Location
Huye District, Southern Province, RWANDA
Grantee
Aime Ishimwe
project
Career Compass
Aime Ishimwe
Aime Ishimwe is the founder of Career Compass, a student-led mentorship initiative based in Rwanda’s Huye District. Growing up in rural Rwanda, he experienced firsthand the barriers that keep talented students from reaching their full potential — limited career guidance, no exposure to role models, and almost no access to scholarship information. That lived experience became the foundation for Career Compass, built to make sure other young people in Huye District never have to face those barriers alone. With a TPP seed grant, Aime turned that personal conviction into structured, measurable impact across three rural secondary schools.
What the seed grant made possible
1,756
students directly reached through in-person career guidance and mentorship sessions
3
rural secondary schools partnered with across Huye District
246
national exam candidates supported through 5 targeted mentorship sessions
87
volunteer hours contributed by university student mentors
The project
In Rwanda’s Huye District, where rural students face systemic barriers to higher education, Aime Ishimwe built Career Compass to ensure that no young person has to navigate the path to opportunity alone. With support from a TPP seed grant, Career Compass brought university student mentors into three rural secondary schools to deliver career guidance sessions, mentorship workshops, and scholarship preparation support. The grant funded practical startup resources, including workshop toolkits, internet access for mentors, and coordination tools, putting every franc toward direct student impact.
Beyond individual sessions, Career Compass built infrastructure designed to last: two student-led Career Clubs that meet weekly for peer learning and mentorship, and a College Application Handbook offering step-by-step guidance on university applications and scholarships. Pre- and post-session feedback showed meaningful gains in students’ clarity about subject choices, career paths, and available opportunities, with teachers noting increased motivation and classroom participation.
Challenges included limited familiarity with structured career guidance among some school leaders, scheduling conflicts between university volunteers and secondary school calendars, and sessions that were sometimes too short to address all student questions. The team adapted by strengthening advance coordination and maximizing time on every visit. Career Compass has so far secured partnerships with 3 of its target 5 schools, and is preparing to expand to two additional schools by end of 2026, with college application and scholarship bootcamps planned for July 2026 and a goal of reaching over 2,500 students total.
