begin our journey home. A fitting end to an amazing trip.
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
Thursday, February 11, 2010
From Eddie: Teamwork:: The Gorilla Trek
Another late night last night for after finishing dinner in Kigali we retired back to the ASYV guest house, so we could get some sleep before the 4am alarm. However, Zoe, Dana, Rob, Joseph and I stayed up until about 2am chatting about life. Great conversation.
We were in the waiting car by 4:15am, and arrived at Volcanoes National Park a few hours later. The word from previous village people was that the Susa family of Silverbacks was the one to request (also the furthest hike). We put in our request to track the Susa's, and we were told that since the Susa family is the most popular, many people make the same request. In the end, we won the request and we were all excited.
After about an hour drive (mostly by off-roading in rough terrain), we met up with the guides and porters. We hiked up for about an hour before reaching the entrance to the jungle. Then we hiked about another hour or so up through very thick brush, which at times had cleared with one of the guides by using a machete.
We found the Susa family! We were VERY close to them, and as we first interacted with them, one silverback walked by us and reached out for Zoe. Other than Dana getting nervous and upset about the close encounter, everything was fine and we spent an hour taking many incredible pictures.
We then hiked back down the mountain. I've hiked before, but I have never been in a jungle, and have never been near wild gorillas like that.
Other than spending time with the gorillas, I loved the TEAMWORK aspect of the gorilla trek. We helped each other up and down the mountain, pushing each other, calling out steep drops, slippery areas, pricker bushes, etc.
This was an experience that I will never forget.
Now it's 10:30pm, and we are back at the ASYV, in a Scrum meeting. More work to be done tomorrow.
Looking forward to sleeping tonight.
We were in the waiting car by 4:15am, and arrived at Volcanoes National Park a few hours later. The word from previous village people was that the Susa family of Silverbacks was the one to request (also the furthest hike). We put in our request to track the Susa's, and we were told that since the Susa family is the most popular, many people make the same request. In the end, we won the request and we were all excited.
After about an hour drive (mostly by off-roading in rough terrain), we met up with the guides and porters. We hiked up for about an hour before reaching the entrance to the jungle. Then we hiked about another hour or so up through very thick brush, which at times had cleared with one of the guides by using a machete.
We found the Susa family! We were VERY close to them, and as we first interacted with them, one silverback walked by us and reached out for Zoe. Other than Dana getting nervous and upset about the close encounter, everything was fine and we spent an hour taking many incredible pictures.
We then hiked back down the mountain. I've hiked before, but I have never been in a jungle, and have never been near wild gorillas like that.
Other than spending time with the gorillas, I loved the TEAMWORK aspect of the gorilla trek. We helped each other up and down the mountain, pushing each other, calling out steep drops, slippery areas, pricker bushes, etc.
This was an experience that I will never forget.
Now it's 10:30pm, and we are back at the ASYV, in a Scrum meeting. More work to be done tomorrow.
Looking forward to sleeping tonight.
Dana Stories Con't...
This morning we woke up at 4am for our gorilla trek. It was a 2.5 hour ride to the National park..we got a quick debrief at the park before we were on our way. From the park we drove an hour towards the volcano and the site for our hike. The ride was an adventure in itself..it reminded me of off-roading in Fraser Island, australia..lots of fun. The hike was beautiful..challenging, but not too challenging. We hiked for about an hour and then ventured into the jungle. The trek through the jungle was awesome, except for the fact that I was not dressed appropriately. My pants were so thin, so I felt every thorn and prick. I also had not hat, gloves, or glasses which were very much needed. Despite the pain, the trek was great. After an hour or so we saw the Susa family of gorillas. I was so excited when I saw the first one, but my excitement quickly turned to fear when it reached out and tried to grab zoe. My smile quickly turned to tears and I was frightened!! I thought about the chimp in connecticut and I saw my life flash by my eyes. I could not stop crying!! I don't know what came over me, but I thought I was going to have a panic attack. My heart was racing, I had goosebumps, but was sweating..I was a wreck and wanted to leave so badly! Our guide came over to comfort me, he thought I was so emotional because I was so happy to see the gorillas, when I told him I was terrified, he held me in his arms like a baby. It took me a little while before I could catch my breath and then I was okay, but I was still too scared to enjoy myself. At that point I didn't want to take any photos, I didn't want to look at any of the gorillas, I just wanted to leave. Our guide was very sweet and he held me the entire time, and I held on to him for dear life. Finally, after an hour or so he told us it was time to head back...everyone seemed sad to leave, but I was ecstatic!! I could not have been more ready to leave.
The trek down felt like an eternity..I just wanted to get out of there and knew we had miles to go. I was getting pricked, and stung, and bit...it was horrible. We made it out around 2pm and then headed to lunch. I was excited to eat, but I really didn't enjoy that either as I was over the day. I am glad I did it, and it most certainly is an experience I will never forget, but also will never do again.
Lunch also felt like an eternity..we r now in the truck heading back to the village. We have a 3 hour ride home and its already 6:45pm. I cannot wait to get back, shower, and go to sleep. This has been a very long, very exhausting day. I am looking forward to spending tomorrow with the students and I'm looking forward to our tour of the rice plant. I think I may even be substitute teaching again tomorrow, which I loved..so I'm excited for that..."here's to another day"
The trek down felt like an eternity..I just wanted to get out of there and knew we had miles to go. I was getting pricked, and stung, and bit...it was horrible. We made it out around 2pm and then headed to lunch. I was excited to eat, but I really didn't enjoy that either as I was over the day. I am glad I did it, and it most certainly is an experience I will never forget, but also will never do again.
Lunch also felt like an eternity..we r now in the truck heading back to the village. We have a 3 hour ride home and its already 6:45pm. I cannot wait to get back, shower, and go to sleep. This has been a very long, very exhausting day. I am looking forward to spending tomorrow with the students and I'm looking forward to our tour of the rice plant. I think I may even be substitute teaching again tomorrow, which I loved..so I'm excited for that..."here's to another day"
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Being here in Rwanda has really been an adventure for me from many perspectives. It made up for the fact that I haven't been back to Haiti since my arrival in the US. The two countries are very similar in terms of people, transportation infrastructures, and way of living. While I haven't walked that much since I left Haiti, I am having a blast walking down here in Rwanda.
My visit to the Ntunga market brought back great memories of Haiti. The merchants were friendly even when we tried to negotiate on the price of the variety of goods they were selling. I bought the tastiest and sweetest pineapple along with some clothing fabric at the market.
My trip to the town of Rubona was an experience that is forever etched in my mind. The Liquidnet team down here in Rwanda was surrounded by over 200 of the most beautiful, innocent, loving and playful children. They had us take pictures of them, and the look on their eyes when they saw their pictures is worth dying for. The moment was just intense.
Tomorrow, I will brief you on my technical adventures down here in Rwanda.
Thank you for reading.
My visit to the Ntunga market brought back great memories of Haiti. The merchants were friendly even when we tried to negotiate on the price of the variety of goods they were selling. I bought the tastiest and sweetest pineapple along with some clothing fabric at the market.
My trip to the town of Rubona was an experience that is forever etched in my mind. The Liquidnet team down here in Rwanda was surrounded by over 200 of the most beautiful, innocent, loving and playful children. They had us take pictures of them, and the look on their eyes when they saw their pictures is worth dying for. The moment was just intense.
Tomorrow, I will brief you on my technical adventures down here in Rwanda.
Thank you for reading.
From Eddie: A fun filled day... with work inserted at times
So I finally went to bed at 4am this morning and had to get up at 7am for a 7:30 meeting with the ASYV accountant. 3 hours of sleep doesn't sound like alot, but it's enough for me while being here, knowing that we are doing this work for such a great cause.
I made it back to our housing quarters with enough time to lay down for bit (never went back to sleep) before the group was ready for the walk into the village of Rabona. I have to say having all of the children swarm us was an amazing experience in itself. There was well over 100 kids each wanting to touch the skin on our arms and hold our hands.
We were a huge hit with our digital cameras by taking their pictures and then showing them the pictures right away. I easily took about 50 pictures myself while in Rabona; I'm sure my colleagues did the same, if not more.
Once back at the ASYV, we went to lunch with the ASYV students, then we went back to the room for a 15 minute break.
The work began again, with us bringing the 40 laptops that be brought from NY and configured here as a team up to the office to be distributed.
We then split up as we had various assignments. Mine was to meet with the accountant again for an additional Quick books discussion.
After that, Dana played some basketball with the kids, and Dana, Rick and I worked out with the volleyball team. (I kid you not - these kids train like a professional team).
Once the power came back on, I had to go back to work once again, addressing wireless network issues in the office, and some additional QuickBooks administration.
What am I doing right now? Well, after a COLD shower (having warm water seems to be a distant memory of the first two days) I'm relaxing in our common area, blogging and checking email.
We are leaving for Kigali at 8:00pm to stay in the ASYV apartment there. The plan for tomorrow is to go on a gorilla trek, which we are all excited about... More on that later.
I made it back to our housing quarters with enough time to lay down for bit (never went back to sleep) before the group was ready for the walk into the village of Rabona. I have to say having all of the children swarm us was an amazing experience in itself. There was well over 100 kids each wanting to touch the skin on our arms and hold our hands.
We were a huge hit with our digital cameras by taking their pictures and then showing them the pictures right away. I easily took about 50 pictures myself while in Rabona; I'm sure my colleagues did the same, if not more.
Once back at the ASYV, we went to lunch with the ASYV students, then we went back to the room for a 15 minute break.
The work began again, with us bringing the 40 laptops that be brought from NY and configured here as a team up to the office to be distributed.
We then split up as we had various assignments. Mine was to meet with the accountant again for an additional Quick books discussion.
After that, Dana played some basketball with the kids, and Dana, Rick and I worked out with the volleyball team. (I kid you not - these kids train like a professional team).
Once the power came back on, I had to go back to work once again, addressing wireless network issues in the office, and some additional QuickBooks administration.
What am I doing right now? Well, after a COLD shower (having warm water seems to be a distant memory of the first two days) I'm relaxing in our common area, blogging and checking email.
We are leaving for Kigali at 8:00pm to stay in the ASYV apartment there. The plan for tomorrow is to go on a gorilla trek, which we are all excited about... More on that later.
Dana Stories con't...
I am beat!! Today was another exhausting, yet fantastic day! We started our day with a walk into "town"...we got swarmed by hundreds of students from the local school. The kids were adorable, but let's just say I would never want to be famous! Every child wanted to shake our hand, talk to us, stare at us, ask us for money, rub off the "white" on my skin, touch my hair, take photos, have my sunglasses, take my bag...everything! The first 20 minutes was cute, but then it was enough. We finally made it back to the village nearly 3 hours later...maybe 2..I don't really recall since I was so dehydrated and exhausted from the heat. Brian was very generous to give us 15 mins to rest before we had to get back to work. We delivered laptops to the office for the staff, and then I went with Rick to take photos of the cafeteria because they need to fix the acoustics. After that me rick and eddie went to play volleyball with some of the students...OMG!! I thought karate was hard yesterday...this felt like bootcamp. It was all guys, and they were real good..I played for about 45 minutes and then went to karate. I didn't want to hold the team back...at least in karate when I don't do well, they have someone to laugh at, but I'm not holding anyone back.
I just got back from karate and am about to pack for our trip to kigali. We will be heading there this evening, so we can wake early and go on the gorilla trek. I can't wait for the trek...more stories when we return.
I just got back from karate and am about to pack for our trip to kigali. We will be heading there this evening, so we can wake early and go on the gorilla trek. I can't wait for the trek...more stories when we return.
From Rob: Kids are Cool
Its 4pm in Rwanda.
Its about 80F today. Scorcher. I dont think ive had a tan this dark since 1992.
We worked until about 3am last night. We got all the servers up and running and started training the staff. Staff are learning quick.
We got up around 9:30 and went to Rabona. The kids were just breaking for lunch I guess, so as soon as we got into the village we got swarmed with primary school kids. They were adorable. They were fascinated by the hair on my arms as well as my giant camera. Even though Rwanda is very poor, there is a very honest culture. I did not feel as if anyone was going to steal from me. They were more interested in my hairy arms and the smell of my sunblock.
After the trip to Rabona and the 5 mile hike, we had some lunch. It consisted of bananas and peas, along with carrots and string beans, rice, and freshly picked pinapple. 70% of the food is grown at the village. It was all very fresh.
Although this is a school, the kids are far more disciplined. Far more is expected of them. They must go to school 6 days a week, participate in extra curricular activities, and then on saturday they participate in the farming and harvesting. On top of all that, they do their own dishes, and wash their own clothes. Everything is done by hand here. It is quite amazing.
After we are done here we are going to head back to Kigali. We will be going on the gorilla safari tomorrow. As tired as I am, I am really looking forward to it.
Until next time...
Its about 80F today. Scorcher. I dont think ive had a tan this dark since 1992.
We worked until about 3am last night. We got all the servers up and running and started training the staff. Staff are learning quick.
We got up around 9:30 and went to Rabona. The kids were just breaking for lunch I guess, so as soon as we got into the village we got swarmed with primary school kids. They were adorable. They were fascinated by the hair on my arms as well as my giant camera. Even though Rwanda is very poor, there is a very honest culture. I did not feel as if anyone was going to steal from me. They were more interested in my hairy arms and the smell of my sunblock.
After the trip to Rabona and the 5 mile hike, we had some lunch. It consisted of bananas and peas, along with carrots and string beans, rice, and freshly picked pinapple. 70% of the food is grown at the village. It was all very fresh.
Although this is a school, the kids are far more disciplined. Far more is expected of them. They must go to school 6 days a week, participate in extra curricular activities, and then on saturday they participate in the farming and harvesting. On top of all that, they do their own dishes, and wash their own clothes. Everything is done by hand here. It is quite amazing.
After we are done here we are going to head back to Kigali. We will be going on the gorilla safari tomorrow. As tired as I am, I am really looking forward to it.
Until next time...
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
From Rick
| They smell worse then they look. (Red clay stains from the muddy grounds after a horrendous storm.) |
NYC). With power out during the day, the team is having late nights
(and early mornings - sleep is for the plane!) working on ASYV IT
projects. We're working out of the server room, one of the admin
offices at the Liquidnet Family High School.
From Eddie: IM'ing with a NY colleague
Thanks to Jen Lewis for answering some outstanding Quickbooks questions. Ran my first Quickbooks training session today, which went well. I had to set up the training session at the ASYV apartment in Kigali, since the village is still without power during the day.
From Rick
| On the way back to the village we needed to make a few side trips for village employees and went through some areas of Kigali which was an eye opening experience about night time life here. There are just so many people walking the streets, hundreds, even thousands per block. Hanging around street corners, in an extremely densly built up area of housing. walking in the dark as the power in this section of the neighborhood is out. Open wood fires on corners with people huddled around them. We truly are fortunate back at home, very, very, fortunate. |
From Brian: flat tire
We are currently fixing a flat tire on the side of a rural road in the pitch darkness. Quite the adventure. Photos to come.
From Zoe: To the rest of the team in Kigali
We're starting Capturing Moments tonight with Sonia at the Health and
Wellness Center at 9pm. Rob - We're you able to get the server fully
operational? What is the url?
Wellness Center at 9pm. Rob - We're you able to get the server fully
operational? What is the url?
Today was very successful. With loved teaching the English classes.
The students were attentive and excited for the participatory format.
We tried to teach some basic emotions so that in conversation they can
move beyond "I'm fine"and "I have problem" to "I'm excited" or "I'm
disappointed" I'm motivated" "I'm hopeful."
From Dana: More class stories
My second class was my favorite. The students were more advanced than the first class, so we were able to work with them on writing complete sentences and we were also able to teach them new expressions and emotions. When zoe and I met with Sonia yesterday, she told us that many students have difficulty expressing themselves and dealing with their emotions. In class today we gave them words like dissapointment, hopeful, excited and we discussed the meaning and had them write complete sentences using the words. I was blown away by how successful this exercise was. None of the students knew the word excited or motivated and I hope to hear them use some of the new words we taught them in family time. Last night everyone said their day was good..this week I hope to hear some other feelings about their day.
Our 3rd and 4th class were similar in level to our first class, so we worked on vocabulary, spelling, and a few short sentences. Both classes were so thrilled to have Zoe and I there, no one wanted us to leave. After class, they kept us to ask more questions, lots of questions..all the students want to know everything about everything..and we did our best to answer everything about everything :-)
Our 3rd and 4th class were similar in level to our first class, so we worked on vocabulary, spelling, and a few short sentences. Both classes were so thrilled to have Zoe and I there, no one wanted us to leave. After class, they kept us to ask more questions, lots of questions..all the students want to know everything about everything..and we did our best to answer everything about everything :-)
From Rick
Greetings from Dana
Late last night a few of the volunteers met to recap the day, prioritize our tasks and goals while here, and brainstorm ideas for ways to improve the village, fundraising ideas we can do back home, new ideas for Stand Up + Be Counted, our benefit event which will be held in May, and other suggestions for improvement.
During our brainstorm session, we decided the guys needed to go to Kigali today to complete some work since there is no electrity in the village right now..the onsite tech thought it was best if he went along, so I asked if I could fill-in and teach his classes.
So, this morning the guys went to Kigali and zoe and I taught 4 english classes...it was amazing. Last night I wanted to be the social and event director at the village and after today, I now want to be an english teacher as well...shhhh, don't tell my boss ;-)
Teaching these students was amazing!! Nothing like the students I went to school with. I was a little nervous before the first class, since I wasn't really given any direction, syllabus..nada. Back home, most students have little to no respect for substitute teachers, but not here..not at the Liquidnet Family High School..every student is eager to learn, they are so incredibly ambitious and they have such high hopes and dreams.
When asked where I was from, I told them Liquidnet in America..it was a bit challenging to explain the difference between the Liquidnet School and Liquidnet where I work, but they all understood that Anne, the founder of ASYV was married to Seth, the founder of Liquidnet. They all love Anne very much, and told me what a loving person she is, they told me she loves people and they love her. I told them we all love Anne :-)
They then asked if I was married..they all ask about marriage..they love to talk about babies, motherhood, marriage..so I think I let them down when I said I was single.
Once we answered a few questions, and they got to know us..we began the class. We split the students up into groups and asked them various questions like Name 3 objects you would find in a kitchen. As a team they came up with the answer and wrote it on the board. We covered new vocabulary, we learned to spell, and all the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves. None of the them wanted the class to end...
During our brainstorm session, we decided the guys needed to go to Kigali today to complete some work since there is no electrity in the village right now..the onsite tech thought it was best if he went along, so I asked if I could fill-in and teach his classes.
So, this morning the guys went to Kigali and zoe and I taught 4 english classes...it was amazing. Last night I wanted to be the social and event director at the village and after today, I now want to be an english teacher as well...shhhh, don't tell my boss ;-)
Teaching these students was amazing!! Nothing like the students I went to school with. I was a little nervous before the first class, since I wasn't really given any direction, syllabus..nada. Back home, most students have little to no respect for substitute teachers, but not here..not at the Liquidnet Family High School..every student is eager to learn, they are so incredibly ambitious and they have such high hopes and dreams.
When asked where I was from, I told them Liquidnet in America..it was a bit challenging to explain the difference between the Liquidnet School and Liquidnet where I work, but they all understood that Anne, the founder of ASYV was married to Seth, the founder of Liquidnet. They all love Anne very much, and told me what a loving person she is, they told me she loves people and they love her. I told them we all love Anne :-)
They then asked if I was married..they all ask about marriage..they love to talk about babies, motherhood, marriage..so I think I let them down when I said I was single.
Once we answered a few questions, and they got to know us..we began the class. We split the students up into groups and asked them various questions like Name 3 objects you would find in a kitchen. As a team they came up with the answer and wrote it on the board. We covered new vocabulary, we learned to spell, and all the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves. None of the them wanted the class to end...
From Rick
Shalom from Dana
I have so many stories I want to share, so Ill try my best to share as many as possible by giving u the abridged version online, and those interested can come and ask questions when I return to the states.
Last night I got to sit-in with Family 8 during family time. Each families gathers around for an hour every evening to discuss their day. Every child in my family enjoyed their day, enjoyed school, and really enjoyed their clubs. One thing they all vented about was the need for shoes, specifically sneakers. I plan to organize a shoe drive when I get back to NY, so we can deliver the students with the sneakers they so very much need. In addition to the regular wear and tear, the boys are growing..and they grow out of their sneakers so quickly. They also play in conditions very different than what we're used to...their sneakers take a lot more abuse, and need to be replaced much more often. We need to collect sneakers and donate as many sneakers as possible to the students. The children also the world cup which will be played in africa, they discussed the upcoming presidential elections, the debated about whether or not families should sit together in the dining room, and the expressed a need for a barber in the village. Family time is a great way for the students to end their day, and a great opportunity for the students to share their thoughts, feelings and concerns with their mother, counselor, brothers + sisters.
Tonight in family time, Zoe and I will introduce a new program to the students, which should further help them express themselves.
We will be giving every child in the family a camera to use for the week to take photographs. At some point during the week we ask that the child return to the camera to sonia, their social worker/counselor. They will present their favorite photograph to sonia and share their thoughts about the photo..why they took it? Why its their favorite? What it means to them.
Last night I got to sit-in with Family 8 during family time. Each families gathers around for an hour every evening to discuss their day. Every child in my family enjoyed their day, enjoyed school, and really enjoyed their clubs. One thing they all vented about was the need for shoes, specifically sneakers. I plan to organize a shoe drive when I get back to NY, so we can deliver the students with the sneakers they so very much need. In addition to the regular wear and tear, the boys are growing..and they grow out of their sneakers so quickly. They also play in conditions very different than what we're used to...their sneakers take a lot more abuse, and need to be replaced much more often. We need to collect sneakers and donate as many sneakers as possible to the students. The children also the world cup which will be played in africa, they discussed the upcoming presidential elections, the debated about whether or not families should sit together in the dining room, and the expressed a need for a barber in the village. Family time is a great way for the students to end their day, and a great opportunity for the students to share their thoughts, feelings and concerns with their mother, counselor, brothers + sisters.
Tonight in family time, Zoe and I will introduce a new program to the students, which should further help them express themselves.
We will be giving every child in the family a camera to use for the week to take photographs. At some point during the week we ask that the child return to the camera to sonia, their social worker/counselor. They will present their favorite photograph to sonia and share their thoughts about the photo..why they took it? Why its their favorite? What it means to them.
This is exactly what it looks like.
she crashes after a long day. Dana and Zoe's room became our makeshift
workstation, for reasons that now escape us but seemed to make sense
at the time.
Monday, February 8, 2010
From Rick
A very long day here at ASYV. First a nice warm shower...that's right
people we had warm water this morning. (Although, Joseph and Rob's
shower knob shot off the fixture and had a jet of water across the
room.) Eddie and I were kind enough to lend our shower to them.
After being repeatedly hurried by Papa Smurf (BW) we ended up being a
bit late for the meal but again met some of the other kids. This
morning I carried a conversation with Simion who is in his second year
here at the village. In the second year the kids have a choice of
various programs for school. Simion's choice was rather technical
Mathematics, Physics, and Computers. Currently he's learning
statistics in his mathematics class and we had a very engaging
conversation about the topic. I was able to help him understand some
of the concepts as he was eager to understand and learn more. The
crazy thing is that it is hard to understand how influential the
conversation for Simion.
people we had warm water this morning. (Although, Joseph and Rob's
shower knob shot off the fixture and had a jet of water across the
room.) Eddie and I were kind enough to lend our shower to them.
After being repeatedly hurried by Papa Smurf (BW) we ended up being a
bit late for the meal but again met some of the other kids. This
morning I carried a conversation with Simion who is in his second year
here at the village. In the second year the kids have a choice of
various programs for school. Simion's choice was rather technical
Mathematics, Physics, and Computers. Currently he's learning
statistics in his mathematics class and we had a very engaging
conversation about the topic. I was able to help him understand some
of the concepts as he was eager to understand and learn more. The
crazy thing is that it is hard to understand how influential the
conversation for Simion.
Last one from me for the day...
Promise!! I could keep going, but I'm heading to dinner. I made several new friends in class today, and playing volleyball this afternoon and I told them I'd eat with them...I don't want to be late..more stories tomorrow..love and miss u all,
Dana
Dana
Nope, not done yet...
You didn't really think I was through, did you?!?
I passed ou right after dinner..not smart, cause by 3am I was wide awake. Thanks to red bull, it didn't matter much today..we woke bright and early and got a complete tour of the village. The village is incredible!! Absolutely mindblowing!! Everything about it is in incredible. How such an incredible place could be created in such a short period of time is amazing. The farm, the homes, the school...everything is amazing!! There are no words to describe..if I told u..u wouldn't believe me.
We also toolk a trip into the local town today and walked around the market. Now that was an adventure!! The locals were taking photographs of us as if we were celebrities...lol. Naturally, I posed for them and pulled brian in for some shots as well :-)
I had the great privilege to meet Nir when we returned from the market. Nir shared with us his hopes and dreams for the village. His learning beliefs and philosphies, and he concluded with an incredibly warm thank you to us and all of liquidnet. His choice of wors were so touching, I couldn't hold back tears. It was evident that Nir and everyone in the village is so grateful and appreciative of everyone and everything Liquidnet has done and does for the village. You should all be very proud of yourself!! You may not know it, but you are making a huge impact in the lives of so many here!!! I invited Nir to participate in the triathalon this summer, so hopefully he decided to do so, and you can all meet him if he comes to NY. I feel lucky and honored to have met Nir..and I hope you all have the privilege to meet him one day.
I passed ou right after dinner..not smart, cause by 3am I was wide awake. Thanks to red bull, it didn't matter much today..we woke bright and early and got a complete tour of the village. The village is incredible!! Absolutely mindblowing!! Everything about it is in incredible. How such an incredible place could be created in such a short period of time is amazing. The farm, the homes, the school...everything is amazing!! There are no words to describe..if I told u..u wouldn't believe me.
We also toolk a trip into the local town today and walked around the market. Now that was an adventure!! The locals were taking photographs of us as if we were celebrities...lol. Naturally, I posed for them and pulled brian in for some shots as well :-)
I had the great privilege to meet Nir when we returned from the market. Nir shared with us his hopes and dreams for the village. His learning beliefs and philosphies, and he concluded with an incredibly warm thank you to us and all of liquidnet. His choice of wors were so touching, I couldn't hold back tears. It was evident that Nir and everyone in the village is so grateful and appreciative of everyone and everything Liquidnet has done and does for the village. You should all be very proud of yourself!! You may not know it, but you are making a huge impact in the lives of so many here!!! I invited Nir to participate in the triathalon this summer, so hopefully he decided to do so, and you can all meet him if he comes to NY. I feel lucky and honored to have met Nir..and I hope you all have the privilege to meet him one day.
Greetings from Dana
We arrived in Kigali Saturday night, and our adventure began upon arrival. We were 7 employees, with 14 huge suitcases, trying to squeeze into a van that barely sat 7 people, so where the 14 suitcases would go...no one knew.
Well, we did it...or shall I say the men did it. Zoe and I supervised ;-) and we headed to the ASYV apartment. I was very pleasantly surprised by the apt, aside from a gigantic bug in the bathroom...the place was very impressive. We grabbed a quick bite at an indian restaurant next door and then crashed early...
Well, we did it...or shall I say the men did it. Zoe and I supervised ;-) and we headed to the ASYV apartment. I was very pleasantly surprised by the apt, aside from a gigantic bug in the bathroom...the place was very impressive. We grabbed a quick bite at an indian restaurant next door and then crashed early...
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