College Senior Embarks on a Dream: Peace-Building in Rwanda

Going to Rwanda has been a goal of Emma Yoder's for the past four years.

The 22-year-old George Mason University senior says she has been "fascinated by Rwanda ever since learning about the [1994] genocide" during her freshman year.

In January, Yoder will realize her dream when she leaves for Africa to begin an internship with Never Again Rwanda, a youth peace organization. Founded in 2002 by a group of Rwandan youth, NAR works to encourage dialogue among the future leaders of that once-embattled nation. The organization educates young people on the causes of past conflicts, the process of conflict resolution and decision-making without violence.

Yoder will immerse herself in a community that was devastated by the Rwandan genocide, a conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups that left more than half a million people dead in only 100 days. It will be her first experience in a new culture on a separate continent. During her four-month internship, Yoder will stay in a small house, where the water is not safe to drink. She will learn to use a coal stove. She will take buses each morning and evening for 45 minutes to get to the headquarters of Never Again Rwanda, where she will be producing a handbook that details the proper way to conduct structured debates, participate in rallies and petition the government while maintaining peace.

She is excited to be working with an organization that will lay the groundwork for the country's future. Yoder also hopes the experience will be a steppingstone in a career in international development that will allow her to keep Rwanda as her focus.

Before traveling abroad, Yoder has had to get a yellow fever vaccination, malaria medication and purchase a plane ticket that will take her on a 30-hour voyage. She has also been busy planning events and setting up a contribution Web site that will help raise money for the trip, including in-country travel and living expenses. Many have chipped in, but facing the possibility that she may not reach her fund-raising goals, Yoder worries that she "will have to cut [her] internship a month or two short."

Yoder has prepared for years for this trip and her chance to make a difference in Rwanda. She's read countless books, attended events with Rwandan immigrants and even taken an African dance class at George Mason. She knows that nothing can fully prepare her for the experience ahead, but she has done all that she can to make the transition easier.

Her passion for Rwanda is clear in the excitement and knowledge she exhibits during casual conversation, and she is grateful for the opportunity to make a difference with Never Again Rwanda. "I would never go anywhere else," Yoder says. "People know my passion, and it's only for Rwanda."


For more about Emma Yoder's trip to Rwanda and how to contribute, visit her Web site or follow her throughout her trip on Twitter.