Adjusting to Rwanda

Now that we've been in Rwanda for over a week, we've begun language lessons, cultural, safety, and health training, and really getting to know some of the locals. I LOVE spending time with my language teachers and the other staff: 36 trainees and about 15 trainers live in 4 houses around the town of Nyanza (say it: ñan-za). I live in the big house, in a room with 5 other American trainees, and sit for 6 hours a day in a local classroom learning Kinyarwanda (say it: kin-yar-wan-duh). We have lessons on how to be a teacher, specifially a TEFL (Teaching English a a Foreign Langauge) teacher, and are starting traditional Rwandan dance classes today.

Slowly but surely I am comnnecting to this country and the Rwandan people, especially Alphonsine (say it: Al-fon-zeen), one of our coordinators: a 25 year old univerity graduate with beautiufl English. I am so impressed that someone my age (or thereabouts) has over come the staggering odds: by 9th grade about 1/3 of the girls that started in 1st grade are still in school; only 26% of women that enter college actually graduate, and despite traditional norms of marrying young (before age 20), Alphonsine is an educated, independent, and strong young woman. She told me her stategy was to eat fish heads.... her parents told her she'll be smart by eating the brain!

Esperance (say it: es-pear-raw-ns) is also my age and in the a similar sitution to Alphonsine: young, educated, trying to make a difference in her country. She asked me to help her with her English, so we're going to have advanced reading, writing, speaking, and listening... wish me luck, I think our class is growing!