The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women.

While in Rwanda scouting new locations for a Women’s Business Center, Lin Weigel of IEEW visited each Peace through Business®2008 business. She found progress, application of the new ideas learned from Oklahoma Christian University (OC) in Edmond, OK during the education portion of the program. She found students still corresponding with their Oklahoma mentors. She found thriving, successful business women who are willing to help us help more women business owners in 2009.

As I reflect on my last few hours here in Rwanda, I continue to try and process all of the wonderful people that I’ve met and sights that I’ve seen. Let me try to sort some of this out for you.

• The weather is paradise all year round. They only have two seasons: absolute perfection and occasionally rainy.

• Riding around in a car is quite an experience as the white lines down the middle of the street appear to be optional for all drivers. And don’t even think about getting on the back of one of the many motorcycle taxis unless you have a guardian angel with you at all times!

• People walk everywhere! The streets share space almost equally with cars, people, and two wheeled vehicles. Public transportation is interesting, but cheap and plentiful.

• One of the very first things that I noticed is how clean the city is! Everywhere you go you see tons and tons of people, but not trash. Then I found out about Umuganda - last Saturday of each month where the entire country donates time to beautifying their city and sharing fellowship with their neighbors.

There is a female movement in this country that is second to none and that is a direct and deliberate design of Rwanda’s President Kagame. He is revered by every single person that I visited with. The country has a sense that they are leading not only the African continent as the model for the future, but also the world. I am so honored to be here and share in a small portion of this construction for the future. The 15 women who participated in this year’s Peace through Business Rwanda all understand the enormity of the mission at hand and look forward to their contribution. I met with each women in her business and was touched with the hard work that they’ve put into it and the plans that they have for the future. We will have each woman’s story on our website and I encourage you to log on in two weeks to read what they have to say about their business, our program, and the plan for the future.

There were no walls for me in Rwanda - only open doors and a willingness to be a part of our mission. Dr. Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, the Minister of Gender, and Dr. Daphrose Gahakwa, Minister of Education, both met me with open arms and asked not only how soon can we get the Women’s Business Center opened, but more importantly, what can they do to help.

Pipien Hakizabera, Director General of Centre for Support to Small and Medium Enterprises in Rwanda (CAPMER), offered space for the Women’s Business Center and sees our mission as being completely Compatible with his.

Like Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), the Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs is a coalition of women business associations and sees the Women’s Business Center as a perfect solution for the cohesive distribution of not only business information but also of NGO’s working in the country who share our common goals.

I can’t leave this country without telling you about the women. Everywhere I went I was met with stares and curiosity. But every single time that I looked back and smiled I was greeted in return with a beaming smile that said you are welcome here.

I met with a group of young women who, still due to the ravages of the war, are prostitutes for lack of any other means of support. They meet every day to learn the skill of tailoring so that one day they too can support their family with honor and dignity. In the U.S. these ‘women’ would be considered children since many of them are well under the age of 18 but are already caring for their own children.

I told these young women about the Women’s Business Center and my hopes for them to one day own their own business and employee others. Even in this desperate situation and living under sad circumstances, there was a positive sense of tremendous joy in their hearts as they look forward to being a part of the great movement.

As I start my journey home to my regular life, I think of all of these women and cry tears of joy, pride, humility, and honor; and I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to serve in this magic. I invite you to share in the magic with us as we help Rwanda change the world one remarkable woman at a time.

It’s been hard to write because time has been short, email difficult, and senses overwhelmed. OK, excuses over - this is the coolest place! You have to know that the weather is absolute paradise. Everyone says that it’s so hot … but I consider 80 degrees with a gentle breeze to be quite lovely. There is not a single person that I’ve met that hasn’t returned a beaming smile.

I keep looking around the city and marvel at the number of people that are walking around at all times of the day or night - right on the street! And believe me when I say the lines that mark the lanes in the street are considered optional.

The last Saturday of the month is devoted to UMUGANDA - a national day of cleaning. Stores are not allowed to be opened this morning and everyone is required to work together in some say to beautifying the city. It’s quite remarkable in that it not only cleans and brings pride to the city, but it allows fellowship for those that work together.

We’ve had amazing doors that have flown open for the Women’s Business Center. The Minister of Education and the Minister of Gender have received our concept with wide open arms. They want to know what they can do to help and how soon can we get it open. The Center for Support to Small and Medium Enterprises in Rwanda (CAPMER) is a quasi government agency that has offered free space for the WBC for an indefinite amount of time.

We had a terrific meeting with USAID in which Eron Nsenga (2008 Peace through Business alumni) went with me to tell her experience during Peace through Business. She was brilliant! The USAID Rwandan Mission Director went to get the US Ambassador to Rwanda to come into our meeting to meet us and hear about the program. He was so moved by the program that he invited all 15 of the women (plus me and some USAID folks) to High Tea at his residence on Tuesday. The women are so excited and can’t believe he would do that!

I still expect to meet with the Imbuto Foundation and several of the women’s organizations before leaving. I’ve met with all but a couple of the 15 women alumni, and will meet with everyone before I leave as well.

Tomorrow (Saturday), I’m having Thanksgiving dinner with some families at the ROC Foundation. I know that it’s a belated Thanksgiving, but better late than never. I have lots of pictures to share with you and wonderful stories of our 15 women, their businesses, and their lives. Will write more later. Lin

After 20 hours of flying and 48 hours away from home, I was overwhelmed by the warm welcome of the 2008 Peace through Business Rwanda women. Many of them came to the airport with beautiful flowers in their hands to welcome me with such warmth and excitement that I felt like a rock star!

Driving to the hotel was quite interesting as I tried to take in all of the people walking around, the buildings that I could see, and some sense of where I was considering all I could see was the lights dotted around the Land of a Thousand Hills.

Becoming acclimated to the time zone hasn’t been a problem and when the sun came up at 5:00 this morning, I was ready to go! Of course, getting email taken care of has been tricky at best, but I managed to get some emails handled. After confirming and setting appointments I took off to go register at the US Embassy then go to the Rwanda Memorial.

The Memorial is moving and quite beautifully done. I spent time at the mass burial grave sites in prayer, and enjoyed the different gardens along the grounds. Jet lag is zapping me, so I will take a nap before finding activities tonight.