to some of the most needy citizens. Our programs and team focus is helping young women learn politics, democracy, leadership, gender equality, and professional skills. As part of the registration process and our programs, we've committed to do the following for local women in Kigali:

• Health insurance for 250 vulnerable family members in women-led families.
• Digital Literacy Training for 30 Young Women
• School fees for 30 teen mothers.
• Vocational Training on creative, artistic, and wellness skills for 30 young women.
• Women's Leadership Workshop for 40 women.
• Entrepreneurship Training for 30 young women.
• Providing Mobile Smart Phones for 20 young women.

The total program costs, including our team's salaries, are $18,000, which we need to raise before the end of this year.

Becoming an NGO in Rwanda is a long process with many requirements. The are in place so creators demonstrate a new NGO's commitment and capacity to improve society. They focus on helping to achieve specific national goals and concentrate on economic growth and opportunity for all.

I'm proud that our team has chosen projects in our neighborhood to support vulnerable women in Kigali while teaching them to fundraise and manage programs and grow their leadership.

A small donation will help me meet my goal for Global GAIN.