During the 1994 Genocide against Tusti commemoration week, Seven United members carried out a charity event to repair a house of a 1994 Genocide Against Tutsi survivor, Mudacumura Innocent who lives in Ntarama Sector of Bugesera District.
The charity event named “Itafari Charity Event” was attended by Seven United members from all high school chapters and their elder brothers and sisters who graduated from those different high schools.
During the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi commemoration week, members of Seven United visited Nyamata Genocide Memorial, in Nyamata Sector of Bugesera District, where they were reminded history of Nyamata before and during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
The youth visited different parts of Nyamata Genocide Memorial, where they were explained how approximately 5000 Tutsis who came to seek refuge in Nyamata Catholic Parish church during the genocide were killed.
Members of Seven United paid tribute to 50,000 Tutsis buried in Nyamata Genocide Memorial by laying flowers on the grave.
Youth Dialogue is an initiative of Seven United that brings together youth of all genders and educational backgrounds to learn, discuss, and plan in order to build a successful future.
This program connects young people to experts from different fields, including business, entrepreneurship, academia, public service, and philanthropy. These successful individuals provided valuable advice and inspiration to these youth, who seek solutions to the career challenges they face.
École Notre Dame de la Providence de Karubanda (ENDPK)’s chapter of Seven United is known for organizing thoughtful, inspiring events.
Most recently, the ENDPK chapter provided basic materials, including food and school materials, for a child and opened a savings account for her that will allow the chapter to provide for her monthly. The chapter also provided for an orphaned fellow student, whom they welcomed into the big family of Seven United at ENDPK.
Seven United members with the four child recipients of the cows
On Saturday 25th May 2019, Seven United’s youth community service program joined together with the residents of Bumbogo, a community on the outskirts of Kigali, Rwanda’s capital. The occasion was Seven United’s high school and university members gifting cows to four orphaned children, helping to improve the quality of life for the families who are raising these children.
Seven United members with some of the over 100 Bumbogo residents who attended the ceremony
The cows will provide the children’s adoptive families with milk as well as with manure—crucial in vegetable farming. Owning livestock means creating a sustainable source of revenue for the entire family and elevating the household economy.
Seven United St. Andre Chapter with two beneficiaries
Meet the children who received cows
Meet David Niyogisubizo, a 12-year-old boy currently enrolled in school because of Seven United’s support
After David Niyogisubizo’s family abandoned him, Eugenie Mukamana and Gerard Ruhamya took him in. The couple were struggling financially, however; as a result, David could not attend school at the age when he was meant to begin. Through Seven United’s support, David is now in his first year of primary school. He is a smart student, ranking among the top of his class.
Clementine Uwineza, a young girl of 11 who dreams of becoming a teacher
At just 11 years old, Clementine Uwineza has already lost both her parents. She now lives with her aunt and, because of Seven United, is able to study and pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. Clementine is in her 4th year of primary school and is an excellent student with with an impressive 93% average.
Diane Iradukunda is a 20-year-old young woman able to access special education through Seven United
Diane Iradukunda is 20 years old and has a special case of intellectual disability. She has had longstanding family issues, with a mother also struggling with significant mental health problems. Recognizing these difficulties, Diane’s neighbors adopted her and take care of her now. With the help of Seven United, she has now started at a specialized school where she is able to learn different routines and practice social interaction.
Emmanuel Twagirimana (not pictured) is 14 years old. Like Clementine, he is an orphan of both parents. The family of Joseph Twahirwa and Beatrice Mukarugambwa took him in as their own. Emmanuel is now in his 6th year of primary school, thanks to the support of Seven United. He is managing to do well in spite of numerous challenges in his life outside the classroom. He dreams of becoming a doctor.
Headmistress Sister Philomene Nyirahuku (Center) poses with her students, Justus and Seven United Leadership for a photo
Seven United is very grateful to the Nova family of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA for donating over 200 pounds’ worth of academic books to young people in Rwanda. Justus Uwayesu, Seven United’s Founder and Executive Director, used his monthlong break from graduate school to bring the books to Rwanda and distribute them to students who will make good use of them in the coming years. The science and mathematics books went to the students of Ecole Notre Dame de la Providence de Karubanda. The cookbooks went to aspiring chefs at Esther’s Aid Culinary Arts School.
Justus had to carry this weighty shipment all the way from the U.S. to Rwanda, sacrificing some of his luggage to find a place for it on the airplane. Ecole Notre Dame de la Providence de Karubanda’s School Headmistress Sister Philomene Nyirahuku observed of Justus’s generosity, “I am very surprised by this. Not everyone can think like you did, and many people don’t even know the value of books. But the way you took your time and left your luggage aside to bring this to Rwandan children shows how you value the contribution of everyone in promoting quality education from the early stage, especially in Science and Mathematics.”
But Justus was glad to do it, knowing how much it could mean to individual students. He recalled, “When I was in high school at IFAK [in Kigali], I was given 2 science books from the U.S. as a gift. Those books really helped me a lot, as they were hard to find locally and would have been extremely expensive.”
On this vacation from his masters degree program in Beijing, China, he first passed through the U.S. to visit friends and his college host family, the Nova family. As Annette and Dan Nova wondered where best to donate the books their daughters had used in school, Justus says he reflected immediately on how such books had helped him and asked if they might give the books to Seven United because he knew the worth they would have for secondary school students in Rwanda.
The school dean, teachers and students appreciating the textbooks
Ecole Notre Dame de la Providence de Karubanda’s Dean of Studies Mr. Benjamin Matabaro agreed with Justus’s assessment, telling Seven United, “These are highly valued books for high school students and teachers in their daily activities of learning and teaching.” He was glad Seven thought to bring the books to his students.
As he handed out the books, Justus also shared what he had learned in his years of education. He advised the students not to rely only on what their teachers gave them. Ambitious learners, he said, should know that they need to look for more knowledge in books and spend more time doing extra readings. He added that performing well on national exams requires a good deal of practice and that these books, fittingly, contain hundred of practice problems for the students to use.
The cookbooks Justus brought to Esther’s Aid Culinary Arts School were equally valuable. The books are full of various recipes from the best chefs in the U.S. food as well as recipes from different cuisines, including Thai, Italian, Mexican and many more. Some were even pastry baking books, which are especially sought after in Rwanda. Esther’s Aid is known to have trained hundreds of skilled cooks who are now working all across Rwanda, in almost every hotel in the country. The cookbooks will help prepare students for Rwanda’s fast-growing hospitality industry, allowing them to work with the diverse pool of tourists now pouring into Rwanda annually.
Esther’s Aid Culinary Arts students pose for a photo with their new cookbooks
Tariki 12 Kanama 2018- Muri ibi birori Seven United hari insanganyamatsiko igira iti: "Uruhare rw'urubyiruko mu iterambere ry'Igihugu”. Muri iyi sabukuru y'imyaka 10 ya Seven United, hari hatumiwe abayobozi mu nzego zitandukanye za Leta.
Justus Uwayesu recently received the IDEA Award for his exemplary leadership of Seven United and commitment to bettering the lives of children from low-income families and their communities.
Seven United's Founder and Executive Director was profiled in Harvard's newspaper!
“I don’t think there is anything that makes me or anyone special in the way we succeed, except having that spirit that tells us to keep going.” - Justus Uwayesu
