TIA (This is Africa)

10/3/10: An amazing, adventurous, heart-touching day. We loaded in a van with 20 people (many choir members from Kigali) & arrived at the school in time for Sunday services. Besides the students, there were neighbors, former students & the choir. The Bishop of the regional church gave the longest sermon—there were 4 others. We had an interpreter for part of it. The singing was so full of uplifting energy & joy, and there were 3 parts where people got up & danced. It was 4 hours long. We again had a celebratory lunch with chicken. Rev. Thoms mentioned how grateful the students should be for having 2 feasts in 2 days thanks to the Americans (we pay for all of their food while we are there).

A former student who was class president & an outstanding young man was there. He did not pass his senior 6 exam. He basically has no future, as there are no training programs & almost no jobs. He has no permanent place to live. He is the type of student that Project LIGHT Rwanda is meant to help. Another former student got up to do a special presentation. He graduated last year & passed his test. Two years ago he was having many problems (from trauma) & was one of the students in Lori’s trauma healing training group. He had not been able to study or pass any tests. He promised if he passed the test the next year he would buy a goat & give it to one of the students left at the school. He brought his goat today to give away. They have never heard of pay it forward. There is so much they have never heard of. I will take pictures of their library—two 6’ x 8’ book shelves that are far from full for 500 students. No internet & one computer. There is still no electricity in the dorms or dining hall. Through all of this they are the friendliest, most loving, compassionate young people I have ever met. Their hugs are totally genuine. They call me “Mama Kathryn” & can’t wait to carry my things & be sure I have water, etc.

We have a new signal: TIA—it means “This is Africa”. We say it when 30 minutes turns into 75 & 3 hours into over 4, & 20 people in a 14-person van, & for our experience coming home today. The roads are indescribable & the bridges (one lane) are big logs placed vertically between the two side of the stream or gulch. We round a curve & see a ½=ton Toyota truck with 6’ tall stick sides full of big cabbages & it has broken one of the logs & it’s back tire is wedged between logs with the fender resting on one log. It isn’t moving! As the African women tell us is typical, the men are just standing around looking at it & saying, “Hmmm.” Christopher (with us—a muzunga) suggests they remove some cabbages. They put the tarp down & start throwing the cabbages to the tarp where they split. He again suggests they toss the cabbages to the men on the ground which they do. Then he just climbs up on the truck so there is more than one man throwing them down. Lori is expecting a miracle. The truck isn’t budging with what they are trying, but they finally figure out to rock it back & forth until the tire comes up high enough they can push hard enough to let it drive away. Most of us walk across the logs & let the vans drive over without their overload. We make it back hungry, tired, & very stuffed up due to the red dirt, but very happy.