LIVE IN
RWANDA
VOLUNTEER
MAKE AN IMPACT
JSC Summer Experience | RWANDA
VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT
The Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) is a residential community in rural Rwanda whose 144 acres are home to local Rwandan youth who were orphaned during and after the genocide in 1994. The Village is designed to care for, protect and nurture these young people. It is a place of hope, where the aim is to live in peace (from the Hebrew word shalom).
ASYV’s structured and supportive community aims to equip young people who have lived through great trauma to become healthy, self-sufficient, and engaged in the rebuilding of their nation. The environment of love and safety created at ASYV serves as the backdrop for programs designed to help teenagers grow both emotionally and intellectually.
The young people at ASYV are learning through principle and practice the value of mending the world around them. Located outside of Kigali, ASYV enables orphaned and vulnerable youth to become Rwanda’s future leaders.
ABOUT RWANDA
A landlocked country situated in Central Africa, Rwanda has had a tumultuous history plagued with ethnic tensions and political upheaval. In 1994, during the Rwandan Genocide, nearly one million people were killed over the course of approximately 100 days, and even more people were displaced. The country was left in ruins, and, today, Rwanda has the world’s highest per capita orphan population. These children were not only robbed of their families, of their homes, and of their communities, but also of their hope for a viable future.
JDC is inspired by the core Jewish value of tikkun olam (the obligation to repair the world) and is involved in humanitarian disaster relief and development efforts around the world. JDC was instrumental in the start of the village and continues to be a long standing partner of the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village.
WHAT WILL FELLOWS DO AT ASYV?
Volunteers will be placed at ASYV to assist graduating students of the Liquidnet Family High School in the bi-annual College and Career Readiness Camp. Fellows will work with the Career Development Center (CDC) to guide up to 50 selected students in: drafting and editing CVs, cover letters, essays, and professional emails, as well as assisting with mock interviews, identifying references, searching for schools/programs/jobs, and planning to host different guest speakers to inform and inspire the campers.
Following the Camp, many students have enrolled in distinguished programs and institutions in North America and in Rwanda. Students leave the College and Career Readiness Camp with skills that will equip them for this next step, and that will benefit them for their lifetimes.
Prior to the Camp, Fellows will have the opportunity to support the Village by volunteering in the kitchen, working on the farm, and supporting peer tutoring and English classes.
Program Dates:
July 17 – August 6, 2017
Application Deadline
March 20,2017
Desired Qualifications:
- Background in education
- Experience working in writing centers and or essay writing skills
- Tutoring experience
- Mentoring/advising background
- Skill-building background
- Experience in workshop facilitation
- Experience with teens
- Flexibility and comfort working in a rural setting
- Ability to adapt, comfortable in new cultural contexts
- Passion for volunteerism and the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam
Participation Fee: $500 *
This includes:
- Housing
- Group activities and excursions
- Airport pick up/drop off in overseas location
- Meals while at Camp
- Comprehensive health and emergency evacuation insurance
- On-the-ground staff support
This does not include:
- Int’l airfare
- Meals while not at the village
- Visa (obtained upon arrival to Rwanda)
- Local transportation
- Leisure activities
- Personal expenses
Visas: All accepted participants will be responsible for obtaining a visa to Rwanda. Upon arrival at airport, 30-day tourist visa can be purchased for $30.
APPLY NOW
The applications for the Multi-Week Jewish Service Corps – Summer 2017 session is now open!
Fill out this form if you’re interested in applying and we will send you an email with the applic
CONTACT
Entwine is a one-of-a-kind movement for young Jewish leaders, influencers, and advocates who seek to make a meaningful impact on global Jewish needs and international humanitarian issues. We do this by offering service experiences in Jewish communities around the world, educational events and programs, and leadership development opportunities. Entwine is an initiative of JDC, the largest Jewish humanitarian organization in the world. JDC works in 70 countries, specializing in humanitarian aid, Jewish community renewal and disaster relief. Learn more: www.jdcentwine.org
About the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC): For over 95 years, JDC has provided rescue, relief, and renewal for Jewish communities outside of North America, helped Israel meet the needs of its most vulnerable citizens, and offered a Jewish response to natural and man-made disasters and non-sectarian development needs around the world. JDC’s work in over 70 countries is inspired by Jewish values of mutual responsibility, that kol yisrael areivim zeh l’zeh (all of Israel is responsible for one another), and tikkun olam, that Jews have an obligation to repair the world. Learn more: www.jdc.org