Making a Difference in Rwanda
I can’t begin to express my gratitude to Nelson & District Credit Union and especially to Steve Cutt, from Rossland, for supporting me in my travels to Rwanda, Africa.
The trip has made such a profound impact on my life and its benefits are priceless. When I first decided that this volunteering experience was to be a part of my summer, I was looking for adventure, inspiration, and change. When we stepped off the plane our feet touched soil of a once devastated country. It was a country we had all been warned about, one we were told to never set foot on because of its history. This taboo land was a desire we all had in common, a desire to stray away from the norm. These emotions and desires created a fascination between the locals and us volunteers.
In May of 2010, twenty-seven students from the B.C. area traveled to Rwanda, Africa. There for five weeks, we worked alongside the locals to begin a project focused on sustainability and integration. The center we were laying the foundations for is to be a place for the women of the village to weave baskets out of the water hysenth plant growing along the marshes. These women weave baskets, bags, shoes, hats, and much more. In building this center, together we will be providing the village with an economic foothold in the right direction.
I must say that as our work proceeded we realized we were trying to integrate ourselves into a culture that devoted so much hard work into each daily task. Mother’s would be working alongside us with their babies held onto their backs, shoveling more dirt than our youthful bodies could ever imagine. The small children were all so eager to help in any way possible. On my first day one boy told me “All you do, is try your hardest”.
In our stay in Rwanda we were able to visit many memorials, churches, homes, and wildlife. During one of our adventures we visited the location of a new girl’s school. In the process of being built the school stood half finished and as soon as we arrived rain began to fall. It rained hard, but it did not last long. Slowly but surely a rainbow formed in the sky, and after that a second rainbow. It was the most beautiful landscape I have honestly ever seen.
Today our project in Gashora, Rwanda has its foundations and the beginnings of cement walls. Each brick from the wall was made individually by us volunteers and the locals. With the potential from this project and the potential across all of the country, this trip brought to life my hope for a better Africa.
