OUR STORY

 

Francine LeFrak spent eight years researching the devastating impact of the Rwandan Genocide. The purpose of her exploration, her film, "100 Days of Darkness," did not continue to fruition, yet she felt she still needed to work on the ground and shed light on the process of women reclaiming peace and rebuilding their lives. This journey wasn't over— Francine still had work to do.

Meanwhile, other news in Rwanda caught Francine’s attention. She was captivated by President Kagame’s quest for reconciliation, not redemption, in the grim days after the Genocide, as well as the fact that Rwandan Parliament was composed of 56% women. Swanee Hunt, head of the Women in Public Policy Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and author of This Was Not Our War— which details post-genocide Bosnia and Rwanda where women were instrumental in reclaiming peace of the countries— also played an influential role.  Caring deeply about gender equality and women’s empowerment, Francine saw Rwanda as a place that would embrace the employment of women in need.   READ MORE >