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....