By Ismael Kaleeba, Founder and Director, RAY
Effective Altruism (EA) has motivated a generation of thinkers, researchers, and doers around the world to consider not just how to do some good, but how to do the most good. It has transformed charity from goodwill to strategy, from emotional intuition to evidence-based reasoning.
However, despite having a worldwide ambition, there remains a conspicuous gap. The youth of Africa, which is also the world's youngest and fastest-growing population, are almost entirely absent from this conversation.
Rwanda Altruism Youths (RAY) is a direct response to that absence. We are not an imported chapter of a Western idea; we offer a homegrown interpretation—an African expression of altruism, structured, reasoned, deliberate.
RAY was established with one claim: The most important time to discuss Effective Altruism is not after university, not after career choices, but before -- in the developmental years, when the mind is questioning "why?" before accepting "how much."
Our primary operation is embedded within educational institutions, infusing EA principles into the learning culture of high schools, and helping young Rwandans learn to reason about ethics, measure impact, and act with compassionate rationality.
RAY is designed and delivered in a way that is consistent with the logic of EA itself -- systematic, layered, and scalable.
1. EA Clubs: We are establishing EA Clubs in high schools around the country, each of which will become a center for effective altruism and rational discussion.
2. Fellowships: We will prepare students and educators with fellowships that incorporate deeper education around moral reasoning, longtermism, global health, and cause prioritization.
3. RAY HQ: A national centre for altruism based in Kigali. Part workspace, part learning center, and part research space, it will be Rwanda’s intellectual home for rational philanthropy & youth-led innovation.
4. National Outreach: We are building networks that connect young Rwandans to global EA thinkers, groups, and opportunities, from summits to mentorship programs.
Rwanda presents a unique situation for expansion of EA:
- A government dedicated to making evidence informed decisions.
- A youthful population (over 60% under age 25).
- An education system that is increasingly engaging in innovation and critical thinking.
The moral and intellectual soil is rich and fertile, but it needs seed — this is what RAY will provide.
If you believe that talent is evenly distributed, and opportunity is not, then it can be concluded logically that expanding the EA intellectual infrastructure to Africa is not charity — it is optimization.
The RAY method is systematic and does the following:
- presents EA frames in usable ways within youth clubs.
- develops and supports facilitators through our fellowship programs.
- grounds RAY HQ to ensure sustainability and collective memory.
- engages in research to adapt our EA ideas to African contexts - poverty alleviation, climate resilience, tech equity, and governance.
We want to create thinkers, not followers. We want to create altruism architects, not activists.
We are extending an invitation for partnership, mentorship, and collaboration.
We believe organizations in the same sphere of practice, like CEEALAR (Centre for Enabling EA Learning and Research) and 80,000 Hours, do not offer simply a form of guidance, but rather a philosophical alignment. We are not looking for a handout; rather we are building up an infrastructure of through, and understand that this type of work benefits from pooled experience.
Our Year One goals right now are:
- To establish 50 EA clubs in Rwandan schools.
- To train and support 100 fellows and mentors.
- To host the first-ever RAY National Summit.
- To finalize RAY HQ setup.
All of these outcomes are not aspirational language; they are mapped, costed, and scheduled.
The concept underpinning RAY is straightforward: "For good to be effective, it must be learned young, thought through deeply, and commonly adopted."
We imagine a Rwanda — and ultimately, and Africa — where the next generation is raised skilled in impact evaluation, ethical reasoning, and global concern. That is not a dream. It is a design.
RAY stands as an open door between African potential and global altruism. We invite thinkers, funders, and collaborators to engage with us — to help refine, scale, and root Effective Altruism in the African experience.
Contact: [email protected]
RAY HQ: Kigali, Rwanda
Let’s make altruism not only effective — but inclusive, rational, and continental.
