Greetings from the other side!I am officially moved in to my PCT house in Nyanza, Rwanda. Pre service training is located near more amenities than I thought I would have, so adjusting to Rwandan life has been just fine. This country truly is the land of 1000 hills, and there are breathtaking views of rolling hills for miles and miles. The scenary definitely makes my walk to class worthwhile. We've just entered the rainy season here in Rwanda, which means it is sunny and gorgeous all morning, with a 3 minute passing shower in the afternoon. Oh, and it peaks at 70 degrees. Not too humid, not too dry, this climate is a dream.
Every morning I wake up tp a rooster crowing outside my window, take a relaxing bucket bath in our outdoor bath house, and get ready for a 10 minute stroll to the training compound. There we get breakfast and lunch (is this Peace Corps!?) and have our classes throughout the day. Sometimes in the evening we have dinner together at the comound, and on the other days we walk to our resource families (we do not live with host families, but we each have a resource family that we spend several days with each week for dinner, quality time, etc.) for dinner. One truth remains constant though, no matter where you eat, you can be certain that you will digest your own weight in straight carbohydrates. Potatoes, bread, rice, and even pasta are all typical to have each day, usually together. I might even eat them 3 times a day. All this starch seemed to sit in my stomach like a rock for the first few days, but I can tell mz body is accomodating to the new diet. It also helps that I eat around the same time each day. On the plus side a vegetarian diet is easily sustainable here, there are plenty of legumes and eggs for protein. I particularly love one popular side dish called isombe, which is a mashed up cassava leaf paste that reminds me of arugala and spinach. It nicely compliments the copious amounts of umuceri (rice) that I am always eating. Rwandans also have a special 'hot sauce' called usembe, which is basically a hot pepper oil. One or two drops are enough to make my whole plate worthy of Garfielding. I'm always trying to add spice to my life. We just learned how to prepare our own food using our small portable coal stoves. It is a process, usually 3 to 4 hours long. Uhhh, Easy Mac, anyone? I totally appreciate the food that is provided to me either from the compound or my resource family. I also understand why a lot of Rwandans, regardless of income, pay someone to either clean their house or do their laundry or both, dinner takes a lot of energy. No wonder they chow on carbs.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
1.5 years in the making
It is hard to believe that I first applied for Peace Corps service 17 months ago. And oh, what a treacherous road it has been. I'm sure I wore a few of you down with my incessant protests about whatever hoop the Peace Corps was making me jump through from week to week. Seemingly insignificant now, the application process is definitely, well, a process. That is why I have to thank each and every one of you that supported my choice to serve in the PC. It was your encouragement that perpetuated my persistence. Persistence that earned the opportunity to serve as an English Education volunteer in Rwanda. You know how contestants on the Price is Right act when they discover that they have just won a new car in the final showcase? This is how I felt when I received my invitation for service. I had won the lottery. And I had an abundance of gratitude for every individual that helped me "win", in one way or another.
Which brings me here, the day before my departure to Philadelphia for orientation, and final departure from the United States. I look forward to meeting my fellow trainees and PC staff. I'm excited to experience Rwanda from every standpoint. But mostly, I am so anxious to be a part of something that I need, while being needed in return. Seventeen months ago I requested Sub-Saharan Africa as my region of choice, although I would have been honored to serve anywhere. After being nominated (the last stage in the application process before medical evaluation and final invitation) for the Pacific Islands region I had digested the fact that Africa was not available. So when I received my final invitation for Rwanda, I felt like I was making the clearest decision of my life. Instead of asking me if I was comfortable serving in an African nation my placement officer might as well have asked if I was comfortable having my dreams come true. Finally all my rationalizing of the PC was brought to the table.
Rwanda is located in Eastern Africa near the equator but it is decently mountainous so the climate is a somewhat steady 65 degrees year round. It's often referred to as the Land of a Thousand Hills because of its mountains. The seasons alternate between wet and dry, and I will be arriving at the beginning of the rainy season. I will be living in housing that has electricity and indoor plumbing with several other volunteers. Three months of pre-service training precede official volunteer service, and this will include intense language acquisition of the local language, Kinyarwanda, as well as various teaching methodology. Once I am sworn in as a volunteer, I will be teaching English as a Second Language year round. What once was considered an elective in public school, English has recently become the official language of education instruction. Teaching ESL will prepare students for the necessary higher education that they would otherwise not be eligible for.
What is important to remember is that I am going to learn more than I am going to teach. This assignment is only the second group of education volunteers to return to Rwanda since evacuation (due to the civil war) in 1993. The Rwandan government is concerned with reestablishing a society of civilized, educated people with no awareness of race or affiliation. Their ambitious plans to execute these matters are being sped along by changing the official teaching language to English. English is the catalyst in this equation. I was informed of how frustrating the sudden switch to English was in a francophone country. And with an overwhelming generation of orphans due to the war, the success of this assignment is critical. It's easy to see how great of a need exists here, and it's easy to commit to such a positive design.
I'm ready to laugh, struggle, smile, cry, strive, and serve. It's on like donkey kong, Rwanda. See you in a few.
Which brings me here, the day before my departure to Philadelphia for orientation, and final departure from the United States. I look forward to meeting my fellow trainees and PC staff. I'm excited to experience Rwanda from every standpoint. But mostly, I am so anxious to be a part of something that I need, while being needed in return. Seventeen months ago I requested Sub-Saharan Africa as my region of choice, although I would have been honored to serve anywhere. After being nominated (the last stage in the application process before medical evaluation and final invitation) for the Pacific Islands region I had digested the fact that Africa was not available. So when I received my final invitation for Rwanda, I felt like I was making the clearest decision of my life. Instead of asking me if I was comfortable serving in an African nation my placement officer might as well have asked if I was comfortable having my dreams come true. Finally all my rationalizing of the PC was brought to the table.
Rwanda is located in Eastern Africa near the equator but it is decently mountainous so the climate is a somewhat steady 65 degrees year round. It's often referred to as the Land of a Thousand Hills because of its mountains. The seasons alternate between wet and dry, and I will be arriving at the beginning of the rainy season. I will be living in housing that has electricity and indoor plumbing with several other volunteers. Three months of pre-service training precede official volunteer service, and this will include intense language acquisition of the local language, Kinyarwanda, as well as various teaching methodology. Once I am sworn in as a volunteer, I will be teaching English as a Second Language year round. What once was considered an elective in public school, English has recently become the official language of education instruction. Teaching ESL will prepare students for the necessary higher education that they would otherwise not be eligible for.
What is important to remember is that I am going to learn more than I am going to teach. This assignment is only the second group of education volunteers to return to Rwanda since evacuation (due to the civil war) in 1993. The Rwandan government is concerned with reestablishing a society of civilized, educated people with no awareness of race or affiliation. Their ambitious plans to execute these matters are being sped along by changing the official teaching language to English. English is the catalyst in this equation. I was informed of how frustrating the sudden switch to English was in a francophone country. And with an overwhelming generation of orphans due to the war, the success of this assignment is critical. It's easy to see how great of a need exists here, and it's easy to commit to such a positive design.
I'm ready to laugh, struggle, smile, cry, strive, and serve. It's on like donkey kong, Rwanda. See you in a few.
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