African Road Board Chair, Jenny Warner, recently joined Executive Director Kelly Bean for a special African Road trip to East Africa. Here, she reflects on her travels and the evident transformation that has taken place in East Africa since her last visit.
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I was grateful for the opportunity to travel with African Road Executive Director, Kelly Bean, to East Africa this fall! This was my first time back to Rwanda since 2019, and my first time back to the indigenous Batwa villages in Burundi since 2015. It was a truly joyful reconnection with African Road friends.
My experience strengthened my confidence in African Road’s model of development. African Road always seeks to avoid dependencies so that projects are created, established, and grown by East Africans. Local community leaders are committed to creating self-sustaining solutions so lasting-change is possible. This model was tested in the last two years amidst Covid-19 global uncertainties and I saw with my own eyes the proof that it works. All of the Changemaker partners have made significant strides in their work, despite the pandemic and its restrictions.
I’m pleased to share with you a few highlights of my trip.
After a night to drop bags and rest in Kigali, Rwanda, I flew to Kampala, Uganda to attend the wedding of African Road Changemaker David Clemy. It was wonderful to celebrate him and his new wife Phiona, and represent African Road along with four other Changemakers. The wedding went on for about 10 hours, but jet lag had me in bed after eight hours.
Upon return to Rwanda, Kelly joined me and we toured the Togetherness Cooperative with Changemaker Steven Turikunkiko. Togetherness has added a growing primary school, a large tent to hold community gatherings, including a recent Covid-19 immunization clinic, and another nearly-finished beautiful building as a community center. The changes there were remarkable and inspiring. Togetherness continues to seek out and create opportunities to serve the surrounding community.
We then traveled to Burundi for six days. Burundi is a place of great contrast. Extreme poverty and buoyant joy live side-by-side. After a day in the capital city, Bujumbura, we traveled up country to visit the three Batwa villages where First Presbyterian Church of Bend has been investing in agriculture, housing, and education as part of a Village-to-Village partnership with African Road.
Gahombo is one of these villages. When I first visited Gahombo eight years ago, it was a sobering experience, and the poverty and hunger of the indigenous Batwa there was profound. This visit was very different, seeing the land that we have helped them acquire and now farm, visiting 12 brick houses built, and noticing all the kids in school uniforms. I was able to put my hands and feet in the fields where vital crops are planted, flourishing in land that belongs to the villagers. I listened to the testimony of widowed women who now have a dry place to sleep and raise their children. And we danced in celebration!
The visit to Burundi was followed by a few more days in Rwanda, which allowed time to connect with friends, do some errands (hint: there will be lots of great shopping at next year’s gala!), and rest before returning home.
It is such a deep privilege to be so close to this level of transformation in a place as far and wonderful as East Africa.