A Message from EWB President
The outgoing president of Engineers Without Borders, Mohit Nalavadi, sent out this message to EWB's partners at PICO International.
Hi friends at PICO, University of Rwanda, and IPRC,
I'm reaching out, with a heavy heart, to share the news that Father Jim Reites passed away on Friday night. It comes as a shock to our community as he was so healthy, so full of life, even when I saw him this week. As it is so sudden, we still do not know many details. He was in his sleep, he was peaceful, and he was happy till his last day.
He was a pivotal mentor in many of our student's lives, and it is surreal to think of him gone. But there is so much more to cherish than to dwell on. He taught us to go about the world as authentic human beings, with the wisdom of the aged, the vitality of the young, and the curiosity of a child. He left us with the deep sense of social responsibility with which he lived every day. I am grateful that we all had the experience of working with him in the past year. Together, our teams laid the groundwork for great progress in Rwandan communities, and shared beautiful, lasting memories.
Our Rwanda travel plans this summer are still on, and we are determined to continue pushing the shared PICO/EWB vision to improve Nyangean lives. Father Jim's legacy echoes on through this work, and it brings us deep joy to keep alive the projects we started.
Please feel free to reach out to me as we celebrate his life and mourn his loss. I am happy to share your words at his memorial service in the coming week, if you wish. If you are in California, let me know if you would like the event details. Your prayers are heard.
With love,
Mohit Nalavadi
EWB-SCU (outgoing) President