Good news! I am coming up on my third week as a Peace Corps trainee. Everything has been really wonderful so far. I am currently located in Nyanza while I go through my training. There are 37 total trainees in my group. We live in 4 houses in the community. I live in the most beautiful home with 14 other volunteers and 4 of my language instructors. My house has the most incredible view. It is located on top of a hill and looks down onto a valley full of trees and plots of land used for farming. How perfect for me, right?
The locals are slowly getting used to having us around. It was obvious from the beginning that Nyanza has not had many outsiders come and stay for long periods of time. People have been very curious about whom we are and what were are doing here. They seem to enjoy our attempts at speaking Kinyarwanda. Many of the children and university students seem to enjoy practicing their English on us as well. It is nice to walk down the road and always have someone to talk to. My social skills are definitely being put to the test.
I have been given a resource family in the community. Having a resource family is a way to help me practice my Kinyarwanda and learn about Rwandan culture. I have a mama and a papa. My mama is a farmer and my papa is a business man. My sister works in a bar along with my 21 year old nephew. I meet up with my sister every Sunday at her work. She lives about 5 kilometers away so I get to good walk in. It usually takes me an hour to get there, but I have been giving myself about 30 minutes extra so I have enough time to chat with the locals. This coming Sunday my mama promised she would teach me how to milk a cow and my sister promised to take me to a restaurant to eat animal organ brochette. I can’t wait!
I am beginning to understand just how important language is when you are building relationships with people. It has been very frustrating not being able to say everything I want to people with the locals I meet and whom I see on a regular basis. Though my language ability is extremely limited I can still have a connection with people. For instance, last week we celebrated International Women’s Day in our village at the soccer stadium. We were invited to come to the celebration by local officials. When we arrived there, we were greeted by a large group of secondary school students (high school) who were singing and dancing. The students came into the stands and guided each one of us onto the field to sing and dance with them. The laughter, smiles, and embraces that were shared connected us all in a way that no words could. It was something I will never forget. Language, however, is going to be my main tool for integrating into my community and therefore, I am working hard to try and gain as much Kinyarwanda as possible. It is an extremely difficult language to grasp but I am hanging in there with it.
Thank you all for keeping up with me. I will try to keep up with this blog as much as I can. It is difficult right now because the training is so time consuming. Hopefully after my training is over and when I am placed at my site I will have more time to get online. I want everyone to know that I am happy and really enjoying this experience so far. Best wishes to all.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Waiting
Well, the countdown has begun…again. In a little over two weeks, I will be departing for Rwanda. My departure date has changed to February 23rd. I will officially arrive in Kigali, Rwanda on February 25th. For all who are wondering how I am doing, I can honestly say I feel really good. These past few months have been mentally challenging. I have been in a holding pattern for much longer than I anticipated and I am just waiting to take off. Thank goodness for my family, friends, and job to help keep me sane during this time. In turn though, this state I am in has really proven to me that I am ready for this new stage in my life. I thought I was ready in September to leave. Now, I know I am ready. That is a good feeling to have at this point. However, I cannot ignore the fact that my positive mental state has been accompanied by fear, nerves, and anxiety. This is a huge leap for me. I have never left the country before. I have hardly been away from Michigan for a long period of time. I do not know what it is like to be away from certain comforts I have. I have come to believe that all of these feelings are what make Peace Corps and Rwanda so appealing to me. All of these feelings give me this huge rush of excitement. Right now, my life welcomes that.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
My new placement is in...
My new placement is in Rwanda, Africa! I am going to be working in the Health, HIV/AIDS, Organizational Capacity Development program. Volunteers work on health and community development assignments, including collaborating with the Rwandan government and its U.S. government partners to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic. My departure date is February 22, 2010. I will be part of the third group of volunteers to arrive in Rwanda since the genocide in 1994.
Before I accepted my invitation, I spent a lot of time on the computer researching the area. I had this preconcieved notion (I am sure I am not alone) that the country was unstable due to it's history and location. I was not about to accept an invitation to a place that was unsafe. It did not take long for me to realize that Rwanda, though an island in what most would call a volatile region, is stable and safe in most areas. Political and ethnic violence has been eradicated. There is now a high level of internal security. The government is pushing to unify the nation. Human rights are now being respected due to changes in the law. The culture is becoming more egalitarian. Gender equality has become a priority. Poverty and hunger are being addressed.
Rwanda is proving to be a counrty that is looking to prosper. The vision of Rwanda is too transform itself into a middle-income country by the year 2020. In order to succeed, Rwanda needs the assistance of humanitarian programs including Peace Corps to address the issue of HIV/AIDS. To be invited to take part in this initiative in Rwanda is..at the risk of sounding incredibly cliché...an honor.
Before I accepted my invitation, I spent a lot of time on the computer researching the area. I had this preconcieved notion (I am sure I am not alone) that the country was unstable due to it's history and location. I was not about to accept an invitation to a place that was unsafe. It did not take long for me to realize that Rwanda, though an island in what most would call a volatile region, is stable and safe in most areas. Political and ethnic violence has been eradicated. There is now a high level of internal security. The government is pushing to unify the nation. Human rights are now being respected due to changes in the law. The culture is becoming more egalitarian. Gender equality has become a priority. Poverty and hunger are being addressed.
Rwanda is proving to be a counrty that is looking to prosper. The vision of Rwanda is too transform itself into a middle-income country by the year 2020. In order to succeed, Rwanda needs the assistance of humanitarian programs including Peace Corps to address the issue of HIV/AIDS. To be invited to take part in this initiative in Rwanda is..at the risk of sounding incredibly cliché...an honor.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
And so it began...or so I thought.
After a year of interviews, medical exams, endless amounts of paperwork, and deep contemplations about what I was doing, it was finally time to say my last goodbye and selfishly step on the plane. This was a big step for me. It was the step I was dreading the most. To me, it was the final step in unleashing myself from the life that I knew and depended on for so long. It was my first of many challenges I would experience in the next two years and... I did it! I got on the plane (which in itself was a challenge because I do not care at all for flying)! With my new sense of freedom, I was determined and elated to make this one of the best and most rewarding experiences of my life.
I flew into Philadelphia on the morning of September 29th. There, I met the 46 other volunteers I joined to serve in Turkmenistan for the next 27 months. Of course, everyone was great and I liked them all. I listened and shared with others about the experience of getting to this point. The environment was pleasantly euphoric. Everyone was so high spirited and peppy. It was intoxicating and I felt blessed to be a part of it.
ON THAT NOTE... During the meeting the desk officer for Central Asia introduced us to his "boss", the man responsible for all the Eatern Europe and Central Asia section. After being informed that "he never comes to these things" my heart sank. I knew right there something bad was going to happen.I stared and listened intensely to the man in the tan suit explain that the Turkmen government decided that they did not want Volunteers to serve for the year 2009. Peace Corps had no notice of this until that very morning, and after having to clarify that indeed we were not invited, it was his job to tell us that we were being sent home the following day. My only logical thought at the time was "You have got to be f**king kidding me...".
It was an interesting experience to look around a room of 46 people and watch them go from sheer joy to extreme devestation and disbelief. Not only was it strange to see, but also strange to feel. It was hard to know who to feel more sorry for--myself, or the others around me who sacrificed so much to have this experience and serve others in need. Again, "You have got to be f**king kidding me...".
Unfortunately, the man in the tan suit was not kidding and we were flown home the following day. Once home, I spent the first few days feeling sorry for myself and wallowing in my devastation and embarassment. But, I am choosing to be over that now and move on from here.
I said I wanted to be challenged and so far, I have gotten what I wanted. Peace Corps is working diligently to find us all new placements that would leave as soon as possible. Most likely I will be leaving in February or March. As difficult as that is to swallow--having to face the fact that I am back to playing the waiting game (and having to look for a job to tide me over until I go)--I can honestly say I am proud of myself for not feeling defeated. I know this is what I want to do. After having my practice run at it, I also believe I can and will do it.
I flew into Philadelphia on the morning of September 29th. There, I met the 46 other volunteers I joined to serve in Turkmenistan for the next 27 months. Of course, everyone was great and I liked them all. I listened and shared with others about the experience of getting to this point. The environment was pleasantly euphoric. Everyone was so high spirited and peppy. It was intoxicating and I felt blessed to be a part of it.
ON THAT NOTE... During the meeting the desk officer for Central Asia introduced us to his "boss", the man responsible for all the Eatern Europe and Central Asia section. After being informed that "he never comes to these things" my heart sank. I knew right there something bad was going to happen.I stared and listened intensely to the man in the tan suit explain that the Turkmen government decided that they did not want Volunteers to serve for the year 2009. Peace Corps had no notice of this until that very morning, and after having to clarify that indeed we were not invited, it was his job to tell us that we were being sent home the following day. My only logical thought at the time was "You have got to be f**king kidding me...".
It was an interesting experience to look around a room of 46 people and watch them go from sheer joy to extreme devestation and disbelief. Not only was it strange to see, but also strange to feel. It was hard to know who to feel more sorry for--myself, or the others around me who sacrificed so much to have this experience and serve others in need. Again, "You have got to be f**king kidding me...".
Unfortunately, the man in the tan suit was not kidding and we were flown home the following day. Once home, I spent the first few days feeling sorry for myself and wallowing in my devastation and embarassment. But, I am choosing to be over that now and move on from here.
I said I wanted to be challenged and so far, I have gotten what I wanted. Peace Corps is working diligently to find us all new placements that would leave as soon as possible. Most likely I will be leaving in February or March. As difficult as that is to swallow--having to face the fact that I am back to playing the waiting game (and having to look for a job to tide me over until I go)--I can honestly say I am proud of myself for not feeling defeated. I know this is what I want to do. After having my practice run at it, I also believe I can and will do it.
Monday, September 7, 2009
"Be brave enough to live creatively"
Years ago I opened my fortune cookie to receive some unforgettable wisdom."Be brave enough to live creatively" has been in my mind for quite some time. Well, I decided to do just that and join the Peace Corps. At the end of this month I will move to Turkmenistan.
I am going to be working as a Community Health Educator in a health care clinic. From what I have read, it looks like my focus will be doing a community health analysis and health needs assessment. Then, I will be creating a preventative health education strategy based on my findings. This is not set in stone but I am happy nonetheless and can't wait to find out more!
This is a big step for me as I have NEVER done something in my life quite this eccentric. I have to say, I am STOKED! Yes, I am more nervous than I have ever been in my life, but the nerves are definitely worth it. This is my chance to go on a great adventure...an adventure that will provide me an opportunity to live in a culture so different from my own. It will challenge me to learn about myself and my capabilities. The nerves are just a part of this great adventure. Thus, I welcome them.
My life will drastically change come the end of this month when I depart for Philadelphia to meet my fellow volunteers at orientation. Until then, I will continue to manage the emotional roller coaster I am on as I prepare to leave.
I am going to be working as a Community Health Educator in a health care clinic. From what I have read, it looks like my focus will be doing a community health analysis and health needs assessment. Then, I will be creating a preventative health education strategy based on my findings. This is not set in stone but I am happy nonetheless and can't wait to find out more!
This is a big step for me as I have NEVER done something in my life quite this eccentric. I have to say, I am STOKED! Yes, I am more nervous than I have ever been in my life, but the nerves are definitely worth it. This is my chance to go on a great adventure...an adventure that will provide me an opportunity to live in a culture so different from my own. It will challenge me to learn about myself and my capabilities. The nerves are just a part of this great adventure. Thus, I welcome them.
My life will drastically change come the end of this month when I depart for Philadelphia to meet my fellow volunteers at orientation. Until then, I will continue to manage the emotional roller coaster I am on as I prepare to leave.
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