A Look Back at the 20th Anniversary Celebration of “Friends of Ruanda e.V.” on July 4, 2026, on the grounds of the Boßlerhaus
To mark its 20th anniversary, Friends of Ruanda hosted a colorful Rwandan festival on July 4, 2026, at the Boßlerhaus near Gruibingen.
The 62 members agreed that the celebration should be an unforgettable event befitting the association’s steady growth and its wide variety of projects. They rolled up their sleeves and, with the combined efforts of many members and numerous volunteers, threw themselves into the preparations.
On Saturday morning, amid beautiful summer weather, the Rwandan volunteers, along with some of the trainees, former volunteers, and many members and hardworking helpers, gathered to decorate the grounds, set up booths and the stage, and prepare the festival site with its picturesque backdrop against the three Kaiser Mountains.
The association’s illustrated history, along with its projects and public relations work, was displayed on partition walls. In addition to handicrafts from Rwanda, guests were treated to coffee and cake by the Boßlerhaus team.
In the late afternoon, the Rwandan drum group opened the festival and got the audience in the mood with African rhythms.
On stage, Eliphaz Ntibizerwa, the first chairman, took the audience on a journey through the club’s history and thanked the many members, volunteers, and sponsors for their ongoing support of the club’s work. The audience was then invited to actively participate in a quiz about “the land of a thousand hills” and put their knowledge to the test. With her thoughts turned to this small country at the heart of the African continent, the new mayor of Bad Boll, Ms. Traub, paid tribute to the work of Friends of Ruanda e.V. in her speech.
The audience really got into the spirit of things after the Rwandan dancers, dressed in their colorful fabrics called “Imishyanana,” took the stage with energy and flair. Accompanied by Rwandan rhythms, one or two audience members were invited to join them in the center of the stage, until most of the visitors were out on the dance floor.
The audience gained a deeper insight into the work of the projects on the ground in Rwanda through a presentation by Vice Chair Michael Liebler. Among other things, the partner organization “Unity Circus”—whose new building was supported by the Baden-Württemberg Development Cooperation Foundation (SEZ)—was introduced.
The Rwandan volunteers, who are completing their 12-month volunteer service in Germany, presented their activities and their placement sites.
To date, 18 generations of volunteers have completed their volunteer year in the association’s various partner projects in Rwanda. Some former volunteers paid tribute to the association and its chairman via a video clip, thanking him for making their year abroad in Rwanda possible—an experience from which they returned with a wealth of experiences.
In the background, the Boßlerhaus team provided refreshments, including culinary delights inspired by Rwandan cuisine.
The highlight of the evening for the many attendees interested in Rwanda was the band “Mosaik,” featuring singer Jana and Rwandan singer Phanuel, accompanied by guitarist Heiko. They drew on rhythms from the East African country, performed original songs with rock influences, and really got the audience going with their diverse set. The festive mood continued with dancing and was followed by the African Disco.
In the early morning, an atmospheric anniversary celebration hosted by “Friends of Ruanda e.V.” came to a close at the picturesque Boßler.
We’d like to extend our special thanks to all the hard-working volunteers, the Boßlerhaus team, Mr. Ploszynski, who made his “Plo-Bussle” available to us, and, of course, the guests and the audience, who supported this event and helped make it a success.
