NEW LEADERSHIP FOR RWANDA: Violet Uwera is an 18 year old young woman, a Batwa Pygmy, who has been chosen as a leader by her people. Her family tells a story of the courage and resourcefulness she displayed, even at age 5, during their escape on foot from the 1994 genocide. Violet’s goal is to help lead Rwanda toward reconciliation.
To prepare her for this task, she wants to be educated in the U.S. Impressed with her academic abilities and commitment to service, the well-respected Stoneleigh-Burnham School has approved a full scholarship for Violet starting September 2008.
WHY THIS SCHOOL? Stoneleigh-Burnham is a small, private, all-girls high school in Western Massachusetts. Students experience a rigorous curriculum, unusually small class sizes, and an impressive international program. The school is committed to preparing young women for leadership roles in their communities. Stoneleigh-Burnham has very generously offered Violet free tuition and room and board for the next two years, worth more than $80,000.
URGENT NEED: Even with this significant scholarship, Violet is left with additional expenses to ensure her success. Most critical is the need to cover her preparatory English language studies, at a cost of $7,500. Fees and books once the school year begins will be $3,000 each year. Her return airfare of $1,500 and personal expenses of $1,000 bring her total need to $16,000.
TO DONATE: To help support Violet’s schooling, go to DONATE in the MENU box on the right side of this page. If you inform us by email (or on your check if you send a donation) that you wish to support Violet, we will put 100% of your gift to that purpose.
VIOLET’S FAMILY - A TRADITION OF LEADERSHIP: Violet’s father is a tireless leader of the Batwa people. He has worked with Land is Life since its inception in 1992. He and his wife have 10 biological children and also open their home to individuals widowed or orphaned by the genocide or AIDS. “We are twenty-one under one roof,” says Charles. Violet is active in a group that provides care and services to widows and orphans. Her elders in this group have identified her as a natural leader, one who is dedicated to repairing her world. Because of the low standard of education in Rwanda, as well as the discrimination against her, Violet wants to be schooled outside of Rwanda and return as a better-skilled leader of her people in Rwanda.
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE BATWA: Violet’s father, Charles Uwiragiye, directs a small NGO in Rwanda dedicated to equal rights for the Batwa. Charles says: “The Batwa Pygmy people have historically been considered ‘less than human’ by the dominant society and are highly discriminated against. We are a persecuted 35,000 people in a country of 9.7 million and are not recognized by other tribes or represented within the government. We are looked upon as useless and harassed, even at schools and health clinics.”
LAND TAKEN AWAY: Refugees International states (12 Aug 2003): “Starting in the late 1960s…international conservation groups have joined with national governments to forcibly expel Pygmies from newly declared game parks and forest preserves. They are evicted from their homelands and offered neither compensation nor recourse. Homeless, they take up a marginalized status on the periphery of local communities…The Batwa have been forgotten by local governments, development programs, national government institutions, conservation groups, censuses, public services, and by the international community in its response to the humanitarian situation in the region.”
