The Power in People. Rwanda School Building Project #IWD2021

On International Women’s Day 2021, I am enjoying reading the wealth of stories in celebration of projects around the world and would like to share a project which I am involved in.

Two years ago, I responded to a Twitter callout for members for an ActionAid UK project. The aim to build a school for girls and construct a space for future education in Muko, northern Rwanda resonated tremendously. I believe that if we ourselves have had the fortune of access to education we have a duty to create opportunities for others.

Originally scheduled for 2020, Team Rwanda comprises 26 women, most of us education leaders with UK and international leadership and education backgrounds.

As we began team conversations little did we know how the world was about to dramatically change in the year ahead. The Covid19 pandemic has changed our timeline, but not our ongoing commitment to the project.

With global travel and safety restrictions our 2020 departure was moved to summer 2021. At the end of February, our team met with ActionAid on Zoom to review plans in terms of Covid data (currently Rwanda has code red travel status) and ongoing fundraising.

We agreed with ActionAid UK to monitor the situation and today on International Women’s Day 2021 Team Rwanda received confirmation the trip will be postponed until 2022.

In many ways this gives further time to raise funds and develop ideas while prioritising our own local needs for safety in our schools and for our families. I have the Team whats-app chat open beside me as I write which shows a mixture of understanding and determination for the project to go ahead in 2022.

This unusual year has challenged us in ways we could not imagine. Equally, the challenges have created opportunities to connect, collaborate and champion community, re-imagining narrative and reaching out to our networks in new ways.

I feel 2020-2021 has called for resounding resourcefulness and creative thinking. As individuals and collectively, we have been moved to take action and to show care for others in far more tangible ways than previously.

As school leaders we have shifted existing ways and invented new. Communication has changed too, and although I would not usually share a funding project on Linkedin, I am thinking differently about it.

I know there is a wealth of knowledge and experience here which I am underutilising. I have decided to reach out more and am keen to share our project story Rachel Iles - School Build and updates.

Would you like to hear more about Project Rwanda it, or contribute to helping raise our target? Do you have experience in Rwanda, other international education projects or a fabulous suggestion for corporate sponsorship?

If the answer to any of the above was Yes, please do get in touch, I would love to talk to you about it. 

My JustGiving project page can be found here: Rachel Iles - School Build