History    

In 2021, I began creating and selling artwork, which has developed into a small business. As a sophomore at Trinity Academy, I enrolled in a graphic design class, and my skills and passion toward design continued to grow. I have sold my products through word-of-mouth, social media, a newly launched Etsy site and additionally have helped a few non-profits with various design needs. Throughout this process I discovered some of the decisions and challenges that starting a small business entail; however, I was fortunate to have the resources to help navigate these obstacles. My business’s origin was simply a result of my love for art, and the way design can communicate ideas. In the summer of 2024, I went to Rwanda and my eyes were opened to the land of a thousand hills, a place of beauty like no other. My travels were via my church, Apostles Raleigh, who has had a long history and partnership with the Rwandan Anglican church, namely the Shogywe Diocese. The Shogywe Diocese includes around 24,850 Rwandans across 40+ churches. While there, I met youth and women who have a great need to generate income yet lack the resources to build small businesses. To hear these needs from far away is unsettling, but to experience them directly, left me with only one question: How can I offer my skills and resources to support them? A desire ignited in me to partner with these women and help provide resources for them to sustain their families through small business creation.

Rwanda is a developing country with great economic need. Due to the lack of employment opportunities, many women struggle to support their family’s financial needs. Young women in particular are susceptible to pursuing dangerous means of employment such as prostitution in order to meet such needs. I was fortunate to spend time with a group of these young women, who under the mentorship of older women in the Mother’s Union are now pursuing a different life for themselves and their children.  The Mother’s Union is a well-established ministry within Shyogwe Diocese that formed in 1955 and today comprises around 3,050 women. The ministry’s mission is to help women and youth improve their socio-economic and spiritual lives. During my time in Rwanda, I met Clementine Dushimimana, a key leader in the Mother’s Union, who shared her desire to train young women with distinct skills (sewing, digital art & design work) that can lead toward job creation and contribution toward the church’s ministries. Together we developed this project with the objective of using digital art and graphic design to develop needed products for the community and train young women with marketable skills. The project, developed in collaboration with Mother’s Union leadership, consists of two parts—digital design (or “soft design” as they term it) and clothing design. In order to reach project goals specific equipment and training are needed. IPads, equipped with specific digital design software, printers and other technological accessories are foundational components to the project.  Secondly, training on these digital platforms are needed, which is what I will provide in February 2025 on my return trip to Rwanda.  The total budget for the project is $10,173, which is largely composed of equipment and supplies.