The Backpack enrollment team from our partner organization Kepler, Sadiki Bamperineza, Habinshuti Irankunda, and Josephine Uwizeye, led 120 refugees enroll in Backpack last week at the Kiziba Refugee Camp.

Mr. Bamperineza noted that the “event was good and fulfilling.”

These sessions at Kiziba are just the first part of a project to understand how Backpack can be implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa in support of larger efforts to reconnect refugees and at-risk young people (re) connect with higher education opportunities.

Backpackers explored the human right to education and digital dignity as part of the process.  Like over a 1000 young people throughout the world, their certificates and important educational and professional documents are safe and can be safely shared.

In the main image, Ms. Uwizeye is seen preparing Backpackers to record "My Story/My Future" entries.  These are audio-visual statements of purpose and provide Backpackers with a chance to tell their story. With Mr. Irankunda's help Backpackers use their phones to photograph and upload to Backpack copies of critical documents.

Kepler’s Backpack Guide Teams will try to reach even more in the coming months.

Our job at UC Davis has been to provide information and support to the teams in Rwanda, in addition to the safety and security of the Backpack infrastructure.