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!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Getting to Rwanda
Its strangely beautiful to look out from the hilltop, surrounded by birdsong, trees, clouds, and brick buildings. Women walk these hills with babies on back, bundles overhead, and bright clothes. There's quite a mix of western clothes, hair styles, goods, all alongside the natural beauty and local women.
The government also shows western influences: where (apparently) there were wooded hills covered in shacks and shanty towns, there is now a developed roads system, fountains reflecting the dreams for Rwanda's future, parks for passing through, buldings going up, people walking, streets swept clean daily, light showers around 2 pm: life and growth and change burgeoning everywhere you look. All in contrast to the crippling genocide 15 yers ago (1994) that one 'Does not want to forget but hurts to remember' (from the Genocide Memorial in Kigali, the capitol). From what I'm told and all I've seen, everyone and everything is in an effort to reconciliate, even Nature doing her part to promote life.
People are welcoming, joyful, and eager, ready to teach, learn, work, and play. They greet with three alternating kisses on each cheek, men hold hands, women greet each other in the market, kids go in pairs or groups dressed in matching uniforms on their way to school. All people keep a short-cropped hair do, a few have braids or fake hair, and some use head wraps.
Every once in a while you may see an elderly person, but 60% of the population is under 18 years old. Going to the Genocide Memorial today explains how a country can be so young: a civil war and genocide wreaks havoc on the adult population as children are spared. Though here that wasn't always the case: to exterminate Tutsis and all of their line, even chidlren and babies were targeted. Fortunately the current government recognizes the youth as the future and hope for a peaceful reconcilitaion, thus pouring education, peace, and acceptance on the school children.
The government also shows western influences: where (apparently) there were wooded hills covered in shacks and shanty towns, there is now a developed roads system, fountains reflecting the dreams for Rwanda's future, parks for passing through, buldings going up, people walking, streets swept clean daily, light showers around 2 pm: life and growth and change burgeoning everywhere you look. All in contrast to the crippling genocide 15 yers ago (1994) that one 'Does not want to forget but hurts to remember' (from the Genocide Memorial in Kigali, the capitol). From what I'm told and all I've seen, everyone and everything is in an effort to reconciliate, even Nature doing her part to promote life.
People are welcoming, joyful, and eager, ready to teach, learn, work, and play. They greet with three alternating kisses on each cheek, men hold hands, women greet each other in the market, kids go in pairs or groups dressed in matching uniforms on their way to school. All people keep a short-cropped hair do, a few have braids or fake hair, and some use head wraps.
Every once in a while you may see an elderly person, but 60% of the population is under 18 years old. Going to the Genocide Memorial today explains how a country can be so young: a civil war and genocide wreaks havoc on the adult population as children are spared. Though here that wasn't always the case: to exterminate Tutsis and all of their line, even chidlren and babies were targeted. Fortunately the current government recognizes the youth as the future and hope for a peaceful reconcilitaion, thus pouring education, peace, and acceptance on the school children.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Joining PC Rwanda
As an (unofficially named) PCVR-Peace Corps Volunteer Refugee- when our Peace Corps Mauritaia program was "temporarly closed," I have decided to continue my service in Peace Corps Rwanda, joining about 50 current volunteers in the country's year of Peace Corps existence. From Mauritania there are 14 of us answering the call to work with this small and mighty East African country.
In 1994 there was a horrible genocide resulting froma conflict between 2 ethnic groups called the Tutsis and the Hutus; according to BBC, an estimated 800,000 people were killed in three months. For the past 15 years they have worked tirelessly to rebuild the country and learn from their past. As such, the Peace Corps opened in Rwanda in 2008 to help with the rebuilding process.
The current volunteers are all Health volunteers, and those of us coming in early October will be Education. The Rwandan government recently changed everything from French to English, so we're going to help teachers, students, and people with the transition in speaking, reading, writing, science, and math. As Mauritanian PCVRs, we have the oportunity to stay for either one or two years.
At this point in my life I could not imagine doing anything but this: serving people, getting to know others, seeing the world, and enjoying life.
In 1994 there was a horrible genocide resulting froma conflict between 2 ethnic groups called the Tutsis and the Hutus; according to BBC, an estimated 800,000 people were killed in three months. For the past 15 years they have worked tirelessly to rebuild the country and learn from their past. As such, the Peace Corps opened in Rwanda in 2008 to help with the rebuilding process.
The current volunteers are all Health volunteers, and those of us coming in early October will be Education. The Rwandan government recently changed everything from French to English, so we're going to help teachers, students, and people with the transition in speaking, reading, writing, science, and math. As Mauritanian PCVRs, we have the oportunity to stay for either one or two years.
At this point in my life I could not imagine doing anything but this: serving people, getting to know others, seeing the world, and enjoying life.
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