|
KPD’s Portland Office Has a Special
Guest
By: Scott Price, Property
& Casualty
 Emmanuel Nkotanyi, or “Emmy” as he likes to be called, is
a 16-year old high school student from Rwanda. Emmy is one of nearly 30 Rwandan
students age 11-22 whose high school Education is being sponsored by the
Kittelson Charitable Foundation.
The foundation was created by the Portland-based engineering firm,
Kittelson and Associates, a KPD client.
In 2007,
Kittelson and Associates hired a young graduate student from Cornell University, Emmanuel Katabarwa, to
work as a summer intern. This
Rwandan native came from very humble beginnings and was a hero and role model
to the young people of his village in Rwanda. While in the US, he lived humbly, sending much
of his earnings back to his village to help as many children as possible
continue their education. While
he was here, “Emmie,” as he was also nicknamed, endeared himself
to the Kittelson staff, many of whom wanted to help him continue his noble
cause. One thing lead to another
and the foundation was formed in January of 2008, initially supporting 26
children with not only tuition ($500+ per year in an economy where the
average wage is $200 per year), but also with personal items for boarding
needs, as well as a small stipend for the parents to compensate for not
having the child available for harvesting crops.
While
Emmy was here, he charmed all of us with his spirit and we hope to have the
opportunity to meet more of his classmates in the future from Gabiro High School. In the picture above, you will see a
statue and basket that were made by members of Emmie’s village. Both were gifts to the KPD Portland
office and are proudly displayed in our lobby area.
To see
and learn more about the Kittelson Charitable Foundation, click HERE.
|
