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Can I volunteer in Rwanda Partners US office or in Rwanda?
How much of my donation actually gets to the people of Rwanda?
Can I donate materials or supplies to Rwanda Partners instead of money?
How long has Rwanda Partners been in operation?
Is Rwanda Partners a registered nonprofit with the IRS?
How is Rwanda Partners funded?
Questions about traveling to Rwanda
What are the visa requirements for traveling to Rwanda?
What vaccinations do I need?
Is Rwanda safe?
What do you wear while traveling in Rwanda?
Can I use a credit card in Rwanda? Are there any guidelines on the money I bring into the country?
Facts and Figures on Rwanda
Are the Hutus and Tutsis different ethnic groups?
How many people currently live in Rwanda?
How many Rwandans were killed in the genocide?
Suggested resources on Rwanda
Books:
"The Bradt Travel Guide on Rwanda" - by Janice Booth and Philip Briggs
"We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families" by Philip Gourevitch
"The Rwanda Crisis - History of a Genocide" by Gerard Prunier
"Faith Under Fire" by Antoine Rutayisire - available through Rwanda Partners.
Send email if interested in purchasing
"Seasons of Blood" by Fergal Keane
"Left to Tell" by Immaculee Ilibagiza
"A People Betrayed" and "Conspiracy to Murder" by Linda Melvern
"Into the Quick of Life" by Jean Hatzfeld
Films:
"Ghosts of Rwanda" - a Frontline video
"Rwanda...Do Scars Ever Fade?" - A History Channel video
"Sometimes in April" - An HBO/PBS production
"Shooting Dogs" - A BBC production
"God Sleeps in Rwanda" - Academy Award Nominee for Short Documentary
Websites:
See our Links page for website links
Answers to questions about Rwanda Partners
Can I volunteer in Rwanda Partners US office or in Rwanda?
If you are interested in volunteering in our US office and you live in the Seattle area, please give us a call and
we'll see what opportunities we have available for you to participate in. If you live outside of the Seattle area,
the only way to volunteer with us is to join our Basket Sales Consultant Program (See "Ways to get involved page for
more information). Of course we always welcome people "spreading the word" about the work we are doing - hosting
information nights in their home or telling their friends about our programs. That's a great way to help us out with
the work we are doing! In Rwanda, we don't have volunteer or work opportunities available as we work primarily with
Rwandans in country - but there is sometimes the possibility of getting a closer look at some of our projects there so
send us an email if you're planning on going to Rwanda and we'll see what we can arrange for you.
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How much of my donation actually gets to the people of Rwanda?
Rwanda Partners main passion and concern is to improve the lives of the Rwandan people so we send at least 80% of
every donation we receive directly to the people we are working with and supporting in Rwanda. (In some cases, 100% of
the donation goes directly to our programs in Rwanda). However, since we cannot help Rwanda unless our operation here
in the US is running, we take no more than 20% out of each donation to go towards administration costs and any other
necessary oversight costs associated with these projects. We know that the donations we receive have come as a result
of our donors' hard work and we don't want to waste any of it on unnecessary expenses.
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Can I donate materials or supplies to Rwanda Partners instead of money?
While we appreciate that many of you don't have funds to donate but want to be able to help in some way, Rwanda
Partners is unfortunately not able to accept any donations other than financial ones. Due to the extremely high cost
of shipping, it is simply not cost effective for our organization to take donations of materials or supplies.
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How long has Rwanda Partners been in operation?
Rwanda Partners was founded in August 2004.
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Is Rwanda Partners a registered nonprofit with the IRS?
Yes - Rwanda Partners received our 501c3 nonprofit status with the IRS in December 2004. If you need to have our Tax
ID number, it is 20-1451443. Contact us and we'll gladly send you a copy of our registration letter.
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How is Rwanda Partners funded?
Rwanda Partners is funded almost exclusively from donations from donors like you that care about the people of Rwanda
and the work we are doing among them to help restore and rebuild their nation and their individual lives. We also
receive some grant money from foundations. We are an administratively lean organization with a wide reach - we work
hard to keep our costs down as much as possible so that most of the funds we raise can go directly to work in Rwanda.
Our number one concern is for improving the lives of the Rwandan people - not financially benefiting ourselves. We take great care to
do our work with excellence while keeping our operations costs as low as possible.
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Answers to questions about traveling to Rwanda
What are the visa requirements for traveling to Rwanda?
For Americans staying less than 3 months, no visa is required. All that's needed is a valid passport. For travelers
from other countries, please check with your embassy to see what the necessary requirements are.
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What vaccinations do I need?
The only vaccination required to get into Rwanda is Yellow Fever. You must show your Yellow Fever certificate upon
entry into the country. However, we always recommend that travelers are up-to-date on their childhood immunizations,
including Hepatitis A/B and tetanus. We also recommend to our team members (since we go into the prisons in Rwanda)
that they also have meningococcal and oral typhoid. As with all medical concerns, it's best to consult your doctor
or your local travel clinic to get all the information you need. Another necessity is that you take an anti-malarial
medication while you are in Rwanda (most require you to start them a week to 2 days before you enter the country and
continue them for a week to a month after your departure). You will want to use a topical anti-malarial lotion as well while you are in Rwanda.
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Is Rwanda safe?
The World Bank voted Rwanda #1 amongst developing nations in 2004 for good
governance and lack of corruption. It is an extremely safe country for
westerners to travel in - perhaps the safest in all of Africa. Of course you
will want to always use good common sense and take the necessary precautions to
guard against theft when you are traveling, but as far as physical safety is
concerned Rwanda is an excellent place to travel to.
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What do you wear while traveling in Rwanda?
If you are going to see the gorillas, you'll want to wear good hiking shoes or boots, a long sleeve shirt with
another layer over it (it can get a bit chilly in the higher elevations) and long pants such as jeans. However, when
you are in the rest of Rwanda the temperatures are quite pleasant - with the average daily temperature being around 72
degrees Fahrenheit. It can get cool at night so a sweater or a light jacket is a good idea. Rwanda does have two rainy
seasons so check to see if you are traveling during one of them. (A great resource guide is the Bradt Travel Guide by Janice Booth
and Philip Briggs.) Rwandans take pride in their dress - often dressing up when they go out. So it is a good idea to try to look
nice when you are visiting in anyone's home, or visiting cultural sites, memorials or local organizations. We always have our
teams dress modestly with no bare shoulders or midriffs, no shorts, and longer skirts for our women with nicer slacks for our men.
While this isn't required, we think it honors our hosts and shows them that we care about them. Of course, since we are in a
developing nation, we don't bring anything that is very expensive or extremely luxurious. We also don't encourage our women to
wear a lot of jewelry either - simple and modest is the best rule of thumb.
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Can I use a credit card in Rwanda? Are there any guidelines on the money I bring into the country?
Rwanda is generally a "cash only" society. If you are staying in a hotel, they will generally take credit cards but otherwise,
you should have cash to pay for souvenirs or food items. You should bring cash with you in your home currency and exchange it
into Rwandan francs in Rwanda at either the foreign exchange bureau or at one of the major hotels. Traveler's checks are not advised.
To get the best possible exchange rate, you want to bring new bills in denominations of $50 or higher (no tears or writing on them).
Currently the exchange rate is around 560 rwf (Rwandan francs) to 1 US dollar.
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Facts and Figures on Rwanda
Are the Hutus and Tutsis different ethnic groups?
Unlike other African countries, Rwanda does not have tribes or even ethnic groups. The three designated groups that make up Rwanda
are the Hutu, the Tutsi and the Twa. These three groups all speak the same language, share the same culture and live throughout
the country. Many Rwandese are actually of mixed background with one parent being from one group and another parent being from another
group. Certain historians hypothesize that the Twa were hunters and were the first to occupy the land, the Hutu supposedly
came afterwards and were farmers while the Tutsi came last and were cattle raisers. In a country where famines were frequent, the
owners of cattle survived better than farmers did. This led to a feudal system where the cow was the means of payment for the work
done. Generally those owning 10 or more cows were considered Tutsi and those with fewer than 10 cows were Hutu. Today in Rwanda in
an attempt to quell the tension between the three groups, a distinction is no longer made between Hutu, Tutsi or Twa. In fact, it
is discouraged to even talk in terms of these three groups - all are Rwandese and the country and the government of Rwanda is
working hard to bring unity and harmony between her people.
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How many people currently live in Rwanda?
As of 2006, the current population of Rwanda stands at close to 8.5 million people.
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How many Rwandans were killed in the genocide?
While many books will suggest that the number killed in the genocide was between 500,000 and 800,000, Rwanda Partners feels strongly
that the true number of Rwandans killed in the 100 days of the genocide was 1 million. We base this conclusion on the wisdom of
our partners and on the calculations they make for birth rates, impact of disease in the camps, and the number of people who returned
to the country after the genocide. We also believe that while the killings ended in the rest of the country in July 1994, they
continued in the northern provinces of Gisenyi and Ruhengeri for several years afterwards.
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