We develop personal relationships among Americans and Rwandans with the result that these connections often evolve into mutually beneficial projects that promote the economic and educational life in Rwanda. Some of the results:

A group of Friends of Byiama provide scholarships to 100 students at Rwanda's top science high school. Yellow Springs, Ohio High School has a student/teacher exchange with the Byiamana Secondary School in Rwanda and a family from that city is building library/media center for the Byiamana village.

The Paraclete Foundation hosts the Benebikira sisters, a native Catholic congregation of nuns, who come for higher education and share their third world experience with others.

Another group of "Friends" are spear heading a campaign for money to furnish rooms in a newly buildt dormitory for women at the National University.of Rwanda. The cost to furnish one room is $185. Tech Networks of Boston provided the computers for the dormitory lab and a Bowdoin College student visited to set up the lab.

The Paraclete Foundation was the incubator for the building of the Maranyundo School for Girls in Nymata, Rwanda which opened in February 2008. This operation of this school will be turned over to the Rwandans in January 2010.

We helped start the Thousand Hills Coffee Company which supports education projects in Rwanda.

Benebikira Sisters:

ThousandHillsCoffee.com

Byiamana School of Sciences

maranyundo.org