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.