PAY IT FORWARD: ANNE’S LEGACY

On January 31st of this year, the Village honored the life of Anne Heyman, the Founder of Agahozo-Shalom, by initiating a volunteer project to develop a nearby primary school. 

Anne Heyman was a compassionate and dedicated woman who refused to accept any recognition for her hard work, declaring, “don’t thank me, just pay it forward.”  To honor her, the entire ASYV community - students, faculty, and staff - committed themselves to build and improve five classroom buildings at the local Rubona Primary School. The project is called “Pay It Forward: Anne’s Legacy,” as the ASYV family believes that the best tribute to Anne is to continue her legacy by helping others.

Every child, staff member, and faculty member at Agahozo-Shalom made a contribution to the legacy project, raising enough funds to construct and complete one classroom this year. The project began in January, and after months of volunteering, the classroom was finally completed last week! 

The Village celebrated the Inauguration of Anne Heyman’s Legacy Project with speeches presented by staff members from both the ASYV and the Rubona Primary School. A ceremonial ribbon cutting officially opened the new classroom.  The service was a meaningful reminder that everyone has the ability to positively impact the world.   

Over the next few years, Agahozo-Shalom will continue building the other four classrooms in commemoration of Anne Heyman. Just as she so strongly believed, ASYV recognizes the education of young children as the solution to sustainable development of the entire nation. 

Submitted by Shelby Sullivan, 2015 Village Fellow