Ngabo is one of four kids who live at the Center, and who have stayed there throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Twice a week, Fred – a counselor for Rising Above the Storms – is checking in on the kids at the Center. When asked to see how Ngabo was doing, this was his story.
“Ohoho teacher, you don’t know how hard it is with no class, no football, no group games, and then you are asked to be alone. Even though I am with others at the Center, I have to social distance myself by 2 meters and have discipline to wash my hands.
C’est dure. This is hard.
Cleaning the garden, sleeping, eating, and playing alone is becoming boring. There is hope though because I feel catered for here, but I wonder what is next? We pray to God but the fear remains. The future is uncertain.
We hope that Rwanda will not have the amount of cases like in other countries. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if one of the kids at the Center or one of our relatives were infected with the virus.
When I sleep during the day, it is very hard to sleep during night. It is hard to concentrate when I am learning and reading my notes.
Being healthy is the first human capital. There are no spare parts for the body.
The best we can do is stay together to fight the coronavirus. In the current environment we are living in, we are respecting measures taken by the government to prevent the virus from spreading. That means regularly washing your hands with soap and water, staying at home, and social distancing.
The situation terrifies me, but I also feel hopeful seeing the efforts of different governments, agencies, and individuals. There are individuals that are sacrificing their lives to find a solution to COVID-19. I am grateful to medical professionals everywhere. And to our friends in United States, I am sorry for what is happening in your country.
May God protect you and your country.
About Alice
Born and raised in Rwanda, Alice is a representative and counselor for Rising Above the Storms.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Kigali Independent University, Rwanda and a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from Annamalai University, India. Some of her field work includes research around senior living, family planning and vulnerable youth.
A true leader, her passion to help others is not new; Alice has always been a designated person to be at the helm in all projects she has been involved in from a young age. For example, in high school, she was selected as the head of her school for several years. Some of her responsibilities were to be a role model, an advocate and a voice for her school to its leadership. She enjoys responsibilities and challenges.
Alice also volunteers as the Social Affairs Person at her church. Working for RAS and with kids, especially those at-risk is truly her passion and something she is good at. Alice lives in Rwanda with her husband and infant daughter. During her free time, Alice likes to attend soccer matches, basketball tournaments, watch movies and read books.
On March 14, 2020 the first cases of the coronavirus were identified in Rwanda. Like many other countries across the globe, the Rwandan government put measures in place to limit the spread of virus. These measures include limiting the gathering of large groups of people and closing schools.
Following official health guidelines, Rising Above the Storms closed the center and requested that the kids stay at their family homes. The four kids who live at the center do continue to stay there and are respecting the lockdown.
All of our staff are also staying home. Yvette Uyisabye, the Office Administrator and Counselor, continues to communicate with others and manage the center online. Fred Gatete, the Accountant and Counselor, is staying near the center and continues to check in on the children who live there. He visits the center twice a week to buy food for the children and provide any basic needs.
However, these visits are about more than just grocery shopping. It’s about keeping them engaged on the latest developments.
For instance, during one of his visits Fred talked to the children about washing their hands and the importance of social distancing two meters from each other. He also tests their knowledge with questions such as, “Do you know why there is a lockdown in Rwanda?’ The kids responded with a resounding “yes” and continued by listing the symptoms of the coronavirus. These questions are also followed up with how they feel about being asked to stay at the center and not go to school.
“At the center, we continue to stay at home, regularly wash our hands with soap and water, social distance, rest, stay involved in home activities to reduce stress, revise our notes, and play individually to keep ourselves busy.”
– Fred Gatete, Accountant and Counselor
All of our employees, responsible of Amahoro Builders and active volunteers are staying connected online to stay informed about the four children at the center and the kids who are at home with their families.
So no matter where you are…
Stay home. Wash your hands reguarly. Keep social distancing. Pray. AMAHORO (be peaceful).
We’ve just reached 500 likes on our Facebook page! Thank you to everyone who has been with us during this journey. We feel your love and support and appreciate every bit of it.
We launched our first project in Rwanda in January 2017 and since then we’ve done a lot!
An additional 16 kids entered our facility in the past 2-3 months alone. We now have about 31 children who are part of our programs.
9 laptops in total were added to the center to empower the kids through technology and boost their confidence and curiosity.
Our Learning Center in Rwanda serves as an after school program to help the kids thrive. Between the time that the school year ends and begins, the kids come to the center Monday-Friday to shower, eat, or take part in individual or group counseling. They also come to listen to guest speakers and play soccer.
We’ve moved to a bigger facility with plenty of rooms and space for the kids to play and learn.
Our Executive Director & Founder Alphonsine Imaniraguha Anderson was selected as the Cisco 2018 Community Hero; she was featured in the Cisco’s Bridge to Possible Brand Campaign to highlight how Cisco empowers its employees to do good in their communities and around the world.
Let’s keep the momentum going!
Help us keep this momentum going by sharing this post with the people you know and recommending that they like our Facebook page.
Thank you again for supporting Rising Above the Storms.
Sometime in the Fall last year (I’d say August or September?), I received an e-mail in my work inbox. I don’t remember every word in it, but it was a mass e-mail asking employees to nominate their peers who have gone above and beyond to make an impact in their communities and around the world, for the “Be the Bridge” Award. The content was especially appealing, and I flagged the e-mail for a follow up on my part so I could nominate some of the amazing people I knew. Unfortunately it got busier, and the deadline passed. I didn’t do my part. I was bummed!
I am the Bridge between Street Kids in Rwanda and a Chance to Dream! SJC, Nov 2018
Sometime later, I received another similar e-mail, this time a very different message. “You have been nominated for the Bridge Award“. The e-mail also revealed the name of the colleague who nominated me, and I reached out to him immediately, in awe. As it turns out, he wanted to remain anonymous! Perhaps a check box he may have forgotten to tick/untick, but I was glad I knew whom it was. I later found out about another colleague who also nominated me, but I didn’t get notified for that one. These 2 incredible people, had previously worked on a year-long project that featured my nonprofit in 2017-2018. I was very humbled & thankful!
With our very own Fran ❤️, the head of Cisco HR!
A month or so later, I received another e-mail:
“Congratulations! We are thrilled to let you know that you have been selected as a Grand Prize Winner of The Bridge Awards! On behalf of the entire Cisco community, we are truly inspired by your actions and proud of the incredible contributions you have made. In recognition of your achievements, we are pleased to offer you a trip to the Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa. Your prize will include airfare, accommodations and, a VIP experience at the Global Citizen Festival.”
Kelly & Maxine, cheering, after my video shoot interview at Cisco in SJC! Love these 2 ladies very much!
I was too excited that I couldn’t even hold it down to read the rest of the e-mail, that urged me to keep it to myself until every Winner has been notified. I saw that after I shared it with at least 10 people (my family, fiancé, adoptive parents, my manager..). I was like oops, sorry guys! I couldn’t help it. Fast forward to November, the Winners (later I found out it was 10 of us) were invited to the Cisco Headquarter in San Jose, California to attend the company’s meeting where the Winners were going to be revealed.
Making it to San Jose in the morning of the event, I saw a dear friend there, Joy. I know her from church, Cisco & a gala that my nonprofit hosted in 2016. None of us knew that the other was a winner. Everything was a secret, obviously, until the official announcement!
With my dear friend Joy, in San Jose, CA before the Winners Reveal!
Then I got to meet more people, and learned the amazing work they did. I couldn’t believe my ears, eyes! Please allow me to proudly brag about men & women (in no particular order) that I got an honor, great privilege and an opportunity of a lifetime, to be named Cisco Bridge Award Winners with. I cried, felt encouraged, and humbled! Now my lifetime friends! Cisco has greatly empowered me, my family and now many more people, our kids in Rwanda!
Make sure you watch this YouTube Video: We Are the Bridge!
7 of the 10 Winners, with Cisco’s head of HR & head of Marketing
Joy, through Habitat for Humanity rallies Cisco as a company to help build homes for the homeless around the world; she hails from North Carolina. Rajeev helped organize relief goods for victims of flood in Kerala, India in addition to founding two NGOs dedicated to hunger relief for children in slums and on the streets of India!
Vanessa founded the non-profit Love Never Fails, which works to rescue and empower human trafficking victims & survivors; she is based in the beautiful California. Cathy, in Johannesburg, South Africa, dedicates her personal time to take care of kids in need, feeds them and gives them basic essentials.
Claus in Germany, works with Refugee School for Digital Integration (ReDI) to teach courses like Cloud Security and IoT to refugees, via Cisco.
Scott, a long time volunteer firefighter & ski patroller, developed technology (that won award) to keep firefighters and skiers safe in the US and around the world. He hails from Seattle. Shawn, in Atlanta, works with Women Orthopedist Global Outreach, (an all-female team of orthopedic surgeons) that replaces joints for people in developing nations.
Daud, in Pakistan, created the SAYA Welfare Society by donating a family owned land to create a basic medical facility to provide free healthcare services. Ramachandran leads a program that partners with Step Up For India to teach English to kids using technology near the Cisco office in Bangalore.
At the FNB Stadium, South Africa
In addition to 10 of us, Cisco extended the invitation to 10 Runner Ups. 7 of them joined us, and a total of 17 people (plus our leadership teams, including our CEO & Chief People Officer), we all went to South Africa. For the Global Citizen Festival, Mandela 100 (Mandela would have turned 100 in 2018)!
Global Citizen Festival, according to their website, is a concert that brings together musicians, world leaders, and global citizens in an effort to influence positive change on a global scale. In South Africa, 70% of the tickets were given away for free, to recipients who took action, to help advance the mission of the Global Citizen to end extreme poverty by 2030. The FNB stadium was packed, close to 100K people. Knowing that I was surrounded by people who care about the humanitarian work, gave me hope.
There were so many famous people, artists, humanitarians, activists, world leaders, global citizens; Beyonce & Jay-Z, Tyler Perry, Trevor Noah, Oprah, Ed Sheeran, and so many more, all to support causes around healthcare, education, fighting poverty & diseases etc. It was absolutely incredible!
After the brunch with Cisco CEO & Head of HR, South Africa
It was an experience of a lifetime, but my favorite part was getting to know the winners and runner ups. The runner ups represented Belgium, Lebanon, Nigeria, Italy, United States etc. Hearing their stories and work they are doing, in addition to their Cisco job was truly humbling. How do they do it? There is no simple answer but here is a fact: Cisco makes it possible for its employees to do what they love doing outside work. For example, full time employees get 40 hours a year, paid time off, for Time 2 Give (community give back). For every hour spent volunteering for qualifying organizations, Cisco donates $10/hr.
Moreover, Cisco matches donations, dollar for dollar, up to $10K a year, by employees to qualifying organizations and nonprofits. All the above, is really what has encouraged and helped my nonprofit continue its operations and grow. Cisco employees’ donations to Rising Above the Storms constitutes somewhere over 80% of our annual funds. That’s huge!
The bottom line, I now have colleagues around the world, that I am humbled to call friends. They are changing lives, and it gives me an encouragement and hope, just knowing them. And I am proud to work for Cisco, a company that deeply cares about a cause close to my heart, and empowers me to be successful!
Never in a million years have I ever thought that I would start a nonprofit, leave alone sharing personal, painful wounds of my past with strangers on the cyberspace, or in person for that matter. It has always been a challenge for me to comfortably talk to people I just met, and it still is the case today unfortunately. The idea of starting a nonprofit first came to mind in 2012. I felt urgency and a desire in my heart; I could sense something bigger than I had ever imagined was about to unfold. Soon, it became clear to me that this was what God Has been preparing me for all along.
Losing parents at 13, surviving a genocide with younger siblings who were all under 10, juggling life, pain, loss, poverty, betrayal, disappointment; it has been a long journey to recovery! However, from the very beginning, I perhaps understood that the idea of starting a nonprofit that is centered around my personal journey may possibly mean opening up about my past and personal experiences, something that is extremely difficult for me to do.
You see, I come from a culture that is famous for keeping things to themselves. In Rwanda, you don’t talk about your personal life to people who aren’t your close friends or family members. When you make a casual conversation with a Rwandan around their personal life, they’ll become suspicious of your motives in asking. It is still true today.
Kids in our program during the celebration of International Day of the African Child, July 2017
In fact, more than a decade here, the thought of learning about a stranger’s marital issue or not getting along with a boss during an hour plane ride is still appalling to me today. Don’t get me wrong, I really love listening to others and learning more about their personal stories. My challenge is the other way around; talking to strangers, especially in a group setting, about anything, especially sensitive topics such as 1994 in Rwanda. It doesn’t matter if those people seem harmless. So, when God laid this idea of starting a nonprofit on my heart, I felt equally scared and excited!
RAS Facilities in Rwanda
Summing up my life story and what God has done for me and my siblings, I couldn’t imagine a better name to call my nonprofit: Rising Above the Storms. I chose “Rising” instead of “Rise” as many tend to think of R, to emphasize on a continuing journey, a work in progress. The journey began when the most devastating atrocities of the 20th century hit my beautiful home country on April 6, 1994. By the end of 90 days, my parents and 2 of my siblings have been killed. You can read more on my recollection of their final moments that I wrote on the 20th anniversary of their death: In A Garden of Fame Where Their Treasured Memories Grow Fonder: Two Decades Later.
I like how some people think S means Stars. I will take it.
It’s been a wild ride since the official launch of RAS, in 2014. Combining the expectations of what it takes to get a startup off the ground with my busy engineering career has been close to impossibility to say the least. I now understand why every person I have met who is an executive director of a nonprofit is their full time job. It’s impossible to do anything else.
Earlier this year, we launched our first partnership with a local organization in Rwanda to start a mobile based classroom for street children. We currently have 17 kids in our program, 11 of them back in school. It’s been an incredible journey to get to know these kids, through our team on the ground. The kids who visit the center on weekly basis receive care through therapy sessions after a meal. This allows them to express their challenges and struggles as we walk with them through life.
Group photo after launching the Treasured Learning Center in Rwanda
There are multiple ways you can become part of this amazing experience: you can sponsor a child for $50 a month. This amount covers their school material, tuition, school uniform, therapy sessions, meals and clean cloths they receive when they come to the center on a weekly basis. Or you can simply donate on our website: Learn how you can get involved.
Rising Above the Storms is my personal story, my non profit and my life’s calling and God’s mission for my life. I can’t imagine doing anything else. This is without a doubt what I am meant to do for the rest of my life. Caring and loving vulnerable children & youth is something that moves me to tears and keeps me up at night. I weep just looking at hungry, abandoned children that I don’t even know; it could be on TV or newspaper. I could have easily become one of those children; it’s not because of anything I did to be very fortunate.
As the Bible quotes in Isaiah 61, I hope to spend the rest of my life striving to be their voice! God bless you.
