As we sit in Kigali International Airport waiting for our flight to Brussels and on to New York, it's hard to comprehend all of the amazing things we've done together over the past week or so. Our time here has been spectacular -- a beautiful country, wonderful people, new friends and an incredibly meaningful experience that I'm sure all of us will always remember.
Our flight will take off in a little over an hour from now, whisking us away from Eastern Africa. But I know that we'll always remember the rolling hills and smiling faces of Rwanda.
See you soon!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
A First Goodbye
I think it's fair to say that a country can be judged on the quality of their goodbyes. Like their rolling hills, bumpy roads, and smiling faces, the people of Rwanda give amazing goodbyes.
In the village, students get to choose their extra curricular activities, and through our "Goodbye Party Planning Committee," I had the pleasure of meeting the Culture Club. With their sixteen members and our four, we were able to experience the behind the scenes of this dramatic celebration. After we shared what a typical American party is like (food... and maybe dancing), they explained to us that we needed more. We would have to alternate giving speeches - a Rwandan speech, an American speech, and so on. And then we would have to exchange traditional songs and dances. Little did they know that America has no traditional dance (but Cotton Eyed Joe did suffice).
Today's goodbye seemed to come a little too soon. We all exchanged our speeches and gifts. When the four of us came out with the Culture Club, dancing in sync to a traditional Rwandan vocal and percussion song, the look on the faces of all the Rwandans around us is one I will never forget. They smiled with pride and shock at how hard we attempted to understand their cultural tradition. Even when I messed up, missed a beat, or stepped the wrong way, they smiled and nodded us on. When our Rwandan friends similarly joined us in a round of Cotton Eyed Joe, the Americans could not have looked happier. Following our dances, we gave gifts to the entire village, including a Jumbo shaped menorah for the entire village to share. We then had a fabulous dance party together before saying our goodnights.
All of us then followed our ASYV families to their homes. On the way there, I had a final conversation with one of my new friends. In his very poor english, he managed to ask me a good number of closing questions. Out of the more than 50 questions he has asked me this week, one from tonight was the first question that made me hesitate before answering. "I have question," he said, "What you share in America about here?" "What am I going to tell my friends and family about the village and about Rwanda?" I asked, just for clarification. "Yes, yes. I'm very curious." How do I begin to tell him that these conversations with him over rice and beans actually have changed my life? How do I begin to tell him that his country, his friends, his life has caused me to question my society, my future, my faith, and myself. Would he understand? Would the face by which I convey this message be meaningful enough to capture everything I'd like to tell him? Instead of attempting a long explanation, I stopped walking and told him that Rwanda has changed my life. I told him that the people here are different from everyone else in the world, and that if I could I would stay as long as possible to try and understand them. My speechless disposition along with my decision to stop and look him in the eyes seemed to have made the correct impression. "Ah...'" he replied, "So Rwanda has strong effect on you. Now I know you visit again." And with that reply, the deal was made. Our goodbye may have been slightly emotional, and it was only followed by a teary goodbye with my family. But with these goodbyes were email exchanges, last minute explanations of Facebook, and questions of whether they could study chemistry and computer science at Tufts. With each goodbye I made, not knowing my own future, I knew that it was only a first goodbye. A country with this history, with these people, and with so much personality can not keep me away for long. I will have to return again for another goodbye.
-Lauren
In the village, students get to choose their extra curricular activities, and through our "Goodbye Party Planning Committee," I had the pleasure of meeting the Culture Club. With their sixteen members and our four, we were able to experience the behind the scenes of this dramatic celebration. After we shared what a typical American party is like (food... and maybe dancing), they explained to us that we needed more. We would have to alternate giving speeches - a Rwandan speech, an American speech, and so on. And then we would have to exchange traditional songs and dances. Little did they know that America has no traditional dance (but Cotton Eyed Joe did suffice).
Today's goodbye seemed to come a little too soon. We all exchanged our speeches and gifts. When the four of us came out with the Culture Club, dancing in sync to a traditional Rwandan vocal and percussion song, the look on the faces of all the Rwandans around us is one I will never forget. They smiled with pride and shock at how hard we attempted to understand their cultural tradition. Even when I messed up, missed a beat, or stepped the wrong way, they smiled and nodded us on. When our Rwandan friends similarly joined us in a round of Cotton Eyed Joe, the Americans could not have looked happier. Following our dances, we gave gifts to the entire village, including a Jumbo shaped menorah for the entire village to share. We then had a fabulous dance party together before saying our goodnights.
All of us then followed our ASYV families to their homes. On the way there, I had a final conversation with one of my new friends. In his very poor english, he managed to ask me a good number of closing questions. Out of the more than 50 questions he has asked me this week, one from tonight was the first question that made me hesitate before answering. "I have question," he said, "What you share in America about here?" "What am I going to tell my friends and family about the village and about Rwanda?" I asked, just for clarification. "Yes, yes. I'm very curious." How do I begin to tell him that these conversations with him over rice and beans actually have changed my life? How do I begin to tell him that his country, his friends, his life has caused me to question my society, my future, my faith, and myself. Would he understand? Would the face by which I convey this message be meaningful enough to capture everything I'd like to tell him? Instead of attempting a long explanation, I stopped walking and told him that Rwanda has changed my life. I told him that the people here are different from everyone else in the world, and that if I could I would stay as long as possible to try and understand them. My speechless disposition along with my decision to stop and look him in the eyes seemed to have made the correct impression. "Ah...'" he replied, "So Rwanda has strong effect on you. Now I know you visit again." And with that reply, the deal was made. Our goodbye may have been slightly emotional, and it was only followed by a teary goodbye with my family. But with these goodbyes were email exchanges, last minute explanations of Facebook, and questions of whether they could study chemistry and computer science at Tufts. With each goodbye I made, not knowing my own future, I knew that it was only a first goodbye. A country with this history, with these people, and with so much personality can not keep me away for long. I will have to return again for another goodbye.
-Lauren
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Reactions in the Face of Genocide
I didn't realize until today how differently culture's deal with genocide. I've been to Yad Vashem, and to Washington's Holocaust Memorial Museum, and I never even considered that one could deal with genocide differently. During Birthright this winter break, after visiting Yad Vashem we sat as a group and discussed what we had seen, discussed the idea of genocide, the implications of genocide, and what responsibilities' humanity holds in the face of genocide. Today though, there was none of this. Not because our leaders didn't organize it, not because we didn't know what to say, but because we couldn't. There was silence, only silence, punctuated quietly by repressed sobs. Yad Vashem is moving, it is personal and illicits reactions, but it allows for intellectual reactions, for the thought process to continue, for one to see, remember, and attempt to understand. There was no intellectualizing what we saw today, no understanding; it was difficult to even feel. There was the stench, the overwhelming stench, and the vision of arms helplessly attempting to shield the face from one's awful fate, infants clutching mothers, hair still visible on heads mutilated by a machete's blow. The whole world stopped, it was so shocking. No movement, no thought, hardly even feelings. Just naseau and fear.
The juxtaposition of the beauty of G-d and the cruelty of nature was difficult to grasp. Rarely, if ever, have I seen a land so beautiful, so touched with light and growth, life and vitality. But these awful visions, these bodies, the thousands, almost a million lives lost, are incomprehensible, especially somewhere so spectacular.
I'm not sure what the memorial accomplished. I'm not saying, and I definitely don't believe that it accomplished nothing, but I'm not sure it was a better means of representing genocide then those used in other parts of the world. Without a doubt, it succeeded tenfold in eliciting an emotional response, but a response of disgust, fear, and an overwhelming wordless sense of pain, loss, despair. I felt almost wrong, walking through the bodies, seeing the forms, covered in lyme with flesh and clothing still attached, still posed since the moment of their death. Is it disrespectful? Does it help one remember, without becoming lost in death, destruction, and despair? Does it assist in the promotion of peace? The answers to these questions I do not know, and doubt I ever will. The one thing I do know, and know I will know forever, is the vision of the mangled bodies in their final rest, the fear and despair conveyed by body language unchanged, still expressive, after 15 long years.
--Jory Hanselman
The juxtaposition of the beauty of G-d and the cruelty of nature was difficult to grasp. Rarely, if ever, have I seen a land so beautiful, so touched with light and growth, life and vitality. But these awful visions, these bodies, the thousands, almost a million lives lost, are incomprehensible, especially somewhere so spectacular.
I'm not sure what the memorial accomplished. I'm not saying, and I definitely don't believe that it accomplished nothing, but I'm not sure it was a better means of representing genocide then those used in other parts of the world. Without a doubt, it succeeded tenfold in eliciting an emotional response, but a response of disgust, fear, and an overwhelming wordless sense of pain, loss, despair. I felt almost wrong, walking through the bodies, seeing the forms, covered in lyme with flesh and clothing still attached, still posed since the moment of their death. Is it disrespectful? Does it help one remember, without becoming lost in death, destruction, and despair? Does it assist in the promotion of peace? The answers to these questions I do not know, and doubt I ever will. The one thing I do know, and know I will know forever, is the vision of the mangled bodies in their final rest, the fear and despair conveyed by body language unchanged, still expressive, after 15 long years.
--Jory Hanselman
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Taking time out to reflect
On a trip as powerful and jam-packed as this week’s, the group has found solace in periodic discussions we’ve held over the past couple days. We’ve taken time out to examine Jewish and non-Jewish texts – from the Talmud to Peter Singer – and have considered how they help us understand our responsibility to help others. On Wednesday, we read quotes from the Tanach, Talmud and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and talked about whether and when we have a responsibility to take action. To whom are we most responsible: our families, our communities, other Jews, impoverished strangers on the other side of the world? We also considered this question in a Jewish context, asking what our responsibility is to other Jews and the larger world.
Yesterday, a day after visiting the genocide museum in Kigali and after getting to know many of the incredible kids here, we discussed if we, as Jews, have a unique responsibility to act in the face of genocide. A number of trip participants shared their relatives’ stories from the Holocaust, and we talked about the actions survivors like Elie Wiesel and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson have taken to change the world. We also had the pleasure of being joined by Tanya Feldman, a yearlong volunteer here who wrote a beautiful, thought-provoking piece about living Jewishly in Rwanda. We discussed for a while if and how Jews should share their experience dealing with genocide.
Today’s talk focused on prioritizing need, and it was one of the most intense conversations we’ve had so far. When faced with overwhelming need, whom do we decide to help – those who need cheaper, basic services in the short term, or those for whom we’d like to provide more expensive, long-term aid? An essay by the controversial ethicist Peter Singer sparked an impassioned debate over whether we do enough to help the poorest of the poor. Is it more effective, we pondered, to provide basic necessities to 20 impoverished children in Africa or to spend the same amount of money to pay for a full year for one student at Agahozo Shalom? How do you balance short-term and long-term solutions?
Over the next couple days, we’re going to talk more about JDC’s work around the world and will question whether our time in Rwanda has been meaningful.
Yesterday, a day after visiting the genocide museum in Kigali and after getting to know many of the incredible kids here, we discussed if we, as Jews, have a unique responsibility to act in the face of genocide. A number of trip participants shared their relatives’ stories from the Holocaust, and we talked about the actions survivors like Elie Wiesel and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson have taken to change the world. We also had the pleasure of being joined by Tanya Feldman, a yearlong volunteer here who wrote a beautiful, thought-provoking piece about living Jewishly in Rwanda. We discussed for a while if and how Jews should share their experience dealing with genocide.
Today’s talk focused on prioritizing need, and it was one of the most intense conversations we’ve had so far. When faced with overwhelming need, whom do we decide to help – those who need cheaper, basic services in the short term, or those for whom we’d like to provide more expensive, long-term aid? An essay by the controversial ethicist Peter Singer sparked an impassioned debate over whether we do enough to help the poorest of the poor. Is it more effective, we pondered, to provide basic necessities to 20 impoverished children in Africa or to spend the same amount of money to pay for a full year for one student at Agahozo Shalom? How do you balance short-term and long-term solutions?
Over the next couple days, we’re going to talk more about JDC’s work around the world and will question whether our time in Rwanda has been meaningful.
Shabbat Shalom From Rwanda.... and some pictures!!
The mural that we are helping to paint. The students at Agahozo Shalom designed the entire mural.
Stadium seating that will seat over 800 people near the basketball and soccer field. We have worked here on wednesday and friday and it is progressing nicely.
Some of our group learning traditional Rwandan Dance at an afternoon activity.
A view of the village. Agahozo Shalom is tiered. The lowest tier is where the students live. The second tier is the community area, where the dining hall is located (and where the library and a chapel for all faiths will be built) and the third tier is where the high school is located.
Kira, Heather, Elizabeth, Becca, and Erin are preparing for Shabbat by making Challah.Thursday, May 21, 2009
Off to Kigali
Hello from Rwanda,
Today marked the first time our group left the village and it was incredible. Right after breakfast this morning, our group hopped on the bus and headed down to Kigali, the capital city. Although we had made this journey before, our previous ride was at night. As the bus rolled down the hillside, we were greeted by dozens of Rwandans, all dressed in typical African clothing, eagerly waving their hands and screaming hello. We were able to see tons of houses and shanties, and also saw Rwandans carrying bananas, cows, and other materials towards the marketplace. Kigali was a beautiful city full of both modern houses and embassies, but also tons of poorly constructed houses and makeshift accommodations. Once in Kigali, our group went to the Rwandan Genocide Memorial. The memorial had a few mass graves and had over 258,000 people buried at the site. One of the saddest parts about the whole memorial is how one of the mass graves is still open, totally unfinished and constantly being filled with new bones and bodies. The museum provided really good insight as to why and how the genocide happened, and also had exhibits dedicated to other genocides around the world. For me, it was particularly interesting to see the Rwandans reading about the Holocaust, a stark reminder that genocide is everyone’s problem. After we left the museum, our group had a delicious lunch at a restaurant called Papyrus, an Italian restaurant in Rwanda. (Lunch was a bit surprising, as I didn’t expect to be choosing between lasagna and pizza in Africa). At lunch we heard a women speak who is head of a local NGO that helps orphans. Hearing her story was incredible. After lunch, we went back to the village (and were greeted with the same enthusiasm that met us on the way down). In the village, we came back to help students with electives. I watched a few of them play music – everything from Kanye West to local rappers – and heard the students own recordings on garage band. They are very talented and curious. We also taught them how to play Frisbee, as they have never seen one before. I really am loving every second of this journey, and interacting with the students is an unbelievable opportunity that I will cherish forever.
Brandon Rattiner
Our Adventures Begin...
With our second full day in Rwanda half way done, everyone from Tufts is already feeling right at home in this beautiful country. Yesterday, Wednesday, was a long and eventful day for all of us. After an early wakeup, we went to our first Rwandan breakfast, consisting of porridge, bread and tea. Some of the ASYV staff gave us a quick tour of the village amidst the thick fog, which kept the green rolling hills around the village hidden from us. The village director, Nir, joined us for a discussion on the evolution of the village, and we had the opportunity to meet many of the staff members with whom we would be working. Orin, our construction staff leader from California led half of the group, while the other half worked with another volunteer doing extreme art. The construction work was much harder than any of us were expecting. We worked side-by-side local Rwandan men in an effort to create stadium seats for the newly finished basketball court. Our job was to help mix cement, a job that none of us were really prepared for. We were told that the locals working on the job make $5 each day if they are skilled workers, and only $2 each day if they are unskilled workers. These men, while small in stature and wearing worn out sandals, were some of the hardest workers and strongest men we have ever seen. The other half of the group, the extreme artists, helped paint the mural that adorns the cafeteria wall. After working on the mural, the group designed and started a mosaic that we will hopefully finish before we leave the village. After our tiring morning we had lunch with the youth from the village before returning back to our houses for rest/shower hour. Once our free time ended we had a two hour text-study where we talked about what our responsibility is as Jews and what role we are meant to play in the world. Then, we went off in small groups to check out what free-time is like in the village. A small group of us explored the art center where we sang songs and exchanged dances with a group of the village youth. We learned local chants and taught them a few Hebrew and American songs/dances (the Macarena was a hit!) After our song and dance session we had dinner up at the cafeteria. Once dinner was over we came back to the house and met with the leader of informal education, Jean-Pierre. After hearing his story and learning about how the youth from the village are selected we had one more hour of activities--- family time. We were paired up with houses and headed off to our respective houses. At the village, the houses are set up with 16 students and one house mother to create a sense of family. At the houses we played name games and bonded with the families. When family time ended, we were all exhausted and ready to call it a day.
Becca Hornthal
That’s all for now!
Becca Hornthal
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
We are in RWANDA!
Muraho ("Hello" in Kinyarwanda),
After two long flights... we have made it to the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village.
We are excited to be here and can't wait to begin our volunteer work tomorrow and start interacting with students at the village.
We will be updating our blog tomorrow but for now we are off to bed as we have a packed day tomorrow!
All the best,
The Tufts Rwanda Crew
After two long flights... we have made it to the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village.
We are excited to be here and can't wait to begin our volunteer work tomorrow and start interacting with students at the village.
We will be updating our blog tomorrow but for now we are off to bed as we have a packed day tomorrow!
All the best,
The Tufts Rwanda Crew
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Orientation photos
The photos below are from our March 29 orientation with Will Recant, the assistant executive vice-president of the JDC and the senior staff person for all of JDC’s non-sectarian and disaster relief programs, and Ed Merrin, whose support, along with that of his wife, has made our trip possible. Will will be joining us when we take off tomorrow!
At left, Ed tells the group about his experience with the JDC and his family's support for ASYV.
At left, Ed tells the group about his experience with the JDC and his family's support for ASYV.
The group with Will and Ed
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Shoes, shoes, shoes
Over the past few months, our group has witnessed an outpouring of support from the community. Our family and friends, as well as complete strangers across the country, have made donations of money and shoes -- the good that ASYV identified as a major need.
On the money front, we aimed to collect $5,000 to furnish a home for 16 youths at the village. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our family and friends, we surpassed that goal a couple weeks ago! We're still collecting money, though, and will decide after our trip where to direct the surplus funds.
Meanwhile, we reached out to people far and wide with the goal of collecting 125 pairs of shoes -- the same number of students currently at ASYV. We put ads on TuftsLife.com, fliers up around Davis Square and in churches in Somerville and sent countless messages to friends via Facebook and letters home. We also made an appeal to local shoe stores and national corporations, as well as athletes, including members of the Tufts community who recently ran this year's Boston Marathon. At home, family and friends stepped up to the challenge, and generously gave dozens of pairs of sneakers, walking shoes and sturdy sandals. And, thanks to you, we have been incredibly successful! We've collected hundreds of pairs -- way past our goal; we're still trying to get a final count. We might even have trouble getting them all to Rwanda when we go in a couple days, but we'll get them there somehow.
This week, I had the opportunity to pick up about 250 pairs of shoes from an incredible high school class in Virginia. The class, an International Relations class taught by Logan Williams at Briar Woods High School in Ashburn, Va., in February set out on an ambitious project: collecting 400,000 pairs of shoes to lay out in the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in order to raise awareness for the genocide in Darfur. They ended up collecting 30,000 pairs (!) as part of "Shoes on the Mall," and laid them out by the U.S. Capitol reflecting pool on April 26. Check out their website for more info and for photos from the Mall. Anyway, they decided to donate the shoes to charities across America; we got in contact with them, and they were able to donate 250 pairs to our cause. Thank you so much to Ms. Williams' class for your donation!
I'm really looking forward to our trip in a couple days, and, on behalf of the entire group, thank you to everyone who donated money and shoes.
------------------------------
We're still accepting monetary donations! It's easy to donate, and every dollar will make a difference:
DONATE ONLINE
Go to https://www.jdc.org/donation/donate.aspx . Upon being prompted for the "purpose" of your donation, select "other" from the drop-down menu. Upon being prompted to describe "other purpose," indicate "Tufts Hillel Fundraising Project."
DONATE VIA MAIL
Checks should be made out to "JDC" with "Tufts Hillel Fundraising Project" in the memo line and mailed to: Attn: Naomi Sage, JDC, 711 Third Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10017
On the money front, we aimed to collect $5,000 to furnish a home for 16 youths at the village. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our family and friends, we surpassed that goal a couple weeks ago! We're still collecting money, though, and will decide after our trip where to direct the surplus funds.
Meanwhile, we reached out to people far and wide with the goal of collecting 125 pairs of shoes -- the same number of students currently at ASYV. We put ads on TuftsLife.com, fliers up around Davis Square and in churches in Somerville and sent countless messages to friends via Facebook and letters home. We also made an appeal to local shoe stores and national corporations, as well as athletes, including members of the Tufts community who recently ran this year's Boston Marathon. At home, family and friends stepped up to the challenge, and generously gave dozens of pairs of sneakers, walking shoes and sturdy sandals. And, thanks to you, we have been incredibly successful! We've collected hundreds of pairs -- way past our goal; we're still trying to get a final count. We might even have trouble getting them all to Rwanda when we go in a couple days, but we'll get them there somehow.
This week, I had the opportunity to pick up about 250 pairs of shoes from an incredible high school class in Virginia. The class, an International Relations class taught by Logan Williams at Briar Woods High School in Ashburn, Va., in February set out on an ambitious project: collecting 400,000 pairs of shoes to lay out in the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in order to raise awareness for the genocide in Darfur. They ended up collecting 30,000 pairs (!) as part of "Shoes on the Mall," and laid them out by the U.S. Capitol reflecting pool on April 26. Check out their website for more info and for photos from the Mall. Anyway, they decided to donate the shoes to charities across America; we got in contact with them, and they were able to donate 250 pairs to our cause. Thank you so much to Ms. Williams' class for your donation!
I'm really looking forward to our trip in a couple days, and, on behalf of the entire group, thank you to everyone who donated money and shoes.
------------------------------We're still accepting monetary donations! It's easy to donate, and every dollar will make a difference:
DONATE ONLINE
Go to https://www.jdc.org/donation/donate
DONATE VIA MAIL
Checks should be made out to "JDC" with "Tufts Hillel Fundraising Project" in the memo line and mailed to: Attn: Naomi Sage, JDC, 711 Third Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10017
Monday, March 23, 2009
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to JDC Rocks Rwanda!, where participants on Tufts Hillel's and the JDC's short-term summer service trip to the Agahozo - Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda will chronicle our adventure -- before, during and after our trip. My name is Ben Gittleson, and I'm serving as the student coordinator for the trip. I'm so excited about the incredible opportunities our group is going to have over the coming months as we get ready for Africa. This experience promises to have a profound impact on all those involved.
A brief look at some of our pre-trip programming:
-Orientations:
We're less than two months away from our departure, and everyone in the group is incredibly excited. We've formed a number of committees overseeing fundraising, blogging, gifts, etc. In the coming weeks and months, participants will post committee-related updates and information here.
Keep checking back as we update our blog!
A brief look at some of our pre-trip programming:
-Orientations:
- We're looking forward to a visit next week by Will Recant, the JDC’s assistant executive vice president, who will be traveling along with us to Rwanda. Will will speak about the JDC's work and will provide us with a special opportunity to learn more about the village. At that orientation session, Will will be joined by Ed Merrin, who along with his wife Vivian is generously providing funding for our trip and who will discuss his involvement with the JDC and the village.
- Soon after that session, we will hold an orientation session with Peter Uvin, an academic dean and the Henry J. Leir Professor of International Humanitarian Studies at the Fletcher School. Professor Uvin recently is an expert on political and social dynamics in Burundi and Rwanda, Innovations in development aid, post-conflict assistance and peacebuilding and development and human rights. He also recently wrote a book entitled "Life After Violence: A People's Story of Burundi."
We're less than two months away from our departure, and everyone in the group is incredibly excited. We've formed a number of committees overseeing fundraising, blogging, gifts, etc. In the coming weeks and months, participants will post committee-related updates and information here.
Keep checking back as we update our blog!
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