Emmanuel and his family fled Burundi as refugees and have been living in Mahama Refugee Camp in Rwanda since 2015. For Emmanuel and for thousands of other refugee youth, this trauma has left them without hope. In 2018, that began to change when Emmanuel was selected to join the MindLeaps training program. His natural technical abilities and exemplary character quickly become apparent. He is now the lead-trainer of his camp. Still, he lacks the experience and skills necessary to run his program.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are nearly 150,000 refugees currently living in Rwanda. The majority are from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi including 51% under the age of 18. Many of these youth were born in their camps, and with the unlikelihood of resettlement, they are losing hope for their futures. They feel stuck without hope of opportunity for mobility or for travel.
With this Scholarship funding, lead-refugee trainer Emmanuel will receive an internship that will travel him to Guinea, Conakry to learn from Senior MindLeaps staff. He will participate in the International Train The Trainers' program to deepen his ability to communicate and to teach. He will become a better teacher and project manager. This scholarship makes travel and upward mobility tangible. It allows Emmanuel to leave Rwanda and to learn skills that will lead to more opportunity.
Upon Emmanuel's return from Guinea, he will be able to share his new knowledge with his camp. He will strengthen the MindLeaps program within the camp giving refugee youth consistency, hope, and a sense of community. This will motivate them to resist violence and to become educated and healthy. As Emmanuel shares these new skills, it will empower the entire camp to become more powerful versions of themselves and allow for opportunities for improved lives.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
