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.
Monday, August 30, 2010
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!!!!
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!!!!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, August 23, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
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!
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!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
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
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
Thursday, August 5, 2010
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
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!
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
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.
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