Chaste Niwe, the Managing Director of Bridge2Rwanda, an organization that prepares students and finds them exemplary institutions to study around the world, revealed that he felt a strong calling to contribute significantly to the education of Rwandan and African youth from a very young age.
Chaste Niwe shared his educational journey during a speech at the National Umushyikirano Council.
Chaste said, “It all started when I was young. Traditionally, having two children in secondary education was considered a miracle. As a child, I was fortunate to attend secondary school, and then opportunities continued to come my way as I went abroad to study at Yale University through Bridge2Rwanda.”
He explained that the organization helped those who performed exceptionally well, which was a huge surprise to him, but also something he worked hard for.
He remarked, “Apart from not even dreaming of going there, I didn’t even know it existed. But once I got there, I realized that the world opens up. It was like seeing things for the first time because I had fought for it from a young age.”
Upon his arrival, Chaste wanted to study Economics because he was eager to understand why some countries are poor and why Africa was left behind.
He said, “I studied with a thirst to prove that things are possible.”
He noted that after returning to Rwanda, he saw many things related to education, realizing that people are the fundamental wealth of a country, which inspired him to become a teacher.
He expressed, “I found myself with the idea of promoting education that strives for people’s development. Most of us used to study just for the sake of getting a degree.”
He emphasized that education should be redefined as a means to lift oneself out of poverty and from limiting thoughts that prevent one from achieving their goals.
He stated, “People say you don’t realize the value of a gem you have, but there is a gem we need to start recognizing early on. We know where we want to go, we are in a country [Rwanda] where one can think 50 years ahead.
We must move beyond being satisfied with mediocre results, especially the youth. Where we want to go is not close; we must not accept mediocrity, we must strive for excellence and make it a habit. This will ensure that by 2050, Rwanda will be known as a place where things happen.”
Currently, Bridge2Rwanda assists 120 top-performing students annually with scholarships to continue their education both within the country and abroad, an initiative that costs $10 million each year for Rwandan and African students.
The organization also has programs to help working professionals seek advanced degrees in various fields and for teachers wishing to further their education.
