The Adventure Project is partnering with IRIBA Water Group, a Rwandan-led organization founded by Yvette that installs clean water Tap&Drink machines in schools and communities. Yvette grew up attending the same kind of low-income public schools IRIBA now serves, and her approach prioritizes lasting, sustainable solutions over rapid scale. Watch the full conversation with Yvette below, or jump to a shorter highlight if you're short on time.
Short on time? Jump to 10:12 where Yvette talks about imposter syndrome, something that hit home for us too.
We don't partner with just anyone.
Before we commit to a new partner, we ask hard questions. Do they know the community, or are they new to it? Do they have a track record or a good pitch? Are they building something that lasts after the funding ends?
Yvette passed every test.
She grew up going to the same kind of low-income public school that IRIBA Water Group now serves. When she visits schools where their clean water Tap&Drink machines are installed, she says, "I could see myself there. This was the type of school that I went to."
That's not a talking point. It's why families trust her. On a recent visit, she told us about a group of girls who found out a woman had built the water solution now reaching their school. They started crying.
"Every one of the things that really resonates with me is the people that we're trying to serve reflect my own story, my own background," Yvette said. "So the challenges that they're going through, I know them personally."
That closeness shapes how IRIBA builds. Yvette has turned down the version of this work that chases the biggest numbers fastest. Her philosophy: "It would matter more to solve this problem for 10 people properly, sustainably, permanently than trying to solve it for a million for a few months and then it's broken."
We think she's one of the strongest partners we've found. We're proud to launch this partnership this Labor Day. Watch the full conversation above to hear her story in her own words, and see why we're this excited about what comes next.
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