Working with the poor in Rwanda

from Delaware Online

By ANITA BRUZZESE, Gannett News Service

On an evening in February in Rwanda, Josh Ruxin contemplates how his life now differs from the one he lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan a few years ago.

"It's actually quite comfortable [in Rwanda]. I have a house that's larger than what I had in New York, and it's always filled with people," he says. "There are, however, daily challenges I didn't have before."

Those challenges: desperate poverty, disease and death on a daily basis.

"It's hard not to burn out," he admits in a phone interview. "You really have to create a space for yourself because everyone you meet has extraordinary needs no matter their income level. It's a daily barrage of personal and health issues."

Ruxin lives and works in Rwanda as director of the nonprofit Access Project, which address public health needs such as AIDS, tuberculosis and the root causes of poverty. At the same time, he still maintains his job as a Columbia University public health professor.

While celebrities such as Madonna and Bono and business leaders such as Bill and Melinda Gates call attention to health and welfare issues in Africa, people like Ruxin have the job of putting programs into place and bringing about changes under sometimes daunting conditions.

"I think my biggest piece of advice for people who want to work overseas for a nonprofit is to understand that we don't just need doctors or nurses or those who have graduate degrees," he says. "We need great management talents, people who have skills in everything from accounting to communication. There's room for everyone. I have interns here now who are still attending college, and they come here with great organizational or computer skills. All these skills are desperately needed by poor, hungry people."

Ruxin knows that while some people may still envision Rwanda from its days of ethnic killings more than a decade ago, he urges anyone who wants to work overseas for a nonprofit to "find out what life is like on the ground."

"There certainly are countries in Africa where terrible things happen," he says. "But I'm very ambitious and optimistic about Rwanda."

Ruxin advises those seeking international jobs to visit the countries that interest them, and not rely just on Web sites offering international jobs.

"It's very, very tough to get jobs overseas from the U.S. It's really tough because there's so much competition," he says. "If you come to someplace like Rwanda, your chances are much better. You'll probably be able to meet with project managers directly, and so your chances of getting a job are much greater. Also, once you're over here, you've saved the nonprofit the cost of airfare and moving. They're much more interested in hiring you because it won't cost them as much."

Ruxin says it's important to be realistic about what you can face working in such countries. "You're going to be putting in some really long hours. I typically work about 14-to-18 hour days, seven days a week."

At the same time, as someone who has worked in both the private and public sectors, Ruxin says that his job is "extremely gratifying," as opposed to the sometimes "painful and punishing" feelings he has had in other jobs. He also adds that he feels "confident that what we're doing is right and we can see we're making a difference."

Ruxin cautions, however, that "having the passion and interest" to work overseas for a nonprofit is not enough. "You've got to really know and understand how the skills you have can effect change -- how you can really translate your skills to the cause."

Those interested in finding out more about conditions and safety in other countries can check out the Web sites of the CIA (www.cia.gov) or the State Department (www.state.gov). Ruxin says that while these Web sites can be "extremely cautious" when describing conditions, he also advises writing to in-country embassies to receive recent copies of security briefings for that country.
Anita Bruzzese is a columnist for Gannett News Service.