Project information

The team of University of Manchester students will volunteer alongside students from The University of Rwanda in sub-teams. Each team will focus on a different area of Azizi Life’s work.

• Storytelling through media
• Data gathering
• Enterprise development

Each of the teams will have an impact on Azizi Life’s aims, adding value to their core work and creating a stronger platform to build on in the future. Projects may also include a focus on environmental sustainability.

Storytelling team:

This team will help to raise awareness of the organisation on major social media platforms. Azizi Life has seen a huge increase in their online presence, particularly Instagram and email, with an increase in blog posts. This team will work alongside the Azizi Life Rwandan Story Team to gather content and create storyboards for short video’s that get across a clear message. They will go to the field and capture the footage before editing it into a powerful message. They will teach the skills and processes that they use to the Rwandan staff and volunteers so they can continue to create content after the project. 

Data gathering team:

This team will gather data on artisans and community impact projects and find ways that Azizi Life can share it for maximum impact. Volunteers will identify the areas where data is required, design the surveys and gather the data. They will turn this into graphs and graphics that can be easily shared in reports and on social media. This will not only help with Azizi Life’s monitoring and evaluation, but it will also be helpful for quickly and effectively showing donors, customers and investors the difference they are making.

A key focus of the project will be the distribution of water filters. Azizi Life have already distributed 50 filters to families within walking distance of their office, with another 50 to be distributed before summer. Volunteers will collect data from households with filters and those without, to compare and measure the difference these filters make. Volunteers will also work closely with Rwandan staff, sharing their skills in data collection and reporting, ensuring that this work can continue beyond the project’s completion.

Enterprise development team: 

Azizi Life is continually growing and developing with new problems and opportunities arising almost continually. This means that there is always help needed in strategic planning, business development and creative problem solving.

In 2025, the team will work together to bring a children's playground to the Azizi Life community in Byimana. This project will involve extensive research to determine what is feasible and effective for the available space, as well as hands-on support during the construction process. Our goal is to design a play area that encourages local families to visit Azizi Life and enhances the community’s resources, making it a safe, vibrant space for children to learn, play, and grow.

This area of Azizi Life’s work is essential for the growth of impact in the rural communities. The team will work closely with the Rwandan staff and share skills to help the team to continue to think creatively for the future.

Environmental sustainability:

Minimising the impact on the environment is at the heart of Azizi Life's values and something that is woven into each of the projects above. We are therefore also looking for students with an interest in environmental sustainability who may be able to contribute to the project.