Wow, I'm getting really bad at this posting every day thing! We left for Butare Saturday morning. On the way, we saw an accident- the first we've seen. It was pretty bad, the truck looked awful. While we were waiting to get past we made some more new friends. They were very surprised to see a truck full of 'muzungus'. I started reading a book called 'Left to Tell', and I read that the whole way to Butare. It's an amazing book, and I definitely suggest it for all- I got it done it two days! It's written by a genocide survivor, and it's been really neat to see first hand all the places she's talking about. Butare is not very big at all. We explored a little and then went to the National Museum and the National University of Rwanda. Then we went and saw the church we were going to the next morning. It was huge and so beautiful. We bought a game called 'igisoro' which is kind of like moncala. Aloys taught us how to play, so we did that Saturday night.
Then we had 7AM mass Sunday morning! What a treat! It was a beautiful mass. It's hard when you can't understand what they're saying, but it still didn't seem like the two hours it lasted. We left Butare after breakfast. We went to the Murabi genocide memorial. It was very intense. I read before we went that this was a technical school that was being built and wasn't in use yet at the time of the genocide. People were told to go there by the government and church officials as a safe place. 64 rooms were filled with between 40,000 and 60,000 people when the interhamwe attacked. They have exhumed some of the bodies from a mass grave and placed them in the rooms in the way they were. I can't describe the way it felt to see that and be in the exact place that it took place. It made me sick to my stomach. Our 'guides' were two of the very few survivors of the attack. It was an indescribable experience. Then we went to the King's Palace which is the first and only palace for the king of Rwanda. It has been turned into a museum about the history of Rwanda. Then we got back to Kigali and went out dancing for the first time! It was very fun- we're going to throw our own going away party on Tuesday night!
Monday we worked on our project and then got to spend our last full time at the orphanage. It was very fun. I got to spend some quality time with the new little boy. I'm not sure if I added this earlier, but since he came they've found that he's mute and deaf. This was the first time I really got to spend with him. He was surprisingly cuddly and content. He was with me for about an hour and then he fell asleep while I was holding him! He's so cute- I told the patron I was going to take him with me. Then we got to spend some more time with our dynamic duo- Aimee and Jeaneen. They are so much fun! They were counting in English, it was so fun! Then Jeaneen was sitting with me and said “Hello” so I said “How are you?” and she said “Fine, thank you Muzungu.” It was hilarious! She is so funny! We met with the patron to discuss what we had done thus far on the website. He was very impressed and gave us some more information as well. He and Damas were both very impressed and appreciative. I'm so not ready for our goodbyes today- it's not going to be easy! Hopefully I can blog tonight quick about today and then tomorrow morning we're off to Tanzania. We are leaving our computers here, so I won't have internet again until we're back in the States. Hopefully there will be more tonight!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
May 23, 2008
So, I've been kind of lazy the past couple nights...sorry! I'll try and start from the beginning.
On Wednesday morning we visited FAWE girls school in Kigali. It's a boarding school with 728 students and 36 teachers. It was started in 1999. The girls take five science courses and one language class. If they are on the French track they take an English class and if they're on the English track, they take French. We met with the deputy head teacher and then headed to the classrooms. Our first classroom was an S6 or senior class. They had really good questions about women in math and science, our work in Rwanda, and education in the U.S. I'm always so impressed by the respect and thought put into their questions, and you could tell that these were very bright young women. Then we went to an S5 (Junior) Chemistry lab. The class president greeted us and was talking about what an inspiration we were just by being there...we were almost in tears! They are all so appreciative and eager to talk with us. We got to mingle with the students and talk to them and see what they were working on. They had great questions about education in the U.S. and about us. Each of us had a crowd circling around us- we felt famous! I was very impressed with all of them- they all wanted to be doctors! Then Jeanna, Jess and I observed in a French class. I didn't understand any of it, but afterward we got a chance to interact with the students again. We told about ourselves and answered questions. Then we went to a Kinyarwanda class. I thought this was very interesting, because I love learning about their language. They had a Bible verse that I thought was very appropriate written on the board: Proverbs 10:4 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. After we had our Kinyarwanda lesson we went to the staffroom to have tea and speak with the teachers. The teachers were all very friendly and very passionate about their jobs and this school.
Then we got to explore Kigali a little on our own. We went to some of the markets around our hotel and found a really cool store. The day before we had talked to some friends about the big soccer game that was Wednesday night and made plans to watch it. We got to the little cafe by our hotel around 5:30 and there were already chairs and tables set up for the game that didn't start until 8:30! It was really fun to see all the people and how into the game they were. I thought it was interesting that they were both English teams- Americans would never get that excited over anything that didn't involve Americans! It was really fun to watch the game with them and it was even funner because our friends were rooting for the team that lost!
On Thursday we went to Green Hills again to help get ready for their book fair. It was fun to see the school hustling and bustling to get ready for an event. All the students were so excited and you could tell how much they've worked on these projects. We got to see some of them and they were so neat!
The orphanage was very fun today as well. We went a little earlier, so there weren't as many kids. It was nice to be able to have more one-on-one time with some. They are just so adorable! We finally got to do our ISU tattoos as well. They loved them! They couldn't really figure it out, but they thought they were pretty cool. A few brought out their Frisbees so we played with them again as well. Probably my favorite day there yet!
Thursday evening we had another full night! We had met a woman in the Addis airport who is Rwandese, but lives in Florida. She had said that she wanted to have us over sometime and Thursday was when it worked. We went to her sister's house in Kigali and met her whole family. Her brothers and sisters were very friendly and her niece and nephews were adorable. We brought them some Frisbees, so we played with them and then just sat around and chatted. It was very nice to be able to be at a home and interacting with a regular Rwandan family. They have some pretty fantastic music here, and right after supper the dancing started! Her two-year-old niece was probably the best out of all of us- so adorable!
Then today we went back to the nursery at the orphanage. The kids are so much fun! I can't think of anywhere else that I walk in and get twenty hugs right off the bat! We played Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, Ring Around the Rosie, and The Hokey Pokey. I don't think they knew what they were saying, but they had fun anyway. We got to see some more songs and dancing in the classrooms. Before we left we gave the supplies we'd collected and even more that Teresa had bought to the teachers. They were very appreciative. They have very little resources in the school, but it's amazing what they do with what they have.
Then we finally got to go to the market. It was an experience-they have so much different stuff! Each merchant really want you to look at their stuff. Also, it really helps when Aloys is bargaining with them- they think us Muzungus will pay anything. The problem is they're usually right! We went to two different ones and will probably go to another in Butare this weekend.
Then this evening we got to go to another Rwandan home. There is a Rwandan man named Clever who was a doctoral student at Iowa State and has been helping to plan the trip. His brother invited us to his house tonight. They live in Kigali and have a beautiful home. It's very elegant. His family was wonderful and they were very good hosts! They loved hearing about our experiences and seeing all of our pictures. Their nephew who goes to school in the states is also in town with a few of his friends. They came as well and were telling us about their trip as well. The two of them started a non-profit organization and are in Africa filming a documentary to raise money for the organization. It was very neat to hear their stories and their plans.
Tomorrow we leave for Butare and I'm not sure if we have internet for the weekend, so hopefully I will be able to post again soon!
On Wednesday morning we visited FAWE girls school in Kigali. It's a boarding school with 728 students and 36 teachers. It was started in 1999. The girls take five science courses and one language class. If they are on the French track they take an English class and if they're on the English track, they take French. We met with the deputy head teacher and then headed to the classrooms. Our first classroom was an S6 or senior class. They had really good questions about women in math and science, our work in Rwanda, and education in the U.S. I'm always so impressed by the respect and thought put into their questions, and you could tell that these were very bright young women. Then we went to an S5 (Junior) Chemistry lab. The class president greeted us and was talking about what an inspiration we were just by being there...we were almost in tears! They are all so appreciative and eager to talk with us. We got to mingle with the students and talk to them and see what they were working on. They had great questions about education in the U.S. and about us. Each of us had a crowd circling around us- we felt famous! I was very impressed with all of them- they all wanted to be doctors! Then Jeanna, Jess and I observed in a French class. I didn't understand any of it, but afterward we got a chance to interact with the students again. We told about ourselves and answered questions. Then we went to a Kinyarwanda class. I thought this was very interesting, because I love learning about their language. They had a Bible verse that I thought was very appropriate written on the board: Proverbs 10:4 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. After we had our Kinyarwanda lesson we went to the staffroom to have tea and speak with the teachers. The teachers were all very friendly and very passionate about their jobs and this school.
Then we got to explore Kigali a little on our own. We went to some of the markets around our hotel and found a really cool store. The day before we had talked to some friends about the big soccer game that was Wednesday night and made plans to watch it. We got to the little cafe by our hotel around 5:30 and there were already chairs and tables set up for the game that didn't start until 8:30! It was really fun to see all the people and how into the game they were. I thought it was interesting that they were both English teams- Americans would never get that excited over anything that didn't involve Americans! It was really fun to watch the game with them and it was even funner because our friends were rooting for the team that lost!
On Thursday we went to Green Hills again to help get ready for their book fair. It was fun to see the school hustling and bustling to get ready for an event. All the students were so excited and you could tell how much they've worked on these projects. We got to see some of them and they were so neat!
The orphanage was very fun today as well. We went a little earlier, so there weren't as many kids. It was nice to be able to have more one-on-one time with some. They are just so adorable! We finally got to do our ISU tattoos as well. They loved them! They couldn't really figure it out, but they thought they were pretty cool. A few brought out their Frisbees so we played with them again as well. Probably my favorite day there yet!
Thursday evening we had another full night! We had met a woman in the Addis airport who is Rwandese, but lives in Florida. She had said that she wanted to have us over sometime and Thursday was when it worked. We went to her sister's house in Kigali and met her whole family. Her brothers and sisters were very friendly and her niece and nephews were adorable. We brought them some Frisbees, so we played with them and then just sat around and chatted. It was very nice to be able to be at a home and interacting with a regular Rwandan family. They have some pretty fantastic music here, and right after supper the dancing started! Her two-year-old niece was probably the best out of all of us- so adorable!
Then today we went back to the nursery at the orphanage. The kids are so much fun! I can't think of anywhere else that I walk in and get twenty hugs right off the bat! We played Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, Ring Around the Rosie, and The Hokey Pokey. I don't think they knew what they were saying, but they had fun anyway. We got to see some more songs and dancing in the classrooms. Before we left we gave the supplies we'd collected and even more that Teresa had bought to the teachers. They were very appreciative. They have very little resources in the school, but it's amazing what they do with what they have.
Then we finally got to go to the market. It was an experience-they have so much different stuff! Each merchant really want you to look at their stuff. Also, it really helps when Aloys is bargaining with them- they think us Muzungus will pay anything. The problem is they're usually right! We went to two different ones and will probably go to another in Butare this weekend.
Then this evening we got to go to another Rwandan home. There is a Rwandan man named Clever who was a doctoral student at Iowa State and has been helping to plan the trip. His brother invited us to his house tonight. They live in Kigali and have a beautiful home. It's very elegant. His family was wonderful and they were very good hosts! They loved hearing about our experiences and seeing all of our pictures. Their nephew who goes to school in the states is also in town with a few of his friends. They came as well and were telling us about their trip as well. The two of them started a non-profit organization and are in Africa filming a documentary to raise money for the organization. It was very neat to hear their stories and their plans.
Tomorrow we leave for Butare and I'm not sure if we have internet for the weekend, so hopefully I will be able to post again soon!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
May 20, 2008--the first time I'm actually posting on the day!!
This morning we went to St. Andres College. It's a Catholic Secondary School. We met with the director (a Rwandese priest) who told us some about the school. It was founded in 1957 by missionaries from Belgium to be a school for children who wanted to go on to university. It started out as an all boys school, but in the 70s they started accepting girls. I thought it was interesting that they do three years (7th -9th) grades all the same and then they start taking classes in what they are interested in or their section, which is kind of similar to high schools in the U.S. They have 725 students and about 31% are female. More than half of the children are day students, leaving less than half that are boarding students. There are 35 teachers and all are qualified; some even have their Masters. Since they have other religious, such as Muslim and Jehovah's Witness they offer mass at 7:30 every morning, but it is a religious time for whatever your religion might be.
Angel and I were placed in a S1 or 7th grade English class, since the only classes in English are English classes. We noticed once again how respectful the children are. They were learning about tenses the teacher did a great job of keeping the students involved. They gave very 7th grade examples, like “I was sleeping while the teacher spoke”. They were a pretty funny bunch. Then she asked us to do some teaching. We first told them about ourselves and our backgrounds and answered some questions. We showed them pictures, and I of course showed them my cows! They were very impressed by how big they were and couldn't understand that we didn't drink G's milk. They loved to see little Bernadine and couldn't believe she was only two days old in the picture! Then after they were all out of questions the teacher asked them to sing for us. Two boys went up front and we were expecting a traditional song and maybe a dance- they started singing AND doing the dance to Souldya Boy! It was so funny! Then two others got up and sang American songs. Then some girls did a traditional song and dance, and then did another and danced back to us and pulled us up to dance with them! We didn't know what to do...it's a lot harder than it looks! We were sufficiently embarrassed for the day. Then the teacher told them that since they sang for us we would sing for them- umm NO!!! :) She had trouble understanding that we didn't have traditional songs in our culture. So instead of singing, we taught and played Simon Says. They loved it! They were very good, and Angel even scrounged up a prize for our winner. Then we taught some English. We did some problems on the board and they did very well. Again, I'm so impressed with their language skills!
Then we got the chance to meet the Minister of Education in Rwanda. We didn't have our meeting confirmed until Sunday, so it was very nice to be able to do that. She is like the Secretary of Education in the U.S., so we were very lucky for some of her time. I was asked to be the 'spokesperson' for the group, so I told her about what we had been studying and a project that I had done on the MDGs and Rwanda. I also told her about our observations and what we had inferred about education in Rwanda. She was very pleased with our findings and had a lot of good information for us. She was very friendly and very interested in our work. She said they have almost met the MDG for primary education for all, as they are at 96% enrollment. She did talk about some of the struggles they are facing, such as keeping girls in school. She couldn't stay for long, but it was very great to meet her.
Then we FINALLY got back to the orphanage! When we first got there a young girl came up to me and showed me her fingernails. She still had a little pink on! It was pretty touching, since that was the color I had painted, so she remembered it was me! At first we took some time to meet with Gisimba who is the legal guardian for the children. He gave us some very good information for the website. Then we got to play with the Frisbees- our gift for the night. The kids had a very good time with them and they picked it up so quickly. We played for over an hour and we were beat! They have so much energy! They have a soocer (or football) field that they named Mosquito Stadium, and we took that over as our massive Frisbee throw. We had a lot of fun and the kids did a great job of sharing. Hopefully they keep them around for awhile, I know at my house they're lost in a couple days! Having a specific activity made the language barrier not seem so bad. I don't know what we'd do without Dominic though! Leaving is always so hard, but once it's dark there's really not a whole lot we can do. At least we'll be back tomorrow!
Then we went to the Mille Collines (Hotel Rwanda) for dinner. It is a very upscale place. They had a live band so that was fun to watch. It seems to have a pretty happening night life and a lot of the people seemed very high class. It was kind of eerie to be in the hotel, even though we have heard from everyone that the movie isn't really a very good representation of what happened. It also looks nothing like what it does in the movie! We were happy to have some more American food again!
Monday, May 19, 2008
May 19, 2008
We made our way back to Kigali today. We went to a school that is located way out in the country, but some money from the gorilla tourism goes to it. The road was very scary and had dropoffs on either side. At one point we almost scared a cow over the edge! From the road you had a great view of the lake, so the road was worth it! There were children all along the road shouting and waving. At one point we stopped and gave a group of them pencils. They were so excited! Aloys finally got us safely to the school. It is a school of about 600 students, and some students go to school in the morning and some in the afternoon. The school had no electricity and very little resources. We left them with A LOT of stuff. The Metcafs had sent some pictures and books and we also left a computer. We had a good time showing them how to use it! We also left Frisbees, pencils, highlighters, and office supplies. Teresa also got them lots of chalk and some pens. They were so happy! They were definitely the most needy school we've seen. The teacher's commitment was amazing. The principal, who had met us, walks an hour up the hill every day to get to school. His was the classroom that Angel and I observed in as well. They speak far less English than any other school we've been to, so it was challenging. Then we went around and introduced ourselves to all the classes and they asked us questions. They were all so interested and happy to see us. For what they have, the teachers are doing an amazing job, and we really hope what we were able to bring them will help tremendously. After we gave them our gifts we went outside and tried to play Frisbee with the kids. Then they did a beautiful dance and song for us. Again, great videos that I will hopefully be able to post someday! Well, I'm finally all caught up! Tomorrow we FINALLY get back to Gisimba...I can't wait!!
May 18, 2008
We had the day to “relax” but it ended up being just as full! We did get to sleep in, which was AMAZING! We did get to lay on the beach in the morning and read which was very relaxing. Then we had lunch with Madalyn who is the Rwandan who is working with The Great Ape Trust of Iowa. She gave us some very good information and answered a lot of our questions. Then she showed us around Gisenyi, which was very nice of her. She brought us to a CyberCafe since we didn't have internet. Then we went to a market, which was very neat. It was kind of slow because it was Sunday, but we saw some beautiful fabrics and lots of fresh produce. We even saw cassava, Sarah!! Then Aloys took us to the border of the Congo. It was crazy to be that close! We went to the border in two different places, one the informal and one the formal border. Then we went to the Serena Hotel for dinner. It was fabulous! It was right on the lake and had a wonderful beach. At lunch a few of us had talked about the foods that we missed, and they had almost everything we said we were missing! They had burgers and boneless chicken and mashed potatoes and even chocolate! It sounds little, but we were really excited! After dinner Aloys took us to see the volcano he had told us about. It doesn't erupt, but you can see its red glow. It was beautiful, and it was crazy to think that we were that close to the Congo! He said it's dormant now, but in '05 it erupted. Then we headed back to our hotel. It wasn't paradise compared to the Serena, but it was perfect for us!
May 18, 2008
So, I've missed a few days because of computer issues, but we're all better now!
5/16
On Friday we headed out of Kigali for the weekend. We observed at Dominic's old school in the morning. It was very nice. We first met with the headmaster. He said they teach in both French and English and have about 60 per classroom. We checked out the library and the students asked us questions. Our opinion is very important to them,and they are always asking us what we think. Also, I noticed that each student stood up to ask their question- they are so respectful. MacKenzie and I observed in geography class which was very interesting. They use the dictation method, meaning that he lectures for most of the class and then dictates exactly what he wants them to write down- they need textbooks! Other than that their learning is so similar to the U.S. Except they're learning three languages- we really should do more! During the class one of the boys passed me a 'note' asking for my name and the school. They are all so passionate about their education, and I really hope I convinced at least one student my whole time here to come to ISU or at least the U.S. for university! After the class was over one boy stood up and told us how happy they were to have us here and that they would really love to know more about us. We went up and sat on the little stage and they asked questions. They had such great questions, and they are always expressing how happy they are that we're here.
We then left for our very hilly ride to the volcanoes. I have never seen such an amazing view! Aloys stopped at a little rest area and it was absolutely fantastic- there was a valley with a river running through it and green hillsides all around. There were people walking along the road the whole way. I noticed now that there were VERY few cars- only the occasional motorbike and trucks carrying goods. The first view of the volcano was breathtaking. There were banana trees and other plants everywhere. There were lots of smiles and shouts of 'muzungu' from the children along the road. There were also markets along the road as well. Our hotel was right next to the volcanoes. It is run by a womens group that is connected with the one we visited in Kigali. At dinner we spoke to the woman who runs it. She said that the women work there and the profits go to them. When she was talking to us, she said the words 'Hutu' and 'Tutsi', which I realized was the first time we've heard those words out of a Rwandan's mouth, although the genocide is mentioned quite a bit.
5/17
GORILLAS GORILLAS GORILLAS!!! We had to be up at 6 to leave at 6:30 to head out for the big trek! We went to the base camp and met our guide, Di. He was very nice. He introduced us to our group, the Hirwa group. Hirwa means 'lucky' in Kinyarwanda. There are 12 gorillas in the group: one silverback, six females, and five babies. One of the females doesn't have a baby because she just joined the group, but she is now pregnant. She's from the Congo. He told us that this was a relatively new group that is made up of gorillas from other groups. Di said that this was his favorite group, so that got us excited! Aloys drove us a ways and then we got out to get started. We got our walking sticks, soldiers, and porter. We just got one porter for the group, since we're so tough! His name was Peter and he ended up being VERY helpful! We were walking for over a half hour when we got to the brick wall that Di told us was the entrance to the park- we hadn't even started yet! It started uphill right then! Really, the hike wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The scenery was beautiful the entire way. Di showed us some cool things about the jungle, like bamboo which he described as being the gorillas beer, because they really like it and it makes them energetic. We tried some, but it didn't taste like beer to us...not that we'd know ;) It tasted like a cucumber...all it needed was some ranch! It rained at first, so it was pretty slippery, especially on the hills. We hiked for about two and half hours, before we heard our final, 'they are here'. We met up with the trackers and dropped our bags and sticks, since the gorillas can mistake the sticks as spears. I was the first one behind the tracker when we left our drop site. I will never forget the first one I spotted! When we got to the clearing, the boss was right next to us. We were trying to fit everyone in, so I got put maybe three feet from him. He was so massive! Di said he was nearly 450 pounds! We each got to pose for a picture with him in the background. His name is the word that means 'acacia' in Kinyarwanda. Then we saw the babies. They were so adorable! I took lots of videos and if we had a good connection I'd totally put them on here. I even got one of one of the babies beating its chest. They were constantly wrestling around and eating. The babies were very interested in us and kept coming up close. Right after we got there the new female literally walked right in front of us. It was a surprise, but each of us could have put out our hand and touched her! The boss was very playful with the babies and that was very neat to see. We never got charged at all, which I thought was interesting. Di and the trackers were 'talking' to the gorillas, so they stayed very calm. Di taught us some of the sounds and what they mean, so if we ever meet one in a dark alley, we'll know what he's saying! After awhile they made their nests and took their siesta. One of the moms snuggled up with her baby, wrapped her arms around it and went to sleep. It was so beautiful. It was by far the quickest 50 minutes of my life! We headed back, got our stuff, and started climbing back down the mountain. When we were about half way down, Jeanna mentioned that she thought she had a thorn in her pants. Then we all started to feel them. She finally reached in to get it out and it was a fire ant! We literally had ants in our pants! It was awful and VERY painful! We wanted to run out of the jungle, but didn't think a sprained ankle was a good solution to our ant problem. We got to the bottom in one piece and had an amazing experience behind us! We got done about 1:15, so our trek took about five and half hours. It was way more than worth it! We even got certificates, in case someone doesn't believe that we did it!
Then we went back to our hotel to get our stuff and get on the road again. We headed to our next hotel in Gisenyi, on Lake Kivu. On the way, we saw some beautiful hotels and another genocide memorial. Aloys also pointed out that almost everything you can see is part of the Congo. He showed us a volcano that is in the Congo which you can see its fire glow at night. The road got REALLY bad- we're finally getting a taste of the real country. Our hotel in Gisenyi was called Paradise Hotel and it was BEAUTIFUL. It has lake-front dining and even a sandy beach. Our rooms weren't necessarily paradise, but they had clean sheets and a mosquito net- pretty much all I ask for these days!
5/16
On Friday we headed out of Kigali for the weekend. We observed at Dominic's old school in the morning. It was very nice. We first met with the headmaster. He said they teach in both French and English and have about 60 per classroom. We checked out the library and the students asked us questions. Our opinion is very important to them,and they are always asking us what we think. Also, I noticed that each student stood up to ask their question- they are so respectful. MacKenzie and I observed in geography class which was very interesting. They use the dictation method, meaning that he lectures for most of the class and then dictates exactly what he wants them to write down- they need textbooks! Other than that their learning is so similar to the U.S. Except they're learning three languages- we really should do more! During the class one of the boys passed me a 'note' asking for my name and the school. They are all so passionate about their education, and I really hope I convinced at least one student my whole time here to come to ISU or at least the U.S. for university! After the class was over one boy stood up and told us how happy they were to have us here and that they would really love to know more about us. We went up and sat on the little stage and they asked questions. They had such great questions, and they are always expressing how happy they are that we're here.
We then left for our very hilly ride to the volcanoes. I have never seen such an amazing view! Aloys stopped at a little rest area and it was absolutely fantastic- there was a valley with a river running through it and green hillsides all around. There were people walking along the road the whole way. I noticed now that there were VERY few cars- only the occasional motorbike and trucks carrying goods. The first view of the volcano was breathtaking. There were banana trees and other plants everywhere. There were lots of smiles and shouts of 'muzungu' from the children along the road. There were also markets along the road as well. Our hotel was right next to the volcanoes. It is run by a womens group that is connected with the one we visited in Kigali. At dinner we spoke to the woman who runs it. She said that the women work there and the profits go to them. When she was talking to us, she said the words 'Hutu' and 'Tutsi', which I realized was the first time we've heard those words out of a Rwandan's mouth, although the genocide is mentioned quite a bit.
5/17
GORILLAS GORILLAS GORILLAS!!! We had to be up at 6 to leave at 6:30 to head out for the big trek! We went to the base camp and met our guide, Di. He was very nice. He introduced us to our group, the Hirwa group. Hirwa means 'lucky' in Kinyarwanda. There are 12 gorillas in the group: one silverback, six females, and five babies. One of the females doesn't have a baby because she just joined the group, but she is now pregnant. She's from the Congo. He told us that this was a relatively new group that is made up of gorillas from other groups. Di said that this was his favorite group, so that got us excited! Aloys drove us a ways and then we got out to get started. We got our walking sticks, soldiers, and porter. We just got one porter for the group, since we're so tough! His name was Peter and he ended up being VERY helpful! We were walking for over a half hour when we got to the brick wall that Di told us was the entrance to the park- we hadn't even started yet! It started uphill right then! Really, the hike wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The scenery was beautiful the entire way. Di showed us some cool things about the jungle, like bamboo which he described as being the gorillas beer, because they really like it and it makes them energetic. We tried some, but it didn't taste like beer to us...not that we'd know ;) It tasted like a cucumber...all it needed was some ranch! It rained at first, so it was pretty slippery, especially on the hills. We hiked for about two and half hours, before we heard our final, 'they are here'. We met up with the trackers and dropped our bags and sticks, since the gorillas can mistake the sticks as spears. I was the first one behind the tracker when we left our drop site. I will never forget the first one I spotted! When we got to the clearing, the boss was right next to us. We were trying to fit everyone in, so I got put maybe three feet from him. He was so massive! Di said he was nearly 450 pounds! We each got to pose for a picture with him in the background. His name is the word that means 'acacia' in Kinyarwanda. Then we saw the babies. They were so adorable! I took lots of videos and if we had a good connection I'd totally put them on here. I even got one of one of the babies beating its chest. They were constantly wrestling around and eating. The babies were very interested in us and kept coming up close. Right after we got there the new female literally walked right in front of us. It was a surprise, but each of us could have put out our hand and touched her! The boss was very playful with the babies and that was very neat to see. We never got charged at all, which I thought was interesting. Di and the trackers were 'talking' to the gorillas, so they stayed very calm. Di taught us some of the sounds and what they mean, so if we ever meet one in a dark alley, we'll know what he's saying! After awhile they made their nests and took their siesta. One of the moms snuggled up with her baby, wrapped her arms around it and went to sleep. It was so beautiful. It was by far the quickest 50 minutes of my life! We headed back, got our stuff, and started climbing back down the mountain. When we were about half way down, Jeanna mentioned that she thought she had a thorn in her pants. Then we all started to feel them. She finally reached in to get it out and it was a fire ant! We literally had ants in our pants! It was awful and VERY painful! We wanted to run out of the jungle, but didn't think a sprained ankle was a good solution to our ant problem. We got to the bottom in one piece and had an amazing experience behind us! We got done about 1:15, so our trek took about five and half hours. It was way more than worth it! We even got certificates, in case someone doesn't believe that we did it!
Then we went back to our hotel to get our stuff and get on the road again. We headed to our next hotel in Gisenyi, on Lake Kivu. On the way, we saw some beautiful hotels and another genocide memorial. Aloys also pointed out that almost everything you can see is part of the Congo. He showed us a volcano that is in the Congo which you can see its fire glow at night. The road got REALLY bad- we're finally getting a taste of the real country. Our hotel in Gisenyi was called Paradise Hotel and it was BEAUTIFUL. It has lake-front dining and even a sandy beach. Our rooms weren't necessarily paradise, but they had clean sheets and a mosquito net- pretty much all I ask for these days!
May 15, 2008
Another long day full of new experiences!! This morning we headed out bright and early to observe and help at Green Hills Academy, which is a school in Kigali. They have nursery, primary and secondary at their school. The headmistress is a woman from Canada. She and her husband came to Rwanda in 1999 (only five years after the genocide). The school is so prestigious that if students transfer to the U.S., most of them jump up a grade. In 10-12 grade they have a program called the International Baccalaureate or IB. This has different components, but it gives schools an international system that put students on the same level with others internationally. They are also the only school that accepts special needs students and they have two students with Downs Syndrome and one Autistic child. They have over 1,300 students and their class sizes are usually around 25-30. They found out about this school through a friend. He told them that a little school in Rwanda was looking for a principal. They decided to come here and have never felt insecure about their safety even once in the past nine years. The majority of the students are primary students. Teachers get better pay than other teachers and they also get great benefits. International students pay twice as much as Rwandese, but most of these parents work for places that pay for schooling. This greatly benefits the school in terms of income. They also rent out their cafeteria for weddings on the weekends for extra income. I was very impressed to find out that they have an afterschool program! After our tour we split up and I went with Teacher Paul who is the P.E. teacher and the advisor for the CAS program. CAS is a component of the IB program where students are required to do service in order to graduate. CAS stands for Creativity, Action, and Service which are the facets of service that they can perform. I was thoroughly impressed with this program, and they were rather surprised that we don't have anything like that in the States- I'm a little disappointed now as well! We also talked about improvements that the education system has made and I was just so impressed. I then joined a student who will be graduating in January, named Ester. She talked with me some more about the program. We had a great conversation about her experience and also about Rwanda and America in general. She is doing her essay on the Millenium Development Goals in Rwanda specifically, so we talked about that. She also explained some of Rwanda's own Vision 2020 which are high goals, but the country is very passionate about them and are working hard to meet them. She is considering going to school in the U.S. and I made sure she had a good impression of our ISU! Their work so challenging and I was very excited about their program and how hard they're working. We then went to a 7th grade classroom and observed. It turned out that the teacher we were observing with was Ester's mom! She was teaching literature, but she also teaches grammar. Her teaching style was very interactive. She should have been complemented because she kept Kenzie and I awake, which was a real challenge at that point! The kids were so involved in the classroom and were actually excited about their reading. I was also happy to see that each child had a copy of the book they were reading.
After Green Hills we headed to the orphanage. As we arrived the patron was outside with a little boy. He explained that this boy had just been dropped off by the police about 15 minutes before. They had found him on the street. They have no way of knowing his name or age. They guessed he was about 2-3. He hadn't made a sound and the patron was concerned that he had trouble hearing. He was very wary of us, although he did explore a little. By the time we left he was smiling, which was so rewarding to see! We sat down with the patron and explained our idea of how to spend our time with them. He was very excited and encouraging. He said that they had been wanting to get a website launched, but hadn't had the resources. He gave us some information and we planned times over the next week to sit down and get as much information as we can. Also, Dominic is going to translate for us to be able to get stories and profiles from some of the children. We really think that this will be a helpful resource for the orphanage and will make information easily accessable to others wanting to visit the center. After our meeting we got to be with the kids again. On the first night I had a girl very fascinated by my pink toenail polish and I had told Teresa who had brought some. She brought it with tonight and they went CRAZY! I got mauled even more than with the camera! I painted well over 50 pairs of hands...boys and girls alike. Everyone loved it. At the end we even had our new boy with one hand of pink nails! He even smiled for us! That was our last day there for the week, and I can't wait to get back there again right away next week! While here they at least say we have internet, I don't think we have it at all for the next three days, so I will write but they probably won't be posted until Monday or Tuesday. : )
After Green Hills we headed to the orphanage. As we arrived the patron was outside with a little boy. He explained that this boy had just been dropped off by the police about 15 minutes before. They had found him on the street. They have no way of knowing his name or age. They guessed he was about 2-3. He hadn't made a sound and the patron was concerned that he had trouble hearing. He was very wary of us, although he did explore a little. By the time we left he was smiling, which was so rewarding to see! We sat down with the patron and explained our idea of how to spend our time with them. He was very excited and encouraging. He said that they had been wanting to get a website launched, but hadn't had the resources. He gave us some information and we planned times over the next week to sit down and get as much information as we can. Also, Dominic is going to translate for us to be able to get stories and profiles from some of the children. We really think that this will be a helpful resource for the orphanage and will make information easily accessable to others wanting to visit the center. After our meeting we got to be with the kids again. On the first night I had a girl very fascinated by my pink toenail polish and I had told Teresa who had brought some. She brought it with tonight and they went CRAZY! I got mauled even more than with the camera! I painted well over 50 pairs of hands...boys and girls alike. Everyone loved it. At the end we even had our new boy with one hand of pink nails! He even smiled for us! That was our last day there for the week, and I can't wait to get back there again right away next week! While here they at least say we have internet, I don't think we have it at all for the next three days, so I will write but they probably won't be posted until Monday or Tuesday. : )
May 14, 2008
I really am writing these on the dates that they say, but I am just unable to post! Today was a more relaxing day then yesterday because we were all dead tired. We went to the orphanage right away in the morning to observe their preschool and kindergarten classes. They don't have very many younger kids, but they have a school for these classes that children from the community attend and the proceeds are profits for the center. The classes were so fun! There are four classrooms and a total of 118 children, so a lot bigger class sizes than we're used to, especially for that age! Each classroom did a few songs for us, and some were even in English. The children are so happy and playful, and they definitely love to perform. One class even did a Kinyarwanda song and did a dance. It's amazing to me that they are learning three languages. I feel like Americans are doing so little compared to them! We observed a classroom that was working on counting and writing numbers. The teachers used sticks to make sure everyone stayed on task- I felt so bad when the kids got in trouble for not paying attention because they were looking at us! They have a morning snack that they bring and then they go outside. This was by far the most fun part of the day. I don't think any one of us ever had one empty hand. They would literally fight over who could just stand there and hold your hand. They are very fascinated by any extra things: watches, jewelry, etc. I was wearing both a hat and sunglasses, and both were shared by all...I didn't think I'd ever get them back. They loved them so much and I'm really wishing I would have brought some with me to leave. If they even see a camera they all come FLOCKING! It ended up having to be put away a lot! They are also amused by our hair and they LOVE to play with it. We also visited KIE today. The campus is so beautiful. It was very interesting to see how their school is run and the differences. They have a lot of new buildings and are doing a great job. The dorms were beautiful, and the view from their balcony was breathtaking- I'm so jealous! We also planned out exactly what our plan is at the orphanage. We decided we will spend our time here working with the children and interacting with them. We will also work on gathering information so that we can create a website for the orphanage, since there is very little information available about it. I'm very excited to get to interacting with the children and to gather their stories for the website. This will be such a fun and helpful project. Having their information available to the world should not only increase help, but also recognition for what they are doing at the Gisimba Center.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
SORRY!!
Our internet isn't working at all! I've been writing them on my computer, but not able to post them. Today we came to a cyber cafe, but the file won't open on this computer! Hopefully when we get back to Kigali the internet will work so I can post them. So sorry, but hopefully it will be updated Monday evening!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Genocide Museum Quotes and Information
Some moving quotes from the genocide museum:
“Never Again” -the Rwandan motto
“This is about our past and our future;
our nightmares and our dreams;
our fear and our hope;
which is why we begin where we end...
with the country we love...” -The message of hope at the very beginning of the museum.
The genocide has “cast a dark shadow over our lives and torn us apart.”
“The population were being conditioned to accept and join the plan to act before it was too late.” -What the media was doing during the months before the genocide
The Hutu 10 Commandments were very disturbing for me, here are a few:
-Hutu associating with or carrying out business with Tutsi neighbors is a traitor
-Hutu must know that all Tutsi are dishonest in business. Their only goal is ethnic superiority.
-The Hutu must stop taking pity on the Tutsi.
-The Hutu must be strengthened and vigilant against their common Tutsi enemy.
A civil aid wrote about the cease fire in July '92 and the peace agreement in August '93: “Human rights workers were not fooled. We did not think that someone capable of organizing massacres would suddenly turn into a democrat. We saw what was happening.”
BEWARE THESE NEXT FEW ARE GRAPHIC!!!
“My sisters were beaten with clubs and thrown into a septic tank while they were still alive.”
One woman told about a young girl (I think it was her sister) having a rock thrown at her while she was running away.
There were death lists and within hours of the president's assassination they were at the houses of those on the lists.
In Nyange, 2,000 congregants gathered in a church when the PASTOR ordered in bulldozed.
Tutsi women were raped by known HIV infected males and Hutu women who had married Tutsis were raped as punishment.
In the trial videos it showed that the genociders were able to name their victims and remember how each murder was carried out.
“Neighbors turned on neighbors, friends on friends...even family on their own family members”
A man told a story about his neighbor whos children had been very close with his own and had spent great deals of time at each others houses. This man stormed into his house during the genocide and “he said he didn't even know me.”
“5% were good, 5% were neutral and the remaining 90% were evil.”
“The genocide left over 300,000 orphans and 85,000 children were now heads of housholds”
One young boy's final words were: “Mum where can I run to?”
“There will be no humanity without forgiveness. There will be no forgiveness without justice. But justice will be impossible without humanity.” Yolande Mukagasana
“Not even the innocent survived.”
“Never Again” -the Rwandan motto
“This is about our past and our future;
our nightmares and our dreams;
our fear and our hope;
which is why we begin where we end...
with the country we love...” -The message of hope at the very beginning of the museum.
The genocide has “cast a dark shadow over our lives and torn us apart.”
“The population were being conditioned to accept and join the plan to act before it was too late.” -What the media was doing during the months before the genocide
The Hutu 10 Commandments were very disturbing for me, here are a few:
-Hutu associating with or carrying out business with Tutsi neighbors is a traitor
-Hutu must know that all Tutsi are dishonest in business. Their only goal is ethnic superiority.
-The Hutu must stop taking pity on the Tutsi.
-The Hutu must be strengthened and vigilant against their common Tutsi enemy.
A civil aid wrote about the cease fire in July '92 and the peace agreement in August '93: “Human rights workers were not fooled. We did not think that someone capable of organizing massacres would suddenly turn into a democrat. We saw what was happening.”
BEWARE THESE NEXT FEW ARE GRAPHIC!!!
“My sisters were beaten with clubs and thrown into a septic tank while they were still alive.”
One woman told about a young girl (I think it was her sister) having a rock thrown at her while she was running away.
There were death lists and within hours of the president's assassination they were at the houses of those on the lists.
In Nyange, 2,000 congregants gathered in a church when the PASTOR ordered in bulldozed.
Tutsi women were raped by known HIV infected males and Hutu women who had married Tutsis were raped as punishment.
In the trial videos it showed that the genociders were able to name their victims and remember how each murder was carried out.
“Neighbors turned on neighbors, friends on friends...even family on their own family members”
A man told a story about his neighbor whos children had been very close with his own and had spent great deals of time at each others houses. This man stormed into his house during the genocide and “he said he didn't even know me.”
“5% were good, 5% were neutral and the remaining 90% were evil.”
“The genocide left over 300,000 orphans and 85,000 children were now heads of housholds”
One young boy's final words were: “Mum where can I run to?”
“There will be no humanity without forgiveness. There will be no forgiveness without justice. But justice will be impossible without humanity.” Yolande Mukagasana
“Not even the innocent survived.”
May 13, 2008
Well, as you've probably noticed, the Internet is unreliable at best. I have been writing these in word and then whenever I happen to connect I quick post! Today was a VERY big and busy day! We had the morning to get acquainted with Kigali. Aloys, our driver, gave us a great tour of the city. He showed us the drastic differences between the rich and the poor which was devastating. The people are so unbelievably friendly. Everyone smiles and waves and lots call out “Hello” or “Muzungu” which means white person. If we are stopped or going slowly they will come up and shake our hands. It's like being on parade at all times! We noticed that even in the very affluent neighborhoods (UN workers, government workers, businessmen) there are still standing houses that are gutted and sometimes even just foundations left. We found a women's center and were able to learn about what they do. It was very interesting and they were so happy to see us. They help women who's husbands have died in the genocide or from AIDS to make a living. They also have some housing where they can live. They teach them a trade and provide a place for them to create and sell their work.
I noticed a lot about the people and the city just by driving around. One big thing is that people have crop plots right in their yards in the city. We saw corn, sorghum, Irish and sweet potatoes, and other crops. We also saw a few cows and a couple goats and some banana and mango trees. Driving is still pretty scary...I prefer to sit in the back, otherwise I get a little nervous! : ) We finally got our money changed, and Aloys thought it would be a good idea to do it in the street! So we had lots of men asking us to buy things from them. I got some really cool art that is made with banana leaves. I also realized that their culture is a lot more physically close. By that, I don't mean intimacy, I mean people are always touching. Friends (even adults) hold hands and have their arms around each other while they're walking. When you see someone, even if you don't exchange names, you shake hands. Hugging also comes a lot earlier than in our culture!
After lunch we got to go to the UN! We really have the inside track with John! We got a nice tour and talked with Thomas from the UNV (the United Nations Volunteers). They are working with the Millenium Development Goals, so it was interesting to hear what work they are doing and how they are going about accomplishing those big goals.
Finally, we got to go to the Genocide Museum. It was obviously more moving than I can put into words, but I will try. Outside there are mass graves of over 258,000 victims. I was astonished to learn that they are still getting more bodies to this day. This is due to the fact that people were just left wherever it happened, and also that sometimes entire families were killed. This left no one to remember or report their death. They only have names of around 2,000 of all those that are buried there. They actually had to create more graves, because they got more bodies than they ever imagined. There is also a beautiful garden for mediation and prayer for those who've been wronged. This and the entire memorial really condone the country's motto of “Never Again”. Inside is the museum, which was far more than I ever expected. As with everything I am so amazed at how advanced it is, especially considering their circumstances. In my next entry I will insert some quotes from the museum. They offered a vast array of information about the genocide. It was quite interesting to hear it from their point of view rather than that of some writer somewhere. I think the most important thing I learned as far as facts was that Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa were actually socioeconomic statuses within the over 18 different clans. They were statuses that could change with circumstances. It didn't become racial until they were colonized and were forced to carry ID cards. The thing that was the most heart-wrenching was the rooms with the actual artifacts and the children's room. The artifacts were actual skulls and also rooms of some of the things that were found on the bodies. There were a lot of rosaries which really struck me. Also there was one lone tiny shoe, which cut like a knife. Upstairs they have a children's room, which starts with a sign that says: “In memory of our beautiful, beloved children, who should have been our future.” It was an area with pictures of children and some information about them. Some even had their last words, which means that someone actually witnessed these savage slayings of the innocent. There was one whose last word was the Kinyarwanda word for 'pray' and another whose was something about God. Even in this, you can see the amazing spirit of forgiveness that these people have. One man in a video said that if someone came up to him and said that he had killed his wife and children, he would forgive him on the spot. The man just wants to know who it was so that he can forgive him. He went on to explain that staying angry will just cause more issues: Never Again... This morning I had been starting to wonder why we were here; they seemed to be doing so well? After seeing that, I understand: I couldn't wait to meet the orphans!
This evening I finally got my chance! The orphanage is quite a ways away from our hotel, so it was a long anxious ride. When we finally arrived, we could already see the children running to meet us. Before we even parked they were jumping up and we had to get out and meet them. They literally pulled us out of the car! I've never gotten such a wonderful welcome in my entire life! Hugs, handshakes, and hellos from anyone who could get their hands on you! They LOVED pictures and even took my camera and took some pictures of me with others. The language barrier was frustrating, but we got names and that's what's important! The patron had to pull us away so we could do some introductions and get our tour. We got to see the office and the library, which he explained is where the children hid during the genocide. We also saw the kitchen where they were quickly making supper for the children. They cook on a wood fire with very little light. The dorms are separated by gender and age. The girls have theirs split into “rooms” with 2-4/room and the boys just have bunks. We then got to introduce ourselves and then got to mingle with the kids again. They are all so amazing and adorable, and I can't wait to start working with them tomorrow! I wish I could tell you in all detail what all we did and learned today, but it's now 3:30am and we have to be back there at 7:30! Hopefully I can update again tomorrow....
I noticed a lot about the people and the city just by driving around. One big thing is that people have crop plots right in their yards in the city. We saw corn, sorghum, Irish and sweet potatoes, and other crops. We also saw a few cows and a couple goats and some banana and mango trees. Driving is still pretty scary...I prefer to sit in the back, otherwise I get a little nervous! : ) We finally got our money changed, and Aloys thought it would be a good idea to do it in the street! So we had lots of men asking us to buy things from them. I got some really cool art that is made with banana leaves. I also realized that their culture is a lot more physically close. By that, I don't mean intimacy, I mean people are always touching. Friends (even adults) hold hands and have their arms around each other while they're walking. When you see someone, even if you don't exchange names, you shake hands. Hugging also comes a lot earlier than in our culture!
After lunch we got to go to the UN! We really have the inside track with John! We got a nice tour and talked with Thomas from the UNV (the United Nations Volunteers). They are working with the Millenium Development Goals, so it was interesting to hear what work they are doing and how they are going about accomplishing those big goals.
Finally, we got to go to the Genocide Museum. It was obviously more moving than I can put into words, but I will try. Outside there are mass graves of over 258,000 victims. I was astonished to learn that they are still getting more bodies to this day. This is due to the fact that people were just left wherever it happened, and also that sometimes entire families were killed. This left no one to remember or report their death. They only have names of around 2,000 of all those that are buried there. They actually had to create more graves, because they got more bodies than they ever imagined. There is also a beautiful garden for mediation and prayer for those who've been wronged. This and the entire memorial really condone the country's motto of “Never Again”. Inside is the museum, which was far more than I ever expected. As with everything I am so amazed at how advanced it is, especially considering their circumstances. In my next entry I will insert some quotes from the museum. They offered a vast array of information about the genocide. It was quite interesting to hear it from their point of view rather than that of some writer somewhere. I think the most important thing I learned as far as facts was that Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa were actually socioeconomic statuses within the over 18 different clans. They were statuses that could change with circumstances. It didn't become racial until they were colonized and were forced to carry ID cards. The thing that was the most heart-wrenching was the rooms with the actual artifacts and the children's room. The artifacts were actual skulls and also rooms of some of the things that were found on the bodies. There were a lot of rosaries which really struck me. Also there was one lone tiny shoe, which cut like a knife. Upstairs they have a children's room, which starts with a sign that says: “In memory of our beautiful, beloved children, who should have been our future.” It was an area with pictures of children and some information about them. Some even had their last words, which means that someone actually witnessed these savage slayings of the innocent. There was one whose last word was the Kinyarwanda word for 'pray' and another whose was something about God. Even in this, you can see the amazing spirit of forgiveness that these people have. One man in a video said that if someone came up to him and said that he had killed his wife and children, he would forgive him on the spot. The man just wants to know who it was so that he can forgive him. He went on to explain that staying angry will just cause more issues: Never Again... This morning I had been starting to wonder why we were here; they seemed to be doing so well? After seeing that, I understand: I couldn't wait to meet the orphans!
This evening I finally got my chance! The orphanage is quite a ways away from our hotel, so it was a long anxious ride. When we finally arrived, we could already see the children running to meet us. Before we even parked they were jumping up and we had to get out and meet them. They literally pulled us out of the car! I've never gotten such a wonderful welcome in my entire life! Hugs, handshakes, and hellos from anyone who could get their hands on you! They LOVED pictures and even took my camera and took some pictures of me with others. The language barrier was frustrating, but we got names and that's what's important! The patron had to pull us away so we could do some introductions and get our tour. We got to see the office and the library, which he explained is where the children hid during the genocide. We also saw the kitchen where they were quickly making supper for the children. They cook on a wood fire with very little light. The dorms are separated by gender and age. The girls have theirs split into “rooms” with 2-4/room and the boys just have bunks. We then got to introduce ourselves and then got to mingle with the kids again. They are all so amazing and adorable, and I can't wait to start working with them tomorrow! I wish I could tell you in all detail what all we did and learned today, but it's now 3:30am and we have to be back there at 7:30! Hopefully I can update again tomorrow....
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
May 12, 10:00 p.m. RWANDA TIME!!!
We have arrived in Kigali! We traveled for over 38 hours and then waited for our shuttle for another one...we are exhausted. London was fun and Ethiopia was a sight, but Rwanda is absolutely gorgeous! While we were in the air you could definitely see why it's called the 'land of a thousand hills'! Kigali is wonderful. The people have all been so friendly...obviously they can tell we are visitors, and almost everyone stares and then smiles and says hello. You would never believe that this country could have gone through what it did fourteen years ago. There are some buildings you can tell are still remnants, but for the most part they are doing wonderful. From what I've heard that opinion will change drastically in the next couple days, but the city is wonderful. Lot's of people walking, but more cars than I expected. There is actually a building right next to our hotel that was abandoned after the fighting and is just now being fixed up. We have already met so many wonderful people. Hearing their perspective has already, in just the ten hours since our arrival, enhanced my view of Rwanda and what they have gone through and where they are headed. Everyone we've talked to thus far has really stressed the importance of the Genocide Museum. They say that we should go there before anything else, because it will totally change the way we view everything we see. This proves to me that they really want us to understand and want us to get the full picture. We met the young man who is our liaison at the orphanage, Dominic, today at dinner. He is so inspiring. He is young (only 18 or 19) and already has so much passion. He works with technology at the orphanage, but has already assured us that we “will love them so much!” He hopes to someday go to college in the U.S.- I of course told him that Iowa State was his best bet, but he wasn't so sure! We also met with John, who recently got his Masters from ISU and now works here in Kigali with the UN. We also met our driver. Leah told us before we came that we needed a driver with a ring and a family...that way they will be more cautious because they have something to go home to... he has three children and a big ring! He was very nice and will be very helpful in the next two weeks. We are actually visiting the school that his children attend, so it will be nice to meet them. Well, I realize that there it's 3:20 in the afternoon and my sisters are just getting out of school, but it's way past this traveler's bedtime---it's almost 10:30! My nap today did little to make up for two nights on planes and a full day in London! Hopefully we will still be able to update daily, the Internet is unreliable as promised!! Until next time...
Monday, April 21, 2008
19 Days--Lots of new news!
This weekend I had the opportunity to speak at my church. I talked about the history of Rwanda and our plans. I would like to thank everyone who was able to support me through donations. I can't wait to come back and tell everyone about my trip! I will have lots of pictures to share.
I am starting to get nervous about packing! I've never traveled for this long, so it's kind of scary. Our London layover is through the day, so we have to live out of our carry-on for almost three days. I'm sure it will all work out. It's getting closer and closer!!
I am starting to get nervous about packing! I've never traveled for this long, so it's kind of scary. Our London layover is through the day, so we have to live out of our carry-on for almost three days. I'm sure it will all work out. It's getting closer and closer!!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Less than one month!
We leave for our trip of a lifetime in less than one month. We are spending time now researching the areas we will be visiting and learning as much as we can about the culture before we depart. I watched the movie Hotel Rwanda for the first time and it gave me an even better insight about Rwanda and it's history. It's a very inspirational story, and a must see for anyone interested. Keep checking for updates!!
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