In February, 2008, 12 Rwandan and American friends gathered to pray and discuss how we might join hands to serve the people of Rwanda. We decided that the place to start was to register a local ‘non-governmental organization.’ In March we began to lay the legal groundwork as well as share our plans with local community leaders.
On June 26th, 2008 Africa Transformation Network was granted temporary registration in the Kicukiro District of Kigali. They encouraged us to establish a location and begin our work. We quickly hired Charles Kabeza as our administrative assistant and in August signed a year’s lease on a house to serve as our operational center.
Immediately we began the process of seeking national registration from the Ministry of Local Government to allow us to operate anywhere in Rwanda. After all required reports and documentation were submitted, national registration was granted on November 7, 2008.
In Rwanda, the legal process is not complete until permanent registration is granted by the Ministry of Justice. In the early months of 2009 we worked on updating our constitution and showing evidence that we are serious about making a positive difference in Rwanda. On May 11, 2009, Africa Transformation Network received full legal status in Rwanda. Our Certificate of Registration represents significant trust by the government of Rwanda.