Muraho!

Muraho is a greeting in Kinyarwanda (local language) used when you are meeting someone for the first time or when you have not seen someone in awhile.

Though I have only been in country for a little over a week it honestly feels like a month; I have gone through many transitions in such a short span of time and I finally feel like I am starting to adjust . For those interested in learning more about how Peace Corps Staging to Pre-Service Training (PST) works I will outline these transitions.

Before leaving for Rwanda all those that were accepted into the Education Program met in Philadelphia for Staging. This is basically a time for basic introductions into the Peace Corps rules and expectations, the itinerary of our long journey, a time to send final paperwork for student loans, receive our new passports, and just a way for all the volunteers to meet and socialize before we leave the states. The last night I definitely treated myself to some delicious cheesy, bacony pizza, a cocktail and time alone to reflect on my new chapter!

The next morning we got on a bus and left for JFK airport and then, off we were! After one layover in Brussels, we landed in Kigali, went through customs (with ease might I add!) we walked into the beautiful city of Kigali. We were met by some amazing Volunteer Assistant Trainers (VATs) and the Country Director, Jen Hedrick. They greeted us and quickly put us (and all of our luggage) in buses to a glorious hotel called, Champion Hotel. The hotel staff and VATs were so helpful with getting our luggage out and to our rooms (I was especially worried since I came with three checked bags and two carry-ons...I like to be prepared!) After finding our rooms we had a quick introduction to the VATs (who are incredible, shout out to Cass and Talibah) Country Director and the Director of Programming and Training, Brian Dwyer. We were given our first set of Malaria medicine, huge bottles of water, a light meal and thankfully sent to bed to get some much needed rest! But not for long; the next morning we had a full day beginning with a scrumptious breakfast beginning at 7am. The next two days in Kigali were for the important stuff like, introducing us to the some basics about Rwandan culture, medicine and shots, setting up our bank accounts, getting phones etc. There was no time to explore especially because of how tired I was but Champion Hotel had a bar at the top level and the karaoke was jamming both nights!

From Kigali we were bused to the District of Ramagana; this is where all of our PST is being held. It is about 1.5 hours away from Kigali. Upon arrival a trainee reception (technically we are not volunteers yet, but Peace Corps Trainees) was held. This is where we met the rest of the Peace Corps Rwanda Staff and our host families! At the reception we were given some basics like a water filter, bucket, jerrycan, mosquito net, and drinking water for the first few days. I cannot lie, I was extremely nervous about meeting my host family. I have heard stories of some black volunteers not being welcomed by their host families because the families had expectations that all Americans are white. This is a sad truth. So when I heard my name called at the reception, a million thoughts ran through my head, “Were they told in advance that I was black? Will they see me as an American? Will they treat me with respect?” When my host dad came to greet me with a big smile and giant hug I felt at ease and thankful. I knew that my experience with my host family was going to be positive. As soon as we sat down to chat he showed me pictures of his past two host daughters and one was black! The smile that spread across my face! The most previous volunteer that stayed with him was one of our current VATs who is an incredible black woman named Cass. Her presence was so welcoming, especially for my first week. She was there to comfort, validate, and answer my many questions. I could not have been more grateful to have Cass there and to be placed with her host family who are absolutely lovely. There is my host Papa and Mama, and four younger sisters; ages 11, 7, 3, and 1. They are all silly and high energy which makes for unexpected nights like singing and dancing sessions after dinner. Currently, they are begging me to play games with them and I keep answering with my limited kinyarwanda, “Ndashaka Kwiga/I want to study” which does not seem to be a good enough reason for them hahaha.

My day to day life in Ramagana is quite long and tedious but I am grateful for everyday. From my four hour language classes at 8am to today's conversation with Brian Dwyer about Peace Corps approach to development which ended at 530pm. I find myself learning more about Rwanda and her culture in the first week than I could have even fathomed.

One thing that I find difficult, and is a sentiment shared by other black trainees in my program and volunteers everywhere, is that it has been difficult to sit in a room where white folks talk about how hard it is for them being stared at, judged, laughed at etc. and not make direct parallels to the black experience in the United States of America. I cannot sympathize because black folks are stared at, judged more harshly, and feel like an outsider in the very place we call home. Being in Rwanda we are stared at just as much and still have to face challenges like the one I described above like not being seen as American because we are not white. I thought I would be able to blend in quite seamlessly but that is not the case. I will be posting more on the black experience as a PCT and in Rwanda throughout my time here, so stay tuned!

For today's training we had an open conversation about International Development and Peace Corps approach to development, which is a hot topic of mine. I am a bit cynical about the role of International Development, particularly after reading Dead Aid by Moyo Dambisa. So, why would a person who is cynical about development sign up for the Peace Corps might you ask, well for me it comes down to approach. Peace Corps is only in countries it has been invited to and then they partner with the country to create a framework to address the needs the country sees fit. This is a critical component to real development; partnering with a country and not “helping”. The shift in language is necessary to me because most people in the states tend to overlook the reason why America and other western countries are seen as developed is because it stole and exploited from the African continent and other developing nations. We cannot have a real conversation about aid if we turn a blind eye to history and the facts. It is imperative we take this wholeheartedly and come into developing nations with humility ie there is no room or place for the white savior mindset!

Well people, that is about all I got from about 10 days in Rwandan. Sidenote my 25^th birthday is coming up {on the 29^th to be specific!} I am excited to turn a quarter of a century outside of the states! I am living well, eating delicious chapatis, brochettes, passion fruits and avocados, and studying Kinyarwanda with all my might. My goal is to post two times a month so be sure to subscribe and stay up to date with my adventures :-) You can also follow my Instagram: Dedekated and Snapchat: Mare_Bizzle for other ways to see what I am up to, thank you for reading and Ijoro ryiza (Good night!)

xo Dedekated