ASYV

Rwanda’s Lesson for America

Posted on by andrewrfretwell

Rwanda demonstrates how leadership can channel a group’s character toward progress or destruction.

The highest-octane fuel on Earth is a shared purpose between individuals. Civilization’s steps forward and backwards can be traced to people bound together to change their world. It has propelled explorers into outer space and it has buried neighbors under own cruelty.

This double-edged sword defines Rwanda’s narrative, where my wife and I have spent considerable time, and the moral of its story deserves attention as we decide upon who will be the next US President. Rwanda’s success toward becoming the model 21st century African nation is drawn from the same well that propelled the country’s near-suicide in 1994. So what’s the difference? Leadership.

Rwandan society inculcates a view that individuals find safety inside the group. This manifests through subtle and overt social norms: students are less likely to ask questions or make points in class (girls especially), community-wide functions are widely held and attended, and Rwandans are generally receptive to top-down leadership. Umuganda, a modern iteration of an ancient tradition of monthly community service, is universally attended, not just because no-shows are fined, but because deferring to the community is a deeply seeded value within Rwandan psychology.

Conversations we had while working at Agahozo Shalom Youth Village and Akilah Institute for Women in Kigali further revealed popular devotion to community. These teens and students aspire to succeed financially, not to amass personal wealth, but to create jobs for their family and neighbors; their altruism is refreshing, if not startling. It is the engine for a remarkably efficient government initiative to push Rwanda into the 21st century. President Paul Kagame is transforming its capital, Kigali, from a dusty third-world ghost town into a modern center of commerce with new roads, hotels, restaurants, public Wi-Fi, and a brand new, state-of-the-art convention center, as well as a streamlined process to start a business. Rwanda is a developing nation in the truest sense of the term and its leaders push the country towards bolder and more ambitious achievements every day.

But one needs only recall 1994 to understand how dark this type of collective mobilization can turn. Of the myriad factors underlying the genocide, leadership stands at the center. Since Belgian colonizers showed up 90 years earlier, Rwandan leaders trained their people to view all issues through the tribal, zero-sum lens: “Is this good for Hutus or is this good for Tutsis?”. As Rwanda’s corrupt government officials felt power slip through their fingers in the early 1990’s, they doubled down on their only tactic: divide and conquer. That culminated with an unprecedented, vigilante-styled slaughter of a million innocents, committed by the victims’ countrymen, neighbors and even family members, who mercilessly carried out their leaders’ will.

This should be ice water in the face of those Americans whose pessimism clouds their view of the choice in this election. Beyond the enormous policy gulf, there is a canyon separating their demeanor and their driving message. Let’s put aside all the ways Trump personally disqualifies himself from the Presidency on an almost daily basis: He is a sexual assaulter (criminally so), he touts his ignorance, rudeness and cruelty as virtues, and his financial successes have hinged on exploiting the tax code, maliciously manipulating our legal system, and preying on smaller, vulnerable businesses. His moral bankruptcy seems to know no limits or shame, so what sustains his campaign? Sadly, his message, which is: “Things are the worse than ever! And you know whose fault it is? The politicians, the media and the PC losers! Instead of helping you, they’d rather lend a hand to illegal Mexican immigrants and Muslim refugees, some of whom are terrorists(!), while shipping your jobs to Mexico and China!”

Juxtaposed his message with what is Hillary’s angle, which is: “It’s been tough, but even if you can’t feel it, things are getting better. If we keep making incremental changes and use our growing diversity to our advantage, eventually we will all feel the improvements.”

Say what you will about Hillary, her authenticity, and secretive tendencies; she isn’t selling demagoguery. I am certainly not the first, tenth, or ten millionth person to say that Trump’s Make America Great Again campaign has all the sights, sounds, and smells of a would-be dictator. If this were Europe, we would just be a few “Jewish-run banks,” references away from a textbook campaign of fascism.

What would four years of poisoning our national discourse with violent chauvinism, xenophobia, divisiveness, and suspicion do to us as a country? Once we start normalizing molesting women, scapegoating Mexican-Americans, and excluding Muslim-Americans, where does it end? While America’s individualism is a repellent to demagoguery, we are not immune to the danger of delivering the world’s largest pedestal and levers to such an unconscionable man. Trump may not have the foresight to exploit a divided American people toward truly nefarious ends, but there are men surrounding him who would do just that.

Rwanda needed to heal societal cleaves. Instead their leaders pulled them further apart and tore their country to shreds in the process. Emerging from their own ashes, a new set of leaders chose togetherness over division and Rwanda has been ascendant ever since. As we approach an election unrivaled in the profundity of its consequences, I would remind my fellow Americans to learn from Rwanda, leadership matters.

Reflections on #africamp

Posted on by andrewrfretwell

This is our final blog post for our four month trip to Africa. Instead of my usual pontifications, this blog is broken down into a number of “top ten lists” in order to succinctly share the highlights; enjoy!

The 10 Best Things We Did 

Attend ASYV Debate Tournament

After being in the village for like two weeks, we joined the coaches and participants and spent a day in rapid-fire debates on the motion: The Rwandan government should significantly cut its current dependence on foreign aid. I learned a lot about the effects of foreign aid on Rwanda and the global south in general. But more importantly had an incredible day watching and coaching my team of three awesome girls who went on to win the city championship!

Akilah One-on-One meetings

The work we did at Akilah has meaningful in so many ways, and one of those ways in how it allowed us to jump on motos and meet with individuals around Kigali, whether it was worth current students, alumnae, or private sector employers who regularly hired interns and graduates from Akilah. The meetings gave Jamie and I an up-close look into the developing private sector of Rwanda and those who are building it from the ground-up.

Gorilla Trekking

Being close enough to see a fully grown silverback gorilla change its facial expression as it finishes eating one thing and considers if he wants to eat the next thing is…rad. Seriously, it was like close encounter of the best kind.

Driving the Garden Route (including Winelands)

South Africa is immersed in natural beauty and winding our way through the hills along the South and East Coast became like a 4 day drive through a series of impressionist paintings.

SAFARI!

Big Cats, Elephants, Hippos, Giraffes, Craters, Zebras, there is no better way to get lost in nature than safari in Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater.

Stonehenge

After safari, it was fitting to go from basking in the natural world to trying to pry into the minds of Neolithic men and women who used this site to…bury the dead? Observe the seasons? Pray? All of the above? Few places leave you with more questions that Stonehenge so obviously, we loved it.

Driving Tour of Capetown with Noel

Our driving tour with Noel was amazing because he showed us the sights and shared with us the stories of South Africa. Not just the ones that feel good to hear, about what a saint Mandela is or how great it was for Apartheid to be overthrown without a war. But he also told us the stories about government abuse and corruption that is severely souring the sweetness of what post-Apartheid South Africa could have looked like. For the comprehensiveness and the nuance that we learned, we will forever be grateful. 

White Water Rafting down the Nile

Jamie and I are not extreme sporters but we like to have fun. Rafting the Nile was about as far as we could go. We paddled our way through a couple of Category 5 rapids, got stuck under a 14 foot waterfall (that we rafted over) and we capsized twice…each time there was like a half second when one part of me went “huh, is this how Jamie tells everyone that I died?” But anyway, it was super-super fun and wouldn’t trade it back for anything. 

Attended Rwanda’s National Genocide Memorial at Amahoro National Stadium

While we didn’t see the Agahozo Shalom students perform, joining with Rwandans from around the country to come together to remember such a recent, painful, confusing and real trauma in ther collective psyche and individual lives was an honor. And because Rwandans are such hospitable people, we were welcomed into such a private, vulnerable moment with open arms and teary eyes. It was a moment through which I will feel connected to Rwanda for a very long time.

Spice Tour and Beach out in Zanzibar

With our volunteering and safari behind us, we took our last few days in Africa to check out Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania. While there we both went on a spice tour, where we used all five senses to learn more about how spices and herbs are planted, grow and are used culinarily, medicinally and cosmetically. We’ve done a lot of walking tours, but from this one we said, “Wait, but really?” way more than any other. Then we spent a few days to just sit on the beach at a resort and drink and eat like we were rehearsing for a Corona commercial. We stayed at the Beach Breeze Resort and I recommend it to all. We were also lucky because it was peak rainy season so prices were low, but it was still sunny and in the high eighties on most days. #winning.

IMG_7588

10 Teachers and What They Taught Us

  1. JC, Executive Director of Agahozo Shalom Youth Village – showed us how to hit that balance of bringing the the right people to the table with the right jobs and supporting them, but in a way that lets them do what you hired them to do, and therefore thrive.
  2. Vincent, Village Director of Agahozo Shalom Youth Village – taught us how to look at a start-up and begin building, in order to go from good to great
  3. Ritah, Alumnae Affiars Manager at Akilah Institute for Women – taught us how to love a job through building the relationships through those you serve
  4. Aline, Country Director for Akilah Institute for Women – taught me about part of the psychology of Rwndans as refugees and what that means to their values and sense of self-value
  5. Noel, Tour Guide in Cape Town – taught us to look under the surface to see the stories less told in South Africa, post-Aparthied
  6. Nida, graduate of Akilah Institute for Women – taught us that where there’s a will there’s a way
  7. Francis, Tour Guide for Glory Safaris – taught us about the Maasai and how to consider the balance of thousands of years of traditions with modernity
  8. Jessica, Director of Registration and Career Development at Akilah Institute for Women – gave us a crash course in “Re-organizing the systems of your Start-up” through our work together at Akilah
  9. Maxime, graduate at Agahozo Shalom Youth Village – who inspired us with his ambition, belief in hard work, and gratitude and eagerness towards opportunities and uphill battles
  10. Phyllis, fellow volunteer at Agahozo Shalom Youth Village – taught us how to give without imposing, to support without commandeering, to give in the truest sense of the word

IMG_7936

10 Assumptions Going to East Africa Tears Down

  1. Africa is too backwards for there to be significant progress any time soon.
  2. Africa is a great place to send charity to, not business contracts.
  3. African women are comfortable accepting a life similar to that of their mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers
  4. The best way for African problems to be solved is to find the equivalent problem in the US or Europe and just apply the model.
  5. Travelling in Africa is not safe.
  6. Unless they are rich, Africans do not speak English.
  7. Africans do not deal with issues around ‘colorism’ since almost everyone is black.
  8. Africa just needs “time” to get better.
  9. Africans think life is cheap.
  10. Africans are a “simple” people.

The 10 Things We Will Do When We Return to Africa

  1. Climb Kilimanjaro and do some Safari Hikes and Balloon Rides
  2. Do some work with African Innovation Prize
  3. Check out the Apartheid Museum in Soweto
  4. Attend Passover or Shabbat with the Abuyadaya in Uganda
  5. Stay over for a few nights in Addis Ababa
  6. See Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe
  7. Hike up a volcano in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo
  8. Spend more time in Capetown and the Winelands in South Africa
  9. Visit the Nyamatta Church Genocide Memorial in the Southern Province of Rwanda
  10. Hike around Namibia

IMG_7943

 #africampers out…for now.

Eating our way through Africa

Posted on by jamiemaxner

Whenever I travel, I love to find ways to both eat and cook my way through a new city or place. Food activates all of your senses and helps create an instant connection to a new people and place.   It’s one of the best ways to learn more about a culture. And did we “learn” a lot during our months in Africa.

We tried local ingredients that we had not encountered before or are used in a way we’d never considered. (“What is a ‘tree tomato’? Are you sure a tomato will taste good in my fruit salad?”)

We used cooking equipment and techniques that provided a lens into a way of life that has stayed authentically earnest and draws connections to those who have cooked these same dishes for generations before us. (“Did you know that in the U.S., we have a special knife designed especially for cutting tomatoes and a tool that cuts avocadoes into slices in one fell swoop?”)

RWANDA & EAST AFRICA

We spent most of #Africamp living in Rwanda, with a few side trips to other countries in East Africa (rafting in Uganda, safari in Kenya & Tanzania, rest and relaxation in Zanzibar). We were lucky to experience both rural life during our time at Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (aka “the Village”) AND city life during our month living in Kigali. We shopped at the local markets, ate at local bars and sought out hidden street food stands (imagine, a tiny hut with plates full of freshly fried treats), ordered goodies at the local store, and enjoyed every simply tantalizing moment.

Ibirahi

IMG_6198

Delicious Ibirahi at a village bar

This is the ultimate street food. If ibirahi (slang for ibiraha samosas – irish potato samosas) were served out of a food truck in New York, they’d be an instant hit! Cheap, simple, fried goodness. It’s the perfect post-bar snack that will absorb your night of drinks, so you can wake up feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow morning. Can you say East Village money-maker?? Open call for anyone who wants to go into the food truck business with me. Just saying. We’ll also sell Brochette (see below), so I just don’t see how this DOESN’T kick ass.

Brochette

IMG_6763

Brochettes at the Milles Coline (aka Hotel Rwanda) poolside Brunch

Meat on a stick. It’s simple. It’s genius. It is marinated in the perfect blend of spices that makes sure it hits the spot every time. You may be thinking, isn’t this just like shish kabob or a skewer of meat? Maybe. But, nothing will make your eyes light up and mouth salivate quite the same way as a plate of goat brochette served at the bar with a Primus (local beer), especially when you’ve been waiting for two hours since it seems they’ve freshly killed the goat out back to make these delectable meat sticks just for you. It can also be made of beef, chicken, or fish. But, to me, goat is the ultimate Rwandan way.

Chapati

There are so few ingredients; I’m not even totally sure how chapati tastes so good. I’m pretty sure we’re talking flour, eggs, salt, and green onion. It’s very similar to Indian naan. But, it’s better. Some of our favorite moments at the Village would happen when we were walking by the lower gate and spot Betty (owner of the small shop across the way), yell through the gate and across the street to find out if she had chapati…and she said yes. Score Jamie and Andrew!

(**Rolex: Chapati with a thin layer of egg with green onions (cooked on a hot plate like those used to make crepes) placed on it and then rolled up. It’s only sold in Uganda and this made us extremely sad. It was awesome!)

Nyama Choma

IMG_6799

My plate at Carnivore…worth the angioplasty.

MEAT! Barbecued (i.e. grilled) meat. Note, I never met a Rwandan vegetarian. In Kenya, we had the ultimate Nyama Choma experience at a restaurant aptly named Carnivore. Think Brazilian Churascuria (a la Fogo de Chao) but African style. Ostrich, goat, lamb, chicken, beef…and all of it in my tummy.

Akabanga

It’s just Rwandan chili oil in a small dropper-style bottle. But, it packs a HUGE punch. A lot of the Rwandan dishes are fairly simple and often consist of rice, beans or potatoes – a fairly bland bunch. Now imagine meals in the Village as a pretty consistent rotation of those aforementioned staples – a few drops (emphasis on a FEW) becomes a game changer and added necessary flavor profiles to our meals over these past months. Whenever we’d pull out our Akabanga at the table, someone else would spot it and work up the courage to ask for some. Of course, we were happy to share. It cost like 50 cents and we never even finished one bottle in all of our months.

SOUTH AFRICA

IMG_6038

Food and Drink at the Stellenbosch Wine Festival

The start of our trip in South Africa was full of beautiful sights and sounds, but some of my favorite, delectable tastes of our whole time in Africa.

Wine

South Africa’s winelands are a must for any visitor heading to the Cape Town/Western Cape area.  For this trip, we even put some of my old Cornell Hotel School connections use and emailed the Wines professor for some suggestions.  They did not disappoint!  Not only are is wine country picturesque, but the food scene is strong with farm-to-table style spots bursting on along the quaint tree-lined Cape Dutch streets of Stellenbosch, the veritable heart of the winelands.  We hit the jackpot on our visit with the annual Stellenbosch Wine Festival hitting town at the exact time we were there.  So, instead of driving around to a handful of vineyards for tastings, they all came to us.  One low price, two wine glasses, unlimited tastes from over 100 wineries!  TOTAL BLISS.

Biltong

I now understand that beef (or meat) jerky is just a poor attempt at biltong. In South Africa, there is a magical way of drying, curing, and aging meats (beef and a whole slew of other animals that I’d never heard of before we ate our way through them, like Eland, Kudu, and others) that creates one of the best snacking experiences I’ve ever enjoyed to date. It’s more moist, flavorful, elegant and freaking fantastic. A bag of biltong carried us through a six-hour car ride along the Garden Route. I am sad that I didn’t accept the offer of freeze-dried, packaged biltong at the Cape Town market. I have already started researching South African biltong suppliers in New York City.

West Coast (of Africa) Oysters

IMG_5922

Scrumptious Oysters at Clarke’s

Oyster happy hours are my jam in New York. But, oyster happy hour in Cape Town blew them all away. At Clarke’s, I ate my first African West Coast oysters and I entered a whole new world of meaty, sweet, subtly briney oysters that were, in my opinion, perfect in every way.

Faces of ASYV

Posted on by jamiemaxner

It is hard to describe the experience of living and becoming a part of the Agahozo Shalom community.  We have been touched and overwhelmed by how genuinely we were welcomed in as soon as we stepped foot through the ASYV gates.  Whether it was a wave and friendly smile, a passing “Hello” or “Good Morning”, an invitation to join a table for lunch, an out-of-the-blue onslaught of serious and complex questions about politics and the future of the U.S. (do Americans really like Donald Trump?), a request for help with an essay or speech, a willingness to just chat about life and open up about hopes and dreams, participating in our English classes, an out-of-the-way handshake, or the many many more connections and interactions of all shapes and sizes — this place and everyone in it has left a permanent impression on us and we will carry the relationships and memories with us for the rest of our lives.

To really understand what Agahozo Shalom Youth Village is really all about, you have to understand the people who live there.  We could probably spend days or weeks regaling you with detail upon detail about each person we met, everything we did day in and day out at the Village, and the experiences (expected and not) that we’ve shared together.  Instead, we hope you’ll enjoy an insight into the lives and personalities of a few amazing friends we met along the way, so you can begin to understand why we are brimming with inspiration, hope and love and how these people and this place have truly nourished our souls.

These are the faces of Agahozo Shalom.

BERTIN

Types:

Age: 18
From: Southern Province, Ruhango Districat, Kinazi Sector
Grade: Ishema (S6)
ASYV Family: Martin Luther King Jr.
Goal: I want to be and independent person, open my own business to make and sell art
Role Model: Vincent Van Gogh, he was an artist and he tried to use his art to change the lives of people around him
Hobbies: Art, basketball with friends, and writing sketches and theater

We met Bertin one afternoon while we were helping out with an S6 TOEFL study session in the dining hall. Since it is a large, open space, most days you can find a large number of students in the dining hall in formal study groups or just studying individually around the room. After TOEFL concluded, Auntie Phyllis (another adult volunteer here for the first term only), called us over where she was sitting at her laptop with a student, Bertin. Read More…

BONFILS

Types:

Age: 20
From: Kigali
Grade: Ingenzi (graduated Jan. 2016)
ASYV Family: Steve Jobs
Goal: If I am going to study (economics and finance), I need to be financially sound in order to afford school. When my mother died, my father didn’t get remarried – he just focused on me, lived with me, did everything to give me what I needed. I feel like I owe him something. So, to deliver that, there is a lot that I should do… I must work very hard. Seize every opportunity.
Favorite Quote: Every morning when I woke up, my dad would polish my shoes and tell me, “I’m doing this for you that you should be able to do it for your kids.”  He would also say, “There are two things in you – a good dog and a bad dog. It is you who will choose which dog you are going to be.”
Hobbies: Going outside at night and watching the stars. I also love talking to people – I never had a lot of people around me when I grew up, so now I love enjoying the company of other people.

Bonfils and Maxime immediately impressed us with their eloquent English, interest and ability to articulate serious and complicated ideas, and giving off a general air of optimism about their impending future. Read More…

CLAUDINE

Types:

Age: 22
From: Western Province, Rusizi District
Grade: Ingenzi (graduated Jan. 2016)
ASYV Family: Dr. David Livingston
Goals: Continue to study at university in Cameroon (she received a scholarship to University of La Roche beginning in August 2016), study business and eventually run my own business like my sister in Uganda who runs her own supermarket.
Favorite Quote: “Try and fail, but never fail to try.” It has been my favorite quote since S1.
Hobbies: Poetry, conversations with people and debating

We were told to look for someone with an “ASYV” sign when we landed at Kigali International Airport. We exited the arrivals hall and immediately spotted Issa, ASYV’s Director of Operations standing next to a girl holding, as promised, a sign with the letters “ASYV”. Read More…

FAUSTIN

Types:

Age: 19
From: Western Province, Rubavu District
Grade: Imena (S4)
ASYV Family: Alexander the Great
Goal: Create my own job editing videos and photographs…or maybe become a professor of linguistics, since I like teaching and conversing with many people who are different from me.
Favorite Quote: “You reap what you sow” – The Bible and “If you manage your time, you can create success.” I combine these two to create my own philosophy for life.
Hobbies: Taking photos at the village, since I don’t have a camera at home. So at the village I spend my free time taking photos and videos and editing them at the media center. I also like playing football and talking to people, especially about how we can make our country happy and proud and discussing the problems we face and how we can solve them.

Some of the warmest people you will ever meet are not those who jump out to you to shake your hand when you walk into a room. Faustin is unassuming but has a quiet kindness and warmth that quickly turns into a lively conversationalist. Read More…

JEAN DE DIEU (AKA “JADO”)

Types:

Age: 19
From: Southern Province, Butare
Grade: Isonga (EY)
ASYV Family: Wright Brothers
Goal: To be a producer for audio songs and video editing – I think that’s the first thing I’ll do after I leave here.
Role Model: Frank, a graduate and intern, who works with the Media department and Jimmy, another graduate and intern, who teaches music. They are both active and creative and always looking for ways to help their brothers. They look at us like real brothers and show us real love.
Hobbies: Photography, videography and audio recording. “I used to produce my own music at home, mostly hip hop, R&B, and pop” – he found artists to come into the studio and then would edit it all together.

Jado is one of those people when you make eye contact with him from across the room, he flashes you a big smile and you can’t help but return it with one of your own. A true jack-of-all trades, Jado is involved with the traditional dance club, does photography, videography and plays guitar! Read More…

MARTINE

Types:

Age: 16
From: Kigali
Grade: Isonga (EY)
ASYV Family: Margaret Ekpo
Goal: She wants to finish her studies and eventually be a business leader and show that women can also be leaders in business in Africa
Favorite Quote: I don’t have to change my personality for the sake of others – Malcolm X
Hobbies: She loves singing, Celine Dion is her favorite singer and she enjoys playing basketball and spending time with friends

Our first full week helping with English enrichment classes was spent going through a variety of exercises and games to help the students get a better grasp on those pesky English prepositions. Many a class was spent holding out a pen, a book, or our hands to try to clearly show items that were over, under, next to, and in front of (among others) other objects in the class. Read More…

MODESTE

Types:

Age: 18
From: Kigali
Grade: Icyizere (S5)
ASYV Family: James Watt
Goal: “To be a business lawyer, yeah definitely.” To continue studies at university to learn and practice business law, since it will enable me to start my own business to help my community.
Favorite Quote: “When you dream, dream big.” and “Nothing can move forward until it starts.”
Hobbies: Poetry, reading, debate and theater

We met Modeste on our first evening in the Village. We arrived on a Friday just in time for Village Time (a weekly gathering of the whole ASYV community in the amphitheater for a variety of awesome performances by the students). We were thrown right into the mix by being escorted to the special “VIP” seats in the front row and being introduced publicly to the audience by the Executive Director. Read More…

MOSES

Types:

Age:15
From: Kigali
Grade: Isonga (EY)
ASYV Family: Isaac Newton
Goal: To be a pilot/aviator, it’s a low probability I’m still going to work towards it; if not an aviator, an engineer
Favorite Quote: “Genius is Patience” – Isaac Newton
Hobbies: Playing piano, football and volleyball, his favorite football team is Real Madrid and his favorite player is Christian Ronaldo

At our first breakfast at the Village after Mucaka-Mucaka (see description under Nadia), Moses approached and sat with us at the table. He introduced himself, asked who we were, why we came to the Village, what we thought about ASYV so far (less than 24 hours in, we didn’t quite have an answer for him, though we promised to revisit the question one week later), and then he did his best to explain and introduce us to different aspects of the Village so we could start wrapping our heads around life at Agahozo. Read More…

NADIA

Types:

Age: 17
From: Northern Province, Musanza District, Muhoza Sector
Grade: Isonga (EY)
ASYV Family: Saint Annibale
Goal: I want to go into tourism, be a tour guide in National Parks, I like English and talking to people
Role Model: St Annibale because he was a very good man who helped people without parents and no money to live
Hobbies: playing basketball, enjoying the company of friends and giving advice and helping others with their problems.

Every Saturday morning, the students of each grade participate in Mucaka-Mucaka (moo-CHAK-ah moo-CHAK-ah). Students gather at their grade’s designated meeting spot in the Village at 5:45am (yes, you read that correctly) and begin to run together as a group out of the Village and to one of the nearby towns, Rubona or Bicumbi, with each grade heading to different end points in town. Read More…

ORNELLA

Types:

Age: 18
From: Kigali
Grade: Ishema (S6)
ASYV Family: Eleanor Roosevelt
Goal: I want to study marketing and interior design and eventually do interior design professionally
Favorite Quote: “Don’t fear the space between your dreams and reality” – she doesn’t remember where she heard it but it means a lot to her
Hobbies: Her two favorite things to do during her free time are watching TED Talks and listening to reggae

Keep your eye on Ornella, because she’s doing big things. Whether she is leading the ASYV student-run production and performance company “Oregon Productions”, winning Debate Championships in Kigali, developing concepts to improve Women’s health through tech-based solutions, or working on her interior design and marketing skills, she’s on the way up. Read More…

OSCAR

Types:

Age: 21
From: Kigali
Grade: Icyizere (S5)
ASYV Family: Nelson Mandela
Goal: I want to go into business, either in starting a company that rents out A/V and other equipment for weddings or to buy cattle in Mutare Province to sell in Kigali
Favorite Quote:  “Begin with the end in mind.” – Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and “It always seems impossible until it’s been done” – Nelson Mandela
Hobbies: Drumming, praying and preaching (Pentecostal)

We were starting in on our investigation of student leadership at the village and had our first meeting scheduled with the Student Government one afternoon after lunch. Since the meeting was arranged by other staff members, we realized that we had no idea who was even a part of the Student Government or how we would find them. We asked a student we know who introduced to Oscar. Read More…

PATRICK

Types:

Age: 19
From: Kigali
Grade: Icyizere (S5)
ASYV Family: Albert Einstein
Goal: wants to continue studies and eventually be a lawyer
Favorite Quote: “Compare yourself with the best, not with the worst. If you want to compare, compare with those who have achieved what we are struggling to achieve.” – President Paul Kagame
Hobby: Dancing – he started dancing for fun at Boom, and “people told me I was good, so I started practicing.” Now, he started his own dance trio, The Afro-Quakers (ASYV Dance Troupe)

We first met Patrick at Debate Team practice our first Saturday (and first full day) in the Village. As we learned quickly in our time in ASYV, almost any time we appeared at an event or activity, we were quickly asked to help lead or facilitate. Upon showing up to see what Debate Team was all about, I was immediately asked to help Maxime (an Intern and coach of the Debate Team) ‘judge’ a practice debate between two teams by taking notes on each speaker and providing feedback. Patrick’s passionate and inquisitive speaking style struck me immediately. Read More…

PIERRE (AKA “JIMMY”)

Types:

Age: 22
From: Southern Province, Ruhango District, but now lives in Kigali
Grade: Ingenzi (graduated Jan. 2016)
ASYV Family: Sir Ronald Ross
Goal: I have two plans – 1) I really love music and love playing and teaching guitar and singing. 2) I want to become an Agricultural Trainer. I want to help the community by teaching skills to improve agricultural techniques. It’s one of Rwanda’s main sectors, so I want to help make it professional. Agriculture is my passion – it seemed like a dream to me, but now it seems like a reality, because I’m getting experience now. I really want to make a positive change in the community.
Favorite Quote: “Hard Work Pays” – shared by someone at Village Time and it just stuck with me; and “Failure is a stepping stone to success.”
Hobbies:  I like to give, to do Tikkun Olam, to help people. It’s the thing I like to do when I’m free – to find people who need help and to try to help them in any way I can.  I also love playing guitar. I only started in the 2nd term of 2014 (S5 year), but now I play all the time.

Jimmy spots you and approaches with a big smile. Your day is immediately better. There is something special about Jimmy that forces you to let your guard down and stop thinking about things that you may have been stressing about moments before. Read More…

TANITA

Types:

Age: 15
From: Kicukiro District
Grade: Isonga (EY)
ASYV Family: Ida B. Wells
Goal: She wants to finish her studies and become a writer, either an author a journalist
Favorite Quote: Change the world with your smile but don’t let the world change your smile
Hobbies: She loves reading, her favorite book is Esparansa Rising, which is about a girl who loses her parents and has to overcome her adversity. She like the book so much because she empathizes with the protagonist.

When we arrived at our first Debate Team meeting on Saturday morning, it was already in progress. The students were sitting as a group in the Green Clubhouse while one student was standing at the far opposite side of the room, speaking loudly and leading the group in a call and response style exercise. The goal of the exercise was to practice voice projection and the student leading (by clear example) was Tanita… Read More…

The Spirit of Rwanda

Posted on by andrewrfretwell

Since we are between Purim and Easter, and my last post was about politics, why don’t I just go ahead and cross the next thing off the “it’s impolite to discuss…” list. Let’s dive into the question of religion and how spirituality is affecting my and Jamie’s experience in Africa.

Rwanda as a whole is a largely catholic country, a little over half the country follows the Roman Catholic Church, a quarter are Protestant, and there are smaller communities of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, and Muslims. There seems to be almost no practicing community of Rwanda’s traditional, pre-colonial religion.

In his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. identifies the Church’s responsibility not to just act as a social thermometer, reflecting society’s status quo, but to be a thermostat that spreads the warmth of love and justice. In Rwanda, you have starkly contrasting case studies of the Church reflecting the worst of a community’s ills, and promoting the best of its intentions. In 1994, Tutsi victims fled their killers and flocked to churches in the hope of finding sanctuary; almost none of them provided safety. Some of the most brutal massacres sites of the genocide are at churches where clergy welcomed in hunted families, only to then call in the interahamwe (militia) once they were all gathered for slaughter. The most famous church massacre took place in Nyarubuye, where an estimated two thousand people were butchered in a house of God. However, since the Genocide, missionaries and members of the clergy whose hands were not marked with the blood of genocide have taken a lead role in the work of reconciliation over the last twenty years. They have done the mind boggling work of bringing together perpetrators and survivors to rebuild Rwanda’s shattered society together. Indeed, without the belief that the image of our creator resides within all of us, how could one ever forgive such wanton cruelty and determined evil?

url.jpg

Remains of 2,000 victims remain on display at the Nyarubuye church.

But this post is not about the Genocide. It’s about religion at Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) and here at ASYV, religion matters to these kids, a lot. Students freely talk about their belief in and relationship with God, and it is commonplace to receive a blessing a long with a thank you. Every Sunday, you can see scores of teens gathered at the Roman Catholic Mass and hundreds more gathered and singing the gospel in Kinyarwanda at the Protestant service. At the Protestant service, two well-rehearsed student choirs take turns leading songs, singing the words of the Bible in Kinyarwanda to melodies that echo thousands of years of African culture and joy. When they are not signing or drumming, students volunteer to testify before one another, with Hallelujahs and Amens abounding from all chairs and mouths present.

The Catholic mass has a different feel to it. While the teens are every bit as enthusiastic, the service is far less participatory and much more passive, being led by one person while everyone mumbles along to a tune with some awkwardness. It felt like watching David Lee Roth cover a James Taylor song. The teens’ DNA tries so hard to push through the solemn European melodies with joyful African singing. The teens slowly sway to melodies that are meant for contemplation instead of dancing. It was a perfect embodiment of centralized versus decentralized rituals. While the protestant service beautifully blends African culture with a Christian ethos, the Catholic Service tries to fit an African hole with a European peg.

But denominational differences aside, the students’ religiosity is humbling, if not inspiring. The teens at ASYV are here because they were considered the most at-risk in their communities. Most of them are parentless, either by abandonment or death, and woefully impoverished. They have so much reason to harbor despair and anger and instead find strength, hope and love in one another. They rejoice in their belief in something beyond their selves or understanding. Arthur Schopenhauer, the 19th century German philosopher declared that, “every person takes the limit of their own field of vision for the limits of the world.” But perhaps, these teens prove just the opposite when applied to what is beyond our world. To borrow from and tweak Oscar Wilde, lying in the gutter gives you a better view of the stars.

ASYV’s Jewish genes come from its founder Anne Heyman, who was guided by her belief in Tikun Olam (The Jewish Belief in our obligation to complete God’s act of creation through ‘repairing the world’) to found the village. The students’ religious veracity makes it quite comfortable for me to share my Judaism with the students. It also helps that everyone says “Shabbat Shalom!” every Friday night to each other, an ongoing homage to Anne. While none of the students are Jewish, Judaism makes sense to them, especially Tikun Olam. Tikun Olam is not a substitute for spirituality, the way it is with many American Jews (I am guilty of it), it is an organic outgrowth of their spirituality and belief that they are part of something grander than their own lives and plans.

I have come to my own belief that religion at its best is a foundation for lasting communities, healthy inter-personal relationships and provides profound guidance to individuals over the basic questions of, “Why am I here and what am I supposed to do about it?” It really works when it does this without aspiring to power and that’s usually where it goes wrong. The way these teens and students embrace religion here is an incredible affirmation that it is possible and beautiful when achieved. Religious beliefs, practice and rituals infuse their lives with meaning and this community with a sense of shared purpose.

I can’t say I speak for Jamie on this, but I only hope that we find, or help build, a Jewish community that can provide us with the same type of inspiration, support, and meaning. Maimonides, the singular 12th century Jewish Talmudist and philosopher, said, “You must accept the truth from whatever source it comes.” Those are words to live by; take it from a Jewish educator who learned about organized religion from 500 at-risk Rwandan teens.

Lama Lo Uganda?

Posted on by andrewrfretwell

Jamie and I sojourned for a long weekend in Uganda. While Kampala didn’t impress us except for insane traffic, it was a wonderful break from work. We went whitewater rafting down the Nile River and lounged, ate, and happily languished in the sun with drinks in hand. As always, if you want to see photos, including of when we capsized (twice), check our Google Photo Album or follow me (@thewanderingview) or Jamie (@jewsforcheesus) on Instagram.

Not so long ago there was a popular Israeli song titled “Lama Lo Uganda?” Hebrew for, “Why not Uganda?” Here’s a little historical context: In the early 20th century, Great Britain was trying to figure out how to make allies of both Jews and Arabs leading up to World War I. The only way to do that was to find a solution to the conflicting Jewish and Arab aspirations for that blessed and cursed tract of land between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea. And Great Britain figured it out: let the Arabs have Palestine and give the Jews Uganda! It’s a national Jewish homeland, just in a place where Jews had no historical, spiritual, or physical connection; the Zionist Congress roundly rejected it. The song is lighthearted, ironically lamenting that maybe Uganda was the way to go.

The Uganda Plan was a bad idea; it shifted a problem instead of solving it and it attempted to hollow out the ideals of Zionism while leaving the packaging intact and call it whole. But cutting corners for convenience is ubiquitous: it’s in every organization, hierarchy, and culture in the form of jargon. I define jargon as when a term becomes a symbol and that symbol ends up replacing independent thinking and the goal it was actually established to meet. In business, managers constantly invoke the virtue of efficiency to drive decisions. But efficiency is never the business’s goal, just one indicator among many others. Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox capture this “tail wagging the dog” phenomenon in their book, “The Goal.”

url-1

In the non-profit industry, managers pray at the altar of innovation, but to what end? Innovation is important, but it so often causes so much hand-wringing it’s as if organizational missions are reduced to being the vehicle to simply showcase innovation. There are myriad examples to include but let’s move to the next point: Democracy in most of East Africa today is little more than jargon.

Democracy is when a society regulates itself to create constructive tension and harmony between individuals and sub-groups, to the benefit of that society as a whole. No one does this perfectly; democracy is as much a group journey as it as a set of systems and institutions.  America is an exciting democracy despite, and in some ways because of, its warts, many of which are on full display when Donald Trump tries to poison our country for his own profit. Borrowing from MLK, America’s moral arc is long and uneven, but it bends towards justice. Our democracy is more inclusive and mature than it was 50 years ago and 50 years from now it will be even more so than today.

But in most of East Africa, while the word democracy is everywhere, only the packaging is left intact. Elections were just held in Uganda; President Yoweri Museveni won handily and few believe the results have any authenticity. Elections are the easiest imitations of democracy to display for foreign governments and investors and, in this region, they rarely reflect popular opinion. Even in South Africa, where election results are honest, anyone who is not a beneficiary of the African National Congress hardly feels like they get a whisper in government decisions. Many protest, but more resign themselves to a corrupt, incompetent government. The regimes in Kenya and (un)Democratic Republic of the Congo are too busy remembering who they took bribes from to even feign democracy.

Is this a uniform condemnation? Hardly. We have a fairly fixed conception of democracy: regular elections with universal suffrage, an independent judiciary, protection of press, free expression, and private property. All of these may be a part of our utopian vision but if those conditions are the whole of the democracy we promote, instead of the core pursuit of creating harmony within a society, then we compel these countries to jargnoize democracy for the sake of foreign cash flow. In “Long Walk to Freedom” Nelson Mandela speaks about his childhood village tribal councils. Tribesmen would come to the hall of the chief, present pressing conflicts, and the chief would build an agreement by consensus. The chief was born into his position, so by our standards this is not a democracy. Yet Mandela praised this system as democratic since it settled conflict and created cooperation among quarreling neighbors. Who am I to disagree with the great Madiba!

In “We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We will be Killed with our Families” President Museveni explains his disinterest in a Ugandan multi-party democracy by making the comparison to a man with a heart condition who tries to prove his good health and kills himself in the process. The “democratizing” of Iraq and Arab Spring prove the point quite well. We jammed in the mechanisms of democracy where the societal cohesiveness was not strong enough to hold up and what we got are dictators and the Islamic State.

m_28

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, DRC’s President Joseph Kabila, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, and Jacob Zuma at a ceremony to celebrate the peaceful transfer of power in Tanzania.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame also leads a single-party government and controls the army, which does not hesitate to instruct people on how they should vote when elections are held; no one expects this to change, but should we wag our finger at Kagame? It was only 22 years ago that Rwanda suffered a genocide rooted in the rivalry between Hutus and Tutsis. For democracy to work, citizens must believe that their destiny is enmeshed with the destiny of all their neighbors. Otherwise the staples of democracy are little more than a coat of polish on tribal vitriol. Perhaps Rwanda will host a vibrant political discourse someday with great discord and dignity, but to push that prematurely is not just dangerous, it’s radioactive. You need look no further than Burundi on Rwanda’s southern border to see that Hutu-Tutsi violence remains a potent threat.

So what am I to think? Democracy is a fig leaf for single party rulers, so that’s bad!

But that may be the only way to set the foundations to uphold a democracy, so that’s good!

But we’ll only know that’s the case if a peaceful transfer of power can take place, so that’s…inconclusive.

There is no stress test for if these governments are ushering their countries towards democracy or away from it. Only when Kagame, Museveni, et al either die or step down will we know down which road they have led their people. How frustrating to the instant gratification seeking millennial who is thirsty to witness history, good or bad.

Maybe I should just be content with a fun get-away and ask “Lama Lo Uganda?”

Muzungus in the Mist

Posted on by andrewrfretwell

“The more you learn about the dignity of the gorilla, the more you want to avoid people.”

Dian Fossey, author of Gorillas in the Mist

This past week Jamie and I headed to western Rwanda, to spend a day lounging by Lake Kivu, by the border with the (Un)Democratic Republic of Congo, which was absolutely lovely. But that lounging was in preparation for the following day: waking up at 5am to head out for a trek through rain and fog up a mountain to hang with a family of 20+ gorillas, called the Susa Family, who happen to be the family of gorillas famously studied by Dian Fossey herself. We spent 2-3 hours hiking up from 6,000 feet up a fairly steep mountain that tops out at about 9,000 feet. The mountainside was home to lush green farmland (we were a distillery away from being sure we transported to Scotland), curious local farmers and kids, and dense bamboo forests.

It was the kind of hike where the physical exertion matches the mental serenity and by the time you nearly reach the destination you’re out of breath (the air is pretty thin at 9,000 feet in the air), exhausted, and dirty. But you still think, “Wow the journey is the destination.”

Then you see the gorillas.

And you realize, no, the destination really is the destination.

We spent an hour observing the Susa family of mountain gorillas close up; as in close enough to reach out and touch them since they’re fairly blasé about our presence. After getting up close and personal with the gorillas we returned down the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, where jeeps awaited us, there was a group of villagers selling various merchandise, including shirts that said “Muzungus in the Mist,” (Muzungu is basically Rwandan for “honkey” or white person). I thought it funny enough to earn the title of this post.

That tangent aside, it’s impossible to not itch with curiosity towards how a species so close to human lives and plays. Watching an animal that can use its opposable thumbs will always be striking. Observing them was like doing a review of what some our most basic psychological needs. Four needs that stuck out the most to me include:

Our Need for Safe Space

IMG_7704

A Susa baby gorilla finds safe space on mama’s back

The gorillas were comfortable with us watching them eat and play up close, but we were warned that it was possible they would not be so ok with us entering the territory in which case we would have to communicate our deference to them through kneeling down and avoiding eye contact. The need to have territory for oneself, family, tribe (extended family) or nation (coalition of extended families) is taken seriously by the gorillas.

It speaks to how crucial safe space is to our own psyche. As individuals we have places that we guard jealously, whether they be houses, bedrooms, or for New Yorkers a 10X10 foot shoebox they call a modest studio with great location.

The world is full of uncertainty and danger. Keeping a safe space is an insurance policy that if the rest of the world becomes too scary, we have one place into which we, and our most loved ones, can retreat and plan our next step.

Our Need to Share

The gorillas are a cooperative species. They share their space and their food (though they also make clear to the others when not to mess with their food). Sharing is critical on multiple levels. The first is on a basic level of survival. Now to be clear, gorillas will allow one of their own to die if natural selection deems it correct. But survival is not an individual contest for the gorillas; it is a collective undertaking by the family. Therefore sharing is essential to ensuring that the maximal amount of the family can survive, produce children and care for those children until adulthood (gorillas tend to breastfeed for about three years…I think).

But there is another level and explanation to the centrality of sharing to our own psyche: it is how we create and maintain connections to others. Whether sharing food, space, or time, doing so reaffirms our desire to connect and reinforces that connection to do so. The world is a harsh place, so I need someone I can trust. I can only trust someone who understands me and I understand them. I can only understand someone, and they understand me, if we have a genuine connection. How do I create and maintain that connection? Through sharing my experience with them, and they with me. And the more we share, the stronger that connection and trust is.

Our Need for Silly

IMG_7718

Two young members of the Susa family get tangled up and turned upside down while wrestling (all in the name of fun, of course!)

The most entertaining thing to watch on the mountain was how the young gorillas played with each other, wrestling, teasing each other and rolling around the hill. Does this help develop the young gorillas ability to handle physical confrontation? Yeah. Does it also play a role in helping the gorillas determine dominance at various stages of development? Probably. But it also is because while the world is harrowing, sometimes the best inoculation is remembering that we can choose times to forget about the world and just do something fun and revel in our senses, physical prowess and roll around a muddy slope.

Our Need to Resolve Conflict

But not all physical interactions are sharing and playing. We watched as gorillas resolved scuffles among the family, either because one was eating another’s food, getting in another’s way or whatever else it is that gorillas bicker over. It was exhilarating and a little scary to be standing eight feet from two gorillas who escalated from grabbing at the same food to literally beating their chests at each other in about ten seconds. But what was much more interesting was how instantly the quarrel was resolved, one gorilla would back down, and then within a minute they might be playing together or picking the ticks off each other. Lesson: once a grievance has been resolved, you only waste time in stewing over it. Let me know when you figure out how to do that, I would love to learn that trick.

One Final Note

Mountain gorillas are as endangered as they are majestic. They only live in the rain forest that is split between Uganda, Rwanda and (Un)Democratic Republic of Congo. The Rwandan Government goes to admirable lengths to protect the mountain gorillas, as does the Ugandan Government. The DRC though…well let’s just say the gorillas have figured out they are better off leaving the DRC. The government is beyond corrupt and for the right price you can set a trap that will ensnare a gorilla. There is something poetic in the mountain gorillas reacting to the effects of a dysfunctional human cooperative enterprise.

20160229_121818

Required gorilla selfie! #Africamp

Check out tons more photos of these amazing gorillas here!

Photo credit (mostly) to Jamie Maxner.

 

Part 1: Enter Agahozo Shalom

Posted on by andrewrfretwell

Mango Tree

The famed mango tree under which Anne Heyman purchased the land for Agahozo Shalom Youth Village.

Shalom from Agahozo Shalom Youth Village!

Thanks for checking in on my and Jamie’s #Africamp travel blog. If you are wondering how Jamie and I are doing and what life is like for us here, you’re at the right place.

First, you can look at our Google Photo Album to get some of the visuals. Now, let’s see. First let me explain how amazing Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) is. ASYV is home to over 500 Rwandan teens who are orphans or considered “at risk.” ASYV has created a true home for these teens, and provides them with family, security, love, belief in themselves, an education, and opportunities to continue their studies after high school.

The last two weeks have been transformative. The love that this place radiates can melt away the cynicism off of the most hardened New Yorker’s heart.

The teens are hungry for knowledge and acceptance, and the village supplies both. Every day Jamie and I witness what a community of teens looks like when being sincere, not aloof, is the default cool. Every day we are blown away by something one or more of the kids says or does.

So what have Jamie and I been doing?

Here’s a list on one foot:

English


We’re teaching one to four English lessons a day to classes of 36 students. We were told when we arrived that mastering English is one of the principle turnkeys to build student confidence and prospects for future employment. The educators are remaking the English curriculum, so we get to make up classes as we go. Jamie and I have taught English through singing “We Shall Overcome” (practicing future tense), teaching the “Cha Cha Slide” dance (Imperative tense and reviewing left and right), and a game similar to hide and seek (learning prepositions), among other interactive lessons. My and Jamie’s extensive time doing experiential camp education is really coming in handy right now.

Professional Skills Workshops

The students are really focused on acquiring practical skills in preparation for college, gap year programs and job opportunities that involve skilled labor (IT, hospitality, modern agriculture, etc.) So we have been tasked with creating a set of workshops for entire grades (128 students) to help. We’ve so far run a workshop on how to use the 5 Paragraph essay for to organize their thoughts, personal story building for college essays, and developing interview skills. At some point we will also help build an entrepreneurship curriculum.

Student Leadership


We’ve been asked to develop a leadership training program for the student government. We were just asked to do this so I don’t know entirely what we’re going to do, but it will involve public speaking, active listening, time management, effective messaging, etc.

Debate Team


Kigali Champs

ASYV’s Kigali Debate Team 2016 Champions!

Debate team is a big deal in the village and in Rwanda in general. The debate coach, Maxime, asked us to help out the team. Last week was the Kigali (Capital of Rwanda) City championship. The motion was “Rwanda must increase its pace of reducing its dependency on foreign aid,” and ASYV’s team won! Also, in case you are wondering, debate competitions are conducted entirely in English. The national tournament is in March and we are hoping to do well and advance all the way to the East Africa tournament in Kenya!

Young Judaea Group


Peulah

Mikaela, from Young Judaea’s Year Course, thoughfully leading a discussion about the value of”Tikkun Olam” (repairing the world) with a group of boys.

Not coincidentally, there is a group of 15 teens who are currently on Young Judaea’s Gap Year, Year Course in Israel program (the same one Jamie and I both went on back in the day) who are spending three weeks here at ASYV, learning about the village and Rwanda, and volunteering. We know many of these teens as they were our campers at Camp Tel Yehudah and we’ve enjoyed experiencing the village along with them, helping them lead programs and activities for students and remaining linked to the work we once did in YJ. If you’re wondering why the YJ kids are at this specific village, the answer is that the founder of the village, Anne Heyman, was a YJ alumna who felt that YJ gave her the vision and passion to undertake founding this village (which is modeled after Yemine Orde, an orphan village created in Israel after the Holocaust).

All of the work that we have been doing over the past two weeks has given us a myriad moments upon which to reflect, enjoy and marvel. We already know that by the time we finish our time here at the end of March, we will feel this place woven into us.

What about the Rest of Rwanda? 


So Jamie and I are really busy, like non-stop busy from 8am until 9pm every day. But we’ve also had a chance to get out of village every now and then and the village is an hour or so away from Kigali. We spent a day with the YJ group at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, learning and understanding about the darkness that encapsulated Rwanda in 1994, the shadow of which still looms silently over the country and Rwandan youth. Jamie and I are fortunate that we will be in Kigali on April 7th, to experience the Memorial Day for the genocide. I am especially curious to compare it with Yom HaShoah. During other trips out of the village, we’ve had the chance to eat Rwandan food, shop at small and charming rural markets, ride around Kigali on the bike of motorbikes (it’s how everyone gets around) and see the city. We’ve also hung out with silverback gorillas, but these are all just previews for future blog posts.