Mentor HER.
Educate HER.
Support HER.
Employ HER.

My name is Yvette, I am from the country of a thousand hills, Rwanda. I am a second born in a family of six children. I am a graduate of Gashora Girls’ Academy of Science and Technology, where I took Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as my majors. When I first joined the Global Give Back Circle – Girls Guiding Government Program, during our first workshop, we wrote on the first page of our journals, “My Leadership Safari”, and vowed to take part in the development of women’s involvement in all aspects of leadership. That is when I realized that this would be an experience of a lifetime.

Later, I was matched with the most interesting, and inspiring mentor I have ever had; Mrs. Kathy. Mrs. Kathy has been very understanding, and supportive. She has inspired me. She listens to my ups and my downs, my struggles in academics, and always gives me the most motivating speeches. I always feel like Mrs. Kathy is more of a mother, an advisor, and most importantly, an inspiration to me. It gives me the zeal to work very hard and make her proud of me. I was voted to be the Global Give Back Circle – Girls Guiding Government Rwandan Team Leader. I use the leadership skills I gained in the program, to fulfill my duties and responsibilities to my best.

Since we were encouraged to give back to our community, I decided to make this a part of my life. I volunteer to teach tech-skills to primary schools around our community, since it was the biggest skill we lacked, yet the most essential one. We teach computer skills to over 100 students in the Gashora community. I also volunteered to take part in activities that were carried out during the national commemoration week. Such activities included, construction of houses for Genocide survivors, participating in the Walk to Remember, working with organizations that are responsible of taking care of Genocide survivors with mental disabilities, to mention but a few. I also committed to use the first salary that I will get in my gap year, to pay for insurance for five families in my community.

I want to major in Computer Engineering next year. I want to come back to Rwanda after my studies, and contribute to the development of my own country in areas of technology. Thanks to the Global Give Back Circle and my mentor, I have such a bright dream to achieve.

– Yvette

I was born in a family of six siblings in Kirinyaga County, my parents, peasants farmers always worked extremely hard to make sure we got our basic needs and education.

My mother used to work on others’ farms to ensure we got a meal every day. I worked extremely hard in school with a lot of hope that this was the key to setting us free from poverty.

My family was among the ones which were considered poor in the village, when I scored 370/500 marks on the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education Exams and was supposed to join Mahiga Girls Secondary School.

I knew my parents could not afford the fees to take me to high school, even taking me to a day school would have been impossible. After the results were released, every one of my classmates joined high school, except me. I was left at home with no hope of continuing on to high school. By God’s grace after being home for a whole month, one of my primary school teachers offered to pay for my first term school fees. I joined form one a month later.

Turns out, high school would be the most challenging experience of my life. I was in and out of school due to lack of fees. Sometimes a term would go by, and I wouldn’t have attended one class. I almost dropped out of school in form three, but I never gave up. After four years of pain and tears, I managed to graduate high school and scored an A on my final exams. I had dreams of joining University but at this point my dreams became blurred.

My breakthrough in my pursuit for education came in 2012 after I got a scholarship for my university education through the Global Give Back Circle.

This was a great turnaround for my life; I was taken through an ICT course and later went through my tertiary education.

At university, I never struggled to pay my fees, books, accommodation, and upkeep and this gave me adequate time to concentrate on my studies. The ‘Circle’ wiped all my tears and gave life a new meaning.

As a beneficiary, I was taken through reproductive health workshops, life skills workshops and financial literacy workshops, which helped me manage my allowances and manage to take my brothers through high school. I was also taught how to write my story and I later discovered my great talent in writing. The ‘Circle’ empowered me to reach out to society and become a voice for the needy and the suffering.

In the ‘Circle’, I was matched with the most awesome mentor from Kenya I have ever met. Ms. Susan Muigai held my hand through it all. She was my guiding star when things appeared difficult, she became a sister and a mother too. She has always been there to listen and give advice. A month never goes by before we meet each other.

When I look back six years down the line, the Global Give Back Circle has changed my life, my family, and the society in general. It’s in the ‘Circle’ that I was shown so much love, taught how to give back to the society in time, talent, and treasure. I started a charity program called, ‘Give Back Mentorship Program’ through which I give back to the society; my give back commitment involves mentoring young students in schools, helping the aged, orphans and the disabled.

I graduated in December 2017 from The University of Nairobi with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. I have transformed from an at-risk girl to a nurse who will save lives, alleviate suffering, and be a voice for the weak.

The program has taken me through workforce readiness workshops, and I am now a ready to take on the world. I have been given wings to fly far and wide, since there are no more ceilings for me. I will give back to the society, by all means possible, as long as I live.

I thank God for the Global Give Back Circle.

Dear Linda,

I hope you are well. To say that I am okay would be an understatement. I am extremely exhilarated, and as I draft this thank you note, I must confess that I am in tears.

I remember with a lot of nostalgia the day the Starehe Girls’ Centre secretary read out my name as part of the new lot of beneficiaries under the Global Give Back Circle; it was quite a moment. That was back in the year 2008. As I look back eight years later, I can confidently say that that particular day set the pace for a future that becomes clearer by the day.

Through the Circle I have become a woman of substance and I bet the wave of change that you once dared to dream of shall see the light of day through us, the Alumni. I became more confident in myself and an affirmative decision maker. I also acquired numerous soft skills including public speaking. The lessons from the workshops we have served to make me a cut above the rest of my peers.

So, today, I did not intend to overemphasize what you know too well, but to start off by telling you that you can now call me Dr. Lavender Otom. I have successfully completed my five-year course and graduated on the 2nd December, 2016. The best part is that I was the Best Female Student in a class of 339 doctors, I also graduated as the best final year student in Pediatrics, Best Final Year Student in Medical Microbiology, and the best final year student in Pathology. The valedictorian medical school class of 2016!

I don’t know how it all happened, but I know the Global Give Back Circle played a big role. During my years in school, I never worried about upkeep, neither about school fees and whenever I needed a book or any other implement all I needed to do was get a quotation for the same.

As I go out to the world I hope that this is just the beginning of a great career. May the Lord Almighty bless you and may many more come to realize their dreams through the Circle. Thank you, thank you, thank you…..

Yours Faithfully,

Lavender