Making News

Here's an article that I wrote for the village newspaper:

My favorite time at Agahozo is by far Saturday morning around 6am. Most Saturday mornings are the same for me. I wake up just as the sun is rising over the village. It’s amazing to see the vivid and bright colors that are lighting up the sky as a new day is beginning. As I walk to the farm, my thoughts turn to the upcoming morning as I pass the rows of banana trees. One of the best parts of my job is working with the youth of Agahozo on the farm. It took a few weeks in the beginning to ensure that everyone comes on time and is working hard but now it’s great to see most everyone coming on time and really contributing to the growth of the farm. Last term, we saw the arrival of chickens and increasing the amount of land we’re using to farm. Thank you to farm club for everything you do. Your input has helped to make farm time more successful. Next time you’re sitting in the dining hall, think what might have been grown on our farm and how you might have contributed to the growing of that vegetable!

Here's the article that I wrote for my JCC's paper:

What’s the best way for me to spend a Friday night? Currently, it’s drinking tea with my Rwandan family—a group of fifteen teenage girls ranging in age from 15-17. These girls have been through a lot. Most have lost family members to the genocide or AIDS and experienced more trauma in their lives than a person should ever have to endure. Something feels good about talking and dancing together. These fifteen girls have become the light of my life while living in Rwanda.
I arrived in Kigali, Rwanda late on a Tuesday night in January. After being picked up at the airport, I was taken to my home for the next year, the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) located about an hour from the capital city of Kigali. I’m blown away by the fact that I’m actually here (I’m constantly saying, oh my gosh…I’m actually here). It all started last year around Sukkot when a friend of mine came to visit and convinced me to apply for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s Jewish Service Corps year-long fellowship in Rwanda. They needed someone to help manage the farm…I like farming, I like having adventures working, living, and traveling abroad…so why not?
I wonder all the time what brought me to Rwanda. I knew very little about this country and had no real connection except for the idea that after the Holocaust the Jewish people needed others to help them rebuild, so I felt compelled to do the same for Rwandans. That being said, there are many places that I could have gone to help. After being here for 4 months, I’m still not sure why I came. But I do know what compels me to stay in this country known as the heart of Africa, and that has deeply touched my heart.
It’s the stories and relationships that I have created here. It’s the farm worker who doesn’t know any English but always greets me with a warm smile and knows more about the true nature of caring for animals than anyone I know. I didn’t know it would be possible to like someone so much without that person even speaking the same language as I. It’s the long runs with my roommate who helps me understand the complexities that surround this country. It’s the student who is timid and shy, but when you give him a stage and a microphone, his voice brings a whole room to its feet clapping and singing along. It’s the girl in my family that lived in an orphanage prior to ASYV, and is one of the strongest teenage females that I have ever met-- willing to speak her mind and one of the few that has learned to stand up for what she believes. My girls and I even have a special hand shake that has been adapted for when we are on opposite sides of the room. It’s my friend who constantly shares laughs with me and enjoys riding me on the back of his bicycle into town. These are my images of Rwanda.
Since arriving at ASYV I have learned more about the care and raising of chickens than I ever thought possible. I’m working on creating a chicken business that will help to generate income for the village, helping to make the vision of sustainability a reality. I have helped in the birth of 3 cows. I have so many exciting opportunities to learn and grow. It’s pretty incredible. In the village there’s a big emphasis on tikkun olam, the Jewish value of helping to repair the world. The students here are even going out into the local community and making a difference.
You are all invited to come for a visit and see this amazing place; a place that many believe will help strengthen the future of this country. Murkaza neza…you are always welcome! If visiting is not a reality, you’re welcome to follow my adventures at amygoestorwanda.blogspot.com or visit the Agahozo Shalom website at asyv.org.
Shalom,
Amy Price