A Thousand Hills to Heaven: Love, Hope, and a Restaurant in Rwanda

Event Context and Upcoming Schedule

• The Milken Institute hosted a "summer forum" featuring Josh Ruxin and moderated by Kathy Eldon, diverging from the standard 4:30 PM slot.
• The next forum is scheduled for Tuesday, August 5th, with Ed Catmull (President of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar) discussing his book, Creativity Incorporated; time is tentatively set for 6:30 PM.
• Book sales and signings for Ruxin's work are available post-event via Barnes & Noble to bypass Amazon's current distribution issues with authors.
• The Q&A format utilized physical microphones rather than electronic submission for the evening's session.

Speaker Profiles and Backgrounds

• Kathy Eldon: Founder/Chairman of the Creative Visions Foundation; moved to Kenya in 1977; her son Dan was killed by a Somali mob in 1993, an event that inspired her foundation to support over 200 creative activist projects.
• Josh Ruxin: Founder and director of Healthbuilders (formerly The Access Project), an initiative of Columbia University; currently oversees 90 health centers in Rwanda serving over 2 million people.
• Shared Connections: Both speakers share a deep history with the late journalist Mohamed Shafi (Mo), the sole survivor of the 1993 Somali attack that killed Dan Eldon; Mo later died of a heart attack at age 49.
• Ruxin Credentials: Holds a BA from Yale, MPH from Columbia, and PhD in history from the University of London; resides in Kigali, Rwanda, with his wife Alyssa (Wellesley/Harvard graduate) and three children.

Rwanda's Post-Genocide Transformation

• Historical Context: The discussion takes place 10 years after the 1994 genocide, noting the country's transition from a nation scarred by the killing of over 800,000 people to one of the world's fastest-growing economies.
• Initial Challenges: Early experiences in Rwanda involved confronting "ghosts" of the genocide, including finding a genocide victim's body buried in the founders' first backyard and discovering that a family had been murdered within their own home.
• Economic Shift: The country has ranked consistently as one of the best places in the world to do business for a decade, achieving double-digit growth despite global comparisons to China.
• Global Perception vs. Reality: Ruxin notes that despite "stunning achievements," Rwanda remains largely shunned or misunderstood internationally due to its tight state control and historical stigma, whereas the reality is high security, low corruption, and significant infrastructure development.

Healthcare Model and Healthbuilders Initiative

• Strategic Approach: Healthbuilders operates exclusively in partnership with the Government of Rwanda, utilizing co-investment and local management rather than traditional NGO expat-led models.
• Sustainability Mechanism: Health centers are built by the initiative but immediately transferred to the government and community for full operation, staffing, and funding; no donor dollars are spent after opening day.
• Operational Scope: Facilities are approximately 10,000 square feet, serving roughly 90 births per month per center with nearly 100% immunization rates.
• Mayange Case Study: In the former "Millennium Village" of Mayanje, interventions began when Jacqueline, a former funeral director, realized the local health center had prevented deaths for six months, ending the demand for her services.
• Resulting Development: Government infrastructure (roads, electricity, water) and Healthbuilders' health/agricultural interventions triggered a private sector boom in Mayanje, transforming a drought-prone desert area into a prosperous agricultural hub.

Private Sector and "Heaven" Restaurant Model

• Social Enterprise Origin: Ruxin's wife, Alyssa, founded "Heaven" restaurant as a social enterprise after the Rwandan government offered rapid business incorporation (within 24 hours).
• Business Strategy: The restaurant aims to raise hospitality standards, train unemployed survivors and youth (e.g., Solange, who progressed from cleaner to sous chef), and compete with international dining standards.
• Economic Impact: Employees earn multiples of standard wages, allowing staff to fund university education, support extended families, and invest in their own businesses.
• Subversive Impact: Ruxin argues that direct private sector investment is a more powerful poverty alleviation tool than aid packages, creating a multiplier effect where thousands are supported without traditional aid.

Governance, Corruption, and Security

• Anti-Corruption Stance: Rwanda is described as a "democratic kleptocracy" in contrast to its neighbors, with a strict, government-led anti-corruption policy that prevents bribery in public services (e.g., police, health).
• International Critique: Ruxin criticizes the global community for failing to protest corrupt leaders or blacklist the most corrupt nations (top 15% by Transparency International rankings).
• Security Outlook: The primary external threat remains instability in Eastern Congo; however, the Rwandan military is rated as professional and stable, providing security that attracts private investment.
• Political Structure: Success is attributed to strong top-down leadership (President Kagame) combined with decentralized decision-making rights across 30 districts, holding mayors accountable for local development.

Comparative Analysis and Regional Dynamics

• Rwanda vs. Kenya: Rwanda's tight security and control are contrasted with Kenya's "democratic kleptocracy" and porous borders, making Rwanda a more stable environment for private investment despite criticism of its political freedom.
• Chinese Investment: China is identified as the only other nation fully understanding the efficacy of "unabashed capitalism" in poverty eradication, with significant infrastructure investments in Rwanda.
• Tourism Impact: Tourism is growing, but Ruxin suggests the narrative must shift from "gorillas and genocide" to culinary and hospitality experiences to drive economic diversification.
• Migration: Rwanda is becoming a regional magnet for investment and residence, though the government manages the influx by focusing on internal economic growth rather than refugee support.

Psychological and Social Reconstruction

• Forgiveness Dynamics: Many survivors have chosen forgiveness, a process Ruxin and Eldon describe as essential for moving forward, though the psychological toll remains deep.
• Economic Unity as Healing: Working together in cooperatives and businesses is viewed as a mechanism for overcoming historical trauma, as economic interdependence reduces the incentive for renewed conflict.
• Youth Outlook: Youth in Kigali generally report having "no time for hatred" due to the demands of work and education, whereas those in rural areas (85% of the population) living on subsistence levels struggle more with the past.

Future Outlook and Investor Recommendations

• Long-term Commitment: Ruxin emphasizes that sustainable development requires a 5-to-10-year runway rather than short-term grants or technological quick fixes.
• Investment Gap: There is a scarcity of funding for mid-scale social enterprises (like Heaven) which require hundreds of thousands of dollars rather than microfinance amounts, creating a gap in the funding landscape.
• Replication Challenges: Ruxin cautions that while the Rwanda model is exceptional due to its specific political stability, the principles of public-private partnership and private sector-led growth are universally applicable.
• Call to Action: Ruxin urges the audience to visit Rwanda as tourists to support the private sector directly, rather than viewing the country solely through the lens of aid.