Hello...welcome to my first ever blog...so I apologize if it doesn't seem very professional (it’s not!) This is just to keep friends and family updated about my whereabouts and activities while I am Rwanda for the next three months. So if you would like to see how I am doing, you should be able to find the latest update here.
For those of you who don't know, I am going to be volunteering with the Fair Children/Youth Foundation (FCYF), which is a community-based organization in a town called Musanze in the North Province of Rwanda. The charity was created in 2003, and seeks to rebuild lives and restore human rights through community-based projects and initiatives. Some of their projects include a mentoring program for child-headed households, a nursery and primary school, a deaf children's centre and a women's cooperatives within the local community. If all goes to plan some of my tasks as a volunteer will involve familiarizing myself with the organization, (visiting the projects, meeting beneficiaries), helping out at the deaf children's centre and collecting organizational information. I believe I will also be working on the newsletter and helping to identify fundraising opportunities. From what I have read the community and the organization seem to have come a long way and have made amazing progress in the past nine years and I am really looking forward to having the opportunity to be a part of it.
Here are some links if you want to find out more about the organization and the location:
Musanze: http://www.musanze.com/
Anyway I am in the process of making my final preparations for leaving. I feel like I have had so many vaccinations, I can't even feel the needle anymore! I have my 120 malaria pills ready and there is 3 months’ supply (and extra) of drugs, toiletries and cosmetics lined up on the floor waiting to be packed in the most efficient way possible! I have printed my travel insurance documents and notified the US embassy of my whereabouts and I think (hope) I will be ready to go by Sunday!
Before I continue I should mention that a lot of people have been surprised or worried that I chose to go to Rwanda, which is not surprising considering that most people know that the country suffered from an extended period of civil war, genocide and disease. The first question I usually got asked was "wasn't that where the Genocide happened?" or "Is it safe?” Just to clear up any misconceptions or concerns, Rwanda has come a long way since the Genocide in 1994 and there is a real sense of regeneration and hope within the country. Organizations like FCYF are a great of example of this. Recent statistics actually show that Rwanda is now actually among the fastest growing economies in Africa. (See here)
Anyway that's all for now. I hope to be able post regular updates, stories, photos etc. during my time in Rwanda. Hope you enjoy it!
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