Soon after their marriage, Josh and Alissa Ruxin moved to Rwanda to pursue work in international development and global health.

The Ruxins expected to work in the field, helping to deal with  the issues caused by a long civil war. But now, from their restaurant in the heart of Kigali, the Ruxins are able to aid their community by offering gourmet food and jobs. 

“My biggest critics of (international) aid is ‘why isn’t it helping to start up small and medium sized enterprises?’,” asks Ruxin. “Why isn’t it providing fanancing to start up places like Heaven Restaurant?”

In his book, A Thousand Hills to Heaven: Love, Hope, and a Restaurant in Rwanda, Ruxin tells how Heaven, his restaurant, enables him and his wife to help dozens of people in their community.

“And it’s not aid,” says Ruxin. “It’s a business.”