Alumni on the Move: Making Rwanda’s Tech Industry More Inclusive
Julia Gihozo
At ASYV, we support our students in building the confidence, skills, and passions to dream big and achieve those dreams. In fields from government to education to hospitality, our alumni are having incredible success pursuing their dreams and building thriving lives (as this study led by Tulane University shows).
Julia Gihozo graduated from ASYV in 2019 and from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2024. She is currently working for the Rwandan Ministry of ICT and Innovation while pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Sussex. We sat down with her to chat about her time at ASYV and how she’s helping build a better, more innovative world.
Can you tell us about your current job?
I work at the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, where I’m helping shape Rwanda’s Science and Technology Centre from the ground up. Through the Science Centre, we’re rethinking how young people engage with science, how they see themselves in it, and how that translates into future pathways. It is my dream that innovation is inclusive, and that the systems we design create real opportunities for those who might otherwise be left out.
How did your time at ASYV impact you?
Before I came to ASYV, life was centered on survival. It was just my mother, my sister, and me, and every day was about making it through that day. There was little room to dream beyond the immediate. I still remember my mother having to choose between the next meal and healthcare. I carried questions I could not yet name, wounds I did not fully understand, and a quiet uncertainty about almost everything.
When I arrived at ASYV, something shifted. For the first time, I felt a sense of belonging. There was an unspoken feeling of, “I see you. I get it.” That was something I had never known before. Living with 17 other girls, each carrying her own story, created a kind of comfort that is hard to explain.
ASYV taught me something I still carry with me today: doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.
What were your favorite ASYV programs or activities?
Debate was one of the most transformative spaces for me at ASYV. I found my voice. It taught me that confidence is built, not handed to you like a certificate at assembly. I was also part of [the gender equity club] Girl Up. We did not only talk about being the change we wanted to see. We spent real time trying to create it. It taught me leadership in a practical, hands-on way.
Beyond the programs, it was the people who shaped me most. My [ASYV] Mama offered quiet, steady care. My teachers challenged me mercilessly—or at least that is how it felt at the time. Looking back, I know it was love and standards intended to help me become who I could be. My friends became lifelong companions, and staff brought a kind of nurturing that made the Village feel like home.
What are your plans for the future?
I want to keep working to close inequality gaps, especially in the way young people access opportunities in science, digital learning, and the future of work. As a first-generation graduate, I also hope to continue my academic journey by completing my master’s and eventually pursuing a PhD. Beyond career and academics, I hope to build a life that feels full, grounded, and joyful. I would love to start a family of my own, God willing, and create a home that carries the same sense of care and community that shaped me.