Bringing East Africa to you!
By Glenda Montgomery, Gala Coordinator Though we might not be able to bring you all to Africa to become inspired by our Changemakers and by seeing their projects first hand, as I was so fortunate to do on the Learning Trip last summer, we CAN make sure you have a...
Visit with All Souls Women and Togetherness Cooperative
By Natalie Karakey, Learning Trip Member Today, we drove 40 minutes to the All Souls Church in Gasogi, Rwanda where we spent two hours worshipping and enjoying their music, dances, and skits. The church itself was dug out of the red earth mountainside. They had orange...
ID Kits Bring Hope to Eight Batwa Villages
Last Monday, US Ambassador to Burundi Anne Casper experienced something remarkable: dancing with the Batwa of Kayanza. Evariste and the ASSEJEBA team guided Ambassador Casper through the village as she was welcomed in full force. The Ambassador visited a Batwa village...
Meet Carol Lentz, Board Member Extraordinaire
Carol is a very special member of the African Road community. Her accomplished background in the Oregon nonprofit community has made her an incredible asset to African Road as Board Treasurer. Her professional background includes 35 years as CFO, CEO and COO of...
2018 — Arms Wide Open!
2018 has just begun, and we are off and running thanks to you! The Togetherness Cooperative in Rwanda is bursting with kids, with innovation and with hope for the future. Togetherness is one special example of what your faithful friendship paired with good local...
Meet Dennis and Janie, dear friends of African Road
It's hard to think of a more faithful and generous couple than Dennis and Janie Henderson. Since their marriage in 2015 — with Dennis's longstanding friendship going back even further — Dennis and Janie have been at the core of the African Road community in Portland....
Gratitude from Oregon and East Africa Today
The scent of baking pies, the happiness of loving hugs, faces of sweet children we haven’t seen for too many months, catching up with loved ones here at home. In the middle of all of this joy, friends in East Africa remain near to my heart. Exuberant dancing, joyful...
Five languages, seven countries, and a suitcase full of candy — lessons learned from VICOBA
By Joni Grace Powers, volunteer facilitator extraordinaire (thank you Joni!) Over thirty community leaders representing Village Community Banking (VICOBA) collectives around East Africa gathered for a focus group in Kigali, Rwanda this month. Imagine five languages...
Meet Maggie Hanson, Champion and Activist for the Batwa Indigenous People
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead You might have heard the above quote before. To me, Maggie Hanson is the embodiment of its meaning. Can you imagine...
“If I could see them, we could dance together” — a heartfelt thank you from Julietta
by Evariste Ndikumana, African Road Changemaker Evariste Ndikumana is a leader of the Batwa Indigenous People in Burundi. Long marginalized and left out of development efforts, the Batwa are among the poorest people in Burundi, a country that stands as one of the...