The Joys of Life in Rubona

I'm been living in Rubona, Rwanda now for almost a year and with each day, I love it more and more! These days what's making me love it even more is that I'm able to experience it with all of the new volunteers. It's like seeing a place with new eyes! Rubona is the little village where Agahozo Shalom is located. It's surrounded by this little village. If you walk down a dirt road for about 20 minutes, you reach the center of Rubona where the market is located. Walking to the market is always an adventure. I have come to really enjoy it because I always see friends along the way...one of the farm workers, his wife, a brave child that I have become friends with, or someone that just wants to practice their English. The homes are usually made of mud or cement with the most manicured front lawns.

You can hear many children yelling muzungu, muzungu along the way. I have gone through phases about what I feel about being called this. Sometimes I'm frustrated because I just want to be able to walk on my way. These days I realize that they are showing excitement just I like I'm showing excitement for new people and things. Going to the market never gets old. I guess it's the same for them...seeing someone who is different must never get old. I am trying though to introduce myself and have them look at me in a different way. If they can call me by my name then we go from outsiders to friends.

I have gone twice now with the new volunteers. I'm enjoying showing them all of my favorite places and introducing them to my favorite vendors. I took them to the home of the nuns in the area to get some pineapple wine. When we got there, they had pineapple and passionfruit wine....yummy! Yesterday we bought mangos...omg, I think I'm in love! I almost named this blog the ode to the mango but I'm sure that will come soon as I continue to eat as many as I can handle.

Enjoying the flowers at one of the homes in Rubona (I was told to be a flower)

Nothin' Like Putting Things in Perspective

Today was the volunteer trip to Kigali. I missed the trip last year because I came late, so I was excited. Sometime between leaving a place called the UTC until we reached the Belgium Memorial and walking in a crowded part of town called Nyambirambo, I lost my phone. I was so frustrated and beating myself up over it. Right before I left the UTC, a friend even told me to be careful with my phone but I guess I didn't listen well enough. When I realized it was gone, I tried to call it and look in places where it may be left....no luck. I felt very distracted, hoping I would find it. I had so many numbers on the simcard of the phone. I think I was more upset loosing the simcard then having to pay for a new phone. After lunch we visited the Genocide Memorial. It's not an easy place to visit. There was so much hatred that became contagious throughout Rwanda during the time of the genocide. It made me think a lot about loss and that my phone didn't even mater in the scheme of things. There were many parts of the memorial that were difficult. There was a section devoted to children that touches deep. My phone just isn't that important. After the genocide, now there's so much hope, forgiveness, and strength amoungst the survivors. It's amazing to be a part of a village that's looking forward to a better future.

Looking Back at an Incredible Year!!!

It's amazing to me that my life path led me to Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. It's definitely not something that I had planned but I believe if you allow things to happen that sometimes they will surprise you in life changing ways. This year has definitely been life changing as any experience like this should, but Agahozo Shalom is more than that. I see people that are just there one day and see the impact that it has on them. Imagine kids who were not expecting to have such a bright future...that is truly life changing. I could go on and on with stories of the incredible impact that Agahozo Shalom has on its students and everyone who is involved with the project. Throughout my blog you can find many of those stories.
It cost over $4000 per student to get a great education, have 3 meals per day, access to many activities, and a safe home to go to each night. Please help support these kids have a brighter future. Any amount can help in the effort to educate orphan students in Rwanda.
Please help in the effort. I have a goal of raising $500 this holiday season. You can visit http://www.asyv.org/ to donate and help support these teens. Please email me at amyprice33@gmail.com if you plan to donate so I can send you a personal thank you and tell you how you're helping support an amazing organization.

A Day to Party

We started the day with a friendly football (soocer for those of you living in the US) game between the farm workers and landscaping workers. When I showed up to the field, all the workers were dressed in their finest clothes. I was surprised because I thought we were there to play football. They all looked so nice. Soon after I arrived, they all had on different attire and were ready to play. I even played in the beginning but gave up my spot to one of the workers. I became the referee. Some of the players have some great talent and others were funny to watch. In the end, the farm workers won!!! Go Team!!!

After the game there was a cook out planned. We were suppose to eat at 12 but it was 4 by the time we ate. It was fun waiting around with all the workers. We took lots of pictures. It was a great day to take a day off and party!

Coming to the End

Things are winding down at Agahozo Shalom. The kids left on Saturday morning, I've been been cleaning my room, and finishing up on my reports of the year. It's sad to see the kids go but I feel happy to be able to see them again next year. It's strange to be in the village without all of them. The kids are what really makes this place...the beautiful songs coming from the music center, the cheering from the sports field, and the laughter coming from the homes. This is what makes a village, the people that are apart of it. Today we have a party for the farm workers. I'm sure I have lots to say about it in my next blog. What I want to write about today is 2 events from last Thursday. There hasn't been internet so here's my time to write about it.

I wasn't feeling well last Thursday morning but heard there was a soccer game so I decided to see what was happening. I arrived at the field and saw house mothers and counselors facing off. We are working in the village to empower the females. I kept thinking to myself, what better ways to empower them than to see there mothers and counselors playing sports. I was very surprised by the strenghth and toughness of some of the house mothers. They really rocked the field. I was excited when I passed to one of the moms and she scored! What a great match. In the end, it was tied 1-1. Next year I hope to see more activities like this. I'd love to see a game of female staff against the female students!

On Thursday night, Micaela and I planned an end of the year celebration for our girls. We decided on a spa night. We hard nail polish, oatmeal face masks, magazines, lotion for hand massages, music and m&m to enjoy. We started the spa night talking about inner beauty and that each have given us so much this year. We had papers around the room with each person's name and it said is special because... All the girls signed each others. The night was a big success with each of the girls having a great time. At the end, they thanked Micaela and I and gave each of us a gift.

They're Finally Here!!!!

After months and months of preparing, learning, and buying supplies I'm very happy to report that last night at 6pm 1299 very happy chicks arrived at Agahozo Shalom Youth Village! They are eating, drinking, making lots of noise, and playing with each other...they are overall enjoying their new home!

Importance of Relationships

I’m so lucky to have the best parents in the world. I feel that they raised me with a great set of values. One of the most important lessons that I was taught was the importance of creating relationships with people. My dad many times would tell me this while giving example of how connections with people will help you in everything that you do. He has been successful in his career because of the relationships that he has created over the years. My mom just by the way she lives demonstrates this. I can remember as a young child being reminded of this. My parents would encourage me to make my own phone calls and always remind me to ask people how they are doing. These lessons have really paid off in my time here. I’m realizing that many of my success here have come from fostering relationships. Many of the times luck brings me to the right people but it’s the relationship creating that helps in the improvement and growing of the farm. I realized how incredible this has been for me here when I got a call this morning. At Hash I met this man who works for the Ministry of Agriculture. We became friends and I kept encouraging him to visit the farm. Yesterday, he finally came and was very impressed! I got a call from him today inviting someone from the village to attend a 13 day seminar on greenhouses. The ministry is bringing someone from Belgium to teach the class….and the class is free! We’re getting 5 greenhouses so this will be very helpful. I realized that I would never have known about the class if I wasn’t encouraging my friend to come for a visit. Also in the chicken business, creating connections with people that have lots of knowledge in the area has benefitted our business tremendously. There are many other examples here and each one is allowing me to grow and develop.

Another Year

So, I’ve decided to stay another year. For those friends and family that I haven’t told yet, I’m sorry that this is the way that you’re finding out. I was not the easiest decision to make. I kept going back and forth weighting out all of my options and what would be best for me. I wasn’t sure if I made the right decision…would I regret it? Is it the right thing for me? In the past few weeks, I’ve been asking myself many questions about my future and which path is for me. Yogi Berra, the famous catcher once said when you come to a fork in the road, just take it! I’m taking my fork and running. I’m had a few instances lately that have reassured my decision.

On Saturday, I took the farm club on a trip. We left the village after the kids showed up 30 minutes late (we had a long talk about that). Our destinations for the day were some greenhouses and an organic training center. The kids loved it! They kept asking such great questions and just wanted to learn more and more. Many of them kept coming up to me and thanking me for bringing them on the trip. They got so much out of it and just want to learn more. This was so exciting for me. Next year a big part of my job will be agriculture education. 90% of this country is engaged in agriculture. We want to teach our kids advanced skills to allow them to have useful abilities and knowledge for the future. They said that they want to visit the places again to learn more. I want to incorporate those things into our farm so that all the kids don’t have to travel far to learn. Before and after the trip, many other kids have come up to me asking to me in farm club for next year.

Monday was my last time teaching yoga to a group of girls. I tried to make the class fun and also teach them how yoga can benefit their lives. I wasn’t sure what they thought. For the last class, I let each of them lead their favorite pose for the group. Everyone was excited to lead a little part of the class. At the end, I asked them what they thought about yoga and how it can benefit their lives. They said many ways that they feel that it will benefit them.

These are 2 of the reasons that I want to stay another year, to bring more farm education to the village and work with students to find better ways to manage their stress, anger, and emotions.

This Weekend

This was a great weekend. Many weekends I feel pulled in many directions. I want to go and visit friends in Kigali but sometimes I have guilt for not staying with the kids. This weekend was a great balance…something that I work every day to achieve.

On Friday I traveled around Kigali with the director, Nir, Salomon, and the man who work with the chickens, Alfred. Our mission was to look at some chicken operations around Kigali. We visited 2 different places. Our first stop was to the ministry of agriculture. We met up with a man there and traveled 5 minutes to the National Hatchery. There were no chickens there but we got a tour and had the opportunity to learn many things. I was most interested in learning about their bio-security measures. I got some great ideas and useful information. Our next stop was the largest chicken business in Rwanda. I was shocked. The places smelled horrible (I surprised none of the workers passed out) and the birds all looked so sickly. Sometimes you can learn more from how not to do it…this was definitely the case here.

There was no running or farm on Saturday morning. Instead we prepared ourselves for a picnic! We got on the buses and headed to Seeds of Peace which is located on Lake Muhazi. It’s a beautiful place right on the water with a very large area to hang out. When we arrived, everyone went in all directions. Some went toward the lake, others enjoyed the swing, and some enjoyed just sitting down and relaxing. I found myself trying to enjoy everything and spend time with different students. Each family got to visit a replica of the king’s hut. We were shown all around and learned the history. The girls in my family loved taking pictures inside. After visiting the hut, I played frisbee with many of the kids. The big challenge was that the place to play was on a hill and some of the frisbees kept landing in the water.

Just before lunch I left the picnic and headed to Kigali. I got lucky because just as I walked outside, there was an express bus heading to Kigali. I arrived in Kigali just in time for my running group, Hash. The Hash was taking place at the Mutzig Beer Fest. The run was on top of a mountain where we could see all of Kigali. After the run, it was time for some good food, hanging out with good friends, beer (I’m getting so tired of the beer here), and lots of dancing! At the end of the night, I went camping with some friends at a place overlooking the entire city.

A Crazy Day in Kigali

Days in Kigali buying chicken food are never predictable. Sometimes we buy the things we need with ease and other times it’s a battle. The plan was to go on a Wednesday so I called the Monday before to check the prices of all the items. I wrote all those prices down, filled out a requisition, and got a check for all the ingredients. This sounds pretty easy right? All I need to do is take the money to the bank and then go to all those places and pay for the items…wrong…it was not nearly that simple.

I slept in Kigali the night before and then Salomon met me in Kigali the next day. I went to the bank and got the money…we were ready to begin. Our first stop was to buy indagara which is small fish from Tanzania. You can smell it from a mile away so we followed our noses. When we got there, I bargained hard for a better price. The price of indagara is very high these days which is raising the cost of the food. Finally I got a better price. We left it there and said we’d be back later to pick it up. Our next stop was the place where we get the majority of the ingredients. We arrived there and all of a sudden all the prices they told us from 2 days before were so much higher. This was the second time that they did this to us. I told them that they will lose our business because we need to find someone to rely on and that when we call we get the same price as when we arrive. The guy said well then go somewhere else…can’t you see what great customer service they have. I started to panic a little. I didn’t know of another place and I have 200 chickens to feed. We started asking around and finally someone pointed us in the right direction. Thank goodness the owner was there and agreed to give us good prices. He even promised to give us the price he tells us on the phone.

Before we could load, Salomon and I needed to find a truck. We arrived at the place with all the trucks and all the drivers there came running at me. They were pulling me in all directions trying to get me to use their truck. After a few minutes of being yelled at in Kinyarwanda and pulled around, I pointed at Salomon and said Salomon’s the boss! Everyone left me and attacked Salomon. I felt so relieved and a little sorry for him. Finally we had a truck! We went back to load up everything. They were missing one thing so we had to drive a little distance to find the last ingredient.

We went back to pick up the indagara and that’s when it got a little crazy. Everyone that I saw began demanding money from me. First the truck driver demanded more, saying that we didn’t agree on a fair price, then a man that was helping us asked for money after I already gave him some, and then the place for indagara wanted me to pay more. It was a little overwhelming all at once. There were even more instances of people asking and demanding money from me.

I decided that I need to learn how to say in Kinyarwanda, you’re taking money from orphan children!

Holiday Time

This year the holiday was celebrated differently than if I was in the states. All of the volunteers expressed what made the holiday special for them and we tried as best as we could to incorporate all of them to make the holiday meaningful. Some people wanted a tasty round challah, others a touching chol nidre for Yom Kippur, and still others a sukkah makes the holidays.



Rosh Hashana was spent in the village. I headed to the kitchen early the morning before to prepare the dough for the challot. It was a fun way to get into the holiday spirit. The highlight of Rosh Hashana was the delicious meal we all shared together. Everyone made such yummy food that made it really feel like a holiday...but of course I missed my mom's noodle dish that I love. Yom Kippur was spent in Kigali. I had a wonderful fish dinner for the pre-fast meal. One of the volunteers sang a very beautiful Kol Nidre. It felt very meaningful. That night I went camping with a friend and broke the fast on a meal that was cooked on a campfire.



Sukkot is one of my favorite holidays. I have great memories of decorating the sukkah is the parking lot of my synogogue at home. Since Sukkot is a harvest holiday and now I'm a farmer, it's even more significant. I even slept out in the sukkah. One of the highlights was sharing a meal in the sukkah with all of the farm workers.

Teaching Important Lessons

I think that I’ve taught many important lessons during my time in Rwanda. I taught a girl how to ride a bicycle and co-taught a family time on the importance of politeness. These are all very important but the one I taught yesterday has to be the funniest.

When you take the bus from Kigali to the village, you must get off at a place called Ntunga and then take a moto. When you get off the bus, the moto drivers swarm you hoping to get your business. I have a feeling that they don’t get much business so it’s a fighting match to see who can take people on their moto. It gets annoying having moto drivers following you and throwing their helmets in your face. One of my biggest frustrations is that most of the moto drivers have helmets that don’t even fit. As your riding, the helmet is falling in your face. It’s definitely a safety issue but I also just like to enjoy the view.

When I got off yesterday, one moto driver came after me. I needed to go in one of the store to buy something and he even followed me into the store. When I came out, I went over to where all the drivers were waiting. I tried on all of their helmets before selecting one of the drivers. Many people were looking on and laughing at the scene. They should learn. You need to have good helmets for passengers. The lesson didn’t stop here. On the moto drive to the village, the driver’s cell phone rang. He picked up the phone and began pressing buttons. He wasn’t even paying attention to the drive. I then reached over and took the cell phone out of his hands and said in English (which I know he didn’t understand) it’s not safe to use the phone and drive at the same time. It continued to ring and I refused to let him answer.

Moral of the story: Have a good helmet and don’t talk on the phone and drive.

PIZZA!!!

I've been dreaming about making this for months now. Hands down, the best meal that I have cooked in Rwanda! It was such a delicious treat. The Rwandan food is very difficult to eat at times so I have to be creative in what I cook. The Rwandan food has lots of beans that hurt my stomach and a Rwandan eggplant that makes the food bitter. I get so happy in the dining hall when those ingredients are not in the food but most of the time I'm not that lucky.

Chapati Pizza Extraordinaire
Sauce:
tomatoes from the ASYV farm
tomatoes paste
parsley from the ASYV farm
water

Topping:
green peppers from the ASYV farm
onions from the ASYV farm
mushrooms from the ASYV farm
cheese that must be aquirred on a trip to Kigali

Bread:
chapati that can only be found in the village on Wednesday and Saturday

You cab see that it takes a little planning to coordinate. It can only be made on certain days when someone is going to Kigali. It's all made on the stove.

Yummy!!!!

Picture Day

Sometimes when things don’t go as planned…I just have to laugh

Sometimes when things don’t go as planned…I just have to laugh. I can’t believe that I’m saying that and having those thoughts. It’s not what I would have done in the time before Rwanda. If you don’t understand what I mean, let me explain.

If you’ve read any of my other blogs, you know that a lot of my time has been dedicated to chickens. I spent 3 months in the beginning research, learning, and talking to many people about the creation of a chicken business. I feel that I put together a well research and thought out plan. It was approved in May and I was so excited! I was ready to bring in our first group of 1,200 day old laying chicks. I did the research and found a good place to order them. Little did I know that the process of getting chicks in Rwanda is not that easy.

I began by trying to order them from a place in Zimbabwe. I went with that hatchery because I knew of another place in Rwanda who had success with them and they had a good price. Originally we were supposed to get them the first week of June. Then I was told June 16th but our office didn’t get the paperwork to them in time. Then we made another date for them to come and it didn’t work out. Then we found out that Kenyan Airways has a back order on shipping livestock. He said he would get back to me as soon as possible. He then told me that we should find another place. I tried different places. I tried to have meetings for a month with a guy in Kigali but that didn’t work out. Finally we decided to go with a place in Uganda and we would just drive to get them. They said send us the money and then a month after that, you can come to pick up the chicks. We wired the money 10 days ago. Last week I sent an email to the place asking if they received it…they hadn’t.

I was in a meeting today and we got a call from our bank that the account number was not correct that our accounting department sent…when I found this out, I couldn’t help but laugh. I’m trying to do all I can to get them here but it doesn’t always work out like you think.

L'chaim!

Salomon came to Agahozo yesterday to pick me up. We then walked down a steep hill…our destination, the wedding of one of the farm workers. I was dressed in a nice long skirt so walking down the muddy slope was not an easy task. The view was beautiful as we walked down. We could see the festivities happening in the distance. When we arrived all heads were turned our way. I asked Salomon where we would watch the festivities from and he said that we would just stand in the back, but that would not be the case. We were soon escorted to the front and given the most comfortable chairs to watch the ceremony. Salomon and I felt like the king and queen at the wedding. We were also both brought beer to drink. Everyone was drinking local banana beer during the ceremony. I was thankful that I was brought a bottle of real beer…that banana beer is strong but you could see that it brought people lots of joy.

The man getting married has been with the bride for probably around 12 years. They even have 4 children together. It’s common in rural areas for people to wait for an official marriage until they are able to save the money for a good wedding. Working at Agahozo has allowed him to save the needed money for the wedding.

The ceremony was very interesting. When we arrived there were 4 men sitting behind tables with 2 on each side. One group was advocating from the groom and the other for the bride. The 2 groups talked back and forth, everyone was laughing at what was said. It was like a Rwandan comedy show. One side kept saying that they have a man to be married and the other said they have the woman. At one point the group advocating for the woman brought out a 12 year old girl and everyone laughed. After some time, the groom was presented and then a little later, the bride arrived. When the bride arrived, she brought gifts for her family and the groom’s family. The groom presented a cow to his father in law. Some woman soon broken into song and began to traditional dance. The bride and groom did not share a kiss but it seemed that the giving each a drink of the beer was the equivalent (it was kind of like the eating each other a piece of cake).

I was introduced by the man leading the ceremony as the honored guest. I even gave a speech. I told everyone what a great worker the groom is and that I enjoy going to the farm to see him. He’s always smiling. He doesn’t speak any English but somehow we’ve become good friends. At the end of my speech, I told everyone that in my tradition when someone gets married, you raise your glass and say l’chaim to the new couple. I told everyone that it’s Hebrew and it wishes the new couple a good life today. All the guests joined me in a l’chaim!

Counting of the Chickens

A Representative of the American Culture

Tonight I was asked to be the representative of the American culture for the village's culture club. They're wanting to learn about many different cultures. After I spoke on different topics, I asked the kids about what surprised them the most. Here's what they said.

They asked about relationships...they especially wanted to know if you can have a boyfriend/girlfriend in school. I told them many people in high school are in a relationship and they can even hold hand or kiss at school. They were shocked. Another person raised their hand and asked, and they don't get in trouble? In Rwanda, a head master can kick out students if they are caught kissing.

In Rwanda if you ask a kid where an egg comes from they will say a chicken. There was a questionaire asked to kids in the states. When they were asked where an egg comes from, the most common answer was the grocery store. I explained to them that there are many people in the states that have never even seen a farm.

I hope that I representated the USA well in my talk...it's a lot of pressure to represent an entire country.

Ode to the Glorious Rain

It has been too long without rain. Being a farmer rain is pretty important. Also I have hated all the dust. It makes breathing so difficult. So today, the rains finally poured down…I rejoiced! It began when I was in the dining hall. As I was walking back, kids were racing past me to not get as wet. For me, I walked slowly…enjoying every drop and fell on me. It was cool but who cares…it’s finally here!

This year the rain came a few weeks early. I was wondering about this and then thought back on my weekend. I have been saying ever since I arrived here that I have a new sense about the importance of faith. Many of the kids help to show me this every day. Their strong faith allows them to overcome all the difficulties in life. I definitely see a difference here between those with strong faiths and those without. There’s a confidence that comes with faith.

So you might be wondering what’s the correlation between rain and faith? This weekend I attended more faith based activities than I think ever in my life. On Friday night I attended an orthodox style Shabbat service, on Saturday I attended the baptism of 4 of the kids, and on Sunday I attended the confirmation ceremony of 10 kids. Just as the confirmation ceremony was ending…the rains came! I also had a really great walk around the farm on Sunday which for me is the best of the faith based experiences…putting a small seed in the ground and watching it growing into something that nourishes us…pretty miraculous!

I’m just sayin’…the rains are finally here!!!!

A Traditional Rwandan Story

In the first few months while I was here, I frequently attended traditional art. I started making a traditional Rwandan basket. It’s something that I enjoyed doing very much. I’d spend an hour or so sitting and working on the basket. One of the most fun parts of working on the basket was sitting and taking with the 4 house mothers that thought the class. It has been months since I attended but finally I made my way back…and boy am I glad that I did.

I sat down last Wednesday to continue work on back basket. The house mothers and I began to talk about their increased knowledge of English. One of the house mothers asked me if I’d like to hear a traditional Rwandan story. I was very excited and of course said yes. Then she began. Here’s what I remember of the story that she told. If I make any mistakes I apologize. Do you know Jesus? She began by asking me this question. I told her that I’ve heard of him.

Here’s the story: Jesus and his mother Mary were both together in Rwanda. They were both enjoying listening to music and dancing. Then they decided to go to hell to find Satan and Bob Marley to help them create great music for Rwanda. Jesus was sent to get the 2 musicians. Mary told Jesus that he better return on time. Time management was what she told him. Jesus went to get them and returned late. Peter was at the door and would not let them into the room because they were not on time.

During the whole story the other house mothers and I could not stop laughing.

The Power of ASYV

Just before the vacation, I was talking with one of the staff members about my plans for the vacation. He told me that I should think about just visiting my kids in Kigali because it’s going to be too expensive to see all of them. I thought about what he said…just then I realized that others are paying to go on safari and this is how I want to spend my vacation. I’m so glad that I didn’t listen to him. Through my visits, I was truly able to witness the positive affect that ASYV is having on these girls. As these girls are having positive experiences, the affect is extending to everyone around them. I’d like to share 2 stores from my adventures visiting the girls that demonstrate this fact.

As I sat with one of my girls in her house, I immediately noticed a change. When she arrived at ASYV, she exhibited little confidence, barely spoke, and usually sat/walked with her head down. I asked her family that was sitting in the room with us if they have noticed a change since she began to live at ASYV. The 2 people that were sitting in the room back got big grins on their faces as they told me that before she was at ASYV, she never talked to them. When she returned home from vacation, they said that she could stop talking about everything that she did and learned. After listening to what her family had to say, she began to talk about tikkun lev (repairing the heart) and tikkun olam (repairing the world). These are both Hebrew words that all the kids in the village have learned about. She began to explain what they mean. She talked about how now she’s working on tikkun lev…working on making herself strong and soon she explained that she would get the opportunity to go into the community and help others. She was excited as she talked about her excitement for these concepts. I was shocked; even better, her family was shocked to hear all this come out of her mouth. Not just for her confidence as she spoke but what she was saying were extraordinary concepts for her. This experience has stayed with me as a true success for what we’re trying to do at ASYV.

The second girl that I want to talk about was similar to the first for they both show how much self confidence that the village as instilled in the kids. This girl’s family is poor and there are many kids living in one home. I think that I counted 10 kids total…that’s a lot of mouths to feed. The parents were both very nice and happy that I visited. I couldn’t get over the difference between the girl from my family and the other kids. The confidence that we was exhibiting was amazing. I asked her a question about the village. She then began to tell me about how she has begun to hold family time for her family many nights (we have family time every night in the village where we talked about issues in the family, school, life in the village, thoughts on the future, and many other topics). All I could think about was the incredible impact that ASYV is having on this entire family. She continued to tell me that in family time, she encourages all her sibling to think about the future. For those of you who know Rwanda, this is not normal talk in a rural Rwandan home. I was so proud to be there.

I’m so sad to say that in the vacation one of the kids who has been battling with heart problems died in South Africa from surgery that was performed to save her life. I was so sad to learn this. She was such a beautiful girl that was battling for so long. It was hard for our entire community. I went to the ceremony for her on the Sunday that we returned from vacation. I sat next to 3 girls from my family. I asked one of the girls if the girl that died had any family outside of ASYV. She replied ASYV was her family. I continued to be touched by this statement as I sat emotional through the service.

I realized something through these 3 stories…ASYV is a family and the role models for many Rwandan youth looking for a brighter future.

Journey to the West

I was so excited for the visit of my friend Elana. She’s the one that I backpacked through Europe 5 years ago. We decided to have a tour of the western part of Rwanda. We started our journey. I was excited to be traveling again with Elana and for her to meet 2 of the girls in my family. We boarded the bus for our 3 hour journey to Gisenyi which is a town on Lake Kivu. It also borders Congo. We arrived, checked into our hostel, and then headed to visit one of my girls. It was such a great visit. Elana got a more real insight into the village. The girl that we visited has such a beautiful smile and a strong faith that will take her far in life. It was wonderful to meet her family. I heard so much about them. The next day was election day in Rwanda. I heard many ideas about what the day might bring…but if someone hadn’t told me, you would never have known. We took the morning slow and then headed to enjoy some sun at Lake Kivu. In the late afternoon, we took a bus to the brewery close by but unfortunately, you can only get a tour on Thursday. We found a place close by to eat fish and enjoy a beer. We also went to the nearby fancy hotel. We walked in just as they had a traditional dance performance.

We found out at about 5 in the morning that Paul Kagame won a second term as president of Rwanda. There was lots of celebrating and loud drums in the street. I was not sure what this day would bring for us. We were headed to visit another girl in my family. The counselor in my family came to visit her last vacation and the only thing that she could say about the experience is…it’s soooo far. We left at 6:30 to begin the adventure to the unknown. It took a 2hr 30min bus ride over rough tertian and through large tea plantations and then a 1hr 15min moto ride to finally reach her house. It was such a relief then we finally saw her. What a wonderful visit we had. We ate so many tree tomatoes. The visit made the craziness to get there so worth it! We headed back to Gisenyi and then hopped on a bus for another hour and arrived in Ruhengari just as it was getting dark. He had another adventure planned for the next day.

The next day we got up early to hike Bisoke, one of the volcanoes in Volcano National Park. This is the same area where people go to see the gorillas…we were hoping to see them but didn’t get lucky. We met 3 British kids in a gap year between high school and university that we spent the day with. The hike was great. It was challenging and we had a slow and steady pace to help get us to the top. As we got closer to the top, we entered a cloud…you could not see very far. There was a crater lake at the top of the volcano that was freezing. I was only brave enough to give my pinky a little swim. There were some Russians on our trip that were determined to go for a swim but the Rwandan army and our guide was keeping a close watch. Going down was much easier on the breathing but I also find it more difficult. We encountered a chameleon on our way down. It’s not a gorilla but still exciting for us.


The next day Elana headed back to Kigali and I visited the last girl from my family on the list! Her visit also consisted of a long moto ride but a great visit. She had 2 homes that we bounced back and forth from to visit everyone in her family. Later that night, I went to a friend’s home to celebrate the birthday of 4 friends. What a fun end to a great week!

Vacation...Week 2

My second week of vacation was filled with trips to visit my kids and my naming Hash. On Tuesday, I went to visit 2 of my girls that live very close to each other. I had great visits with both. The next day I went to visit another one of my girls. In the afternoon, 3 of the girls came over. I’m enjoying spending so much time with the girls in my family. I’m realizing that you really get to know someone when you get to know their families and see them in a different environment. On Thursday, I headed to the eastern province for more visits. My first stop was Rwamagana. The first girl that I visited kept we very busy visiting everyone in her family. My next stop was Kayonza where I was greeted with a lovely meal. All these visits continue to show me that I made the right decision in visiting my family in the vacation.


I made my way back to Agahozo and spent Friday with a needed day of rest. I also went to Rubona where Solomon helped me prepare for the next day’s festivities. We set all the arrangements at the bar in Ruboba, picked out our goat for the brochettes, and found someone to fry bananas. I’ve talked a lot about Hash. After you attend 10 hashes, you receive a hash name from the group. It was finally my turn…and even better, I get to do it with my friend Michelle! Michelle and her husband Nate came on Friday night so that we could set the Hash Saturday morning. We woke up on Saturday and were joined by Elana (a friend of mine who I met in Israel and is working for the summer in Tanzania) and Uyen. The 4 of us embarked to set our trail with shredded paper. We started the trail at the mango tree in the village. The trail wound its way to the farm, past the cows and chickens. We then left Agahozo and began to lay a trail through Rubona. As we passed the Catholic Church there must have been 60 kids that emerged. They were very curious about the shredded pieces of paper that we were placing on the ground. Many kids began to follow us as we continued to set the trail. The trail ended at the bar in Rubona.

I sat around anxiously awaiting the arrival of everyone. It was killing me. I was so excited and just wanted everyone to arrive. I got a call from the group as they were leaving Kigali and got news that many people were coming. Finally, they were here! Michelle and I went to greet everyone at the gate with some fun hats on. When everyone arrived, we circled up by the mango tree and then we were off. Michelle led the walkers and I led the runners. We had 2 check points which means that the trail could be in any direction. People have to go scout out the correct trail. The correct trail is the one that has 3 piles of shreddies in a row.


The trail ended in Rubona. We were greeted with water, soda, beer, and decorations by Solomon. We had the outside area and a room inside. Solomon decorated the room with a fun welcome sign. Once everyone arrived, Rambo circled us up. Michelle and I were brought into the circle and everyone said what they thought of the trail. A song was sung and then we had to drink. Other people were brought to the center including new people and people who have missed too many hashes. Finally it was time…for my naming. I have been scared for months. Many of the hash names are very sexual or inappropriate. I had no idea what kind of name that I would get. I was brought into the middle and people asked me many questions. I was sent away as the rest of the group deliberated. After some time, I was brought back to the circle. I was told to kneel down and I was told my name as beer and dirt were poured all over me. I finally have my hash name…PussyCat!

A Trip Down the Nile

Jinja is the adventure capital of Uganda. After the Hash event, I stayed an extra day in Jinja with 3 other friends for whitewater rafting down the Nile River. It was quite the adventure there were class 5 rapids throughout the day. We even flipped on one of the rapids. As our guide flipped the raft back over, she fell on my head. I was under the raft then, but got pulled back into the raft by one of my friends. The photographer’s name was Moses so that means that I floated down the Nile with Moses! The pictures tell all for this adventure!

After the rafting we had a barbeque at the rafting place. It was beautiful there the way that the place was on a hill overlooking the river. I was originally going to return to Kigali the same day decided to stay at the hostel at the rafting place. Every time that I stay at a hostel, I remember how much I love to stay at hostels and be around all the travelers. The next day I traveled back to Kampala. The highlight was Mexican food in Kampala. It was so tasty...and I even got a margarita!

View of the Nile River from our hostel

Slow and steady wins the race…or at least ensures that you don’t get last place!

I have talked about the Hash in other of my blogs…it’s the drinking group with a running problem. There are about 50 people that come each Saturday for a run somewhere around Kigali and sometimes we go away to different places. The Hash group in Kampala, Uganda organized an event in Kampala and invited us to come. There were 28 people from Kigali that went to the event! We drove 9hrs to Kampala. The event was a relay race from Kampala to Jinja which is an 88kg run. We had 2 teams of 9 people for the relay. Each person on the team ran or walked a different distance depending on which seed we were running in. My first run was very difficult. It was very hot and hilly. From the beginning, I was determined to keep my pace slow and steady…which of course I did! I started out the last person and ended up passing 2 people. I realized later that seed 2 is meant to be your second best runner on your team…I was definitely out of my league but I had a good time. I switched to a different seed for my second run and did very well. The second run was soooo hot and the finish was a steap hill. The whole event was such great fun! It was so well organized. The runners in each seed started at the same time and the next group left when everyone returned. Once a group left, we would hop into our bus for a drive to the finish line. In that way, we saw everyone finish their run…I enjoyed cheering for people. The run from Kampala to Jinja took the whole day and 88km! It was also just so fun spending the day with friends!

Vacation to Real Rwanda

I had a very professional tour guide for the first leg of my vacation and he insisted that I call this journey, the vacation to real Rwanda. He leads tours around Rwanda so I was lucky to have him as my guide. Before we left on the journey, I went to visit one of my girls in Kigali. Her family has a beautiful home with a garden. I met her mom and brothers. We were talking about many things and had a wonderful visit. Her mom has breast cancer just as my mom had a few years ago. It’s sad that the treatment in Rwanda is not the same as the US. Her mom was so beautiful and I loved spending the time with the girl in my family with her family.

This journey was to the southern province in Rwanda. The first stop was at one of my girl’s house in Gitarama. She was so cute. She kept calling and telling me to practice good time management so that I would be there on time. I was very impressed with her when we arrived. She cooked a Rwandan feast! I ate sooo well. It made up for the many, many meals that I’ve had there were not so appetizing. I enjoyed talking with her father, listening to one of her brother’s sing and dance, and the courage that one of her sisters had in practicing English. I was also just good to spend some time with her. After the visit, they took us to the bus.

Our next stop was Butare. I have been dreaming about coming to Butare ever since that I found out that they have a real ice cream shop! It’s a project by an ice cream shop in New York that employees local women and teaches them English and business skills. It felt so good to eat ice cream…it’s one thing that I miss. The next day we went to visit another girl in my family. We tried to contact her the day before but only reached a sister living in Kigali. The sister told us that she would contact her and have her meet us at a market close by. The message never got to her so we went searching for her. The only information that we had was that she lives in a community of child headed households. That means that in the community, the children raised each other. We finally found her! She was so surprised which added to the excitement of the visit. I also got to meet some of her brothers and sisters. The house was so nice with an amazing view. We even worked on reading the book that she checked out from the library. Our next stop before getting on a bus was the National Museum of Rwanda.

He hopped on one of the local buses for the amazingly beautiful ride to see another one of my girls in Nyamagabe. She had to leave the village a little early because her mother was in the hospital so I was so happy to meet her mother and see her healthy. The girl in my family sang a song for all of us that was so beautiful…she has an amazing voice. From Nyamagabe, my friend and I began our hike to Nyanza. This is the part that he calls visiting the real Rwanda. We hiked through the countryside of Southern Rwanda. Along the way we I would yell good afternoon in Kinyarwanda to all the people that we passed. Some of the kids were excited to see a muzungu and others ran in fright as I approached. We met some kids playing soccer. I stopped to play with them for a few minutes…I think they were impressed with my skills. Our destination for the day was my friend’s land and home of some of his family members. He’s been there many times and knows the area well. There are 2 secret waterfalls along the way that were beautiful surprises. I could not believe that there was so much water in the dry season. We even met a man that diverted some of the water from the falls so that his land could get water in the dry season…it was impressive. I was also impressed by the way people farmed in the area. There was so much water! They work all year to make sure that they have water even in the dry season. Trenches were dug and lakes made. I think the Southern Provence is the land of the pig. We kept seeing children chasing pigs. The first day we hiked about 18 km.

We slept for the night in the quiet village. There was no electricity in the village so most all activity stopped at nightfall. We woke up early in the morning, had tea, said our goodbyes, and hit the trail. On the trail we found an old small bicycle toy and we said that we would keep it and give it to some kid to enjoy along the trail. After a few hours, we came to a fork in the trail. There were a group of people there so we asked which way to travel. He told us that we was headed in the same direction and would join us for the journey. He said that it would be about an hour to the market that he was headed to sell wood. We learned many things about this man along the way. Every day, he travels to the market that’s open on that day. He sells a bundle of wood for 300rwf which is about 50cents and only enough to buy 2kg of potatoes. Sometimes he says that he gets lucky and if the market is close, he can make 2 or 3 journeys. He told us that he has 4 kids and that his wife left him…can you imagine just 2kg of potatoes to feed 5 hungry people. He also told us that he recently found out that he’s HIV positive. When we reached the market, we bought him some local sorghum beer and gave him the toy we found earlier to give to his children. He left him at the market (well we did physical, but his story still remains with me) and continued our journey.

We still had a few hours until we reached our destination. Everyone that we would asked about the time would tell us something different. It became very funny after awhile. The most exciting part of the last leg of the journey was finding a woman making veggie samosas. This came after climbing a hill that I thought would never end. The samosas were awesome…that also might be because we just hiked over 30km! We finally reached our destination in Nyanza, the King’s Palace.

The palace was cool. They had both a replica of the traditional Rwandan palace and the one that was built by the Belgians. I enjoyed learning about the traditional Rwandan palace. They are round and have 3 polls sticking out of them to represent that it’s for the king. There would also be homes with the 3 polls all over Rwanda that signified that it’s one of the king’s women. At the kings palace, there were many of the buildings…one for the king, one for his wife, one for making beer, one for the milk, and others that I can’t remember their uses. The king would sit at the entrance with his queen (the queen is chosen by the king’s mom). People would come to greet him and ask questions throughout the day. He would also be entertained inside his home.

This vacation was awesome but very tiring…we hiked around 55km in 2 days!

Vacation Time...woot! woot!

The next few posts that you will read are about my vacation! I thought hard about what I wanted to do for the vacation. As I was thinking about my plan, some of the girls in my family began to ask me to visit them. I then decided that I would visit all the girls in my family that invited me to come to their homes. I collected all of their phones and set a plan to visit. I’m not sure what to expect when I visit. I know that you can better understand someone when you find out their history and where they come from. I’m hoping this experience will bring me even closer to these girls that I have already come to love so much! I have a map of Rwanda on the right panel so when I mention names of places, you can have a reference of where they are located.

My first order of business was to cook American hamburgers for my friend Gilbert’s mom. First I had to go to the meat market in Nyabugogo and then to the grocery store that caters to foreigners for ketchup, mustard, cheese, and pickles…things that don’t exist in Rwandan food…can you believe that! Then we went to her home. More of our friends joined us for the afternoon. I cooked 10 hamburgers on a small coal stove so as you can imagine, it took hours. In between cooking I enjoyed watching the 4days old chicks and playing with the little girl that lives in the house. The final product was a success. Everyone enjoyed their burger, even the Rwandans!

Party Time!!!

We must have looked like a parade or part of the political campaign as we drove down the dusty dirt road for the destination of our party. There were 18 people tightly packed into the small mini-bus but that didn’t seem to bother anyone. There was lots of wonderful traditional Rwandan singing. It was just as thrilling to watch as it was to be a participant. I find that a lot here. We finally arrived to the beautiful Lake Muhazi.

The event was just wonderful…everyone seemed to be have such a great time! Highlights for me were talking with other staff, taking lots of pictures, playing frisbee, swimming in the lake, going on a boat ride, and the singing with traditional dance. The boat ride was really cool. I went in one of the small Rwandan fishing boats. I learned all about being a fisherman in Rwanda. They go out from 6pm to 6am. Sometimes they even sleep in the water. As I went for a ride, the fisherman kept using a bucket to take out the water that was filling the boat. He asked if I had fear but I was having such a great day that if I went over, it would just add to the excitement.

Tikkun Olam=Brilliant!

One of my favorite activities in the village is Tikkun Olam. In Hebrew it means repairing the world. It has come to mean doing good things for others. In Judaism there’s an idea that a butterfly flapping its wings half way around the world can have an impact even if it is in a very small away. Here’s also an idea that even those that have nothing should even find something to give for contribute. The kids have also embraced the idea of tikkun olam and even talk about doing some kind of tikkun olam when they are home on vacation. The first year the students arrive, the concentration is on tikkun ha’lev…this emphasis is on repairing oneself. The second is about tikkun olam. It’s amazing to hear the excitement for helping others…what a brilliant idea!



The students at ASYV work in 3 different places in Rubona for tikkun olam…the clinic, the school, and at people’s homes. We had a celebration to acknowledge the hard work in those areas. The celebration was equipped with traditional dancing, a drama performance, speeches, and pictures. They also raised money for the village. I thought some of the counselors came up with a brilliant idea. At first, they were just asking people for money and then they announced a little competition. If one of the counselors collected the most money, he would win the sun glasses of the other counselor in the competition. The two had a fierce competition. Students, other counselors, house mothers, and others began going to the microphone and pledging money for the one they thought should win. I asked all the kids who I was sitting around who I would pledge my money to win the glasses. One of the counselors was behind who they said that I should give to him to make it more of a completion. I thought they were smart in suggesting that. I went up in front of everyone to the microphone and told everyone who I was supporting. I explained to the crowd that I asked the kids around me who would look better in the glasses and that’s how I chose. What a wonderful event that the tikkun olam group sponsored…I was so impressed by the student’s willingness to give for others. This is a concept that I have found to be foreign in Rwandan culture.

Family Fun Activity

I’ve been playing hooky from the farm for the past few days…and no one can stop me! I was supposed to go to Kigali yesterday to buy food for the chickens. At the last minute, I decided not to go. I said that it was because to I want Solomon to be able to feel like he can do these things when I leave (which is very true and important) but also I wanted to spend time with the kids at sports day…and I’m very glad for that decision. The girls in my family played basketball…they gave a fierce effort and were very strong.

Before dinner, Micaela and I planned an activity for all of Family Patrice Lumumba. We wanted to combine lots of elements into one activity…we wanted of course fun, group building, team challenge, reflection on our time here, and thinking about the vacation.



The activity started at the mango tree. Each person in the family was given a piece of paper with a mission written on that paper. They had to work together to get from the mango tree to an unknown point for them. 1 person couldn’t see, another could only use 1 leg, someone had to lead the group in song, 1 person had to pick flowers and put them in people's hair, some would not speak but they knew where we should go on the journey, and many more. The journey took us from the mango tree to the football field and then behind the dining hall for a fire.



Some highlights from the journey was when our counselor Tharcille had to have everyone switch shoes. It was very funny to watch. Another highlight was when our mama led us in a traditional Rwandan dance.



At the end was a fire. I asked the group if there is something special in Rwandan culture about fire…one of the girls said that it symbolizes life. Micaela had everyone write a letter to another person in the family for them to open when they are on vacation. The whole activity worked out really well and I think everyone walked away having had a great time…I know I did!

Learning the Lessons

I’ve been waiting patiently for the arrival of the 1200 chicks. It’s getting frustrating for me that I’m done everything that I can, and they’re still not here! We’re so ready on the farm for them to come. We’re continuing to prepare for their arrival even though I’m uncertain of their arrival at this point. The coop is clean, we have all the food, and all the supplies are bought.

I’ve been doing a lot to prepare for the arrival. I’ve been doing lots of research to learn about raising day old chicks, feed for the birds, disease prevention, lighting, how to tell the health of the flock, and many more things. I’m learning more about raising laying chickens then I ever could have imagined. That being said there’s always more to learn. I learned that in a funny way. It might sounds at this point that there’s lots of frustration with the chicks not arriving…there is but that’s not the point of this post. With each week that they don’t come, I’m learning a little more.

Yesterday I had a seminar with the workers about how to raise the chicks from everything that I have read and researched. Our main chicken man has worked in large chicken coops in the past and has lots of knowledge. During the seminar, he asked a lot of questions and made some great suggestions. I think he knew most of what I taught. After the seminar, he brought over one of the hens. At first I didn’t know what was happening. Then Solomon explained to me that the bird was sick. The chicken man then lifted up the wing of the bird and insisted that I feel. It was very warm. The chicken must have a fever…so sad. Here I am trying to teach this man how to raise chickens but he knows the birds. They have become this children. He knows when they’re hungry or sick just like any good parent should.

It just reinforces for me that you can have the most book knowledge in the world but it means nothing if you don’t have the hands on experience. I guess this whole year is that experience for me.

Lets Dance

Tonight we had a farm worker party. I was planning on coming back and writting a blog about a few frustrations lately. The experience tonight is only allowing me to write about the awesome party and fun time spent with the farm workers. 3 of the women who work on the farm cooked a delicious meal of rice and veggies! The party started out slow...but when the music started, we were dancing!

There was lots of crazy fun dancing. At first only a few of the workers were dancing, but by the end everyone was up dancing. I danced with all of the workers and had a blast! With the music that we had going, you couldn't help but dance!

I realizing that this is the life of people in Africa. I feel grateful to have such a close connection to these people who are now not only people I work with but my friends!
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Just wanna be kids

We are no longer family 7 but Patrice Lumumba! The 8 families from the new grade had their house naming ceremonies last Sunday. A few weeks ago each kid in the family was given a person to researc and then the family was to pick the one for their family. My girls picked Patrice Lumumba.

I'e had such a geat time lately with my family (this has been a trend throughou my time here). Every night each family has a family tme where they talk about various topic and have activities. Most of the time they're pretty boring. I'm been enjoing thinking about creative family times. Last Thurday, I led a family time on things you can do when you get sad. Some of the ideas they suggested were to play sports, spend time alone, sing, read a book, and many more. I told them that I like to learn new things. I then taught them how to make paper fortune tellers...and let me tell you...they loved it! One of the other volunteers explained it real well. Many of them didn't get a chance to experience many of the things that other kids and teens get the opportunity to explore. It was fun to watch them construct the fortune tellers. The next day I saw them paying with them and teaching others! I'm excited to come up with other creative activities. I'm thinking of the things that we a big part of my children and teen years to expose these kids to. Next week, I'm working on creating a scavenger hunt for the kids

A Good Day!

I got up this morning at 4:30…and the crazy part is that I’m still awake at 11pm. I met a group of 5 other of the volunteers. We piled into a land cruiser and headed to Akagera National Park for a chance to see some big game. We arrived at the park, paid the entrance fee, and picked up a guide. We began our journey into the bush. About 10 minutes into the trip, we ran into zebras and giraffes. We were able to get so close and I got some awesome pics! We also saw many birds, buffalo, antelope, deer, baboon, velvel monkies, hippos, and crocodiles. The scenery is what I imagined all of Africa to be like before I arrived. We arrived at a beautiful lake and saw the hippos coming up for air from the water. It was a really cool safari where we got to see many things!



When I returned, I spent the whole afternoon with one of the girls in my family. I also led family time and I thought that it went really well. The topic was things to do when you get sad. I gave the example of being sick for 2 weeks and getting really sad, down, and lonely. I asked the girls to help we find things I can do to improve my mood. They gave some great ideas. In them helping him, I was also hoping that they’d take something way of the activity. I asked a series of questions and asked them to step in the center if it applies to them. I then taught them how to make paper fortune tellers…which they loved!