Steering Committee student representative, Mapendo Mindje, launches Global Community Partners (GCP) Initiative
Tuesday, April, 3rd, 2018 News
On 23rd March 2018, Mr. Mapendo MINDJE, founded and launched Global Community Partners initiative, chaired by Mr. Cassian Muhire, the Director of operation services and Mrs. Veneranda Uwamariya, assistant coordinator for year one studies-CAVM Program at the University of Rwanda-Huye campus.
Global Community Partners team with Miss. Irebe Natacha Ursule (Second Runner Up of Miss Rwanda 2018)
In collaboration with a team of enthusiastic young students and staff members of the University of Rwanda, Global Community Partners was founded with a vision to create a prosperous Rwandan community by bringing together the efforts of faculty and students to address the community’s challenges, thus placing the University of Rwanda as part of the solution.
Leadership, access to education, and community livelihoods are the three pillars that frame the work of Global Community Partners. The Global Community Partners assesses community challenges and develop community outreach programs while making UR students agents of global community change.
Prior to its launch, Global Community Partners and the Huye District authorities in the southern province of Rwanda outreached to The Last Harbors, a drug rehabilitation center for youth, women, and children.At the rehabilitation center, Global Community Partners and District authorities educated the participants about the country’s cultural values and the contribution of each citizen to the development of Rwanda.
Children at the rehabilitation center and Global Community Partners members
The theme of the workshop was “My Contribution To The Current And Future Rwanda.” Nominated students and staff outreached to the community and explained to the young people the personal and societal consequences to the country’s development and encouraged everyone to get involved in activities that benefit the country as a whole.
UR student speaking to formerly rehabilitated youth and children
Global Community Partners invited Mrs. Irebe Natacha Ursule, the second runner up of the 2018 Miss Rwanda pageant, to speak on behalf of Rwandan youth and shared an experience with the youth about self-reliance and financial readiness by saving for the future. She explained that starting with a little cash and using that money for the future can change their lives for the better.
Second Runner Up Miss Irebe Natacha Ursule speaking to youth about saving for the future not for drugs
Mrs. Veneranda Uwamariya, assistant to the year one CAVM program coordinator at the University of Rwanda with support from Mrs. Mutanganzwa Intwalinkase Dorine, a UR Master’s student in Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resources Management, reminded the mothers that they hold the nation in their hands as mothers are the great educators of the country.
Goals of the Global Community Partners
The overall goal of Global Community Partners is to initiate programs, inspire movements, and develop projects that are for the benefit of the community and Rwandan society.
Specifically, Global Community Partners aims at:
- Identify different challenges faced by our communities and generate ideas to solve them;
- Create and contribute to campaigns, seminars and workshops and trainings that benefit communities;
- Establish a sustainable network between University of Rwanda students, University faculties, national, regional as well as international institutions and organizations to collaborate or support joint projects that are for the benefit of the community;
- Build the social responsibility spirit in University of Rwanda students as a workforce for change
The movement is led by students like Mr. Karamage Jean Damascene who is President of Global Community Partners President (and a student in Year Two-Forestry and Nature Conservation). To practice their leadership capacity in collaboration with the founder of Global Community Partners and support staff at the University of Rwanda, we invite any person, organization or institution to join our movement and build together a strong nation with self-actualized community.
Article written by Mapendo MINDJE,
Faculty at the University of Rwanda
Student representative on the Talloires Network Steering Committee