DESTINY'S ROAD screening in Kigali, Rwanda

Last February, I volunteered with Venture2Impact in Kigali, Rwanda, a non profit organization based in Canada. While there I worked with Hopes & Homes for Children community center where I had the opportunity to train staff and mentor young entrepreneurial parents in the village. The staff consisted of tech employees from New York, California, Canada, and London. I was the only tech employee/ filmmaker in the group.

Each day started with a 2 mile walk up a dirt hill from Yambi House, a Bed and Breakfast type hotel, to the community center where we would pass local women perfectly balancing large bowls of avocados or bananas on their heads, sometimes with babies happily strapped on their backs. On occasion, we would run into school children who wanted to chat or locals on their way to work via motor taxis. Once we arrived to the center, the younger children would sing beautifully to us before heading home and before the adult participants arrived.

The Community members were eager to learn. We taught language, business, and professional development classes. After about 8 hours at the center, we would head back to Yambi House, were we had traditional Rwandan cuisine along with African tea and/or beer prepared by the hotel staff. It was during this time where volunteers got to know each other. One night, I shared that I was a filmmaker. Everyone was so intrigued and wanted to know more about my work. Although my sole purpose of going to Rwanda was to take a break from my creative pursuits and be of service, once I shared the info, there was no escaping the interest others had in my creative endeavors.

After several requests, I agreed to show DESTINY'S ROAD at the end of our final day of volunteering. The Yambi House occasionally had movie nights, so they were fully equipped for a screening. My film was projected on the colorful walls of the hotel lounge.  It was an intimate audience of about 20 people, which consisted mostly of volunteers and hotel staff. This was my most unconventional screening to date and I loved every moment of it. I briefly introduced the film before the showing and shared my inspiration behind making it. The film ended with a roaring applause.  Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the film. Several people commented on how impress they were with how the film came together.  Between the impromptu screening of my film and working with such a resilient and vibrant community, I couldn't have imagined a better experience.