Don’t know when I’ll be back again…

Which is what makes leaving Rwanda so difficult.  Over the past ten weeks, I have made great friends and had “wonderful moments.”

Children of Akagari ku Nyakabungo

This experience would not have been possible without the support of so many friends, family members and colleagues.  Thank you to… everyone who donated to help me get to Rwanda; Georgetown for its very generous “Improving the Human Condition” grant; Survivor Corps and the Advocacy Project for their support and guidance; my fellow fellows in Africa – Bryan and Laura – who put up with my dictatorial travel ways; my dad for his dedicated comments and grammar checks on all of my blog postings; my mom for managing to keep her cool all summer and not flying out to Rwanda to check up on me; and Zach for putting up with our poor Skype connection and managing to be there for me even when we were oceans apart.

Fellow Fellows at Bora Bora in Bujumbura

But most of all, thank you to everyone in Rwanda who let me visit, learn from, and just enjoy your beautiful country…

Executive Committee of DUHARANIREKUBAHO (Fight for Survival)

To my friends at DUHARANIREKUBAHO (Fight for Survival), who welcomed me with open arms and shared their personal stories so candidly.

Consolée and Chantal of ARCT-Ruhuka

To the counselors at IBUKA and ARCT-Ruhuka for allowing me to witness their important work as trauma counselors.

Women for Women International in Rwanda

To AERG, ALSAR, Women for Women International, PRO-FEMMES, Imbuto, RAPP, LIPRODHOR, and so many others groups, for doing such necessary and important work here in Rwanda, and allowing me to gain insight into their organizations.  To Louis, for helping me improve upon my French.

Mussolini of ALSAR

To Mussolini for never failing to keep his spirits high and being on every single bus I got on.

Albert and me on my first day in Rwanda

To Albert, for his guidance, assistance in setting up interviews, and friendship.

Kabera at Lycee de Kigali

To Kabera for allowing me to see inside his world and never failing to inspire me.

Muhire and me at Patrick and Ingrid's Wedding

And to Muhire for showing me the hot spots of Kigali (she said that) and keeping me laughing.

As with any trip, there were ups and downs, but the time I spent in Rwanda is something I will take with me for the rest of my life.  I sometimes question how much I accomplished here and if my work had a significant impact, but one thing I know for sure is that I learned more than I ever expected.  And while I don’t have a return ticket booked quite yet, I know I’ll be back.  Turongera Rwanda…