Aline Mwiza Uwashimimana lives in Muhanga, the Southern Province of Rwanda and works as a sales person for UAP Insurance/Muhanga. Aline attended Resonate’s Storytelling for Leadership training through our partnership with Cornerstone Leadership Academy-Rwanda, where she completed her high school education in Biology, Chemistry and Geography.

Anyone who knew me can attest to the fact that I was a pretty energetic little girl – or, as my mother was fond of saying, I had chutzpah. I climbed trees, I raised my hand in class, and I’d try anything my older brother would, just to prove that I could. My parents told me (and truly believed) that I could do anything I wanted. I think I can, too – but it requires extra work and energy to break down barriers that exist for women.

It was a Monday, October 10, 2015 when I left Kigali for Nyaruguru. It started as a sunny and bright beautiful morning. It was a five hours drive, and by the time we arrived in Nyaruguru some rain drops had started falling down which was absolutely thrilling to every resident in the area based on their agricultural season expectations.

This past week in Kigali, Rwanda leaders from across the globe gathered at the Transform Africa Summit. During her address First Lady of Rwanda Jeanette Kagame urged attendees to close the gender equality gap long before the stated Sustainable Development Goal of 2030.

Rwanda is ranked among the countries with the fastest growing rate of economic development worldwide – but it hasn’t always been this way.

Resonate founder and CEO Ayla Schlosser will attend the Unreasonable Global Institute in Boulder, Colorado this July and August. Selected from hundreds of applicants around the world, Ayla will be among 13 innovative entrepreneurs who will be joined by 75 mentors and over 100 funders to grow their organizations and catalyze lasting social change.

We are very excited to announce that Claire Uwineza is joining the Resonate team as the Operations Manager. Claire comes to Resonate with an impressive academic and professional resume.

We arrived in Rwinkwavu just before 9am. The dusty moto ride from the bus station to the countryside brought us to an open field where young women in white t-shirts were already gathering. Feelings of excitement permeated the still cool air as the young women began to sing and dance in circles. We soon found ourselves a welcome part of …

For Asifiwe, a 18-year-old girl, being young isn’t an excuse for not earning a small income. Her dream of becoming a doctor was born with her dad’s support. Unfortunately, he died when she was still in primary school and her mother couldn’t afford to send Asifiwe and both her brothers to school. Yet Asifiwe didn’t let the shocking moment of losing her father and her family’s limited resources ruin her future. Instead she worked hard and showed her mother that she deserves to go to school.