FAQ
- Will your pictures be graphic?
So often, images of the African continent are limited to graphically shocking poverty. Our goal is to show the beauty of Rwanda and the Rwandan youth. Rather than trying to illicit blind donations and pity, we are looking to build positive lasting relationships and friendships. - Can we send our own resources?
The shipping costs to Rwanda, depending on the location of school, can amount to about $350 for a ton. If this money is able to be fundraised, then we encourage the sending of products that are very hard to come by in Rwanda, simply because Rwanda is land-locked and has to import many items. These items include crayons, markers, toys, computer games, eyeglasses, and so on. However, Umubano encourages sending money to buy resources within Rwanda simply because it helps build the Rwandan economy and emphasizes self-sustainability. Umubano specifically looks to buy Rwandan-made products. - If we choose to fundraise for our partner school, what percent of the money we raise will go directly to our partner school?
Discover Worlds Non-Profit Organization has 0 administrative costs since the program is run entirely by students at universities in the United States. Therefore all money raised by schools that is sent to Rwanda will be sent directly towards the resources the money was originally raised for. However, some additionally money might have to be raised by the schools to take care of the stamp fee for mailing from the United States to Rwanda. If mailing costs are taken care of, 100% of the money will directly be sent to buying the resources in Rwanda. - How can we be sure our letters get to the students?
Discover Worlds and its partner organization in Rwanda, RAPP will work together to ensure the letters are exchanged efficiently and securely. Our program staff in Rwanda and the US is committed to facilitating this transfer as smoothly as possible. - What if we are unable to fundraise for our partner school?
The mission of the Umubano program is to encourage sustainable cross-cultural exchanges between students in the US and Rwanda with the goal of increasing global awareness, compassion, understanding, and knowledge between countries. We encourage schools to only embark on a fundraising project if the students themselves initiate the idea. Even the littlest bit of money will help in Rwanda, but the fundamental goal of our project is to establish lasting relationships between individual students, classrooms, and schools. Therefore, if your school is unable to fundraise it presents no obstacle to your participation in the program.