Kickin' in Kigali

We have arrived in Kigali! After several exhausting flights and much anticipation, we finally arrived in Rwanda. By a stroke of luck, three of us ended up getting bumped up to business class and got to fly the two longest legs of the journey (20 hours total) on cloud nine! The first day of my volunteer trip to Africa was spent being waited on hand and foot. It was rough living, let me tell you. The last two legs of the journey were from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Entebbe, Uganda, and from there to Kigali. Once we got low enough to see the landscape through the clouds the excitement started to build. Not only is the land incredibly lush and green, but the dirt is a bright brick red and the contrasting colors are striking.

The city of Kigali is much larger than I expected (it has a population of 1 million people), and the hills give it so much dimension that even without the large skyscrapers, it seems huge. Looking out at it, it reminds me of looking at the Smokey Mountains, but instead of purple rock, there are green African trees, small white buildings, and red roofs covering the rolling land. A picture really can’t do it justice. Although, hopefully soon I will have a good one to put up here.

We are staying at St. Paul’s Mission, a Catholic mission that rents out rooms for about $12 a night. The rooms are small, but clean and there are showers available…these were much in desire after hauling 120lbs of luggage around.

I have heard a little more about my school, Kelly Jo, our field director said that it is the most beautiful place she has visited in the country and that the headmistress is really nice. Hopefully on Saturday she, along with the other headmistresses and headmasters will be coming for a brunch so we can ask them questions.

There is a lot to tell... a lot to take in, but I think that a detailed account of my days here might not be the most interesting read and will be a bit tedious to write, so I’ll plan on having my posts be just the basics and then expand on certain aspects of life here.

Internet seems to be pretty accessible in Kigali, so I should be able to be fairly regular about posts for the next couple of weeks.

Washington DC

Currently in DC, I met with most of my group this afternoon. They all are really neat people, we of course had a lot to talk about and I think we all felt much less anxious after meeting with one another. We all got caught up on where we will be in the country, I think everyone is at some kind of boarding school. I'm excited to be spending a lot of time with the other volunteers over the next 3 weeks. Not much of a post, but I wanted to put something up while I am sure to have internet access.

Placement!

After much anticipation, my placement has been finalized! I will be teaching physics and advanced math classes in Rwaza, Rwanda (try saying that 5 times fast,) which is outside of Musanze (aka Ruhengeri). I have been told that it is a really beautiful town, right in the mountains. It is close to Volcanos National Park which is where the famous mountain gorillas reside (this is the setting of the film "Gorillas in the Mist").

The school is an all girls Catholic school with about 570 students at the secondary level. It is said to be top-performing (not quite sure what that means). No other WorldTeach volunteers have been placed with me, however there is a Peace Corp volunteer working there, and several WT volunteers in nearby Musanze. I'll have my own 3 room house...unfortunately I may not have my own bathroom.

2 days left of "devil-may-care" on the electricity, internet, and hot water front.
Merry Christmas everyone! Peace on Earth and goodwill to Men!

CBS story on Rwanda

This is a link a fellow volunteer sent along. It is about Rwandan basket weavers.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6009814n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

One Laptop Per Child Article

For anyone interested in the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) program, here is an article about the program in Rwanda. This program is part of the Vision 2020 goal which also encompasses some of the changes in education that I will be helping to work towards.

http://www.economist.com/world/middleeast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15022648&fsrc=rss

Job description: Volunteer

On December 26th, I will be leaving with a group of 14 Americans, 2 Britons, a Norwegian, and a Canadian for Kigali, Rwanda. We will be in Kigali for three weeks of orientation where we will receive training about cultural adjustments, teaching there, and basic counseling. From there we will spread out across the country to our sites where we will be living and teaching for 10 months.

In the wake of the genocide, Rwanda has begun a massive restructuring of their economy, government, and society as a whole, including their education system. Key to lifting their country onto its feet and into a stable independence is providing a quality education for its people. The traditional Rwandan method of teaching was for the teacher to write notes on the board and for the students to copy these down and memorize them. Corporal punishment was common and the teacher’s role was one of authority more than one of facilitator. As part of the reconstruction of the country, the government is instituting a “learner-centered” education system.

Volunteers from the West can contribute several needed skills as teachers there. First, they bring their experiences in interactive educational settings. For some, this experience comes from their years as a student and for others like me, it comes also from tutoring and teaching experiences. Second, they bring expertise in specific areas. Many of the volunteers in my group have one or more post-secondary degrees and/or industry experience in a math or science related field. For a country in which only 5% of the population has a secondary degree, teachers with a deep understanding of such topics are great resources in helping Rwanda to achieve it's educational goals.

Another goal of the Rwandan government is to create a trilingual society (Kinyarwanda, French, and English). To do this, they are transitioning into an English language based education. Currently, most of their upper level math and science classes are taught in English. Native English speakers offer exposure to English that will help students improve upon their own English speaking abilities.

Resource recommendations

For anyone who is interested in learning more about WorldTeach and/or Rwanda, here are some resources:

http://worldteach.org/programs/rwanda_year/
This is the program website. If you look around it, there are some pictures and stories from past volunteers.

http://www.rwandagateway.org/gateway_new/
The topic of this site is the development of Rwanda and covers many different areas including government, media, culture, and business.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rw.html
CIA World Factbook. Has all the statistics on the country.

"We Wish to Inform you That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our families," Philip Gourevitch
For anyone wanting a comprehensive account of the genocide, I highly recommend this book. Gourevitch is an excellent journalist and his book covers all aspects of the genocide. It is full of direct sources as he interviewed many of the people that were directly involved with the genocide from Hutu and Tutsi villagers, to Paul Kagame (RPF leader and current president), to Romeo Dallaire (UN military commander in Rwanda during the genocide). If you want to know the facts in detail, this is the book to read.

"Left to Tell," Immaculee Ilibagiza
A New York Times bestseller, this is the story of a young Catholic Rwandan and how she survived the genocide by hiding in a bathroom for three months. Out of all the books I read, this one offered the most personal account of the genocide. She tells about how she dealt with the loss of her family and friends and touches on what life was like afterward and how she was effected spiritually.

"Led By Faith," Immaculee Ilibagiza
The sequel to "Left to Tell," Immaculee Ilibagiza describes life in the wake of the genocide. Now a United Nations Employee, she tells the story of how she has been recovering and helping other Rwandans to deal with the scars that have been left. Now, 15 years later, she is hopeful about Rwanda and its future.

"A Thousand Hills," Stephan Kinzer
This is mostly a biography of Paul Kagame, the now president of Rwanda who led the rebel army that stopped the genocidaires. I found it extremely interesting to learn about the forming of this army and the history of its leader. A large part of this book focuses on the aftermath of the genocide and how Kagame and the government are working not only to help Rwanda recover but also to pull her into a strong independence. While almost all of the books you will find on the country are about the genocide, this one was refreshing because it moves on from the genocide and focuses on what is going on now.

"The Bishop of Rwanda," John Ruchyahana
Bishop Ruchyahana has become a well respected cleric in Rwanda and is considered to be an important leader in the reconstruction of the country. This book gives a good general overview of the genocide. Although it is not nearly as detailed and well cited as other books I have read, it is good if you want a less extensive layout of information. He also tells about the role the Christian Church is playing in helping survivors and perpetrators alike recover from the scars of the genocide and learn how to live together.

The purpose of this blog is to document my time in Rwanda as a WorldTeach volunteer. I found out about the WorldTeach Rwanda program while searching for teaching abroad organizations online this past spring. But this pursuit really began years ago. I have been incredibly blessed to have had encouraging friends, roommates, and coworkers; supportive mentors and parents (both mine and others); and phenomenal teachers. Each of you who have been in my life, for a short time or long, have contributed in some way to my desire and ability to teach mathematics in Rwanda. Whether I've shared with you casual conversation, or a lifetime of friendship, it's all impacted me in some way. And so, while I may be going to the land of a thousand hills alone, I'm bringing with me the influence and inspiration of each of you. This blog is so that you can continue to be a part of what you have already contributed to.

As I've been reading about the country I'm going to be spending time in, I learned that cattle are very important there. As a result, Rwandans have developed an appreciative taste for milk. Two friends might share a glass of milk together like some might share a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. So, while I wish you all could come with me to taste Rwandan milk, this will be my way of sitting and sharing a glass with you.