Empowering Young Women

View of the Village from the School. 

     This Saturday I woke up bright and early to participate in the 6 AM Mucaka Mucaka (Village wide run). But this Mucaka was different than all other Mucakas….

     Recently the Village has been struggling with figuring out how to address the issue of young women’s involvement and success in sports. Many of the female students in the Village are not motivated to participate in sports, aren’t winning sports matches and aren’t actively participating in Mucaka. The solution? Zumba! My response? Brilliant!

     And indeed it was brilliant. As I woke up at 5:30 AM, I had no idea what to expect. I hiked up to the school (it’s really steep) and arrived to find two members of the Administration staff welcoming me with big smiles and open arms. Both were decked out in exercise gear! Slowly more students arrived. At first it was only students from Senior 6, but before I knew it, the school courtyard was filled with about 40 students and 10 Mamas from all different grades.

     With music blasting (both Rwandan and American hits), we began our Zumba lesson with a trained Gym Tonic (that’s what they call Zumba) guide. All of the students and Mamas began actively participating in the aerobics. Everyone was smiling and happy. When I made eye contact with other participants, both the young women and I had giant smiles on our faces.

     The workout lasted an hour. It was definitely a workout but I really enjoyed it. I’m thinking for my weekends off I’ll be attending Gym Tonic and then heading out. It was such an incredible way to bring young women together to create a safe space for exercise. The power, strength and confidence that I felt during the Gym Tonic class was incredible. The optimism and happiness permeated the school courtyard. 

     Despite the grass cuts that I got, I’m excited to head back for more. I mean who can go wrong with 6 AM Zumba lessons with inspirational young women and Mamas? Count me in! 

Enrichment Year ladies at the New Years Eve celebration. 

Olive, Mable and Guslaine. 

Lalissa, Gemima, me and Grace. 

Beautiful young women from Enrichment Year and Senior 6. 

Running Workshops

Sorghum in the Village.

Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one (Malcolm Forbes).

     Recently I had the opportunity to help run various workshops for new staff in the Village. Working with Alain, Director of Education and Philosophy, I planned and implemented three different workshops: leadership, empowering kids and empowering students and staff.

      The first two trainings I ran for new counselors and a new Mama. Little did I know that many of them did not know English. For the first time in my life I ran a workshop to a non-English speaking audience. While at first I was nervous about how the new staff would receive my presentation, I quickly became comfortable. Utilizing the help of Andrew, the Enrichment Year Grade Coordinator, to translate, the workshop went very smoothly. While the new staff spoke primarily in Kinyarwanda, Andrew translated. Looking at the new staff, I could see their smiling faces and minds turning.

     At the end of the two-day presentation, I received many thanks. Andrew told me that I should always run seminars like this. And Alain told me that he think I found my calling. One of the new staff even asked me for the written plans for both workshops so she could continue to think about the topics of leadership and empowerment.

     So impressed with my presentations, Alain asked me to attend the new administration training to take notes on his presentations and lead another workshop on empowering both students and staff. At the beginning of the week I was able to listen to Alain discuss the philosophy of the Village. While I went through this training when I first arrived in the Village in December, it was very different to hear about the philosophy after experiencing life here for 6 months. Alain’s presentation was more powerful than ever and really made me realize the strong effect that the Village has on its students.

     At the end of the week I led a workshop discussing the notion of empowering students and staff. Coming from an informal education background, I try and utilize different methods of interactive teaching and learning. And the staff loved it! Through interactive dialogue and skits, the new administrative staff were able to grapple with real-life challenges within the Village (students who are resistant, staff that don't feel welcome in the Village, etc). While presenting different sketches, the staff were attentive and laughing. It was really rewarding to see the success of integrating a new teaching model into the Village.

     All in all, the presentations were great. It was wonderful to be a part of training new staff and to share my knowledge of leadership and empowerment, two concepts that I am constantly challenging in my life. Something that I always remember when engaging in social justice work is:

Be the change you wish to see in the world (Mahatma Gandhi)

The Challenges of Communication

My Mommy and I in Kigali. Just in time for Mother's Day. I LOVE YOU! 

This year I have been given the opportunity to travel to Rwanda to volunteer at Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. Based off of the model of Yemin Orde in Israel, Agahozo provides food, shelter, education, extracurricular programs and most importantly, family and love to 500 orphaned youth. The Village focuses on rehabilitating the youth and helping them tom envision a bright future for themselves. The students partake in Tikkun Halev and Tikkun Olam so they can begin the process of repairing their hearts and the world in a supportive and encouraging environment. While most of the students come from challenging, unthinkable and traumatic backgrounds, these students are some of the brightest, strong and most inspiring youth that I have ever encountered.

Aside from it being my job to directly engage with the students, I am compelled to form strong bonds with them. Upon my arrival to the Village, I was overcome with the challenge of communicating with the new students, the Enrichment Year class. Coming from rural areas al over Rwanda, many students did now know a word of English. This posed many questions for me: How do you communicate with someone when you don’t share a common language? Will I ever be able to communicate with these students? If I can’t verbally connect to these students, then how do I build strong, meaningful relationships with them? While I was terrified that I would never form these relationships with the students, my understanding of communication began to go through a pivotal transformation.

In the first week that the Enrichment Year students arrived, we divided into English groups to begin the process of English immersion (English is the official language of the Village). I was instructed to teach the beginner level. While I was initially jealous of my colleagues for working with more advanced English speakers, I soon learned that the lessons I would learn during this one week would positively inform the rest of my interactions in the Village. The first few days were a challenge. We started with the alphabet, numbers and greetings and even after a few days, many of the students in my class continue to struggle to grasp these basic concepts.

On Wednesday of that week I had a breakthrough that would make me think for months to come. While I was leaving to grab something in my room, one of my students, Yvette ran up to me. She opened her notebook and without speaking, pointed to a written message: “Hello. My name is Yvette. I want to tell you that because it is very nice to meet you and I love you. Please do not tell anyone in the Village.” I was blown away, not only by her English, but by the fact that she already felt a strong connection to me after only three days of knowing each other. Completely touched and overwhelmed, I began to spend more time thinking about how she could already feel so connected. Back at home, all of my relationships are founded in the ability to verbally communicate. Without this luxury, I wasn’t sure how relationships could exist. After contemplating this notion for over a month, I had a realization. I realized that there are a myriad of ways to connect that don’t include verbal communication: laughing, hugging, eating a meal together, holding hands, playing sports, sitting next to each other, and the list goes on.

While I still struggle to connect to everyone in the Village, this epiphany has changed the way that I view relationships. There is so much more nuance to relationships than being about to talk in the same language. And sometimes, the nonverbal forms of communication are more powerful than the verbal ones.

Since our English class, Yvette’s English has blossomed and so has our relationship. She has confided in me about her broken past and about her hopes for the future. Using her improved English, she wrote me this letter:

Dear Methal,

Hi my friend. It’s really long time without seeing you. I have miss you too much. Because you’re always in my mind and in my dreams.

I do hope that we shall meet one day. Know that mountain and hills don’t but people always do.

Yours Sincerely,

Yvette

I am so proud of her development and I continue to look forward to watching her grow. While we are able to communicate more fluidly through verbal interactions, I can’t forget that the foundation of our friendship is rooted in the rawest form of nonverbal love. Yvette is such a strong, extraordinary and inspiring young woman. I will always treasure the lessons that she has taught me about communication. The power of non-verbal communication is truly boundless. (An essay I wrote for a Jewish Service Corps forum.) 

Typical! Schmidt family eating breakfast in Kigali. 

Yoshi and I in my kitchen at Agahozo. 

My Dad and I in Kigali. 

A giraffe at Akagera National Park in the Eastern Province. 

The Importance of Family and Friends

     This past month I had the privilege of welcoming my parents and brother to Rwanda. While it was an emotional journey, I was so thankful that they stopped their lives in America to join me as I explore Rwanda. While they were here I was able to welcome them into my Rwandan life. They were able to put a name and face to the experiences that I’m having here. It was really special to be able to share with them the experiences that I’ve been having. It’s been a challenge to fully explain my experiences here, so it was truly incredible to let Rwanda speak for itself.

My Mom and I holding hands at
Agahozo Shalom Youth Village.

     While here my family and I traveled all around; we went to Kigali, the Eastern Province and the Western Province. We went to Agahozo so they could bask in the beauty of the Village. We attempted to go to Akagera National Park to see animals (inquire within). We traveled to Lake Kivu (one of the six largest lakes in the world). We ate tons of food. We took many pictures. And of course we relaxed, caught up and cuddled as the Schmidt’s usually do (I was constantly holding my mom’s hand). Even though the trip flew by, I took in every moment. I couldn’t have been more thankful for them coming here and the precious time we spent together.

     However, their trip had to come to an end. Through tears I went through security and checking in only to find that my flight had been delayed by 24 hours (turned out to only be 12 hours). An emotional mess, I spoke to the airline and they assured me that I would be put up in a hotel. So I spent the second night of Passover in a hotel in Ethiopia tasting all of their local beers. I passed the time and off I was to Israel for two weeks.

My parents and I in the rain.

My adorable parents at Lake Kivu in Gisenyi. 

My Mom and I shopping for crafts.

My Mom, brother and I. 

My family at our hotel in Kigali.      

Bourekas, rugelach and pita! 

     As soon as I arrived at Ben-Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Israel my wonderful Aunt, Aviva, greeted me. It was such a relief to finally arrive! Immediately we went to see my uncle, aunt and three cousins for lunch. I don’t think that I’ve ever enjoyed Passover food as much as that meal. It was wonderful to be reunited with my Israeli family and to eat different food. For the rest of the week I hung out with and got spoiled by my family and friends. I took in the beauty of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. I was overwhelmed by the city and overcome with joy by the variety of food and things to do. Overall, It was really refreshing to be with people that I love and care about so much and hadn’t seen in years.

     But of course vacation can’t continue forever. After a week of relaxing I was off to a seminar run by the JDC, the organization that sent me to Rwanda and brought me to Israel. For four days we (25 fellows across the world) engaged in cross-cultural learning, experience sharing and leadership training. It was great to be with such a young, fun, supportive and like-minded group of individuals. Over the course of the week I learned a lot about different Jewish communities around the world and about myself.

     During my time in Israel I had the opportunity to be there for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). On this day I was able to be with my grandfather (who I call Saba) who is a Holocaust survivor. My Saba is an extraordinary, inspiring and loving man. As a kid in Poland, my Saba was taken under Nazi rule from the onset of World War II until the bitter end where he was liberated from Mauthausen (a death camp located in Austria). Despite losing all of his family, my Saba survived and created a new life of his own in Israel. With Aviva, his daughter, we went to the Yom HaShoah ceremony.

My Saba and I at the Yom HaShoah Ceremony.

     While I didn’t understand all of the Hebrew speeches (by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres), I knew that my presence spoke louder than words. Bundles up in many layers of blankets, sitting next to my Saba, I felt a strong connection to Israel and Judaism, stronger than I’ve ever felt before. At the end of the ceremony, as we sang Hatikvah, the Israeli National Anthem that I’ve sung many times before, I was overcome with emotion. Being surrounded by tons of Jews and non-Jews alike, I was reminded of my family’s past, the strength of my Saba and the ongoing process I experience establishing myself as a Jew. As I walked out of the ceremony, I put my arm around my Saba. With my broken Hebrew and the assistance of my aunt, I asked my Saba about his experiences during and after the War. I also asked him what allowed him to survive, amidst all of the adversities he faced. In his inspirational and empowering way he explained to me:

After the war I was depressed. But I knew that this mindset would kill me on its own. I knew that in order to survive the War I had to look forward. And that’s what I did. I created a family and now I have my own grandchildren. I volunteer regularly to give back to the community. For me, I care about future generations. I don’t want them to constantly have to fight to be Jewish like I had to. To stand strong is essentials. And that’s what I still do.

Never before having the language to tell him, I simply said, “I am so proud of you! You are truly an inspiration.” As I spoke tears swelled up in my eyes. But as my Saba taught me, you have to move on, look to the future and enjoy life with optimism. As I remembered this lesson, my tears dried.

     My time at Agahozo Shalom, a place where tears are dried, has taught me many things so far. One thing is just how important family and friends are to me. I was so fortunate to have had the opportunity to show my parents and brother my life in Rwanda and to share my experiences with my friends and family in Israel. Taking time away from the Village allowed me to gain perspective on the work that I do here and the impact that I have on the people here. I guess you can say that I’ve grown a lot already from my time here.

The Tayelet in Jerusalem (where I had my first steps). 

My Saba and cousins (Lilach, Omri and Maya). 

The Tel Aviv beach.

My Rwandan Birthday

     This Tuesday I celebrated my birth 24 years ago along with my first Rwandan birthday. While it was sad to be away from family and friends back home, I celebrated this special day with my new Rwandan family and friends.

     The morning was a normal one: I caught up on emails, perused the Internet and read by book. Having been unable to open Facebook on my computer for about two weeks now, I happily gazed at the long list of people that had written on my wall, unable to actually open and read the messages. As if a birthday present, my Facebook miraculously started working later in the day. A great present, I must admit. 

Receiving a card from one of my girls. 

     While headed to lunch, I (irrationally) dreamed of having spaghetti (a two times every three months occurrence) although I knew the likelihood was very small. As soon as I walked into the Dining Hall, I knew that spaghetti was most definitely not on the menu. Immediately upon entry, I was overcome by a strong smell that I found to be unpleasant. Instantly I knew it was none other than my favorite, cassava bread (a light brown play dough like substance with a foul smell). And the smell got worse. I went downstairs to the kitchen to get water and I could barely breath. I had to hold my nose and breath while I quickly got water. And the smell didn’t dissipate even after lunch was over. But I trudged through the awful smell and ate beans and rice as I talked to other volunteers. Then I left for a meeting.

Gemima and I.

     As an Informal Education and Resource Center representative, I met with a local NGO called Bridge2Rwanda. (Bridge2Rwanda works with post-secondary Rwanda students to prepare them to attend American universities. Although competitive to be accepted, students that are accepted by Bridge2Rwanda work directly with their staff for a gap year between secondary school and university. During their gap year they live in Kigali and take intensive English reading, writing and speaking classes. In addition to English classes, they prepare for the SATs and the TOEFL examinations necessary to get into American universities. During their studies, they also engage in community service work. At the end of the gap year, Bridge2Rwanda assists students in applying to American universities and works with sponsors to arrange for their four-year educational opportunity in the US.). The meeting was really interesting. I hope that we can form a strong relationship with Bridge2Rwanda so as to share resources and provide support for out students leaving ASYV.

Me and Mama Mary.

     After a heavy storm, I headed to the Club House to help with English Jeopardy that another volunteer planned. The even was organize to help the Enrichment Year students study for their English exam that was happening the next day. It was really great to see the students break out of their comfort zone and see them enjoy engaging in informal and alternative ways of learning. I had the honor of tallying the scores, which was fun!

     For dinner I made myself cabbage and onion salad with beans and carrots leftover from lunch. Nothing too fancy, but salad is a treat around here so it was good. After dinner I went off to Family Time.

Odette and I.

     My girls surprised me with cards, songs and confetti. The cards were so kind and heartfelt (and are now hanging on my wall). Even though the girls were stressed with exams, they still found the time to make me creative and beautiful cards (written in English!). After all the festivities were had, I was given the time to talk. Overcome with positive energy from my Rwandan family mixed with being away from my American home and recalling my 18^th birthday when my grandmother passed away, I began to cry. With so many emotions, I couldn’t hold back. Feeling tears coming, I immediately grabbed my girl, Odette’s, hand and began to speak. I told my girls “My birthday is always hard for me because I think about my grandmother who passed away on my birthday. It’s especially hard to be away from family and friends at home, but I am really happy to be able to share this day with my new Rwandan family.” Immediately after I spoke, my girls all said “Turugukunda” which means “We love you” in Kinyarwanda. My Mama said how happy she was to have me in her family and then ran over to give me a hug. It was truly incredible to be surrounded by so my much. While Granny (along with Grandpa and Savta) couldn’t share my birthday with me, I know that they would be so proud of the work that I am doing. They have all given me so much strength and the values that I live my life on. I don’t go a day without thinking about them and the relentless love that they shared with me. I know that they will all continue to be an inspiration for me throughout the rest of my life.

My deliciously fresh fish.

     Even though the day was challenging and lonely at times, it was still a great day. So many people that really care about and love me a lot surrounded me. And if that wasn’t good enough, I came home to some deliciously fresh fried fish (I haven’t had fish in months!) from my neighbor. He didn’t know that it was my birthday but he left me some in exchange for using my kitchenware. And let me tell you, the fish was amazing…full fish, head in tact!

     Facebook miraculously working, a full fish, surrounded by great people; all in all a great birthday. A Rwandan birthday!

Claudine and I.

Deborah and I.

All of my cards.

Fishy go bye bye. 

Pictures from International Women's Day

Students entering the Dining Hall by grade. 

Mable and Berthe wearing a mushanana. 

Students playing the drum to welcome the processional of students into the Dining Hall. 

Students that are Intore dancers (traditional dance). 

Mamas from the Village performing a song. 

Students that are Intore dancers. 

Traditional Drum. 

International Women's Day

Noella and I. 

Yvette and Celine, the HR Director who took me to the hospital when I was sick. 

Me and Odette. 

     So I’ve been without water for four days now. Well, that’s not fully true since the water has come on at night for a few hours, but usually it’s right before I go to bed. I’ve become very good at racing to wash dishes, fill my hot water kettle, wash my face and clean my toilet (which is starting to smell like a port-a-potty) as soon as the water turns on. I never thought I’d be using so much hand sanitizer in my own house! I think I’m used to not having water all the time, but it sure does complicate things like laundry, washing dishes, going to the bathroom and staying clean. I guess it’s just one of those “Oh Africa” things.

     Starting this week my family began doing Individual Evaluations. Basically we go through every member of the family, discuss their background and behaviors and figure out an action plan. The action plan targets their challenges so we can work together as a team to overcome these burdens in order to allow the student to excel and grow to their full potential. It is amazing to be in a room of about 10 people (including people form Administration, Formal Education, Informal Education, Mental Health and the family) that are committed to helping all of the students at Agahozo to grow. This place really is committed to the youth and in helping them “dry their tears.”

     Last night all of the volunteers went out to a real restaurant for dinner. I was so lovely. I had a nicoise salad, spaghetti with tuna, chicken fajitas and an African tea (don’t worry, I split with someone else). Chicken fajitas in Rwanda, can you believe it? My brother will be so happy! But it was really nice to get out of the Village with the other volunteers and eat a tasty meal.

     Before I go too far, let me back track and tell you all about International Women’s Day here at ASYV. The theme in Rwanda this year was “Empower Women and Girls to Sustain Families.” The whole ceremony was incredible! The ceremony started after lunch and lasted two hours. Each grade wore a different color. By grade they entered the Dining Hall. The last to enter were all of the Mamas wearing mushananas, the traditional dress (Don’t worry, you’ll get to see me in one for the upcoming wedding I’ll be attending with Mable and Barrett). Once everyone was in the room, the ceremony began. The schedule was as follows:

National Anthem

Traditional Dance

Welcoming Speech by Mama Augusta

Song by Young Braves (a group made up of four students)

Poem by Enrichment Year student Diane Kabiyoni

Sketch

Poem by Informal Educator Maytal Schmidt

Traditional Dance by Mamas and Counselors

Village Director Speech by Jean Claude Nkulikiyimfura

MIGEPROF (Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion) Speech

Concluding Remarks by Anne Heyman

Traditional Dance

Reception

It was truly unbelievable to see the entire community come together to celebrate the power and beauty of women. Watching the Mamas, many of whom are survivors of the Genocide, come together to perform a traditional dance and song was very inspiring. It spoke to the power to move forward from pain to use one’s experience to uplift and motivate future generations of Rwandan youth. I even had the privilege to be involved in the ceremony. It was such an honor to read a poem in front of 500 youth, 100 staff and many visitors, especially on such an important day. In the end, I chose to read “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou (It was made into a song by the same name by Ben Harper). A few days later, a Senior 6 student, Lois, came up to me to thank me for reading the poem. She told me that the message of resistance and strength in the poem speaks directly to the heart of ASYV. IT was so wonderful to hear this praise from such a strong young woman. The ceremony ended with a thoughtful poem read by founder Anne Heyman:

A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?" "Because I'm a woman," she told him. 


"I don't understand," he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will." 



Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?" 



"All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say. 



The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry. Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone, he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?" 



God said: "When I made the woman she had to be special. 



I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. 



I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children. 



I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining. 



I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly. 





I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart. 



I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly. 



And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed." 



"You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. 



The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."

The ceremony spoke to the inner strength of women and the support by men of women’s journey to find themselves. The ceremony ended with a reception full of juice, pizza (sans cheese) and sambosas, so tasty!

     To continue on the note of Women’s Day, there was a girl’s football competition following the reception. My girls were competing so I went to the field to support them. I went directly on the field to pump them up before the game. My girls looked so happy to have my support. Unfortunately they lost but it’s the effort that counts, right? This is in line with a quote that is held deeply in the Village: “Try and fail but don't fail to try." 

     Pictures of International Women's Day to come...