Website for Speak Rwanda is currently under construction, but you can read about updates here for now.
Today while researching organizations that help Rwanda, I came across a new model for charity and relief organizations, a non-profit that partners with entrepreneurs in developing countries called Global Relief and Development Partners. Their mission is to ". . . build the leadership and professional capacity of entrepreneurs in countries emerging from political and economic crisis." If you know anything about the history of Rwanda, you'll remember the Genocide and the ravaging effects it had on this tiny country in the heart of Africa.
What you may not know, however is that this tiny country seems to be on the verge on completely transforming itself within one generation, largely by the efforts of small mission-minded groups and religious organizations in America bringing education and aid to children through child sponsorship, orphanages, and relief projects. In addition to religious charity work, hundreds of people every year are traveling to this tiny country to see the efforts they have contributed to formerly from a distance.
Many people however have recognized that charity relief work is only the first step in rebuilding the infrastructure of a country. That's what makes organizations like GRDP and Speak Africa so effective and attractive to global residents who really want to make a difference in the world. Some of these companies are non-profit, but some seem to be blends forming a new model for doing business in the global community.
Speak Rwanda (a branch of Speak Africa) is one these new models whose roots are in missions and relief work. The founders (formerly with Africa New Life) realized the dream of learning the native Kinyarwanda travel language was within reach and would make a huge difference in the enriching not only the lives of indiviuals embarking on short-term mission trips and business ventures to Rwanda, but help foster direct personal relationships with native Rwandans.
I'm really excited about being involved in the latter company, Speak Rwanda, so much of my research right now is focused on what other people and organizations are doing in Rwanda.
