Team Rwanda: Our flagship overseas volunteer programme returns

After a successful project in summer 2024, the University’s flagship overseas project Team Rwanda is due to go ahead again this summer.

The partnership project between the University and Azizi Life will see a group of students travel to Rwanda to volunteer alongside Rwandan volunteers for a month on community research, digital media, enterprise and environmental projects, supporting local artisans and their communities.

Jeannine Umutoniwase, CEO of Azizi Life explains: “The volunteers worked hard from day one until the end to create very useful materials and documents, which are helping Azizi Life to increase its impact with the artisans through improved visibility and growth, as well as sustainability in the long run. We value their help in making that happen!”

Team Rwanda is aimed at students who are from a widening participation background. This is being done in a bid to rebalance the range of experiences available to those where self-funded travel, gap years and volunteering is far less common. This once in a lifetime volunteering opportunity will also give students the chance to gain valuable skills, develop their inter-cultural awareness and enhance their employability.

“It was a life-changing event that broadened my awareness of what it means to be a member of a global community and changed the way I saw the world. Among my most important insights is how the experience made me see how crucial empathy and understanding are to forming friendships. It served as a reminder that despite our differences, everyone is driven by a desire for growth and happiness and is fundamentally human,” said 2024 team member and student, Caitlin Wilson who studied a MA in Humanitarian and Conflict Response.

  • Applications to Team Rwanda opened on 27 January and close on 3 March at 9am.