When personality insight meets grassroots leadership, transformation happens quietly — and powerfully. This is the story of one person’s mission to support others in discovering their own potential, and the ripple effect it’s creating across communities in Rwanda.
Earlier this year, Viola Naust-Schulz (Facet5 Germany) returned from her third visit to Rwanda — a six-week trip that would leave a lasting impact not just on those she worked with, but on Viola herself.
It began, like many good stories, with something personal. Viola’s son lives and works in Rwanda, and during a visit last year, she felt a pull to return and spend more time contributing to the community. What started as a simple desire to volunteer
“I was happy to pick fruit, serve food, anything”
Quickly grew into something more profound when she began speaking with NGO workers across the country.
People listened. They asked questions. And they started to realise that Viola had something unique to offer: leadership development rooted in personality understanding. With the support of Facet5, Viola began working with a number of NGOs across Rwanda, including Fondazione Marcegaglia Onlus, Ni Nyampinga, Nyamirambo Women’s Center (NWC), AVSI Foundation, and GIZ.
Many of the people Viola met were young team leaders, often responsible for community projects supporting women, children, and families in rural or vulnerable communities. These were passionate individuals, many of whom had themselves been supported by these very NGOs through scholarships or vocational training, but who had never been exposed to the kind of self-awareness tools that Facet5 provides.
At first, some were hesitant. Personality profiling was new. “They’d never done anything like this before,” Viola explains. “But once they realised it was private, supportive, and about their own development, they completely opened up.”
The results were remarkable.
People began to recognise their strengths, not just in terms of skills, but in how they naturally lead, communicate, and collaborate. For some, it was the first time they felt truly seen. One team member, previously in a purely task-based administrative role, shared how the debrief helped him realise why he’d struggled in previous jobs. He’d never been asked how he felt or what ideas he had. “Now I can see that I have strengths. That I matter. That I can contribute.”
Others found their voice. Viola describes a particularly moving moment when a team leader, inspired by her profile, stood in front of her colleagues and declared: “From now on, my door is always open. If you have problems, come to me. We’ll find a way together.”
For many, these weren’t just team development sessions, they were breakthroughs. A shift from silence and self-doubt to confidence, openness, and mutual understanding.
And what made this even more powerful was the context. These NGOs are doing vital work: fighting poverty, supporting women and girls, providing education and job opportunities, and helping entire communities rebuild. Yet in a culture where leadership has often been top-down, where vulnerability isn’t always safe, and where many are still carrying personal trauma from Rwanda’s history, these conversations were not easy. They required trust. Sensitivity. And space.
Viola adapted her style, listening more, speaking less, and following where each conversation needed to go. “I had to let silence do its work,” she says. “Sometimes the most important things came after a long pause, when they felt safe enough to speak.”
What Viola offered wasn’t just Facet5 profiles. It was a chance for people to see themselves differently, and, crucially, to see each other differently too. Whole teams began to understand how openness, empathy, and personality diversity could strengthen their mission.
Development, as Viola reminds us, isn’t done in a day. It’s a process. But it starts with awareness and with people willing to show up, listen, and believe that growth is possible.
With that thought in mind, Violas next visit is already planned to check in on progress and further support the progress that has already been made.
And that’s exactly what these remarkable NGOs are doing every day:
- Fondazione Marcegaglia Onlus Rwanda supports some of the most vulnerable communities in the country, running education and empowerment programmes for women and children. From building schools to offering microcredit initiatives, their mission is to create self-sufficiency through dignity and opportunity.
- Ni Nyampinga is a youth-led movement that champions the voices of girls across Rwanda. Through magazines, radio shows, clubs and mentorship, they help young women build confidence, challenge harmful norms, and realise their potential as leaders.
- Nyamirambo Women’s Center (NWC) provides education and vocational training to women who have been marginalised, helping them develop skills, build income, and gain independence. They are also deeply committed to preserving Rwandan culture through tourism and artisan craft.
- AVSI Foundation Rwanda works to promote human dignity through education, health, job creation, and sustainable agriculture. Their work is rooted in strengthening families and communities, with a focus on long-term impact rather than short-term aid.
- GIZ Rwanda is part of the German development cooperation and supports large-scale initiatives to improve education, governance, and economic development, working in partnership with local institutions and NGOs.
These organisations don’t just deliver programmes, they change lives. Viola’s work with their teams is just one example of how investing in people’s self-awareness and leadership can deepen that impact even further.
- If you’re moved by their mission or Viola’s story, take a moment to explore their work:
Sometimes, all it takes to make a difference is understanding what’s possible — and choosing to care.
