looking at next month.

39 days and 5 hours until I leave...no, I'm not excited at all!

First, let me thank those who made donations over the last week - GRDP has another $750 thanks to your generosity.

Last week Elizabeth (my travel partner) and I spoke to Dave, President of Global Relief and Development Partners, about our schedule in Rwanda. This is going to be the most incredible journey and I'm so excited to share it with you all, or as much of it as I can.

Here are some of the things we'll be doing while in Kigali: visit the genocide museum with the architect that designed it, meet and work with GRDP workshop participants to do a program evaluation and create a roadshow for new entrepreneurs to join the program, interview potential employees for a lead role in GRDP - onsite in Rwanda, visit an orphanage to give the kids tooth brushes and floss and a donated laptop, visit a school to give the kids note books, pens and crayons.

If you know any schools that would like to donate school supplies, please let me know and I'd be happy to take them with me when I go. I'm also going to reach out to some soccer clubs this week to see if they'll donate used soccer balls for the kids.

46 days until I leave for Rwanda

Hi Friends,

It's hard to believe there are only 46 days left until my flight leaves on December 11th. I can't tell you how excited (and a little nervous) I am about this trip - since it really is one life-long dream that I haven't fulfilled, and for those that know me well, they know that I do everything I set out to!

In the last month before I leave, there is still a lot to do. I continue to fund-raise for Global Relief and Development Partners and will ask you to make a donation to this worthwhile cause - I've made it REALLY easy - just click the donate button on the right and it'll direct you to the donation page where you can pay with credit card or directly from your bank account. The money goes directly to GRDP and will help more business owners create sustainable, self-reliant businesses. So, for all you business owners that are reading this, please remember what it was like when you first started and how a little extra money can go a long way. Donate $40. If you're not a business owner, please donate anyway because every dollar counts and I guarantee your contribution will.

While I am volunteering in Rwanda, I will video my journey with the entrepreneurs I meet and I want to ask you, "What would you like to know about Rwanda, about my trip, about GRDP, or anything else pertaining to this journey?" Particularly, what questions would you like me to ask the people that I meet? Please submit your questions and I'd be happy to answer them.

Submit your questions to rebuildingrwanda @ gmail.com and I will post them on this blog with the answers.

Here are a few that have been asked recently:

1. What will the temperature be like while I am there?

The sun shines year round and the mean temperature is 24C (76F).

2. What will I be doing while I am in Rwanda?

I will be working directly with GRDP and their local staff in Kigali (the capital of Rwanda). We will be doing a program evaluation of their coaching/mentoring program that has been operating for three years and we'll set up events with current GRDP participants to speak to other entrepreneurs about signing up for GRDP workshops. We will visit a local school to give the kids paper, pencils and crayons (apparently they love crayons but can't get them there!), and visit an orphanage to provide dental hygiene products and teach the the kids how to brush and floss their teeth - many suffer from gum disease which often leads to liver disease.

3. Who am I going with?

I will be travelling with Elizabeth Cox, a colleague from Chicago.

4. Where will I be staying?

GRDP is arranging accommodations for us in a local hotel.

5. How long is the flight and what's the route?

My travel time is approximately 24 hrs with flight times and layovers. I have a stop in the UK and Kenya before arriving in Kigali.

6. How many and which vaccinations did I need?

I can tell you that I am happy to have this over with! Needles don't normally scare me but a couple of these inoculations were unpleasant. I had Hep A & B, Polio, and Yellow Fever, and I will have to take malaria pills while I am there.

Message from Dave Ormisher, Founder of Global Relief and Development Partners

Thank you to Elizabeth for meeting with Dave and creating this short video.

Dave is a client of Strategic Coach, the company that Elizabeth and I work for. He started GRDP in 2006 as a result of being in the Program and wanting to do more on a global level.

Please make your donation today so we can help more entrepreneurs create and build sustainable and self-reliant businesses that will employ people and create growth and change for Rwanda.

Expletive Warning, but Matt says it all for me. :)

One success story - this is how your donation will make a difference

Here is the story about one of the entrepreneurs that Global Relief and Development Partners works with - this is just one of many and proves that your donation makes a difference in the lives of those that need it most.

What stood out for me in this story, is the fact that Gahaya Links now employs 4,000 women - imagine how many kids eat and go to school because of this. Please donate $40 today to help improve the lives of more families.

(story from www.grdpartners.org)

Basket weaving has a long tradition in Rwanda, and two sisters, Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana formed Gahaya Links, a small business with great ambitions. They employ over 4,000 rural women who weave intricate baskets that wind up on the shelves of Macy's in New York City.

Gahaya Links is an extraordinary story of two women overcoming all odds to build an export business in Rwanda that is a significant employer of Rwandan women, many of them widows from the 1994 genocide.

RURAL WOMEN COME TO KIGALI TO LEARN HOW TO WEAVE THE GAHAYA WAY.

Every month, a new group of women travel from their villages to live for a week at Gahaya Links to learn the Gahaya way of weaving. When they return to their homes, they take with them the materials and patterns they need to weave baskets and begin providing a new income stream for their families and communities. One of the amazing aspects of this story is how Tutsi and Hutu women often work side by side, thus providing an environment for reconciliation.

RANDY ROLLINSON AND JOY NDUNGUTSE WORKING THROUGH THE FINANCIAL MODEL.

The GRDP team met with Joy and Janet during the April 2008 Rwanda assessment trip, and Randy Rollinson, a strategy consultant and CEO of LBL Strategies, has committed to them as an executive mentor. He is working closely with Gahaya to audit and make recommendations on their financial model.

What is Social Entrepreneurship?

(quote from wikipedia.com)

A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change. Whereas a business entrepreneur ypically measures performance in profit and return, a social entrepreneur assesses success in terms of the impact s/he has on society as well as in profit and return.

The main aim of a social entrepreneurship as well as social enterprise is to further social and environmental goals for a good cause. A social entrepreneur in the 21st century will redefine entrepreneurship as we know it due to their progressive business models.

Meet Elizabeth, my travel partner

Elizabeth and I work for the same company, however we've only met once when she was in Toronto for a workshop. My soon-to-be room-mate for three weeks and I have spent many hours on the phone planning and strategizing about our upcoming trip and our fundraising efforts. As it turns out, we share the same passion and goals for empowering people to be the best they can be, attain their dreams, and be sustainable and self-reliant. It's an honour to have the opportunity to share this experience with someone who is passionate, driven, compassionate, and dedicated to improving people's lives. And, I have to admit, she is quite patient with me!

Why is this type of trip important to Elizabeth, "the difference for her is the vision for changing to self-sustainability and create value for Rwandan entrepreneurs."

We are equally as excited (and somewhat scared) about this journey, but most importantly we're both dedicated to making it a success for the entrepreneurs that Global Relief and Development Partners work with.

You can learn more about Elizabeth at www.sponsoringgrowth.com