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 25th birthday
is coming up {on the 29th 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
