My first contribution

A huge THANK YOU to a dear friend for being the first person to contribute financially to my goal. I know that without those who believe in me, really believe that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, I simply wouldn't be able to do this. Thank you very much for your faith and belief in my mission.....

I have to pick on another dear friend, who, I must say, is only speaking up because she cares. I was asked - "Is it safe?" There are some people in my life who simply cannot understand why I would choose a country like Rwanda to travel to voluntarily. I think if I could dispel some of the fears that history has caused thousands of Americans to have towards distant places like Rwanda, places that are simply mis-understood, then perhaps that itself is a huge feat.

With that said, I'd like to share some of the information I have received in my welcome information from Global Volunteer Network. Leading up to and following my return, I will make every effort to try and change the image of Rwanda one conversation at a time....

"Ten years ago some of the worst atrocities in the history of mankind took place in the country of Rwanda. In an era of high-speed communication and round the clock news, the events went almost unnoticed by the rest of the world. In only three months, one million people were brutally murdered. Rwanda's tragic history has been well documented over the more recent years; a history of bloodshed brought about by political strife and a power struggle between aboriginal groups. The genocide of Rwanda was one of the most intensive killing campaigns in human history.

"Since 1994, Rwanda has been working to climb out of the shadow of the past. The mass killings left thousands upon thousands of children homeless and forced to live in orphanages. Great work has been undertaken over the years to help these children, and to date some 5000 orphans have found homes and 70 orphanages have closed. Thankfully Rwanda has mostly passed the point of needing emergency aid, but the genocide will have long lasting consequences for years to come and there is much work still to be done. For the government, the focus in Rwanda is on a transition to economic development and the development of a broad-based civil society, but as a people, they have already grown from their past to create a lively and vivid culture who shares a common goal; to live as one people. "

Why do I want to do this?? To help every child be the most they can be...

Through my volunteer work I have learned a great deal about the effects genocide can have on people and a nation. I have watched numerous movies including Hotel Rwanda and have read books including Live To Tell about the genocide in Rwanda. It is inexcusable that people have allowed these types of activities occur, and I am driven to do my small part to help bring positive experiences to the country.

Two years ago, EARTH University was honored to have Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Muhammed Yunus, speak at its graduation ceremony. During the ceremony, he talked about his views on poverty, comparing it to a bonsai tree. He explained the process of taking a seed from a large tree in the forest and planting it in a small pot; the growth becomes stunted because the seed is not given the space to grow. He explained that one may thing there is something wrong with the seed, but that is not the case, “…there is nothing wrong with their seeds. Society never gave them the space so that they can grow as tall as everybody else.”

Ever since I heard this simple yet powerful metaphor, I realized I wanted to help make room for that seed to grow. I believe a child’s smile can lighten a room and I get no greater joy than to see them work through a challenge and succeed in learning something new. I am at the perfect moment in my life to travel and do the international volunteer work that I have been looking forward to for years. This program just feels right. There are so many disparities in the world but I believe that by bringing together people with similar passions, there is hope to defeat them.

You may wonder, is she qualified?

During the last two years I have volunteered for HERO’s for Children,an organization that works with children whose families are affected by HIV/AIDS. The organization has a program called Rising Hero’s where once per month the children are brought together for a day to learn various life skills. Through this program, I volunteered as a “buddy”whereby I pick the kids up from their homes and act as a big sister to them through the day, helping them understand the subject being taught to them and ensuring they remain on task with their projects. I worked primarily with children six to eight years old and enjoyed the challenge of redirecting their contagious energy towards completing their designated projects. The various subjects the children learned about included study habits, self confidence, self esteem, and money management. Through this program I have learned to cultivate patience and have been inspired by the resilience of children.

While in college, I spent one semester studying in Ghana, West Africa. During that time, I spent a couple hours per week in a third grade-level classroom assisting the teacher with English and math. This experience instilled in me a greater understanding of the unique differences in education in an African country versus the United States. Though I can imagine that education in Rwanda is still very different than in Ghana, I believe that I can pull from that experience when helping the Rwanda children.

Another cause I have been very passionate about is ending the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. I have volunteered the previous three years with the Darfur Urgent Action Coalition of Georgia to help spread the word about the atrocities in Darfur and to work with other community volunteers to push through legislative change here in Georgia, even organizing a rally-day at the state capitol with various high school government classes.

All of the above experiences have cultivated traits such as patience, understanding, tolerance, and appreciation, all of which I believe would be essential for this Children’s Program in Rwanda. In addition to these, I am an organized and driven person who believes in seeing a project through completion, if not through Plan A, then through Plan B, whether applied in day-to-day experiences or long term projects.

Children's Program Description

The after effects of genocide lead to thousands upon thousands of children homeless and forced to live in orphanages. A high percentage of these children have also lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. As a volunteer you will take on the role of an older sibling and be involved in daily care activities which include feeding, teaching life skills, and playing with the children. You will work along side the house mothers to assist with teaching, homework help, childcare, and the daily operational running of the home. Volunteers are also encouraged to initiate their own work by organizing arts and crafts, music, dance, games, and sports activities for the children. This role is suitable for a caring, motivated, and self-directed person who has a love for children and has childcare experience.