Together, the Girls of ASYV Are Rising
Dear Friends,
Each March, the students and staff of the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) come together to celebrate Women’s History Month. Below are highlights of how all our students, both girls and boys, are standing together to create a more equitable future.
We’re also thrilled to share the launch of our groundbreaking Ikaze Refugee Impact Scholarship, a program conducted in partnership with the organization Isomo and the Shapiro Foundation. Plus, you’ll find a moving and original student performance and updates on ways you can join with our Village family to benefit our kids. Thank you for making all we do possible.
Warmly,
Jean-Claude Nkulikiyimfura
CEO, Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village
Living The Change She Wants To See
At ASYV, we are committed to encouraging our girls, and our boys, to pursue their passions and interests—and to disregard gender biases about who those activities might be for. Through mentorship events, field trips, athletics, science center programs, gender equity workshops, and more, we aim to empower our kids to believe that they can excel at any activity they set their minds to. We sat with fourth-year student Iradukunda Deborah to hear about how she’s breaking down gender barriers.
Deborah dancing with her ASYV traditional dance troupe.
What did you think was possible for your future before coming to ASYV?
When I was in primary school, there were so many activities that girls were not able to do.
People used to say that no girl can dance traditional Rwandan dance in the boys’ position, because it uses a lot of energy. I was like, “Why not? If someone is capable they should do it,” so I joined the team.
When I was onstage for the first time, people told me that I am not a girl and that no man will ever approach me. I was like, “Oh my goodness, maybe I have to stop,” but at the same time I really loved it. I also did not believe I could study STEM subjects. I expected to study tourism or culinary arts.
How did that change at ASYV?
When I reached Agahozo-Shalom, they empowered us with the message that as a girl, you are capable of doing anything. I thought, “Why can’t I study Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics [MCE]?,” and today I am among the top five in the class for MCE. I have learned computer coding, and I helped build a website for the Village clinic, where students can come and register their names when they have health issues.
I was also encouraged to continue in the boys’ position in the dance troupe. Here, everyone cheers when I dance. I feel like society supports who I am, and I should continue with my passion.
You and the rest of the Class of 2025 recently went on ASYV’s Grand Study Tour of Rwanda. I know you saw natural wonders and many professions at work in the real world. Did the trip impact how you think about the future?
The Study Tour was amazing. It was my first time seeing waterfalls. I was like, “Oh my God.” I was so curious to see one with my own eyes. We visited the Rwandan Coding Academy. I was very challenged by the way the computer science students there think and by the crazy projects, like AI robots, they came up with. I was inspired to come up with a project all on my own, and learn to code the way they do.
The visit to Nyirangarama Industries also motivated me. After hearing how the founder started by selling donuts, I was surprised to see how large the business is now. Even though people discouraged him, he just continued working to succeed. It encouraged me to be a businesswoman, and to wake up and think about a unique project that can change people’s lives.
What is your dream for after you graduate?
I want to be recognised as a woman who is capable, has positively impacted the country, and has helped girls realize they can do amazing things.
Rising Together
At ASYV, we know fostering a supportive culture of gender equity cannot be the work of a few, but requires all of us working together all year long. Through our comprehensive gender equity strategy, our staff encourages our kids to challenge stereotypes and realize their full potential. Our students also inspire each other to stand up and lead the fight for a more equitable future. We sat down with four students, Rusaro Mihigo Lynet, ASYV Class of 2024; Uwase Bianca, ASYV Class of 2026; Eric Dufitimana, ASYV Class of 2027; and Kamugisha Keza Irene, ASYV Class of 2028, to learn about the work they’re doing to inspire change.
“When my younger ASYV sisters asked me what clubs I did as a student, I said debate and showed them the YouTube videos where I won best speaker in the Eastern Province and Kigali Leagues. At first, the girls told me they can't debate. I told them that they have a brain and should use it and that motivation and confidence grow through debate. With my training, six girls joined the debate team. When they return from a debate competition with certificates, they make other girls realize that they are capable too.” – Rusaro Mihigo Lynet, ASYV Class of 2024, current ASYV Intern and Academic Advisor
“In my former school, if you were a girl and you asked for something, no one was going to help you. Like many girls, I was very quiet when I arrived at ASYV, but I was encouraged to go out of my comfort zone and my fear went away. Then I asked myself, ‘Why couldn’t I help other girls like me?’ My older [ASYV] sister Lynet said to me, ‘You can do it.’ So I did. This year, I published Understanding Gender: A Journey for All, a booklet that challenges gender stereotypes and inspires us to be changemakers. The booklet will go to every student family home and eventually to other schools.” – Uwase Bianca, ASYV Class of 2026, Student Government Minister for Gender and Family Promotion
“When I was in primary school, classes of 40 students had just 10 girls. I started asking myself why. From the answers my single-mother and older sister gave me, I realized how girls are very undermined in society. It was during my first year at ASYV that I started to do something about gender equity and joined the He for She Club. I was titled ‘Mr. Beyond Stereotypes’ for giving a speech on International Women’s Day about treating female friends equally. I have realized that women and men need to work together to achieve gender equity.” – Eric Dufitimana, ASYV Class of 2027
“At my former schools, girls didn’t engage in a lot of things. When I reached ASYV and heard they had a gender equity ambassador in each family, I thought this is great. I went to see Bianca, who is in charge. She inspired me by not giving up and really engaging with people about equity, so I decided to also be an advocate for gender equity. I make sure that there are an equal number of girls and boys in Village Time activities like poetry and fashion. I also perform a lot to show other girls that if I can do it, why can’t they?” – Kamugisha Keza Irine, ASYV Class of 2028
The Launch of A new Refugee Scholarship Program
We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Ikaze Refugee Impact Scholarship (IRIS) program. Currently, over 50,000 school-aged refugees—and rising—live in Rwanda. However, too often refugee students face barriers to education and academic success.
Through IRIS, ASYV and our partner Isomo are identifying high-achieving refugee students and preparing them for enrollment in Rwanda’s top secondary schools. The program then provides scholarships and academic and psychosocial support throughout the students' secondary school journeys. Watch our recruitment video to learn more.
Don’t miss "The Twist of Agahire," a poetry performance written, performed, produced, and filmed entirely by our talented students. At ASYV, we encourage our kids to explore the healing power of artistic expression. As third-year student and featured poet Ketia said, "Before ASYV, I thought of poetry as something for other people, excluding me. At ASYV, I discovered that poetry was something embedded in me that I love."