News
Tufts Alumni artists called to Rwandan youth village
March 12, 2010
Over the past three years, the Tufts community has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of orphaned teenagers in Rwanda. The Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) was founded in 2007 by Anne Heyman and her husband, university trustee Seth Merrin, A82, and provides a nurturing, safe, and structured environment designed to enable traumatized youth to reach their maximum potential. This year, alumni will have the opportunity to help in a unique way. For 10 days in the fall, the Office of Alumni Relations is organizing a trip for 20 members of the Tufts community who want to leave a lasting impact on the village through art and other creative mediums.
This trip is one of the first steps in an effort to leverage entertainment, art, and media resources among Tufts alumni. While in Rwanda, alumni can volunteer in their artistic fields – teach art workshops, contribute to a permanent historical archive, create a photo gallery, or teach in the music center. All skill levels are welcome.
“The Tufts Alumni community is composed of many wonderful, talented artists, and this is an opportunity for them to join together and make a difference in the lives of hundreds of orphaned children,” says Gretchen Dobson, senior associate director of regional and international programs at Tufts.
Since its inception, Tufts has played an active role with the village, with groups of students traveling there for service projects each year. Last year, Tufts students, alumni, and friends participated in the Race4Rwanda, a 5K race benefiting the village in Rwanda, the Medford Family Network, and the Welcome Project in Somerville. Tufts Institute for Global Leadership has helped to form ASYV’s Mango Tree Project, an interdisciplinary, student-led “Green Team” of student engineers, architects and educators who have committed to designing a sustainable model for the village’s renewable energy-based future. Last year, Tufts Hillel sent 20 students on a 10-day service-learning trip to the village.
On the upcoming alumni trip, which will take place from August 30 to September 8, artists will also have the opportunity to tour the country in the heart of East Africa, explore Rwandan culture, and visit national museums and the traditional king’s palace.
“Through their passion and expertise, Tufts Alumni artists will leave a lasting legacy at the village,” says Dobson, who is planning other entertainment, art, and media projects for alumni. “This trip will be the starting point of a great collaboration of Tufts artists worldwide.”
For more information on attending the trip, contact Gretchen Dobson at gretchen.dobson@tufts.edu. You may also download a registration form or view the information sheet.
For more information on the village, go to www.agahozo-shalom.org.
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