Welcome to Kigali!

Muraho!!!

I can't believe its only been 2 days! It feels like I've been here for so long already! Internet is harder to come by than I originally anticipated, so blog posts may be a little irregular, but I will do what I can!

I arrived at 12:30am on Saturday (Friday night) and arrived at the St. Paul's guesthouse by 1ish. St. Paul's is a guest house right by the largest catholic church in Kigali called St. Famille. At night it was scary, not being able to really see what it looked like or where anything was... cement floors, outdoor bathrooms (no toilet paper or sinks, or toilet lids), outdoor showers in the same area, and I had to figure out the mosquito net situation in my room, and the power had decided to turn off for the night. It definitely was an adventure and something I knew I would have to get used to! (Now I am already completely used to it and it feels like home). The accommadations are really as the program says "culturally appropriate". Really, I have realized, it has absolutely everything I need here - a bed, a light, a bathroom and a shower (which I am actually lucky to have here, and I know that).

On Saturday afternoon we went for a typical Rwandan buffet lunch (fried bananas, rice, avocado and beans...and found out quickly we would be eating this pretty much everyday). That evening we went to the finals of an annual African dance competition! Very exciting to be part of a local event!

Sunday we went on a tour of Kigali; saw a great, active youth centre started by Michael Jackson's producer, with many soccer and basketball games going on and many other positive NGO's working to rebuild the country. We stopped at the Belgian memorial which was the site of the shooting of the 10 Belgian soldiers who were protecting the Prime Minister during the genocide, which was definitely an emotional stop. We saw many other sites that are well known by stories that took place during the genocide, and it was really thought provoking, to put history into real context.

We had our first full day of a program orientation with the North American participants at the head office of the Rwandan organization partnering with Global Youth Connect in leading the program called AJPRODHO. We had great discussions about our motivations to be here, what we wanted to learn, discussions about identity, perceptions of privilege, and had a Rwandan culture discussion to really star understanding what is appropriate or not and customs to be aware of. (such as not eating or drinking on the streets - a cultural faux pas). At night a group of us went to a theatre production that was in French and was actually created by a Canadian and fist produced at the National Arts Centre and travelled to Toronto and Montreal before being adapted to the Rwandan context and produced here. We were able to make it to the closing night of the performance. It was at an NGO called ISHYO which is one of the groups we are working with throughout the delegation as well.

Today was the official first day of the program and I couldn't be happier to be here! The program concept is actually ideal. There are an equal number of Rwandan and North American participants and the program is organized jointly between GYC and AJPRODHO, creating what they call a "Learning and Action Community," as we are both learning in workshops and conferences and meetings with various groups around Rwanda, as well as actively volunteering with local NGO's; all with a focus on using "Arts for Peace and Development".

We both had to welcome the other group with a song or dance. The Rwandan group welcomed us with a beautiful song and dance about the beauty of Rwanda. The North American group prepared a song to the tune of "we will rock you" ( we thought it was a typical North American beat/song).

We had absolutely incredible break out group discussions coming up with our own definitions for "human rights". "Value of the human being which must be respected by others" was the definition created by the "Rwandan only" group that was voted on by the group to be the most encompassing definition. I was part of the "mixed group" and our definition was "a set of rights, developed throughout history, that empower all human beings with the freedom to live life to its fullest potential, without any exceptions." The discussion lasted most of the morning and it was really interesting to hear different perspectives are start thinking from different angles.

The rest of the afternoon was the the chance to talk about building community, the various organizations we will be breaking out to volunteer with over the next couple of weeks. I will be working with an organization called RAPP, with a program that uses street theatre to educate about HIV/AIDS, trying to mobilize communities to get tested and to use condoms. We had a great discussion with someone from the organization who told us all about the program and what other "Learning and Action Community" participants have done with them in the past.

So far, I am absolutely thrilled and pumped to be here. The North American and Rwandan participants are all absolutely incredible with amazing histories and backgrounds and I already feel I have known people for so long!

Tomorrow we are going to the Kigali Memorial and going to our first homestays!!

Everything is amazing here! Had an absolutely amazing Moroccan dinner tonight at an amazing fancy restaurant in Kigali...probably nicer than any restaurant I have been to at home! The fruit is great, the people are great, the temperature is great, and the journey has only just begun!

Can't wait for the next 3 weeks of what will certainly be a life changing adventure!! I will try to capture some of the stories from all the absolutely incredibly inspiring people I am meeting along the way, and the participants in this fantastic program. It's impossible to get it all down at once, just stay tuned, because there is so much I am anxious to share already!

Ijoro Ryiza
(Goodnight!)