A Mother to Many: Anne Heyman

SAME SKY mourns the loss of Anne Heyman, founder of the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda. She passed away from a tragic horse-riding competition January 31st. 

Heyman was inspired to change the world after a visit to Rwanda, where she learned about children who were left behind by the Rwandan Genocide. Agahozo-Shalom, a combination of Kinyarwanda and Hebrew meaning “where tears are dried” and “peace”, is exactly what Heyman beautifully created. Modeled after Yemin Orde, the Israeli youth village for children who survived the Holocaust, Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village is located in rural Rwanda, where orphans are given a nurturing environment to grow up and recover from the trauma.

Agahazo-Shalom Youth Village is now comprised of 500 students, aged 15-21, who looked to Heyman as a mother. Many can hardly remember their biological mothers, but they saw Heyman several times throughout the year as she frequently traveled to the village. She didn’t just raise millions of dollars for the village, she also proactively partook in the successful development of the children.

Anne Heyman represented kindness and the human capacity to help others in need. Her exceptional legacy will forever live on through her efforts in Rwanda. And she will always remain an inspiration to all of us at SAME SKY.  

For more info about Agahozo-Shalom, visit: www.ASYV.org.