Two weeks after my last trip to South Kivu, I needed to check in at the centers to ensure that the project remained on track. Despite my best intentions, PAFE, Burundi’s immigration office stood in my way. I waited for a week while PAFE processed my visa renewal, and I waited another five days before they rejected my application outright. Burundian officials were suspicious of my “activities” and gave me ten days to leave the country. I was relieved, however, that I was still able to go to Congo to complete the project.

After losing three weeks waiting for PAFE to process my application, I needed to fit two trips—one to Kazimia and one to Kikonde—into one, to Kikonde. Instead of me taking the long and treacherous trip from Bujumbura to Kazimia, Ahadi participants, who could, walked the 30 KM from Kazimia to Kikonde to meet me in order to participate in profile interviews.

After a warm welcome to the village, I went to the center to see the completed tiles. I was, to put it lightly, extremely pleased with the results. Ahadi participants understood the concept perfectly and they came up with beautiful, powerful, and moving tiles. I was mostly impressed by the tiles produced by the women from Kazimia— of the three centers, Kazimia has the most experience with embroidery programs.

Despite the project setback a few weeks back, I left Kikonde overjoyed. Most of all, I left feeling humbled—humbled to be in the presence of a group of amazing women whose life struggles are unimaginable to me and who have the grace and tenacity to share their stories with the world.

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