Dan's Fun Job

After my very first blog post, in which I talked about looking forward to a slower pace of life in Rwanda, we received a great, encouraging email from a friend who has been faithfully serving in the developing world for several decades. Among her words of wisdom, she offered this insight about my hopes for more free time: "I doubt that will last long; the needs in the field are so great!"

Those words have rung true these past few weeks, as things have gotten surprisingly busy here. The primary culprit is my very exciting but consuming job with a new government institution called the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

The RDB was created this past fall to "fast-track" Rwanda's development efforts. If that sounds like a broad charge, it's because it is! We report directly to the President and are responsible for solving problems hindering the country's strategic growth and development--everything from big infrastructure projects to education and workforce development to private investment, building a better business climate, and more. We should create the conditions for the private sector to grow, creating more jobs and expanding opportunities for all Rwandans. The RDB is modeled after a similar entity that proved successful in Singapore.

President Kagame has asked an enormously successful American businessman named Joe Ritchie to serve as the CEO. Joe has been involved in Rwanda for the past five years, serving on the President's Advisory Council and pitching the country to private sector leaders around the world. He's hard-charging and eccentric, with a brilliant business mind; I've already learned a lot from him.

Perhaps more exciting though, is the opportunity I have to work with a young Rwandese leader named Francis Gatare, who is the #2 at the RDB. Because Joe is not yet living in Rwanda full time, Francis is the guy really running the show day to day. He is smart, humble, and committed to his country; he could very well be President of Rwanda in 10 years. He's also totally overwhelmed. Like most organizations here in Rwanda, the RDB has a few very capable people at the top of the organization, then the talent pool and staff capacity drops off dramatically below them. So a guy like Francis always has more work than anyone could handle.

It's really been great fun working in a Chief of Staff/Senior Advisor role for the RDB: trying to take things off Francis and Joe's plate, helping with policy strategy and research, interfacing with Western investors, and generally trying to keep the trains running on time. Campbell and I even got to help host a dinner for Tony Blair, who has committed to support Rwanda! My experiences in DC and New Orleans are actually serving me very well, and I feel like I'm making a difference.
Campbell and I are here in Rwanda because of Christ's call to love and serve the poor. I'm not working in a slum or among the rural poor, but I have the privilege of helping to tackle some of the country's BIG strategic challenges. Challenges, that if met, can further transform this country and improve the lives of millions of its poorest citizens. How cool is that?!?