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…
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