My Journey

My trip to Rwanda has been I feel like a surreal experience. Coming into the trip, I feel/felt like I had a solid understanding of the country and its origins. The second I got here though, and throughout the week I realized I was immediately hit with so many nuances that I couldn’t grasp from solely readings.

I feel like it doesn’t take a village, it takes a nation to complete my understanding. A part of me also thinks though that as much as I would like to, I never will be able to fully understand what happened because I simply wasn’t there. Despite that, what I do know is that this beautiful country and its history have also had a profound impact on me and the way I will view life. When we say the words never again, we truly do mean the words, never again!

I love how every local in Kigali, rural areas, and in peace villages that we spoke to, appeared to be so full of life. I can’t say this is everyone’s reality, just my observation. I love the large aspect of community every village exemplifies , something that I notice am always seeking back home.

I feel like what made the trip so good, and also furthering my knowledge was not just visiting places like Shooting Touch where we are seeing amazing results, but also going to places like COPORWA (Community of Potters of Rwanda) or Murambi Genocide Memorial that were very real and raw that showed the harder stories and narratives that are essential for a holistic view of Rwanda.