Part 1 of The Radical Shift argued that in order to fulfill its Vision 2020 strategy, and successfully develop its people, Rwanda must prioritize quality values based education and view the local school as a cornerstone for community development.  Unfortunately, the history of education in Rwanda has been dominated by exclusion, division, and mistrust.  Even a brief look at the history of formal education in Rwanda from colonial times until present day demonstrated schools have largely failed to reach their potential because they have been dominated by a scarcity mentality.

Part 2 of this entry argues that a radical shift from scarcity to abundance in Rwandan schools is highly necessary, and despite Rwanda’s difficult past, it is also possible.  In spite of the current situation, there is already a subtle shift happening in Rwanda presently that may yet cause schools across the country to become beacons of light in their communities.  This shift is happening as a growing number of school leaders, teachers, and parents embrace their critical role in the future of their country.

There are a small, but intrepid, group of educators who believe their circumstances should not determine their commitment. They believe they have a choice between abundance and scarcity, and they intentionally choose abundance. These educators work in the same circumstances as their colleagues. They too have inherited the colonial legacy of top-down authoritarian leadership and rote-based education, and they have to grapple with the insidious role many schools had in spreading division and mistrust prior to the 1994 genocide. They teach in schools that are overcrowded, under-supported, and under-resourced. For this privilege, they also receive poor compensation and little appreciation from the wider society. Yet they still choose abundance.

The shift is being led by men and women like Fred Buyinza—current Chairman of the Association of Committed Teachers (ACT) Rwanda—who believes “teachers are like gold to the nation” and regularly asks his fellow teachers the question: “What do we have in our hands?” These men and women recognize that good leadership matters and they continue to explore the type of leadership required to transform their communities. They refuse to settle for mere survival because they want their communities to thrive.  The leadership they are demonstrating can be called Abundant Leadership (For other relevant examples see Kirsten Lake’s recent story on Star Leaders or Jeff Komant’s post from 2010 on Mustard Seed Academy).    

Abundant Leadership can be defined as serving a community by helping them identify what they already have and connecting those community assets to accomplish a common vision.  This definition is based on principles drawn from Servant Leadership, Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), and Rwandan culture, like service, stewardship, empowerment, trust, community engagement, collective effort, and common vision.  In the context of Rwandan schools, the Abundant Leader seeks to move beyond a deficient or basic education (scarcity) towards a Vibrant School Community (abundance).

For an Abundant Leader, motivation and credibility do not come from title or position, but rather from a deep love and passion for their community and a desire to see positive change that will benefit all members. An Abundant Leader has a generous heart, a keen mind, and open hands. Their leadership is rooted in the view that leadership begins with service, that a transformed and vibrant community is possible, that beauty can truly come from ashes (Isaiah 61:3 NIV), that a community has inherent strengths and abilities (assets), and that the success of others enhances—and does not negate—their own success.  The Abundant Leader is primarily a servant, a connector, and a catalyst.

Abundant Leadership has the attitude and spirit embodied in Isaiah 43:18-19, when God encourages his people Israel with a command and a promise: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (NIV).” Abundant Leadership is infectious. When practiced well, it can transform regular men and women into powerful agents for positive change. This is because Abundant Leadership has a multiplying effect, inspiring those who witness it to lead in a similar way, and extracting dignity, self-worth, and pride from a people who have only known despair, futility, and fatalism.

Since the Abundant Leader recognizes the critical difference his or her community will make in implementing positive change, they start the school improvement process by seeking to understand what the community already has (its assets), connecting together relevant individuals, associations, and institutions, and utilizing these assets and connections to move forward toward a common vision for school improvement. Only once the community has already started down the path is it ready for outside partnership and support.

What would be the impact on Rwandan schools if they adopted Abundant Leadership and based their improvement efforts from what they already had? What difference would it make if the people who make up those schools communities—teachers, students, and parents—had dignity, a sense of calling, and a realisation of what they had to contribute in the process?

I believe they would become communities composed of citizens and neighbours, rather than consumers and clients. Ownership of change would be shared and the responsibility for ongoing improvement would be guarded by the many, rather than the few. Others could partner with the confidence that their investment would be sustainable, fit with local vision, and would not build long term dependency.  This is the type of change The Wellspring Foundation longs to support in the Rwandan context, and perhaps beyond.

In Part 3 of The Radical Shift I will get highly practical and discuss five practices of Abundant Leadership that can serve as a starting point for making a radical shift from scarcity to abundance and help create Vibrant School Communities.  They include (a) developing a heart for community service, (b) helping schools discover shared values, (c) crafting a common vision, (d) recognizing and leveraging community assets, and (e) building a culture of accountability.  It is my hope that The Wellspring Foundation can begin to integrate these approaches even more meaningfully as we seek to identify Abundant Leaders and help them and their communities to thrive.