2022–2023 Supporter Spotlight
Supporter Spotlight
Bertrand “Kiki” Kayiranga
“I have always been driven by the desire to uplift lives and to improve societies.”
When ASYV founder Anne Heyman was walking the now-familiar hills of our Village, considering purchasing the land, she was accompanied by the internationally renowned architect Kayiranga Muvara “Kiki” Bertrand. From that very first encounter, Kiki’s vision was central to the Village’s design, which he describes as a "full community built around circles and endless views that fosters belonging and perspective as opposed to loneliness and isolation."
Kiki’s passion for creating human-centered design can be seen in his work across Rwanda —from grand hotels to the skyscraper headquarters of the Rwanda Social Security Board to the celebrated Kigali Convention Center, which represents Rwanda on a global stage. More than 15 years into his relationship with ASYV, Kiki reflects that "raising positive change makers cannot be fully quantified, it can only be practically felt." Perhaps his most powerful structures are those that can only be felt, not seen—the relationships he has built with our kids.
“My first time meeting Kiki at ASYV he was so friendly and caring to all the kids, including me. After I graduated, he kept caring about me and my studies at university and after that, about my music career. I think of him as a father. I want to make him proud and show him the seeds he planted.”
In Memoriam: Franco Harris
Pro Football Hall of Fame member Franco Harris is hailed across the United States for the 1972 “Immaculate Reception.” In the Village, he is also celebrated as a longtime friend and supporter of ASYV, and for his passionate dedication to youth around the world. Franco, who died in December 2022 at the age of 72, had a deep concern for the wellbeing of our kids and a strong passion for their achievements, believing they deserve access to every opportunity.
Franco was pivotal in bringing Carnegie Mellon University’s Computer Science Academy, an introductory course in the Python programming language, to ASYV in the first international application of CMU’s high school-level program. His legacy will live on through this program and in the resounding impact it has had on our students’ ability to study computer science at the college level. In the words of Executive Director Jean-Claude Nkulikiyimfura speaking to the kids of ASYV before Franco’s passing, “We hope there is a Franco in each one of you—whether it is on the sports field or in spirit.”
Franco’s lifetime of service included roles as a member of the Board of Directors of The Heinz Endowments and Board Chair of The Pittsburgh Promise, a youth development program. Franco’s generosity and kindness, his charm and passion, are remembered by the entire Village family.