This week has been really good. While I’m still experiencing slight challenges here (like being so far away from family and friends), things this week have been really good. I’ve been working on making inspirational posters to put in the Resource Center. While it’s not very informative, I think that it’s really important to make the Center as welcoming as possible. Even though I’m not very artistic, I’ve found the poster making to be really fun and calming. And now my room is covered in glitter, which is very pretty. I’ve also had lots of meetings, which makes me feel more involved and in the know which has been really great. So I’ll continue to work on compiling information and resources for the Center (ie. sample resumes, sample cover letters, checklists, a complete list of different jobs in Rwanda, etc). Hopefully I can gather resources quickly so the Center can open soon and be available for Senior 6 students.
Aside from working on the Resource Center, here are some highlights from this week:
Monday: After our weekly Monday meeting, all of the female staff (Mamas, counselors and cousins) had to stay behind to discuss Women’s Day. During the meeting some of the Mamas and counselors stood up to practice a traditional dance for the event. At first many people were too shy to go and dance in front of everyone. But my Mama and counselor took the lead and started the dancing. I was so honored to have such strong, happy and confident women in my family (Disclaimer: Really all of the Mamas and counselors are incredible people). It was so warming to see all of these women so happy to dance, so confident and to be in the company of other women. It is such a welcoming community!
At the meeting I offered to read a poem or sing a song during the event. When I made my announcement, the Mamas erupted in smiles and claps. They were so happy to hear that I was offering to speak during the event. I chose “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou. I’m thrilled to be able to be a part of such an important ceremony.
On Monday, I also had the opportunity to check in with Yvette which was really great. With 500 students and 150 staff, it’s really easy to go days without seeing someone. So at lunch I went to the table when Yvette always eats lunch and I joined her. She was so happy to see me after days of not talking. She is such an incredible and inspirational young woman!
Wednesday: I started the day with a 6 AM wake up so I could get breakfast in the Dining Hall before my 8 AM meeting. I thought that would mean I’d be exhausted all day but I actually stayed up until 2 AM with only an hour-long nap. I guess fun and rewarding days will make you not need as much sleep. So every Wednesday at 8 AM there is a program called “Learning Community.” Every week a different topic is discussed. It is a way to engage the staff by talking about things relevant to the Village. Since it is done in Kinyarwanda, I have never gone. But this week, for the topic of leadership, I decided to join. Media and Mable helped translate so I knew what was going on. The training, given by the Grade Coordinators, was excellent. It was really dynamic and engaging. We started by doing team-building activities and talked about what it means to be a leader. We talked about different forms of leadership as well. One of the games that we played was Huggy Bear. I never thought that I’d travel to Rwanda and have Huggy Bear run for Rwandese staff and me. I felt right at home!
Later that day, at lunch, we welcomed Anne Heyman, the founder of Agahozo Shalom Youth Village, back to the Village. When she walked into the room I was sitting with my girls. Having never met her before, the girls were overcome with joy. Anne is such a celebrity in the Village. And the students of ASYV are so grateful to have her in their lives. After lunch I had the opportunity to chat with her for a bit. She is such a sweet, down to earth and truly inspiring woman.
In the evening I cooked dinner in my house, as per usual. But this time I cooked for Barrett as well. While there isn’t much variety in what I can cook, it felt really good to have control of the kitchen and cook up a tasty meal for myself and someone else. I made salad and spaghetti with a fried egg on top…very tasty!
So, this week has been very good. I was even able to access Google Voice and Gmail Chat on Wednesday (Internet has been relatively non-existent in the Village for the past week). Adjustments take time but I’m definitely feeling more settled in. Today is my 3-month mark of being in Rwanda. Quite and achievement for me. Crazy how time flies! I’m so excited to share my life here with my parents and brother in exactly 3 weeks! Stay tuned for an update on International Women’s Day…
Aside from working on the Resource Center, here are some highlights from this week:
Monday: After our weekly Monday meeting, all of the female staff (Mamas, counselors and cousins) had to stay behind to discuss Women’s Day. During the meeting some of the Mamas and counselors stood up to practice a traditional dance for the event. At first many people were too shy to go and dance in front of everyone. But my Mama and counselor took the lead and started the dancing. I was so honored to have such strong, happy and confident women in my family (Disclaimer: Really all of the Mamas and counselors are incredible people). It was so warming to see all of these women so happy to dance, so confident and to be in the company of other women. It is such a welcoming community!
At the meeting I offered to read a poem or sing a song during the event. When I made my announcement, the Mamas erupted in smiles and claps. They were so happy to hear that I was offering to speak during the event. I chose “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou. I’m thrilled to be able to be a part of such an important ceremony.
On Monday, I also had the opportunity to check in with Yvette which was really great. With 500 students and 150 staff, it’s really easy to go days without seeing someone. So at lunch I went to the table when Yvette always eats lunch and I joined her. She was so happy to see me after days of not talking. She is such an incredible and inspirational young woman!
Wednesday: I started the day with a 6 AM wake up so I could get breakfast in the Dining Hall before my 8 AM meeting. I thought that would mean I’d be exhausted all day but I actually stayed up until 2 AM with only an hour-long nap. I guess fun and rewarding days will make you not need as much sleep. So every Wednesday at 8 AM there is a program called “Learning Community.” Every week a different topic is discussed. It is a way to engage the staff by talking about things relevant to the Village. Since it is done in Kinyarwanda, I have never gone. But this week, for the topic of leadership, I decided to join. Media and Mable helped translate so I knew what was going on. The training, given by the Grade Coordinators, was excellent. It was really dynamic and engaging. We started by doing team-building activities and talked about what it means to be a leader. We talked about different forms of leadership as well. One of the games that we played was Huggy Bear. I never thought that I’d travel to Rwanda and have Huggy Bear run for Rwandese staff and me. I felt right at home!
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| Anne Heyman |
In the evening I cooked dinner in my house, as per usual. But this time I cooked for Barrett as well. While there isn’t much variety in what I can cook, it felt really good to have control of the kitchen and cook up a tasty meal for myself and someone else. I made salad and spaghetti with a fried egg on top…very tasty!
So, this week has been very good. I was even able to access Google Voice and Gmail Chat on Wednesday (Internet has been relatively non-existent in the Village for the past week). Adjustments take time but I’m definitely feeling more settled in. Today is my 3-month mark of being in Rwanda. Quite and achievement for me. Crazy how time flies! I’m so excited to share my life here with my parents and brother in exactly 3 weeks! Stay tuned for an update on International Women’s Day…
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