RWANDAN COMMUNITY-LED INITIATIVES
Red Rocks Rwanda (RRR), the social enterprise established in 2010 that offers tours led by well-trained locals, gave birth in 2017 to its sister organisation, Red Rock Initiative (RRI). This local NGO focuses on the sustainable development of communities through a variety of programmes.
RRI’s mission is to ‘improve community livelihood through Environmental Conservation, Arts & Culture, Education, and Community Health & Safety Initiatives’.
The skill development programme, for example, which is supported by the national government, is enriched by the time and energies of the international volunteers who decide to spend at least three weeks here and share their skills. Once learnt by the locals, these are then passed on to other community members to create a virtuous cycle.
The kids here not only learn and improve skills like carpentry, hospitality and handicraft, among others; they also come here to have fun and rest after school.
Chess – not a traditional game in this part of Africa – was introduced after Greg took a trip to Europe in 2018, and has reached such great popularity among the youngsters that before the start of the COVID pandemic they were organising a tournament with a village in neighbouring Uganda. Chess does, however, look terribly similar to Higissouro, a traditional Rwandan game played by digging some holes in the soil.
As with all the other activities offered to the youth in the centre, this is free of charge and a great opportunity to socialise with others.
Victor Ngabirano
Real African Experience. Thank you Greg for putting this together.