A thousand hills await

I am about to embark on a transformational experience! In 12 days, I'll be in Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, along with 11 fellow IBMers under the IBM Corporate Service Corps (CSC) program. I have waited 3 years for this moment.

IBM Corporate Service Corps was launched in 2008 to develop leadership skills while addressing economic challenges in emerging markets. The initiative aims to train a new generation of truly global leaders by exposing us to diverse cultures, policy environments, and different societal expectations - this is the 21st century context for business. The Corporate Service Corps provides a triple benefit. IBM gains leaders with a broader range of skills that can function in a global context. Individual participants get a unique set of leadership opportunities and development experiences. And emerging communities get IBM’s best problem solving skills. 

IBM Corporate Service Corps has delivered significant results in communities over the past 6 years.

We'll be the first CSC team in Rwanda! We've been preparing for almost 3 months now. Our curriculum included training in team development, cultural adaptability, and consulting, among others. We're from Brazil, Costa Rica, France, India, Ireland, Japan, and USA. So far, we've got to know each other during team meetings and assignments through global collaboration tools. Soon, we'll all meet face to face for the first time. We'll work tirelessly together on a daily basis for a month to help our beneficiaries solve their challenges.

While this is certainly an exceptional opportunity, accepting the assignment was not exactly an easy decision. For two main reasons. I applied 3 years ago. By the time I got accepted into the program, 2 months later, I was expecting. A baby :) Luckily, the program is very understanding of changing circumstances and accommodated my deferral. All along, I've been anticipating the time when I would receive my assignment. When things got tough (juggling hectic work schedule and newborn at home among other things), knowing that this experience awaited me was one of the things that kept me going. This is how much this means to me. My son is still very young, but I know I can't defer forever. Many folks with whom I've talked have encouraged me to pursue this unique opportunity. Some have cautioned that my son may possibly be scarred for life. But I know that, if I get to raise him the way I hope to, it will instill in him altruism and a sense of greater purpose. So I hope that any scarring would be in the positive sense.

When I finally got my assignment earlier this year, I told my husband that I would be going to Rwanda. His immediate response was, "Didn't we watch a movie about Rwanda?" We did, several years ago... and it was not the kind of movie that would make you encourage your wife to go to Rwanda (by the way, I am currently reading "Inside the Hotel Rwanda," which debunks the heroism inaccurately portrayed by Hollywood). I had actually specifically requested to be placed in Africa because I feel privileged to be from Mauritius, which is a tiny island and yet one of the most developed countries in Africa. The program manager advised me to speak with other female participants who had been on assignment to Africa and shared an article with me about Rwanda's progress in the past 21 years. I've read up on Rwanda in as many articles and books as I could in the short time since. Indeed, Rwanda, under President Paul Kagame's leadership, has been reinventing itself as a progressive country. Rwanda is the first country (or one of the first) to ban plastic bags. On the last Saturday morning of every month, able citizens partake in mandatory community service, called Umuganda. Rwanda looks to Singapore as its role model and seeks to become a knowledge-based middle-income economy by year 2020.

Knowing how much this means to me, my husband has been very supportive. We've worked out a support system for him while I'm gone. Our friend's mom, who's also our friend and who cared for our son when I first went back to work, will help out several days a week. My parents-in-law will help on some days (they've been amazing at supporting us with home-cooked meals since baby was born!). And hubby will take a day off every week, more if needed. It takes a village! 

A thousand hills await... It's both exciting and scary!

#ibmcsc rwanda

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