Nestled in the remote mountains of Northern Rwanda near the borders to Uganda and DR Congo, the village of Sunzu is a small but vibrant community, comprised mainly of subsistence farmers. In the decades since the '94 genocide, this village has been working to emerge from the strongholds of extreme poverty, Recognizing its own need for self-sustained growth, several individuals in Sunzu got together to initiate a variety of community development programs for the education of children and training of adults in vocational and entrepreneurial skills. This gave way to a women-run cooperative to sell crafts, the construction of a library for community use, and partnerships with nearby tourism facilities to support these programs and local livelihoods. In 2016, the funds were raised to build a community library to be run by local educators and volunteers. This library grew in popularity beyond its capacity within a few years, requiring additional classrooms to be built next door by locally-trained masons. This grassroots initiative has been recognized and admired by global institutions and the Rwandan Ministry of Education, leading to further support and expansion of programs to impact thousands of children and adults across the entire region. The next stage of development now involves a community meeting space where existing programs can continue to expand in both size and impact. There is an architectural concept that has been shared amongst stakeholders, but a need for funding.

This multipurpose facility expansion to the community center in Sunzu Village will have lasting ripple effects on youth and adults across the region. With a larger space to hold events, meetings, vocational trainings, and more, this village will be able to continue empowering people to make better lives for themselves. Various leaders in the area have expressed interest in hosting trainings in sustainable farming techniques, entrepreneurship programs, celebrations and church meetings, and more. Currently, there just is not enough sheltered space for people to meet and feel comfortable. Building this facility will be the final stage in the overall site plan to serve as a model for holistic, centralized, and productive community space. Ten years ago, this village center was one of many dots across the densely-populated topography of Rwanda. Now, Sunzu Library can easily be found on Google Maps and is a gathering hub for people of all backgrounds.

Over the last decade, a number of individuals, community members, and charity organizations have come together in support of the local initiatives at Sunzu Village. As the needs have evolved, leaders have rallied the support of local governments and organizations to assure things like proper childhood nutrition, adult literacy, appropriate business practices, and family health standards are all met and exceeded. Organizations such as Yambi Rwanda (a charity for childhood development), East African Power (renewable energy company), Bridge to Rwanda (a high-level university scholarship program for Rwandan youth), Volcano Safaris (tourism company), and Journeyman International (architectural design NGO) have come alongside Sunzu Village to provide the necessary resources and network to reinforce these community initiatives. All of these organizations have invested years of partnership and relationship with local leaders and community members, and they continue to do so today. Heading up the design component of these facilities has been a combined effort between a local construction professional named Jean De La Paix, architect Carly Althoff from Journeyman International, engineer Vincent Hakizimana from East African Power, and a selected advisory group of Rwandan architectural professionals and local community member stakeholders.