Dream Very Big Rwanda
Once upon a time there was a school in Musanze District, a rural, impoverished region of Rwanda. There, 23 dedicated teachers with minimal training worked tirelessly for almost nothing, in a building without electricity, with scant paper, books, pencils or even a good bathroom. And yet over a thousand students studied at this school, many of them with the swollen bellies of malnutrition and the grinding pain of tropical diseases.
What is the ending, or should we say new beginning, for this Cinderella story?
Today, Adam Frost, owner of Computer Care and Learning in Boston, zooms into a well lit classroom in Nyabirehe that is equipped with five computers, a projector, a screen and, of course, a wifi connection.
This is the real life work of Move Up Global (MUG) whose mission is to achieve the impossible. Thanks to generous donations of money and equipment, the Nyabirehe School was connected to the electrical grid in late 2020. As a result, every classroom is now wired. With support from partners, MUG delivered the hardware in December. In January 2021, the school was ready to join the 21st century.
But the real miracle is not the donated money and material, the essential stuff of a modern school. The brightest lights shine from within MUG’s Rwandan partner Olive Nyiraneza, the Executive Director of Ireme Education for Social Impact, the teachers of Nyabirehe and Adam Frost. All give over their Sundays to the arduous process of computer literacy. Adam, Olive and the teachers are the very best of humanity. They are courageous, determined and generous.
“I am very interested to know more, and not in computers only,” Olive explained via email. “When I get an opportunity to know something, I take it like a big chance in my life.”
It is exactly that love of learning that Adam appreciates in his “esteemed colleagues” in Rwanda.
“These students are so wonderful and motivated,” said Adam during a recent interview. “They are courteous, patient, industrious, dedicated and cheerful!”
“Adam’s empathy and humility continue to inspire all of us” said Anatole Manzi, MUG president. “Adam’s dedication and support means a lot to everyone who attends his computer classes. In addition to limited English proficiency, it was the first time for Nyabirehe teachers to touch and use a computer but Adam did not hesitate taking on that challenge. His commitment reflects how much he cares about equitable access to education.”
To an outside observer, these Sunday sessions are both stressful and inspiring. Twelve teachers and the school’s principal take turns working one-on-one with Adam while the others practice their new skills. Olive goes first as she will support the others. She, and all the teachers who follow, lean into the keyboard with intense focus.
Sessions are often interrupted by an unstable connection. The lessons are painstaking as our Rwandan partners master two languages simultaneously - English and computereze. Each skill is a monumental challenge: Saving documents; creating files; highlighting text; changing font; clicking on a drop down menu; copy and pasting. One after the other, teachers take the hot seat and practice completing these tasks. In the background, Olive calmly repeats Adam’s directions and supports each teacher as needed. Each completed task is a victory.
“We are zooming with Rwanda folks,” says Adam, underlining the moment with wonderment.
Dream very big Rwanda. Together we will continue to achieve the impossible, chapter by chapter, creating a new model for health and education that will serve to unlock the great potential in impoverished communities.
Nancy Bloom