Global Trips

Tikkum Olam: Rwanda

Live, learn, and volunteer at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda.

Founded by Year Course alumna Anne Heyman z”l, Agahozo Shalom provides 500 Rwandan orphans and youth-at-risk not only an education, but a place to truly call home. Anne believed in the power of tikkun olam (repairing the world) and aimed to replicate Israel’s successful system of youth villages for orphans in Rwanda.

Learn

As part of Tikkun Olam Rwanda, you will delve deeply into the country’s complex history of genocide and reparation, learn about its rich culture, and study Jewish texts related to activism and social justice during intense preparatory sessions in Israel throughout the year. While in Rwanda, you will continue to study these topics through learning sessions and hands-on experiences throughout the country.

Volunteer

Before embarking on your trip, you and your peers will raise funds for the village by leading fundraising events and inviting your family and friends to contribute to the cause. Once you arrive in Rwanda, you will volunteer at the village farm and kitchen, tutor students in English, lead workshops and assist in after school activities such as art, music, dance, photography, sports and more. You and your peers will also work on a large hands-on project for the village such as a mural or garden throughout your stay.

Travel

You will visit the country’s most beautiful and significant sights: the Akagera National Park where will you will have the chance to see giraffes, zebras, hippos and more; Lake Kivu where you will hike in Rwanda’s famous green hills, swim in the clear lake and learn about the local fishing community; Kigali where you will visit the Genocide Memorial Museum and learn about this painful event in Rwanda’s history and local markets where you will have the opportunity to study Rwandan crafts and fabrics and taste local tropical fruits.

*Additional vaccines are required for the Tikkun Olam: Rwanda trip.