Photo: Owners Alissa & Josh Ruxin, with their daughters 

The Heaven Story

We moved to Rwanda in 2006 for Josh's work as Director of the ACCESS and Millennium Villages Projects – two development initiatives focused on improving health systems and creating prosperity in the poorest parts of the country.

I spent my first year volunteering with Generation Rwanda (www.generationrwanda.org), a unique organization which supports university scholarships for orphans. With every round of applications, only a small number is accepted, and many secondary school graduates find themselves without enough money to pay for university and insufficient education or experience to attain a well-paid job. My experience with Generation Rwanda inspired me to create a business that would offer vocational training and employment for young adults in Rwanda. My education and training are in public health (not in the hospitality business!) but when I looked around at the various opportunities for investment, I decided to build a new restaurant. I saw a growing number of tourists, business travelers and expatriates coming to Rwanda, all looking for great venues to enjoy during their stay and felt a new restaurant would be a welcome addition.

I created Heaven to support the economy, tourism, create jobs and provide ongoing vocational training. In 2007 I began construction of Heaven, and opened our doors for business in May 2008.  Heaven employs 15 staff directly, supports many local farmers, suppliers, technicians and artists, and provides ongoing training in order to achieve excellence and build future leaders in the local service industry.

Why Heaven was born in Rwanda

Rwanda is an extremely safe and peaceful country, and since the genocide, the country is working fast to rebuild and develop. The hospitality industry, however, is still weak and Rwandans are in need of training to improve service standards and draw more tourists and travelers into the country! This is why we opened Heaven.

Heaven staff with Meg McLaughlin, who managed Heaven from January - August 2010

Staff with Joshua Poveda, Head Chef of Heaven from October 2010 to June 2011.