In conversation with Victoria Richter

What inspired you during the project?

The Students.

I will always be grateful for this opportunity to work on a training project aimed at helping the young women at Akilah College protect themselves from threats of violence, harassment and trafficking. The training allowed us to interact with the amazing student body who impressed with their engagement level and insightful questions and pushed us to be at our best while presenting. What stands out is what we gained from the training. Even though we taught the course, we learned so much from the students. Hearing about their experiences expanded our understanding of the extent to which combating violence, harassment and trafficking is of crucial importance globally.

What was the most fulfilling aspect of the work?

After spending over two years developing this project, the most fulfilling aspect was seeing that work culminate in delivering the actual training on site at Akilah College. From 2017- 2019 we prepared the training materials, taking into account the changing legal landscape in Rwanda and other developments, such as the #metoo movement globally. In October 2019 we were able to bring the training to life. We had an intensive, but truly rewarding, schedule during which we presented 19 different training sessions to 1,000+ female students and 60+ faculty and staff at Akilah.

What one word describes your trip?

Inspiring.

Being in Rwanda exceeded our expectations in every respect. What started out as a project to educate others in turn taught us so much. In particular, we learned first-hand about the need for continuing education to tackle violence, harassment and human trafficking in schools and workplaces. The project shone a light on truly global nature of these issues. 

About Victoria Richter

Victoria is a partner in DLA Piper's Chicago office.

Full bio

"Being in Rwanda exceeded our expectations in every respect. What started out as a project to educate others in turn taught us so much."