Hello, this is Shiona Kobayashi, who works at PFC as a volunteer. Today, I’d like to talk about my experience, especially how I got to Rwanda and what I am doing here.
How to get to Rwanda? This depends on where you live. In my case, usually I live in Japan. Last year, I began a volunteer study abroad program which took me to Malawi and Ethiopia before I landed in Rwanda on April 9th, 2024. I landed at Kigali International Airport on the evening of April 9th, 2024. Then, I made my way to the PFC headquarters based in Musanze, which is where I live now.
In my case, because I work as a volunteer from overseas, I travel back and forth. There are some people who come and live here, but for me, I work for a while in Japan and then work here. I do not yet know what my final destination will be, but I am enjoying the experience at PFC. I really like working in Rwanda. I am not worried too much about a particular career right now, but instead, I am pursuing new challenges while also using my professional background in public policy for social impact.
Work? Here, I mainly work on public policy to advise on PFC’s advocacy program. Rwanda has been my focus, but sometimes I do also advise on Malawi and Ethiopia.
Lastly, I will say that if you ever get an opportunity to volunteer in Rwanda, it will be an experience that you will never forget and something you should do.
That is my experience so far in Rwanda.
Shiona Kobayashi