A Facilitators Learning Experience (FLE) that lasted for one week in Kigali, Rwanda saw to it that the new ReachUp! Curriculum was launched.

The revised and updated curriculum was the product of Dr. Emma Stodel (Learning Director), Kate Hayward (Senior Curriculum Developer) and Maarifa Ndekezi (Regional Learning Coordinator), who have been working on it for the past two years. Not only is it more engaging and exciting but it also clearly brings out the DOT learning philosophy which everyone on DOT will be keen on grasping.

The DOT Rwanda team was privileged to have its team participate in the FLE for one week from 23^rd to 27^th July 2012. The DOT ReachUp! Curriculum seeks to empower its beneficiaries, mostly women and youth, in entrepreneurship and ICT by imparting in them skills they can use on a day to day basis and encourages them to become lifelong learners. The role we played during the facilitations gave us a feel of what the participants would experience once the Interns facilitate the new curriculum to them.

The other countries in the region had representatives who also took part: Genet Lemma, Learning Specialist for Ethiopia, Jean Claude Ndayambaje Learning Specialist for Rwanda, Natalie Kimbugwe DOT Uganda Program Advisor and Ingrid Amunga Learning Specialist for Kenya. Converging in Kigali gave a chance to the learning team to come together for the first time and have an opportunity to strategize on how to effectively implement its operations.

Most of the facilitators in the facilitation sessions had had previous experience in facilitating the earlier version of the curriculum and as the new one was rolled out, they were keen to note the changes that had taken place. This will go a long way in ensuring that the new curriculum is facilitated whilst paying close attention to these changes.

Kate and Emma were pleased that the new curriculum was well received during its launch and hope that the same effect trickles down to the Interns and consequently the participants.