Learn about the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda - In-person

A Johns Hopkins teacher will discuss a unique Rwandan school

Phyllis Lerner, affiliated with the John Hopkins University School of Education, will talk about her experiences with the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village - a boarding school for orphans in Rwanda.

The Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village opened in 2008.  More than 500 orphaned and vulnerable teenagers live there in homes with "Mamas," Rwandan women who lost family members, sometimes entire families in the Genocide against the Tutsi tribe in 1994. Though South African founder Anne Heyman died in 2015, the school continues to transform and thrive.  

The name of the Youth Village is derived from the concept of a place where "tears are dried" (Kinyarwanda word "agahozo") and the vulnerable youth can "live in peace" (Jewish word "shalom").  The goal of the Village is to enable orphaned and socially vulnerable young people to thrive, develop a new "family," and then become contributors to their own adult communities/country.

Questions about this program? Call Davis Library at 240-777-0922.

Don't have a card right now?  No worries!  Find out how to Get a Library Card.

Library Program Attendance (both virtual and in the branch) is limited to participants within the suggested age range of the program. Children attending an MCPL program under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Adults attending a program intended for children must have an accompanying child.

If you plan to attend with a group of ten or more, please contact the branch at least one week before the program to discuss how your group might be accommodated.

Accommodation Requests

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing should request English-language captioning or sign-language interpretation at least five days before the library-sponsored program they plan to attend. Contact the Assistant Facilities and Accessibility Program Manager at 240-777-0002 with all other accommodation requests.

cm 1.1 01/03/2023

Upcoming Events