Throughout the third trimester in Rwanda and the summer holidays in Hong Kong, a group of students from Davis College and The University of Hong Kong (HKU) came together virtually to collaborate on a social change project in support of the Nyamirambo Women’s Center (NWC), a Kigali-based NGO.

The NWC plays a pivotal role in the local community, providing education and support to women who have been affected by the issues of gender-based violence, gender inequality, and discrimination. Through the NWC’s “Umutima” program – which means “heart” in Kinyarwanda – women are trained and employed to create a variety of accessories, children’s clothing, and home decor products. Today, there are over 50 women employed through Umutima as seamstresses and the program has grown into a unique, self-sustaining model.

Students from Davis College and HKU were invited to work with the NWC to understand the unique challenges that the NGO is addressing and create a solution that has a positive impact for the NWC’s stakeholders and the broader community they serve. Over six weeks, students worked together virtually in small groups to develop their projects to best meet the stakeholders’ needs and add value to the NWC’s program. At the end of this time, each group presented their proposals, analysis, and plans to representatives from the NWC, who were impressed with the quality of the students’ work:

“The marketing materials they have designed for us will help us to communicate what we offer, raise awareness, and be able to sell our services and products. The most impressive thing was how the students reacted to our project and also how they thought of creating the LinkedIn marketing channel.”

Alongside the positive social benefits to stakeholders of the NWC, the group of students who were involved with the project gained a lot from the experience too, including developing their skills in leadership, design thinking, sustainable impact, cross-cultural awareness, and collaboration.

“I was inspired to participate in this project because, as a feminist, I am really interested in women’s empowerment. Also, my previous research experience with NGOs in Africa (Kenya specifically) led me to learn more about Africa on the ground and its context. The highlight of my experience was communicating and collaborating with the Davis College students. Apart from the project itself, I also had talks with the Davis College students afterwards about refugees, China-Africa relations, and women in STEM fields, all of which benefited me a lot. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to meet this group of peers!”

– Wenhao Luo, Bachelor of Economics and Finance, Class of 2024, The University of Hong Kong

“My goal in life has always been to positively influence others, so when the NGO asked us to assist them with their technology needs I viewed that as an opportunity to put my knowledge and skills to use and pursue my passion for helping those in need. The fact that we had a great time working with people from abroad (Hong Kong University students) was the highlight of my experience. The six weeks offered many new experiences, fun, and diversity. My key takeaways from this project are that excellent leadership is required from the start to clearly identify objectives, aims, and goals – we can then stick by these goals and feel driven to provide consistent, high-quality results.”

– Larry Iraduhaye, Information Systems, Class of 2023, Davis College

“The final presentation day was the main highlight. This was because having worked together with a diverse team of HKU and Davis College students for a couple of weeks, it was great to present our well researched ideas and even more amazing that our solutions were going to meet a real and present need of NWC. By participating in this project, I improved upon my research skills with the opportunity to apply theoretical understandings in a practical context. I also learnt the importance of effective team management where the strength of each person meets a need and creates a better outcome.”

– Emmanuella Nhyira Agormeda-Tetteh, Industrial Engineering (BEng), Class of 2024, The University of Hong Kong

“What inspired me throughout this project was to see women ready to do anything, to earn a good living, to provide for their children, and also see mothers who tell themselves that it is never too late to learn to read and write or do other trades. The experience touched me a lot, because sometimes when we're little we don't know what our parents go through for us to grow up. I saw things as if my own mother was part of this group of women, because she also did everything for us. I also learned a lot through this experience; for example, at the beginning I thought it impossible to work with a group as far away as Hong Kong, but with time I began to have the courage to work together to achieve our goal. I also learned how good it is to work in a group, and also to compete with other groups but in a positive way. It showed me that there is no limit if we want to help, and helping our community is very important. I saw how using our knowledge and skills to meet the common need can be so important for society.”

– Ismael Bikamba, Information Systems, Class of 2023, Davis College

“Throughout the years, I have actively participated in volunteering work in Hong Kong, but seldom do I have the opportunity to be involved with overseas community service. Although we did not get to meet the Davis College students and workers in Nyamirambo Women's Center face-to-face, it did not limit our passion and ideas in helping the NGO to promote its work to the world. Within six weeks, we successfully created Instagram posts about three main services provided by Nyamirambo Women's Center for foreign visitors, and hopefully that attracts more tourists visiting Rwanda to the Center to join the meaningful activities they provide. I hope my experience and skills can help NGOs in promoting their local work to the global population.”

– Lok Sze (Phoebe) Yeung, Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, Class of 2023, The University of Hong Kong

“I was motivated to participate in this project because I enjoy doing new things, meeting new people, and stepping beyond my comfort zone. I gained a great amount of experience working in cooperation with the HKU students. We had difficulties and frequently became stuck, but overcoming these obstacles together as a team was very helpful, and I developed my teamwork and communication skills. The past six weeks have been incredible! I've learned how to communicate, engage, and work with new people as if we've known each other for years. But the most valuable lesson I've taken away from the project is to never give up, no matter how challenging the conditions.”

– Divine Mwiza, Information Systems, Class of 2023, Davis College

For Davis College students from the Information Systems Class of 2023, the project formed part of their Social Change course, which is a core element of the curriculum for all students that is in-line with the College’s academic pillars of Ethical Leadership and Sustainability. For HKU students, the opportunity was a virtual internship offered as part of the University's Common Core, which facilitates project-based learning, undergraduate research, and local and global partnerships to enhance the experience of students.

This successful social change project aligned with both institutions’ values of fostering respect, gender equity, civic responsibility, and sustainability, while equipping students with the skills and experience to become future leaders, innovators, and changemakers.

Thinking Global, Acting Local