What do Julius Nyerere, Helen Keller, and John Lennon all have in common? On the surface perhaps not much, but at ASYV, each of these individuals is the namesake of one of our Village families, a late hero identified for the legacy they left in life and the core values they embodied.

Choosing a hero to be a family’s namesake isn’t an easy process.

On Rwanda’s national holiday, Heroes’ Day, ASYV’s Enrichment Year (first year) students began their discussions about what kind of person they consider to be a hero. The national heroes of Rwanda are celebrated in three different categories: Imanzi, Imena, and Ingenzi..

• Imanzi is a hero who demonstrated outstanding achievements characterized by supreme sacrifice, outstanding importance, and example.

• Imena is a hero known for extreme sacrifice.

• And Ingenzi is a hero that is still alive today.

In addition to honoring and commemorating the heroes of Rwanda, the ASYV community remembered ASYV’s own late heroes including Anne Heyman and Sifa Nsengimana.

Through drama skits, dances, poems and speeches, students learned about these heroes and the reasons for which they are celebrated.

After Heroes’ Day ended, Enrichment Year (EY) students visited older students’ homes to learn about the heroes those students identified as their family’s namesake. They listened intently to stories like Mbaye Diagne’s, a Senegalese soldier who was killed while serving as a UN Peacekeeper in Rwanda in 1994, and Septima Clark, an African American woman who fought for the rights of African American men and women. They learned about these heroes’ values like kindness, courage, confidence and respect; values that mirror ASYV’s own Core Values.

After learning from their brothers and sisters, EY students sat down in their own homes for the research phase of the naming process. During Family Time and free moments throughout the day, students researched prospective candidates –from the renowned to the near anonymous. With the assistance of Big Siblings and Cousins, each family created a list of three heroes to submit for approval ranked in order of preference. Each family was ultimately approved for their first choice.

Finally, the day of the naming ceremony arrived, and the entire Village gathered in the amphitheater for a special Village Time. After the new grade shared their talents in modeling, dance, music and poetry, the naming ceremony began. Each family came forward on the stage with a poster revealing their family’s name and an explanation of the significance of their hero.

The evening concluded with an announcement of the new grade’s name Inganji, a Kinyarwanda word meaning victory and a celebration of the many victories to come for this impressive grade of students.

Read more about the names of our new Village families below and check out the Enrichment Year Village Time and naming ceremony here!

Class of 2023 (Inganji Grade) Families

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) William Shakespeare won the hearts of Family 1 members for his life’s work as a storyteller. Family members identified with Shakespeare’s works because they enjoy reading, acting, theatre, poetry, and dance. Although he may seem like an unlikely hero for our students, this family picked Shakespeare because “he had heart. Heart meaning passion for telling stories and building worlds and characters that have stood the test of time.”

Ella Josephine Baker (1903-1986) An active member of the Civil Rights Movement, Ella Josephine Baker worked behind the scenes as an influencer and supporter of many famous Civil Rights activists including Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. This family chose Baker because they believe that to be a leader and a role model, you don’t always need to be in the public eye.

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) Family 3 chose Pascal for the smart calculations he made in his short lifetime. They were inspired by his critical thinking skills and creative solutions, which led to inventions like the calculator. Pascal never had a formal education but his passion for learning moved him to take full advantage of the opportunities around him; a lesson that the boys in this family will take with them throughout their lives.

Bessie Coleman (1892-1926) As the first African American and Native American female pilot, Bessie Coleman flew into the hearts of the members of Family 4. Through creative solutions, Coleman was able to overcome the challenges she faced and served as an inspiration for other women to pursue their dreams no matter the obstacles.

Princess Diana (1961-1997) This family were inspired by Princess Diana’s use of her position of power and fame to give hope and comfort to marginalized people, particularly the victims of poverty, disease, and social injustice. Her support of organizations that fought for AIDS awareness, children’s rights, and education struck a chord with the family members who are passionate about making the world a better place for others.

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) Florence Nightingale inspired this family because of her perseverance and integrity. She built a healthcare career at a time when few women worked in the field. Her father hoped that she would get married and become a housewife, but Nightingale followed her heart and consequently became the founder of modern nursing. She is an inspiration and an example to the women in Family 6 for fighting against the norm and being her own person.

Submitted by Stephanie Blitzer, Communications Fellow 2020