My trip to Rwanda 17 months ago changed my life. 

As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I felt a personal connection to this tiny African country that had experienced a genocide in which nearly 1 million people were killed in 100 days by their neighbors in 1994.

I went to the country with the intention to pray there and also to try to understand how the Rwandans had managed to pick themselves up and start to heal from such  horrific trauma.

 I found a young and vibrant country with kind, generous and open-hearted people. I listened to whomever was willing to share with me and was moved by the stories of survival, forgiveness and yearning to succeed despite TREMENDOUS obstacles.

I was particularly astonished by the thirst for knowledge that I witnessed there in people of all ages —including the school kids who befriended me on my shabbat walks and the people who worked in my hotel. 

When I left Rwanda, I knew I wanted to go back, both to see the people who are now so dear to me but also to contribute to the advancement of the next generation of Rwandans.

I am grateful for the opportunity to go back and make a difference! In June I will be traveling to Rwanda to give educational coaching seminars in two places:

The first is the Agahozo- Shalom village-a school and residence for 503 orphans and disadvantaged middle and high school kids. I will be training the 30 teachers and the social workers in several coaching/empowerment techniques that they can use in their work with their students. I will also be coaching a small group of high school seniors.

 In addition, I have partnered with the "It's Possible" Foundation (IPF), a wonderful nascent organization founded by Divin Muranze, an ambitious 23 year old whom I met on my first trip to Rwanda. The aim of IPF is to change the mindset of teens and young adults in order to bring about societal change and they also do charity projects in rural communities.

 IPF now numbers 50 members, ages 18-22, who are working hard to finish university and advance themselves.  In a recent project they brought a MONTH'S worth of food to disabled people in a poor village south of Rwanda's capital because government assistance does not provide enough food for the disabled to get through the month.
 
I will be working with a group of young adults from IPF and they have also arranged for me to do a coaching workshop with 60 high school girls. The priority here is to raise their self-esteem, give them hope for the future, and help them experience the power of setting goals so that they can propel themselves forward and not succumb to the hopelessness that is so prevalent in this part of the world and that can simply lead to disaster for young women.

 The IPF members are so excited about my coming and I am confident that each of them will use what I am giving to succeed in their personal and professional lives, and to help others!
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When my father, Dr Rabbi Jack Gniwesch came to America in 1942 as an orphan, he was adopted by strangers.

When he wanted to study medicine 20 years later his school fees were paid for by a stranger because they were well out of his reach.

How can I not step up to help when I think about how my father was helped?

As the 4th anniversary of my father's passing draws nearer, I embark on this journey in his merit, honor and memory.

I would be honored if you join me in this special journey. Although I am volunteering my time, I need to cover the travel costs and  the cost of the educational materials I will be bringing. Any excess donations will be used for future work in Rwanda—or to a charity organization on the ground there.

In Judaism, the highest form of charity is helping someone to earn their own living and  to stand on their own two feet with dignity.

Let's do that together.