Hope on a Thousand Hills: My Journey with Hope Haven Rwanda

Rwanda is often called The Land of a Thousand Hills—a breathtakingly beautiful country in the heart of East Africa. But beneath its rolling landscapes lies a history that still echoes through its hills and valleys. In 1994, over 800,000 people were murdered in a horrifying genocide, fueled by government propaganda that turned neighbors into enemies. Survivors lost their families, homes, livelihoods, and sense of security. Many fled to neighboring countries, only returning years later to rebuild their lives.

Yet today, Rwanda is a country of resilience, reconciliation, and extraordinary progress. I’ve been fortunate to visit Rwanda four times, and each visit has given me a deeper appreciation for the strength and determination of its people.

On my first trip in 2016, I heard about an American woman named Susan Hollern who had started a school called Hope Haven Rwanda. Though we didn’t meet that trip, I returned six months later determined to visit the school and learn more. Susan drove me along winding, muddy roads outside Kigali to a hilltop where nearly 100 students gathered each day for class and two nutritious meals.

In the kitchen, I worked alongside local cooks who were eager to learn new recipes for visiting volunteers. We picked fruits and vegetables from the school gardens and made pumpkin soup, banana pancakes, and herb sauces to accompany grilled chicken from the local market. I sat in classrooms and watched children learn to read and write—knowing many of them were the first in their families to ever attend school.

Since that first visit, I’ve returned to Hope Haven three more times, witnessing the school grow from a small campus into a thriving community. Today, it serves over 2,000 students, including high schoolers who live on campus. This summer, the school will celebrate its first graduation ceremony, and I’ve been honored to help the cooks plan meals for hundreds of guests traveling from across Rwanda and the United States.

For the past nine years, I’ve also supported Hope Haven by donating my “Around the World Dinner” to their annual fundraising event in Denver. Each year, I fly to Colorado to cook a multi-course meal in Susan’s home for the winning bidder. So far, these dinners have raised nearly $600,000 to support the students and programs at Hope Haven.

One of the most meaningful parts of my involvement has been sponsoring a student named Marie Claire. We’ve exchanged letters for five years, and during my last trip, I had the joy of meeting her in person. She’s now 16 years old, full of ambition, and dreams of becoming a nurse. We shared lunch and stories, and I left with confidence that she will make her dreams come true.

Hope Haven Rwanda has become a permanent part of my life, and I will always be grateful for the person who introduced me to Susan and her vision. I don’t believe in coincidences—I believe in purpose, and I know I was meant to be part of this mission.

If you’re looking for a way to make a real impact, I encourage you to sponsor a student, make a donation, or even travel to Rwanda to see the school firsthand. I promise it will change you. It certainly changed me.

To learn more, visit hopehavenrwanda.org.