20 Years of Building Youth Leadership through Communities.

I am of the school of thought that if one is to achieve anything worthwhile, one needs a community! A community of peers who panel beat the vision till it is workable, then roll up their sleeves to support the effort. A community of elders who inspire, mentor, sponsor and open doors when the time is right. A community to serve as accountability partners. That is what the JCI Rwanda community has been to me. This year JCI Rwanda marked 20 years of impact as a platform shaping what active citizenship can look like for young people.

This is a reflection and gratitude post. Life is made of defining moments. One of my early defining moments was back when I was a university student. First came the important realisation that we had to shift our thinking on the expectations we held post graduation. It was becoming more and more difficult to get job placements. There was the need to start thinking of how as university graduates we could become job creators. - Story for another day my ambitious entrepreneurial venture through a setting up a co-working space in Kigali - @The Space.

What a timely realisation, as the then PSF Chamber Lead Emery Rubagenga started dedicating his time to enabling student communities through JCI. JCI offered us a unique opportunity to dream, and operate, giving us access to a world of amazing professionals and entrepreneurs, who were willing to mentor and serve as a bridge between student communities and the world of work. Special shout out to Fabrice SHEMA NGOGA Lydie Hakizimana Tony-Francis NTORE @Josephine Kairaba, MUGISHA PASCAL Albert Nzamukwereka Rica Rwigamba who were willing to come out to our Huye Campus of the University of Rwanda to mentor students.

I remember how with a group of colleagues we organised the first ever University Entrepreneurship Week, multiple career talks with businessmen in Huye and some from Kigali and several other meaningful community projects that demonstrated initiative and leadership- shout out to Christian Kabandana Hervé Kubwimana Patrick Cyusa Yvan Gatoto !! How later, a nation wide business plan competition was run and funded by JCI Rwanda, several of the initial foundation efforts in innovation and entrepreneurship development in Rwanda.

Now close to two decades later, this community still stands firm offering "one year to serve" - to young emerging leaders. Further to this, our new cohort of leaders just hosted over 500 youth leaders from across Africa and the Middle East - in an inspiring 4 days of immersion, connecting, organising, and envisioning. Rwanda shared it's beautiful story of healing, resilience and transformation 30 years in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Gratitude and special shoutout to our extraordinary hosts NP Umuhoza Amina Luce Gloria NISHIMWE Igiraneza Origene Iris Iradukunda Na?ssa Umutoni Karekezi, EMBA Fasoranti 'Fash' Damilola .