Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
From Jeff: getting home from Ntunga
From Jeff: Delayed at Kigali airport
Apparently, a passenger on the plane lost their cat, so the crew has to find it before we board.
Can't make this stuff up...
Can't make this stuff up...
From Jeff: Back to basics
It wasn't until much later that we all realized there was no water. No one is sure why, some think the pump is broken, but no one seems concerned. I think it happens often...
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
My Home for the Week (Guest House)
This is my room for the week! Glad I brought my yoga mat. In the mornings, I do a quick practice looking out over the beautiful banana trees on the farm.
We have the luxury of hot water on most days. Yesterday was great - we had an overnight visit of a swarm of big flying bugs. The dead ones were scattered all around the entrance area, and some found their way inside too!
I later found out that these little creatures are a delicacy for some tribes in Africa. I think they'd be crunchy. Yum. :)
Also learned from Micheala, one of the volunteers at the Village, that sometimes there are flying worms too!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
From Jeff: Muckha Muckha...
That sound of heavy breathing is me finishing Muckha Muckha (morning run). Now, off to the farm to work...
You ask, where is everyone else from NY/UK? Answer: Still sleeping!! :-)
You ask, where is everyone else from NY/UK? Answer: Still sleeping!! :-)
Friday, October 22, 2010
From Jeff: Chess anyone?
What a day! We were greeted with such a warm reception. Everyone hugging and welcoming us. I was shocked and pleased at how much my last trip made an impression on them! They were quoting me and using many of the management techniques we taught...
We had a staff meeting with the entire village- you really get perspective at how beautiful this place is when you interact with the staff. Truly selfless human beings.
When it rains here it is LOUD, loud, loud!!
Gave Alfonse a big hug from the Greenblatts and Mary- he was happy.
After village time there was the championship match for the two chess finalist. They walked in like it was a boxing match. Absolutely classic!
Right now, Anne, Tamar, Angelo and I (Crissy is snozing)are reviewing the day and preparing for tomorrow, which starts at 545am for "muchka muchka" the run around the village while chanting...
:-)
We had a staff meeting with the entire village- you really get perspective at how beautiful this place is when you interact with the staff. Truly selfless human beings.
When it rains here it is LOUD, loud, loud!!
Gave Alfonse a big hug from the Greenblatts and Mary- he was happy.
After village time there was the championship match for the two chess finalist. They walked in like it was a boxing match. Absolutely classic!
Right now, Anne, Tamar, Angelo and I (Crissy is snozing)are reviewing the day and preparing for tomorrow, which starts at 545am for "muchka muchka" the run around the village while chanting...
:-)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
From Jeff: Touchdown in Rwanda
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
From Jeff: Last minute Prep.
With just a few minutes until we leave for the airport, testing the blog.
Very excited to be back at the Village! :-)
Very excited to be back at the Village! :-)
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Final Reflection From Scott: Many Moments That I Will Not Soon Forget
Our short stay at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village was marked by many moments that I will not soon forget. Debate night was one such moment.
Debate night is held within each family every Wednesday before dinner. This week’s discussion revolved around Rwanda’s proposed entrance into the East African Federation. I was impressed by the passionate arguments from each side of the topic, as well as the diplomacy displayed when listening and responding to opposing opinions.
My new friend Alfonse graciously interpreted for me, as the students use Kinyarwanda during debate. The language barrier allowed me to step back a bit from the topic at hand and focus more on the flow of the conversation. I could tell from the student’s tone and body language that they were eager to express their own opinions, yet genuinely interested in hearing the opinion of others. As Alfonse summarized each student's opinion I found myself nodding in agreement, persuaded by the articulate reasoning of the viewpoint.
The student’s interaction with one another helped me realize the importance of this hour. It is distinctly separate from formal education activities, not graded or judged in any way. It provides the students an opportunity to practice building key interpersonal, listening and critical thinking skills in an informal, familial setting. This is just one example of the village providing real opportunity for these amazing students to grow and become future leaders in Rwanda and beyond.
I look forward to staying in touch with the amazing kids I met at the ASYV, as well as the talented staff, counselors and teachers. I am proud to be a part of an organization that genuinely values the work it took to get the village to where it is today, and is committed to help the students of the ASYV “go far” in the future.
Debate night is held within each family every Wednesday before dinner. This week’s discussion revolved around Rwanda’s proposed entrance into the East African Federation. I was impressed by the passionate arguments from each side of the topic, as well as the diplomacy displayed when listening and responding to opposing opinions.
My new friend Alfonse graciously interpreted for me, as the students use Kinyarwanda during debate. The language barrier allowed me to step back a bit from the topic at hand and focus more on the flow of the conversation. I could tell from the student’s tone and body language that they were eager to express their own opinions, yet genuinely interested in hearing the opinion of others. As Alfonse summarized each student's opinion I found myself nodding in agreement, persuaded by the articulate reasoning of the viewpoint.
The student’s interaction with one another helped me realize the importance of this hour. It is distinctly separate from formal education activities, not graded or judged in any way. It provides the students an opportunity to practice building key interpersonal, listening and critical thinking skills in an informal, familial setting. This is just one example of the village providing real opportunity for these amazing students to grow and become future leaders in Rwanda and beyond.
I look forward to staying in touch with the amazing kids I met at the ASYV, as well as the talented staff, counselors and teachers. I am proud to be a part of an organization that genuinely values the work it took to get the village to where it is today, and is committed to help the students of the ASYV “go far” in the future.
Final Reflection From Emmanuel: Happiness Beyond Any Material Values
My trip to Rwanda was an amazing and great learning experience. Being born and raised in Haiti, I see many similarities between our cultures and history (Haiti was colonized by France as well, and has had as much political turmoil, but fewer deaths). The Agahozo-Shalom Village is a pure glory, and one could easily refer to it as the sacred sanctuary of the young in Rwanda.
The kids in the village were immensely excited and hopeful for a better tomorrow. Every morning, we woke up early seeing both the sunrise and their bright smiles which lasted until long past sunset. The pleasure to see them happy in the village is very rewarding when knowing their struggles and everlasting pains caused by the tragedies in the country. They are all courageous and talented kids whom one day will secure positions all across the country, and will make real difference locally, and around the world.
This project inspires me to one day be able to make such a big impact in my native country in the life of many earthquake survivors, to offer them the opportunity for a new start. I was feeling very sad when seeing the youngsters outside of the village living under the bare circumstances, but not without a big smile like it was the national anthem. I deeply felt for them, but felt even worst when half of the Haitian communities are enduring the same poverty level. I am inspired to continue to do more to help.
The kids in the village were immensely excited and hopeful for a better tomorrow. Every morning, we woke up early seeing both the sunrise and their bright smiles which lasted until long past sunset. The pleasure to see them happy in the village is very rewarding when knowing their struggles and everlasting pains caused by the tragedies in the country. They are all courageous and talented kids whom one day will secure positions all across the country, and will make real difference locally, and around the world.
This project inspires me to one day be able to make such a big impact in my native country in the life of many earthquake survivors, to offer them the opportunity for a new start. I was feeling very sad when seeing the youngsters outside of the village living under the bare circumstances, but not without a big smile like it was the national anthem. I deeply felt for them, but felt even worst when half of the Haitian communities are enduring the same poverty level. I am inspired to continue to do more to help.
Final Reflection From Val: I cannot believe that this trip is over
It was an experience of a lifetime. I am looking at the world differently now. I think the ASYV is great success, thanks to the many people with vision and passion who made it possible for these kids and for Rwanda. The most amazing thing to me is that in the middle of Africa, in the country that went through so much pain, negative events, etc., there is a place, where kids are eager to learn something new. They are knowledge-hungry. Their emotions are pure and un-spoiled.
This makes me believe that there is hope for our planet...
This makes me believe that there is hope for our planet...
Saturday, September 18, 2010
From Brian: walk back from town
Scott and I picked up some bottled water in the nearby town, Rubona, and per usual created quite the stir among local primary school kids who decided to walk back with us "muzungu" ("white person").
From Brian: video of "muchaka muchaka" (jogging)
Every Saturday morning at 6am the kids jog around the village in groups, singing call and response songs along the way.
Friday, September 17, 2010
From: Emmanuel: The Reality of My Trip to Rwanda
On Friday, August 10 at 6:30pm, Scott, Brian, Val, and I took off on a journey to Africa for a humanitarian trip to Rwanda. The excitement to see the village that Liquidnet helped to build was overwhelming, even with the steep flying anxiety. Nineteen hours later, we landed in Rwanda, a country full of wonderful people, great culture, and red elevated mountains, in addition to a terrific panorama view. We slept at a guest house in Kigali, the capital, and headed to our final destination to the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village mid-day Sunday. Arriving at the village, my first impression was astonishing, and far greater than anything that I (or anyone) could have imagined.
It was impressive that in such a short time (the groundbreaking was only August 2007) that so much infrastructure, beautiful houses, schools, farm, and so on could be constructed, and organized. The village was welcoming, and the kids were all in good spirits. They each quickly introduced themselves at every encounter we had. It is remarkable how Liquidnet and others, specially the Heyman-Merrin family (the pioneers), can rally so many good hearts to brighten the lives of the orphan kids who have such a bright future…All the residential properties, and others are constructed with premium care for a comfortable environment for the kids.
Being in the village, and visiting the Genocide Memorial in Kigali before coming to the village, shed light through the struggles of these young survivors.
Their futures are all hopeful today because they are surrounded by an entire new family. This visit is an opportunity given to us by Liquidnet to acknowledge the world around us, and bring our support to celebrate their tough endurance. As little as it could be, you can make a difference, so let us stand up and make the world a better place…
It was impressive that in such a short time (the groundbreaking was only August 2007) that so much infrastructure, beautiful houses, schools, farm, and so on could be constructed, and organized. The village was welcoming, and the kids were all in good spirits. They each quickly introduced themselves at every encounter we had. It is remarkable how Liquidnet and others, specially the Heyman-Merrin family (the pioneers), can rally so many good hearts to brighten the lives of the orphan kids who have such a bright future…All the residential properties, and others are constructed with premium care for a comfortable environment for the kids.
Being in the village, and visiting the Genocide Memorial in Kigali before coming to the village, shed light through the struggles of these young survivors.
Their futures are all hopeful today because they are surrounded by an entire new family. This visit is an opportunity given to us by Liquidnet to acknowledge the world around us, and bring our support to celebrate their tough endurance. As little as it could be, you can make a difference, so let us stand up and make the world a better place…
Thursday, September 16, 2010
From Brian: TV News Club
At the ASYV there are currently 16 families, each living in a house with 16 students and a house mother, plus a counselor – an “older brother or sister” – who lives at the village but not in the house. There are 16 clubs that meet every Monday night (with one kid from each family in each club) – covering topics from “Newspaper Club” (which develops the ASYV newsletter) to “Religion Club” (which celebrates religious holidays for the diversity of faiths – various types of Christian and some Muslim – at the village) to “Art Club” (which plans artistic projects at the village).
On Monday we visited the “TV News Club,” which uses donated flip cameras to produce a short weekly video report on village life. The counselor in charge of the club, Jimmy, taught the kids different features of the software they use to edit the news. We then watched a clip of the previous “TV News” segment that had been shown in front of the entire ASYV at the weekly “Village Time” on Friday nights. The two anchors were given constructive feedback. These kids are impressive in so many ways…several could surely have a career in broadcasting.
On Monday we visited the “TV News Club,” which uses donated flip cameras to produce a short weekly video report on village life. The counselor in charge of the club, Jimmy, taught the kids different features of the software they use to edit the news. We then watched a clip of the previous “TV News” segment that had been shown in front of the entire ASYV at the weekly “Village Time” on Friday nights. The two anchors were given constructive feedback. These kids are impressive in so many ways…several could surely have a career in broadcasting.
From Scott: the new ASYV Amphitheater
As Brian mentioned, every Monday is club night in the village. I attended TV club, which focuses on the journalistic approach of broadcasting and the technology used to create professional television news broadcasts. The students put on a weekly news broadcast on events happening around the village. The news is shown every Friday night during village time. This week’s club meeting was devoted to reviewing the news broadcast from the prior week, which showcased the opening ceremony for the new amphitheater. The amphitheater officially opened less than a month ago. The students celebrated the opening with many performances, including a short play, a fashion show and a few music and dance routines. We had toured the amphitheater earlier in the day, but the review of the news broadcast at TV club gave a clearer picture of the space while in use by the students.
The amphitheater is beautiful. The setting, like most at the village, provides stunning views of the valley below and the lakes in the distance. The amphitheater itself is constructed in traditional semi-circular fashion; over 10 rows high, with seating for close to 800. I have only experienced the space empty, however it doesn’t take much stretch of the imagination to picture memorable events being held here for years to come.
from Val: my view
Hello dear friends.
It is very difficult to summarize all new impressions, experiences and events, which have happened to me in these 4 days in ASYV. First of all, the village itself is simply amazing. So much vision, hard work and love in this place. When we arrived from urban Kigali to ASYV, the fresh mountain air and unbelievable views created a feeling of being on a top of the world physically and mentally. Where else can you see sunrise and sunset from the same exact spot? But the most important part of all of this is the people who live here. They all are doing an amazing job making sure the Village runs through its daily routines. School, living quarters, dining hall, and farm – they all seamlessly work together for one simple reason – kids. Kids are not really kids here… after all, given what most of them went through, they are much more mature then one might think. The conversations we are having, the questions they are asking, the way they all want to study and learning new things is mind-blowing.
While most of the time is occupied with the wireless LAN expansion that I am working on, I was able to participate in several ASYV weekly programs. One day we went to the local village to help local residents with their projects, as part of Tikkun Olam - give back to community - program. The idea is for the kids to not forget that that there is a real world around and that they need to give back some of their time and work to the local community. I was digging the ground in the
backyard of an older lady, and was having conversations with kids about math and geography. On a "debate night" it was very interesting to follow a dispute that the boys were having, and later that night they invited me to their house for family time for a cup of a strong Rwandan tea and we talked about many different things.
I hope this project runs for years to come and helps Rwanda to get back from its knees.
It is very difficult to summarize all new impressions, experiences and events, which have happened to me in these 4 days in ASYV. First of all, the village itself is simply amazing. So much vision, hard work and love in this place. When we arrived from urban Kigali to ASYV, the fresh mountain air and unbelievable views created a feeling of being on a top of the world physically and mentally. Where else can you see sunrise and sunset from the same exact spot? But the most important part of all of this is the people who live here. They all are doing an amazing job making sure the Village runs through its daily routines. School, living quarters, dining hall, and farm – they all seamlessly work together for one simple reason – kids. Kids are not really kids here… after all, given what most of them went through, they are much more mature then one might think. The conversations we are having, the questions they are asking, the way they all want to study and learning new things is mind-blowing.
While most of the time is occupied with the wireless LAN expansion that I am working on, I was able to participate in several ASYV weekly programs. One day we went to the local village to help local residents with their projects, as part of Tikkun Olam - give back to community - program. The idea is for the kids to not forget that that there is a real world around and that they need to give back some of their time and work to the local community. I was digging the ground in the
backyard of an older lady, and was having conversations with kids about math and geography. On a "debate night" it was very interesting to follow a dispute that the boys were having, and later that night they invited me to their house for family time for a cup of a strong Rwandan tea and we talked about many different things.
I hope this project runs for years to come and helps Rwanda to get back from its knees.
From Brian: Introducting the September 2010 Liquidnet Village People
Since 2007, nearly 50 members of the Liquidnet Family have travelled to Rwanda to volunteer their skills at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village. Joining this group of “Liquidnet Village People” this week are Val Zhupan, Scott Pitzer and Emmanuel Alabre. This team is focused on shoring up and expanding the WiFi network that previous teams had installed across the 144-acre campus, deploying donated administrative software, trouble-shooting miscellaneous server and IT issues, helping with budget planning, and assisting with long-term strategy for income-generating activities at the village. Along the way, they're having an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience, getting to know some of the 250 kids who now call the ASYV home.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
From Zoe: Back to a reality
At least once a day, a student at the ASYV would ask me "how do you like it here?" followed by "how does it compare to America." My answer to the first was always about the beauty of their country, the cleanliness, and the kindness and spirit of their people. And to the second question, I compared their flowering trees to our oak, spruce, and pine. I would draw maps to explain how varied the terrain, plants, and job opportunities are throughout the states. But now home, in a forest of skyscrapers, I wonder why I limited myself to those differences, why I didn't say more...
Our country is not about the trees, just as theirs is not about the clay homes. I could've talked to our freedoms and their limitations, the similarities and differences in our cultural interactions, our conflicting desire to be bold while needing to please others, and our admiration for their ability to live and work for what is needed.
Our lives are at two extremes, in two realities that I'm finding impossible to judge and hard not to want to from this side.
There is so much to do to find balance. To have created the ASYV with understanding and purpose was an enormous task, and one that feels very successful. But, there is still a long way to go, with jobs small and large, something that anyone could feel proud contributing to.
Our country is not about the trees, just as theirs is not about the clay homes. I could've talked to our freedoms and their limitations, the similarities and differences in our cultural interactions, our conflicting desire to be bold while needing to please others, and our admiration for their ability to live and work for what is needed.
Our lives are at two extremes, in two realities that I'm finding impossible to judge and hard not to want to from this side.
There is so much to do to find balance. To have created the ASYV with understanding and purpose was an enormous task, and one that feels very successful. But, there is still a long way to go, with jobs small and large, something that anyone could feel proud contributing to.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
From Eddie: Reflection
The trip to Rwanda was an eye-opening experience for me. I truly understand why Liquidnet is so involved with the ASYV - giving these children a second chance at life and better hope for their futures.
Many things have been accomplished to get the ASYV to the point where it is today - everyone who has donated via goods, services, or monetarily should be proud.
However, there is much more to be done - we need to continue to do great things. I for one look forward to continued efforts for fund raising, donation drives, and providing support to the ASYV.
Below are some Pics:
1 - two children who live outside of the ASYV
2 - the Feb2010 Village People (sans Brian) during the gorilla trek (that's not Brian in the background)
3 - hanging with one of the 250 children at the village
4 - capacity crowd during "village time"; every Friday night
My technical adventure in Rwanda
Before I left for Rwanda, I knew that my goal was to replace the current Linux computer infrastructure with the Windows platform. I had to modify the 2 Windows authentication machines that were built in NY to function within the new environment. The successful deployment of those machines guaranteed that for the first time that each student and staff at the Village would be able to logon with their own username. In addition, having one of those machines function as a repository for files would also mark the first time that staff and students can share data or work together on documents in the village without the involvement of some internet based infrastructure or external disk based device.
The adventure wasn't all rosy for the team since we encountered major challenges. We had to deploy Office 2007 to 40 netbooks, and with the limited resources available everyone on the team rose up to the occasion and pulled it off after some neat tricks. To make matters worse the imaging machine that we brought with us had to be rebuilt due to hardware issues. Since I had never built an imaging server, I had to improvise with the team in New York over Office Communicator to get that task done. It took over 4 hours to download some files over Outlook Web Access. The team also got involved with fixing personal computer problems for those at the village, and we even got Windows to run on machines that we were previously told couldn't.
While the trip has come to and end, I must say that I had a blast working with the Liquidnet team. No task was ever too big or out of reach for us. Our perseverance allowed us to accomplish the majority of our main goals.
The adventure wasn't all rosy for the team since we encountered major challenges. We had to deploy Office 2007 to 40 netbooks, and with the limited resources available everyone on the team rose up to the occasion and pulled it off after some neat tricks. To make matters worse the imaging machine that we brought with us had to be rebuilt due to hardware issues. Since I had never built an imaging server, I had to improvise with the team in New York over Office Communicator to get that task done. It took over 4 hours to download some files over Outlook Web Access. The team also got involved with fixing personal computer problems for those at the village, and we even got Windows to run on machines that we were previously told couldn't.
While the trip has come to and end, I must say that I had a blast working with the Liquidnet team. No task was ever too big or out of reach for us. Our perseverance allowed us to accomplish the majority of our main goals.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
From Rick
First, last two posts were from events on Wednesday or something. Can't remember as I have lost my mind hear in Rwanda. No sleep. As I type this it is 1:30am on Saturday morning. We leave this beautiful place later in the day and I will most likely only get three hours of sleep again but am trying to finish things up tonight to have some sort of peace of mind.
(Oh in the background I hear what I assume are the two baby calves that were born in the village while we have been here.)
Thursday was Gorilla day. It was fantastic. I am out of shape. I do not look as much like a gorilla as people might think. (See pic below). Cars, even the heaviest of heavy duty Land-rovers were not made for Rwanda's "dirt" (said clay, mud, bolder) roads. This time the clutch died. Fortunately we were able to swap out cars about an hours way away from returning to the village. All in all an wonderful day and an amazing experience. (See Eddie's ditty about the experience, he captures it well.
Today I skipped the rice patty plantation hike, got Eddie to wash my clothes, and was able to help teach some physics, critical thinking and a business class. The interactions with the kids, this time in the class was amazing. The students are eager to learn. Fortunately for me the physic's class subject was about optics. Right up my alley as I have a minor in the subject and for some bizarre reason have retained most of my knowledge about dealing with convex and concave mirrors, their focal points, virtual images, etc. It was a blast being in front of the students.
After lunch it was back to work trying to troubleshoot wireless coverage in the village. Had some successes and some setbacks but hopefully we'll get there just before we leave. Just hoping we have electricity in the morning.
Pics (Me/Gorilla, Brian, Chalk Board, me and two of the kids in a class I helped teach, me and another kid, village time, dance party)
Good Night All!!!
Speaking of later today, we will be working on the farm for a couple of hours...or at least that is the plan. But knowing how things roll here, the plan changes quite rapidly.
Oops almost forgot, village time earlier was great. We each got up in front of all the students and staff to describe our experiences, thank them all for their welcoming hospitality, and say good bye. Then the dancing began, and Mr. Edward J Hayes was cuttin' a mean rug Rwandan style. The party was a blast.
There are thousands of pictures to sift through and I'm sure select ones will be shared. Until next time, enjoy some photos.
(Oh in the background I hear what I assume are the two baby calves that were born in the village while we have been here.)
Thursday was Gorilla day. It was fantastic. I am out of shape. I do not look as much like a gorilla as people might think. (See pic below). Cars, even the heaviest of heavy duty Land-rovers were not made for Rwanda's "dirt" (said clay, mud, bolder) roads. This time the clutch died. Fortunately we were able to swap out cars about an hours way away from returning to the village. All in all an wonderful day and an amazing experience. (See Eddie's ditty about the experience, he captures it well.
Today I skipped the rice patty plantation hike, got Eddie to wash my clothes, and was able to help teach some physics, critical thinking and a business class. The interactions with the kids, this time in the class was amazing. The students are eager to learn. Fortunately for me the physic's class subject was about optics. Right up my alley as I have a minor in the subject and for some bizarre reason have retained most of my knowledge about dealing with convex and concave mirrors, their focal points, virtual images, etc. It was a blast being in front of the students.
After lunch it was back to work trying to troubleshoot wireless coverage in the village. Had some successes and some setbacks but hopefully we'll get there just before we leave. Just hoping we have electricity in the morning.
Pics (Me/Gorilla, Brian, Chalk Board, me and two of the kids in a class I helped teach, me and another kid, village time, dance party)
Good Night All!!!
Speaking of later today, we will be working on the farm for a couple of hours...or at least that is the plan. But knowing how things roll here, the plan changes quite rapidly.
Oops almost forgot, village time earlier was great. We each got up in front of all the students and staff to describe our experiences, thank them all for their welcoming hospitality, and say good bye. Then the dancing began, and Mr. Edward J Hayes was cuttin' a mean rug Rwandan style. The party was a blast.
There are thousands of pictures to sift through and I'm sure select ones will be shared. Until next time, enjoy some photos.
From Rick - The Team
The team is definitely in a groove. Although the electric is out during the day, once 5pm hit it's full throttle. Some of the laptops we've brought seem to be none functional in some way, but we were able to make some whole by swapping out parts for others. We have been told that today, Thursday, the electricity will begin to be on during the day. Despite all of these hurdles we have made significant process so far.
From Rick - The Students
Because of the hours being worked and sometimes having to go to Kigali, interaction with the students has been fairly limited. Today, Wednesday, I had some free time. During lunch I did not pair up with one of the other village people and scouted out on my own some student for which to sit and eat. These kids are ambitious and eager. They have extremely high ambitions and seem to have the drive to persevere.
From Zoe: Sleep is over rated, but I do love it!
Today was incredible. I was able to get further with the kids than any
of the previous days. Before they had opened up through limited
conversations. Today I started seeing the world through their eyes.
They asked serious questions about the politics, economics, and global
relationships.
of the previous days. Before they had opened up through limited
conversations. Today I started seeing the world through their eyes.
They asked serious questions about the politics, economics, and global
relationships.
We took a beautiful morning hike through the farms in the valley by
Robona. We walked on narrow pathways between crops and hand-dug
irrigation systems. The people here work together tending the massive
farm and sharing the rewards. The rice fields held life in all stages,
from sprouts to tall stalks ready for harvest . We passed sweet potato,
maize (corn), cabbage, cassava, and sunflower (which they turn to oil).
We followed the feet in front of us, cautious of the drop into water on
either side, through the maze often turning back when we hit a dead end
of corn stalks, steep hill side, or irrigation.
This trip was our first look at the houses off the road. The people in
the farm ive in even smaller houses of sticks and clay with no windows,
rather than the more luxurious clay-brick homes of the road. But still
everyone was so happy. Their needs are few.
In the afternoon I worked with Sonia to resolve Capturing Moments, a
photography-therapy project. We were able to leave on a great note,
with a strong plan to resolve the camera shortage (3 cameras went
missing between New York and here!).
At the day's end, David stopped by our guest lodge to give me a
drawing. Beautiful pink flowers. I will treasure it forever.
This week I struggled with the idea of giving students my email
address. I love the idea of staying in contact, but question its
feasibility when we are worlds apart. I have enough trouble staying in
touch with the people in my reality. I fear for questions like "when
will you come back?," because there is no good way to answer. I am so
tied to my life at home, and also so engaged by this one. I am scared
for when we will become figments of each others imagination. But today,
in David, I felt hope that this short contact could be extended, and
that by doing so I could bring joy to someone else.
I found that we are not here helping them, they are here helping us.
The students this week have given me hope, they have shown me courage,
and they have reaffirmed the hearts infinite ability to love.
From Eddie: Our last full day at the ASYV
This morning started with a 6 mile hike through a rice plantation which started at 6:20am for Zoe, Dana, Brian, Nir (the village director), and me.
The scenery was beautiful, as expected. One interesting thing that happened on this hike, was that a wild rabbit was running for his life as a dog was chasing the rabbit, shortly behind the dog was a boy running with a long club yelling at the dog in Kinyarwanda. Lunch, perhaps? It was an interesting sight to see as the chase was just a few feet from us.
After the hike we started to do laundry so that we could leave clean clothes behind for the children. It was another fun experience, but we cut it short so that we could do some real work. So we split up, and I headed back to the Accounting office to provide more training and support.
We had lunch and dinner with the children.
Just before dinner tonight we attended "Village Time" an event on Friday evenings where all the children get together and reflect on the events that happened during the week. The Liquidnet Family was invited to speak and we all gave a few words about our experiences during the week. I threw out the invitation to come up to me after village time was over so we could exchange emails. I received about a half dozen emails and a heartfelt note that I will share with everyone during the upcoming Lunch 'n Learn back at the office.
After dinner there was a dance, and in true Liquidnet style, we all participated.
Doing the work here is one thing, but connecting with the children here is a whole experience in itself. Liquidnet village people alumni have told me that visiting the ASYV would be a life changing experience.
I now truly understand what they meant by that.
The scenery was beautiful, as expected. One interesting thing that happened on this hike, was that a wild rabbit was running for his life as a dog was chasing the rabbit, shortly behind the dog was a boy running with a long club yelling at the dog in Kinyarwanda. Lunch, perhaps? It was an interesting sight to see as the chase was just a few feet from us.
After the hike we started to do laundry so that we could leave clean clothes behind for the children. It was another fun experience, but we cut it short so that we could do some real work. So we split up, and I headed back to the Accounting office to provide more training and support.
We had lunch and dinner with the children.
Just before dinner tonight we attended "Village Time" an event on Friday evenings where all the children get together and reflect on the events that happened during the week. The Liquidnet Family was invited to speak and we all gave a few words about our experiences during the week. I threw out the invitation to come up to me after village time was over so we could exchange emails. I received about a half dozen emails and a heartfelt note that I will share with everyone during the upcoming Lunch 'n Learn back at the office.
After dinner there was a dance, and in true Liquidnet style, we all participated.
Doing the work here is one thing, but connecting with the children here is a whole experience in itself. Liquidnet village people alumni have told me that visiting the ASYV would be a life changing experience.
I now truly understand what they meant by that.
From Brian: alert alert: a Friday night dance party is happening at the ASYV
And yes, Dana is in the middle of the dancefloor (obviously).
Dana Stories Con't...
This morning we woke at 530am and went on a hike through the rice plantation. Nir gave us a tour of the local farms and crops, as well as the village water source. The hike was beautiful and lasted for around 3 hours.
When we got back to the village we attempted to do some laundry, but it was taking too long that we decided to go to school and do the wash later.
I sat in on a geograohy class and learned things I was never taught when I was in school. I was amazedto see the difference between the first year and second year students. the classes I taught earlier in the week were all first year students and many struggled with simple english words, but the second year students sat through an entire geography class in english...amazing!! The second year students speak so beautifully.
After class we went to lunch, which was actually very good today. The cooked banana and rice was getting old, so I was stoked to see eggplant and carrots.
School ended at one today, so I'm looking forward to spending most of the afternoon playing sports with the kids. Then, at five we are meeting the JDC volunteers for shabbat dinner and rumor has it there's a dance tonight. Keep you posted!
-Dana
When we got back to the village we attempted to do some laundry, but it was taking too long that we decided to go to school and do the wash later.
I sat in on a geograohy class and learned things I was never taught when I was in school. I was amazedto see the difference between the first year and second year students. the classes I taught earlier in the week were all first year students and many struggled with simple english words, but the second year students sat through an entire geography class in english...amazing!! The second year students speak so beautifully.
After class we went to lunch, which was actually very good today. The cooked banana and rice was getting old, so I was stoked to see eggplant and carrots.
School ended at one today, so I'm looking forward to spending most of the afternoon playing sports with the kids. Then, at five we are meeting the JDC volunteers for shabbat dinner and rumor has it there's a dance tonight. Keep you posted!
-Dana
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