Sabbatical: Why Rwanda.

By Saturday evening, the 12 of us, minus one, had arrived. Jared, our US colleague in Philly, was supposed to be on my flight from Amsterdam to Kigali. Thanks to weather and incompetency at Delta Airlines, he arrived two days and eight flights later. Yikes.

Sunday we got right to it. We spent the morning getting to know each other. Jurie, our leader from Pyxera, a D.C-based company that helps organize our 10 yearly Sabbaticals, gave us an inspiring kickoff presentation about the mission of Pyxera and the impact that programs like ours are making worldwide. Check out the Pyxera Global site - it's very interesting and worthwhile work. 

Our Sabbatical alumni mentor Rainer Stern and others
on Team Kumwe at Pyxera kickoff presentation on Sunday.

We also heard our alumni mentor, Rainer Stern from SAP Germany, talk about the Sabbatical program as it relates to SAP's overarching business strategy and commitment to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) around driving quality education, decent work and economic growth.  (That's a topic for another blog.) Rainer participated in a Sabbatical two years ago in Bogota, Colombia. He's here now giving us guidance and support. Having had this experience already, he knows like no one else how rewarding and challenging the Sabbatical experience can be.

A few hours in, we took a trip to the Genocide Memorial here in Kigali. A sobering experience. Not only was it educational, it gave us important context. The issues, challenges, and opportunities that we will address here stem in some way from the effects of that horrible period of time. As Alex Ntare, head of the ICT Chamber in Rwanda told us, "In Rwanda, everything starts after 1994."

Rwandans are such calm, soft spoken people. It is hard to believe what happened here; how government orchestrated such a horrific event; how they were able to manipulate neighbors to kill neighbors; family to kill family. It seems impossible. But it happened. We were told as part of our pre-work for the trip, to be careful not to ask Rwandans about family in casual conversation--almost everyone here lost someone in the genocide.

A few related facts:

• About 1 million people died in the genocide
• About 80 percent of children in 1994 lost a family member in the genocide
• Of 3,000 children surveyed by UNICEF, about 70% witnessed a killing or injury
• 90% believed they would die

Today, 61 percent of the population is under the age of 24. Unemployment is more than 20 percent. And 39 percent live below the poverty line. But, significant progress has been made. For example:

• Life expectancy in Rwanda has doubled, to age 60+
• 90% of Rwandans are enrolled in a national health plan and have access to care
• Death from disease has declined, ex. malaria cases dropped 83% in 2011
• Economic growth reaches 8% GDP annually (as of 2014)
• Rwanda ranks as one of the easiest places to do business in Africa (World Bank)

Speech that creates ethnic divisions has been outlawed. Some see this as repression. Others see it as a necessary. Community work grounded in a Rwandan tradition called "umuganda" shows itself in the form of clean-up Saturdays once a month, where everyone stops what they are doing to participate in this community service. It is mandatory for all citizens and seems to foster community spirit, and the results include clean streets, new housing, freshly painted buildings and more. Kigali is so clean, it is impressive.

Excellent read on the new Rwanda.

What was once a nation shredded by misery and violence has become a model for economic recovery and for unity among its population. They've made an incredible turnaround both economically and socially. It is clear through our research and discussions here, Rwanda is on a mission to succeed. To be self-sufficient. To be an economic superstar in Africa. They aren't looking to foreign investments to come in and save the day.

With so much positive progress, potential, and drive, it is no wonder that Pyxera and SAP saw an opportunity to make a positive impact here. To help Rwanda run better. To improve people's lives. Let's see what we can do.

Smooth Landing in Kigali



The new Starbucks at AMS, near KLM gates

After 15 hours in the air, I made it! The trip was absolutely flawless. No delays, no turbulence. Smooth landings, good seats. At Amsterdam Schiphol airport I got my usual latte at the nicest Starbucks ever, with the best barista ever---due to the snazzy renovations the airport is undergoing. Everything including the internet lounge is pretty snazzy. 

 

Arriving in Kigali. Love walking the tarmac!

I arrived in Kigali on Saturday night around 7:15 p.m. local time. Talk about surreal. I was in Africa. In Rwanda. When I stepped off the plane, all anxiety was gone. I was serenely happy. I literally was smiling and talking out loud to myself, "Wow, I'm here, I can't believe it!" (Luckily no one noticed). Walking down the airplane stairs onto the tarmac; I was almost giddy.

 

The first thing I noticed was the beautiful warm breeze--it felt better than any other. A perfect night. Armed Rwanda National Police stood off to the side. I waved, and they waved back.

The airport is small and very clean. Not modern, but more modern than I'd anticipated. Easy going yet efficient.Visa and passport stamp took five minutes. Baggage claim, about the same. (Dorothy, we are not at Logan

Airport anymore.) 

 

Baggage claim at Kigali.



It was already dark in Kigali, but there was plenty to take in. (Unfortunately, no pictures. Stay tuned.) Lots of construction everywhere - commercial and residential. No freeways in Kigali. Lots of advertising for Tigo, the telecomm company. Lots of little cafes, bodegas, a few hotels, a mall. I had to laugh when I saw a sign advertising  "Pop Conn Internet."  Could someone in Rwanda have a New England/Massachussetts accent? A Boston sense of humor?

I don't know, but the thing I noticed immediately about the Rwandan people, starting at the airport, is that they are super chill. They have a peaceful easy way about them. They are pleasant. Helpful. They tend to speak softly. It's just their way. It's quite nice to be around.
 

After 12 months of waiting, I'm here in Rwanda, finally. Let the fun begin!



Outside of the Kigali International Airport

What Brings You Here, Team Kumwe?

So the big question of course is, what will I do in Rwanda? Besides seeing Mountain Gorillas?

Here's the background.

SAP's mission is to make the world run better and improve people's lives. We do that every day in a variety of ways. Our software powers the World Food Programme, for instance. We provide NFL football fans with the ultimate fan experience.  Sitting here at Amsterdam airport, I met a woman whose company manufacturers cans for the vegetables and fruits you find in your grocery store. They are about to implement SAP to gain efficiencies and deliver safer, healthier cans to their customers. (She said, "we're scared, but it must be done!" My SAP colleagues will understand the signficance of that comment.)

But, in addition to putting our amazing business software into the hands of companies small and large, we also do a lot to help people in other ways.  Including SAP Social Sabbatical. 

Each year, the Sabbatical program sends teams of 12 SAP employees to ten countries all over the world, to work with non-profits and others who in some way are doing something to improve people's lives. We leave our regular SAP jobs behind and immerse ourselves in the project. It could healthcare related, educational, or entrepreneurial. 

The program runs all year, so depending on which country you are selected for, you may go in the summer, fall or winter. All assignments are four weeks long.

I applied for the program about 18 months ago. Only 120 people are accepted. It was a rigourous application process, and I was fortunate enough to be selected. The choices of assignment included Brazil, South Africa, Rwanda, China, and others. As you know, I was selected for Rwanda. 

I am joined by colleagues from all over the world. We don't know each other yet, but in the last 6 weeks we've gotten to know each other on the phone during our preparatory calls. Already we are starting to feel connected. 

Our team of 12 has a name. We call ourselves Team Kumwe. Meaning, "together, as one." The word comes from the native language of Rwanda, Kinyarwanda. The name is fitting since at SAP we speak a lot about being One Team. But also, in Rwanda, feeling unified, working together, is all important, and is very much a way of life. It is how they are building their future together. The book Rwanda Inc., says, "Rwandans are coming together, united by the country's ambitious goals: to rise from crushing post-genocide poverty levels to become a middle-income country."  

Team Kumwe will be working with the following Rwandan organizations:

• HeHe Labs - a small mobile technology company started by graduate students. They look to digitize classrooms across Rwanda.
• Partners in Health (PIH) - Bringing medical facilties and healthcare to some of the world's poorest countries. 
• ICT Chamber - an umbrella organziation for tech companies in Rwanda, focused on enabling and encouraging growth of the tech sector, and enabling young people for careers in tech.

 I will be working closely with ICT Chamber. At first, I didn't see this as being the kind of organization that a Social Sabbatical would focus on. But I quickly realized how they fit in, and why it is so important to the future of Rwanda.

High tech figures prominently in Rwanda’s economic development. They are moving from a subsistence agriculture based economy to a knowledge based economy. But they have a massive skills shortage, especially in high tech. The lack of skills in high tech is in large part because the IT revolution didn’t really start for them until 1995, after the genocide. I’ll be helping them with projects to enable and educate young entrepreneurs and students.  I can't wait!

So now you know why SAP has brought me to Rwanda. Let's see where life in Rwanda takes me over the next four weeks.

As I end this post, I am just 88 miles from Kigali, landing in about 20 minutes. A completely different experience for me is on the horizon. My first time in Africa, my first opportunity to use my SAP experience to help an organization directly...and maybe, depending on we accomplish, to deliver something that will help ICT chamber empower young entrepreneurs for a long time to come.

Welcome ...Or Shall I Say... Murakaza Neza!

Hello Friends and Family...

It's Rwanda time! I'm just a few weeks away from my trip of a lifetime. I'll be there for four weeks, doing corporate pro bono work with 11 other SAP colleagues, experiencing Rwanda at a time of great promise for their economy and society.

But truth be told, I was somewhat reluctant to go at first. I'd hoped to go to China, or maybe Brazil. But then, the letter read, "Kigali Rwanda." My thought balloon filled with: "OMG! Yay! Oh, sh*&!" In that order.

Africa was one place I never wanted to go.

And let's face it, not all of your reactions inspired confidence.



My letter of acceptance into the prestigious
SAP Social Sabbatical Program, July 2015.

When I  first told some of you, your jaws dropped. Your eyes bugged out. You looked at me like I was crazy. Some said, "Good for you!" Others managed a smile and a tentative, "Oh, that's...great?"
One person even told me I should dye my hair dark brown or black.

At first you scared me with your response. But now I thank you. Because you made me want to go even more. Kind of like when you're four and your mom says do not put your finger in the hot candle wax. But you just have to.

So I'm off to a tiny landlocked country on the gigantic continent of Africa. Tiny as in the size of Maryland. Located in eastern Africa, it is surrounded by Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It is true, Rwanda has a sad, brutal history. During the 1994 genocide, more than one million people died in 100 days. And that's what we mostly think of when we hear "Rwanda."

But 22 years later, Rwanda is writing a new chapter--one of hope and promise. Economically this landlocked country is on the upswing. It's capital, Kigali, is considered one of the safest cities in Africa. I will be working and living in Kigali. And on weekends, exploring. I even have a date with the mountain gorillas.

This new adventure reminds me of the time I put the dog in the car and drove cross country to live in Southern California. (I found beautiful beaches, a great job, and silly boys). Or when I took my first international trip ever, on business to New Dehli and Mumbai India, alone. (I found silk rugs, spirited people, and shoe shines for a penny).

Butterflies and all, I'm off to Africa. I hope to do great work that will mean something to at least a few people. And to learn all I can about the "real" Rwanda. I hope you will follow my adventure and share your thoughts along the way.

I can't wait to see what I find this time.