Kuleba Exchange in Rwanda

2009-07-04T06:04:00.001-07:00

WE CAN' tWAIT

2009-05-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

hello every one for us it is amazing and it was like a dream come true for our coming to America as Ambassadors forsurvivors/orphans .again we are very happy becouse we are going to meet with our friends and make new ones. Realy all our survivors are very much interested to hear that we are going to present our culture in new York.

we are excited to have fun with all students of Satelite academy and Others we will able to meet. we arways rember your good beharvior during your stay here in Rda and hope to learn morefrom you during this trip ,thanks for your mature advice your love and care for us which has enabled me to start my life again /I am doing fine with studies and I hope that I will succeed .
UGIRANEZA UKABISANGA IMBERE KANDI INSHUTI NYANSHUTI IGUSIGA INDI .

Kuleba we are proud of you,you are special to us , only take blessings of God and I hope that your ambition will be great to those who are waiting for you and your help.

Gilbert from Rda

jkakhkl

mukiza

2009-01-31T07:32:00.000-08:00

satellite academy every one is fine? no one stopping school?

HAPPY NEW YEAR OF 2009

2008-12-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

Hey all of my friend I hope you are doing fine with joy if it woes take some litter time when we miss together I hope you waiting finish this year in peace and freedom for me 2008 is the unforgotten year in my whole life because I lean more about what reality life is.

now I don't wont forget the friends I meet with coming from NY in august
so other thing are most important this year show me that however my dreams will come true because soon I will start my University
let me thank you all of KUREBA members like AMY,YAEL ,AIMEE and others their try all hard about how I should studier again

So I wish you that 2009 will be a year OF

12 months of love ,52 weeks of chance,366 days of opportunity ,8784 hours of success
to you and your family
UMWAKA UZABABERE UMWAKA WA AMATA NU UBUCYI
I WISH YOU WERE OLDEST
LOVE YOU
Gilbert

OMG LONG TIME NO SEE...

2008-12-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

Lissette-Hi everybody its been while since I've wrote. I see my friends have said so much nice things about us. I think about my trip to Africa all the time and i cant believe its been so long since i've been there. It seems just like yesterday when i met Gilbert,Mukiza,and all the other wonderful people of Rwanda. I still have all the gifts they gave me and i keep them in a safe place so i could show them to my kids later in life. I hear Mukiza graduated from High School ( sooooo cool) keep up the good work. I miss them all and im looking forward to next time. As for me Im still doing the college thing and working on my music career. Same o same o. Looking forward to hearing from you guys feel free to email me.(incase you forgot) msdotfit@aol.com 1 love

BIG DISH (CHANCE) MUKIZA

2008-09-29T01:51:00.000-07:00

i would like to tell you the way we lived with the NEW YORK GROUP TWICE. the first time they came it was in 2007 they got to the village about 2h00 PM and we met, they were with their headdellegue but soon we went on with Amy & Yael teaching us how to use digital cameras , after came a man called Marcus from New york also . he used to assemble kids and play with them football, the kids were proud of it. we went on listening to what american youth thinks about rwandans youth and life and discusing with them after that we visited homeless people who are victims of the genocide. Amy and Yael told us the way they found rwandan life and said that rwandan are so closed that noone can know about anonther's life that they keep secrets. after we did an exposition of our photos to "yes rwanda" and europans commission we got to the end and felt so sad while they were leaving us but we cotinued our relationship by internet. we felt a lot of confort when they came back kut this time it was for sure because they came with Aimee (teacher), pooch, tiffany, lissette, Maria they got to the airport tired and went to the hotel when they first got at my home, i was polishing my shoes. felt happy to see them and it was time of greetings and having fun before starting the work. we discused about many things ,they were asking quistions and having answers but what impressed us much are quitions of pooch and lissette wich were kindful Maria and Tiffany were visiting village and they've been liked by children so that every body knew their names everywhere we passed ,taxi driver were talking to Tiffany in kinyarwanda thinking that she was rwandan we had great times with them and their teacher "AIMEE" who seemed to have a very simple life, everybody liked it one day they invited us in their hotel for super, but when we got there, we were suprised to see a man cooking because in africa a man is considered as a king and the wife is the one who do it all but after that i begun to do it at home also due to Maria's reason which convinced me. we went on discusing about our cultures and found our culture not at the same livel but we are just different after that we visited th memorial site of Tutsi Genocide of 1994 at gisozi. we climbed gisozi hill. going to the PAN AFRICAN FESTIVAL OF CULTURE AND DANSES; pooch, tiffany & lissette were so tired that they went back to the hotel but i was suprised by the way Maria did it, it awesome think that even she can climb the other 999 hills because you know Rwanda is a country of a thousand hills. we went on having fun with them bying things, shopping, searchin for school's materals and going to the restaurant we were'nt supposed to eat like them because they eat a little but every time but african eats twice in 24hours we had too much fun sharing food with them and talking too much lovely and sweet words that i can't tell because there are closed somewhere in my heart and i've lost the key. the last day all the village was feeling the pain that they were going to leave they came back to the village for the last time and give all of their things that they went back to the hotel without even shoes. and lastly i had to see my lovely group not for the last time because i sure they will come back one day . they did everything to the students of NSANGA village who will study due to the help foundation of this group us youth can't tell you the way we feel about it because it bdeppased us and we can say once again thanks.

Translation of Mukiza's last post

2008-09-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

Nostalgia always makes me crazy

First, open your arms wide as birds spread their wings to fly, and then hug me tight. I would like to let you know that since your time with us here in Rwanda, we are very happy to have good friends like you (Amy, Yael, Aimee, Maria, Pooch, Tiffany and Lissette)

Your group has made us happy because it is made up of young people as well as those older than us. We enjoyed your way of life as well as your love. Even if we are sad because of your absence, know that in our hearts we are united.

We would like to sincerely thank you (Satellite Academy) who organized this cultural exchange. May God always watch over you. Each of us has seen how to live with others. We leave you hoping that our correspondence will continue.

Ciao!

2008-09-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

la nostalgie me rend tjrs foux(mukiza)

2008-09-15T02:01:00.000-07:00

Premièrement,ouvrez grandement vos bras comme les oiseaux ouvrent ses ailes pour s'envoler. et puis vous m'embrassez fortement.
Sans aller loin,je voulais vous informer que,dépuit l'époque dans lequel vous étiez au Rwanda,nous étions très contents à avoir des amis sincères comme vous. (Amy,Yael,Aimée,Maria,Pooch,Tiffany.)
Cette groupe nous a rendu heureux parce qu'on y trouve ceux qui étaient jeunes,adulte par rapport à nous. Votre coutume nous a fait plaisir,ainsi que votre amour charmant. Même si nous avons du chagrin à cause de votre absence,saches que par coeur nous sommes amas.
Nous remercions trop(Satellité Academie) qui organise cet camp afin que nous échangions nos coutumes. Que Dieu vous garde pour toujours! Chacun a vu comment vivre avec les autres. Alors on vous laisse en espèrant que notre correspondance ne va plus avoir déclin.
Ciao.

Jeanine and Lissette

2008-09-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

the rlight way of life is experience

2008-08-31T17:22:00.000-07:00

with happnes and long sadnes I am back again to tell you what I sow with my own eyes
that without any experience you should not bilieve real what is a life
but for me life is to respect each other undestend a sugestions of others
try to give a time to be heard up a leason why some one could crie when others are smilling
or some one get sollow and others are enjoy when you searching you should get freedom
and I nkow well there is some people get a peace of mind becouse their try to undestend why we survived and I see it hurt them becouse their wont to know more about our life and make me feel that people are differents some one should try to know why that happened to you or to me I tell them that if I carm down I ca't leave them in my dream of all my night

I arways need to hear from my friends which I respect them like my family but I do pray for them it's my responsibility and when I am thinking of them show me that I miss some thing hard to me becouse time separets us when I still need them but I believe in me that we stay in love each other and I feel sad when I remind how our coraboration wos like and it's turn around my mind and I can't left them while my life becouse their do the thing never done to me you give the way of my future be unswered to my dreams

I am here without friends all my time I think about you but all days I ask my serf why I have a pain to miss you but thank you coming and feel our life and you wos not later and I like your positive mind you are kind of people I heard before I know well that you think about us but I hope God will try pay you back a hundred times of all thing you did to us

I am not later to sey it's our pleasure to be have you we like your comportment
and you curture a lot this will arways remind you that if a differents of continentar bring a distance nothing means
we still in love,
in our renguage we say TURIKUMWE and MUGIRE IBIHE BYIZA
i will explain on my next blog or ask maria or amy I think their can try to transret for you

Gilbert

Kuleba Exchange at work

2008-08-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

group shots

2008-08-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

In Uganda, before returning to NYC:

Kuleba Exchange outside Iris Guesthouse:

Last day in the village:

nothing bad than to say good bye

2008-08-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

before I heard that some students will be here in my village I had curiosity to see how their look like after it wosn't take long time it happened once I sow them in our village I wos have a confusion how the time should be and we show them how villge is and we explain why we live in the villge which our gouverment built to all the family after we dance and travel we take some pictures and we give all of them wellcome in our country after I get a chance to company them in our smooll bus whenI am going to see my big brother after yael and amy invited me in the name of my village to have my first dinner with them after I turn back where I live I wos weiting for next afternoon which wos funny and fantastic

but now when I read the story of maria and ttifany it make me get again some sadness in my heart becouse their do the thing lot of people never than to us
to show some one love is poweful it is for warriors I don't know how i can tell everyone that friendshirp make people change or get faith in life if you wos lose it than me or someone else
it make you or someone back again a human

my experience is this nothing bad and hard than to say Good bye to some one you love becouse the end of that time wos very bad to everyone more persone wos cry we try to carm down them but no, to see maria say bye to yvan,ttifany say to manzi ,Earl say bye to frery lissette to her young kids merrisa wos very sad and hard to me when I am carm down them

after the next wos me at airport reality before I wos swear that If lost my parrents no one and no time I will cry again becouse I wos care my serf and no body wish to know my sadness I wos take that dessicion when I am growing up but at airport I try to stop coming out only my eyes look red and my voice stop coming in 5 minutes when Isow maria , yael ,aimee and amy ,
goinng inside the airport and others ah ah just I hate that time but now I hope we will meet again
it 's long story can we meet soon again ?and be pacient my Engrish !!

me I am with you forever or only God can separet us but Ido't think so.

Gilbert from rwanda

how word are wondeful and painful

2008-08-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

hi everyone reary it wos amazing time to me and to my friend and others in our
village to be have our guest I mean our friends from america in new york it wos a time which will never leave our mind the friendshirp of all of them make our life got hope and our feeling back again
becouse their give us all the sweet heart their has like us we did it to them but in this time when I think about them I feel so sad very much

hey guys the passion you plinted in middle of my heart is passion which will never stop becouse in that time all people wos very very happy and enjoy the life but so sad if you think that in few days we are going to separets with our most friends but if we miss to see them in our face their still in our prayers
but now I try my hard to tell them how situation here is and all of them like to know if we are arlight and to know how others here are but only unswers is TURABAKUNDA please maria will explain to you what it means and we think about you friends and I hope we keep close .

Gilbert from rwanda

I MISS Rwanda

2008-08-09T08:24:00.001-07:00

Its been days and still I keep thinking about my new found friends that I left back in Rwanda. I keep having dreams and I am saving my money to assure that I will see them again. I loved every minute of my stay and after eating Burger King yesterday I really miss eating Chinese Food in Rwanda. I experienced my first train ride and it was quite hilarious because it made me miss the hot and cluttered bus ride we took everyday to the village. I am trying to stay focused on my life right now but its very hard knowing that I allowed brillant people to get to know me and they let me know them as well and then I just left them but I am going to make sure that I go back to Rwanda.

(My Boss Is Coming)
Qu33n Tiffany

Back in America

2008-08-06T03:33:00.001-07:00

Wow how different the world is, once we step foot in an american airport you could feel the difference. People in New York are so moody and only think about themselves. You could smell the air is so different not fresh. Also how people walked so fast to get somewhere not caring what was around them. Advertisements for perfume, cars, clothes, beer, liquor,homes and etc. I could keep going. Back in africa the only advertisements you seen were of beer and seasoning for food. What a difference. I miss Africa so much. I still cant believe i was really there. Its still like a dream and i haven't got up yet. Every time i think back to them i feel so sad for leaving them the way we did. I find myself talking about africa to everyone that come to visit me. I tell them what they call foreigners is muzugu's if Im spelling that right. Its so funny because we thought that it was something bad at first until we found out what it means. They treat us muzugu's so well. I remember we went to a concert and they put us in front row seats. They actually kicked people of there seats so that we could get the front. Here in america is everyone for themselves no one care and i also believe we didn't even have to pay to enter the concert. They made us feel like we were one of them. We lived the true african experience because we took there buses and went to places tourist wouldn't go to, we got to see the true life. I will never forget them and i know they will never forget us because they already emailed us trying to find out how was our trip. These people are so caring it buts americans to shame. They are rich in there own ways they are rich because they have a good heart and are rich in life. They never look back at the bad things they have gone through. If something like that would have happened here people would have broke down. Thats why i admire all of them for surviving and still trying to achieve there goals. They changed my life , I owe them my life for opening up my eyes to what life really is. Well its early i couldn't sleep had to get my thoughts out so speak to you guys another day.

maria

Departure

2008-08-03T01:09:00.000-07:00

I was so happy to see the kids the last day in Rwanda. They came to visit us and wish us all a good trip. It was nice to see the kids wearing the things that i gave them because i didn't know who it was going to. They seem to be so happy but the look in there eyes said otherwise. I guess they don't like showing there emotions, or aren't used to because these kids were abandoned. It made it harder for me to say good by to them. I feel like i owe my life to them because they all opened up my eyes to what life really is. Before coming on this trip i was so picky and didn't really appreciate my life much. To think that these people lost there families and everything there families had and still be caring and loving people is crazy. I feel like i owe them my life. Im going to miss them so much. But i will be trying my hardest this year to raise money for these kids to be able to go to school, they deserve it and more.

Here in Uganda im still thinking of them. We did go to see the chimps which kept my mind of them. What i found surprising was how the chimps were just like us. When it was feeding time and they wanted food they raised there hands so the they would get food. They would also fight for food, there was this older chimp that kept bullying the little chimps for there food it was so funny to see them interact like this. They such beautiful animals.

Now it is really time to leave Africa. I cant imagine being so far away again. Being able to experience how the other side of the world lives was amazing. I gotta thanks Yael, Amy and Aimee for giving me this experience. We couldn't have any better teachers than them on this trip. They made everything exciting teaching us the different languages and different cultures. We also got to experience the different types of food which was interesting. But now the trip is coming to an end we we have left is a 19 hour plane ride back home so see you guys there and thank you for this experience.

MARIA

The best trip ever!!!

2008-08-03T00:32:00.000-07:00

Earl:This experience was the best ever i feel that i really needed this trip to experience something new and to be able to help people in any way possible. I already miss everyone from the village and i know that they miss us too. I wish i could stay in Rwanda for a little more time so i can get a chance to learn even more things from them. I plan to start saving my money so that i can visit all of my new friends back in Rwanda. Everything did not go as planed because while in Rwanda I almost drowned not once but twice. I dived into the pool in Hotel Rwanda not knowing it was extremely deep and almost drowned. In the process of almost drowning I almost caused Yael, Aimee, and Maria to drown as well. That was the first incident. The second time I almost drowned and if it weren't for the lifeguard Im not sure what would have happened to me. Although, I almost died it was still a very good trip and an experience that I will always remember and cherish throughout life. Another terrifying experience that I had while in Uganda was when I encountered a lizard, not just one but there were many of them. The worst part of it was that they were everywhere I turned including my bathroom and bedroom. I hate lizards but I LOVE AFRICA!!!!!

1st Day In Uganda

2008-08-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

OMG this place is so beautiful but there are sooooo many bugs here!!! Me and Maria had so much fun because Earl is freaked out over a tiny lizard that was in his bathroom. He didnt take a shower in his own tub and we captured it all on tape. He then tried to become brave and attempt to kill it but in the process was horrified and was unable to kill it although he nearly killed himself. Me and Maria laughed and later locked him outside with a lizard.

Yesterday was the Best Morning EVER!!!

2008-08-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

I had a dream about the children in the village and I really didnt want to leave. I tossed and turned all night thinking about Manzi, Baby Pasi, Ivan, and everyone. I basically cried myself to sleep knowing that I would be leaving without them. The next morning I was packing away my clothes while reminising about what the people in the village were doing when there was an unfamiliar knock at the door. When I opened the door my heart dropped and it was suddenly filled with happiness and no longer sadness. The first person I saw was Manzi and Baby Pasi, they looked very happy and Im sure they could tell I was extremely excited as well. I didnt let Manzi go for anything in the world since I am not going to see him for awhile and I have to spend as much time as possible with him. I took him for a walk to the restaurant down the block hoping that we could have a meal together but it was closed so I gave him all the money I had left. The last words he said to me as I pulled out the driveway of the Iris Guesthouse was "I will never forget you, I love you so much".

Queen Tiff AKA Manzi's Big Sister

HELLO UGANDA

2008-08-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

Lissette: After the oh so hard goodbye in Rwanda we made a trip to Uganda. When we arrived to our beautiful hotel I was so Amazed. We even got a better room then the teachers ha ha. Here there are so many different animals that I have never seen or heard of. Today we went to see the chimpanzee and the were so cute an human like. One of the chimps actually reminded me of my dad but don't tell him I said that. After that we went to the wildlife center that was so awesome. We seen almost ever animal that lives in Africa. My favorite animals of all would have to be the lion and the impalas, but I cant forget the cute little monkeys that surrounded us as we walked through the center.

This trip has really turned out to be great all around. I am so happy that I came, it has truly been wonderful. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Amy, Amiee, Yael, and all of the donors who made this trip possible for me. I really appreciate everything you have done and all the effort you put into granting me an experience of a life time. I love you

Last Day In Rwanda

2008-07-31T23:19:00.000-07:00

Earl:My experience here in Rwanda has been something that I will take with me forever. I enjoyedevery last minute that we have had here and there was not one time that I wished I were home. In the beginning this new Rwandan life was rather difficult due to all the staring but I found out thatthe stares were adoring and fascinating stares. Coming here I never expected to meet so manyfriends who accept me for me and enjoy the finer things in life such as the company of theirneighbors in the village. I think i have much more friends here than at home. Although, I have beenhere such a short but memorable time I have a strong bond with the people here and Im sad to leave. I connected with everyone here especially Gilbert and Mukiza but I connected with one person even more, he's like the son that I want to have one day and his name is Freddy. He made me the saddest of everyone since he was crying when I was leaving and he kept telling me "Pooch I love you so much". Giving away the gifts and the money really didn't do anything for me because I wish that I could bring him home with me.

Its Not Goodbye but See You Later

2008-07-31T23:06:00.000-07:00

Well today has been the hardest day since the memorial since it was our last time visiting the village. I thought I would just go and say goodbye but unfortunately it didnt work out that way. When I first told my little brother Manzi that I was leaving he simply said goodbye but then he began to act a bit strange and I knew it was beginning to bother him just as much as it was bothering me. I then gave him two wristbands and gave all my accessories to the girls in the village but still he seemed sad. Later we took pictures and after the picture I noticed that Manzi and Baby Pasi were missing so I went in search f them. When I found them they were laying in the dirt crying and thats when I could no longer hold in my tears. This caused me to break down because I knew we were close but Ive never seen anyone in the village cry let alone over me. I knew immediately why they were crying because neither one of them would speak nor come near me until Gilbert spoke to them and thats when they calmed down. They cried throughout our stay in the village but Manzi hurt me most since he cried qs he held the picture of me and him and never let it go. I love the people in the village and I will always remember them but this is not goodbye its see you later because someway, somehow I will be back to Rwanda and take care of my new Rwandan family.

I LOVE YOU MANZI
From: your American/Rwandan big sister Tiffany

ITS SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE

2008-07-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

Lissette: Today was our last day to visit the village and with the exception of visiting the genocide memorial it was the most emotional. I never thought that it would hurt so much to be leaving but it hit me harder then ever. I finally gave away my hats to the people I felt closes to and some toys to the younger kids. What really hurts the most was saying goodbye to my baby Melissa. Shes only 2 but has the mind of an adult and she is everything I want in a child. I hope shes going to be okay and maybe some where down the line I could visit her again to make sure she excels in life. I know leaving them gifts were very appreciated but it warmed my heart when they gave me gifts. A boy named Jean Pier gave me a ring and said that he would never forget me. Right then and there I broke into tears. To see that someone who has so little give me something of theres is so amazing and I will never forget him. Lots of the children at the village were sad that we were leaving as well and it was almost to hard to bare. I will never forget the people here at Rwanda because I believe they have truly made me into a better person. I now appreciate life more then I ever have. I know now it is not what you wear or what you look like that makes you a good person, it is the way you think, the way treat others and the way you use your heart in a positive way that makes you a good person. Ive learned that you should value what you have because one day you may not have anything. Always think positive and never let anything bring you down.
I will truly miss everyone here because they are the most strongest people that I have ever met. The most loving, caring and brave people in the world. I cant believe that I wont be seeing them again. It is like I have been getting to know them so well and when I finally think I know them well enough to call them my friends our time is up. Keeping a positive attitude they are still in my heart and will always and forever remain in my memories. Which is something that could never be erased and will stay with me until the day that I die. To make it even better one day when I have a child I will name her Melissa. After the most adorable child in Rwanda and when my daughter ask how she got her name I will tell her my story. About the time when I visited the kinyina village in Africa and met a girl named Melissa who stuck to me like an angel to God, then a piece of Rwanda would flow through my blood line and always remain in my life. I Love them all and my they all Love me in return. Goodbye Rwanda...

The Hardest Day of my life

2008-07-31T09:20:00.000-07:00

Well let me start of by telling you guys a conversation i had with the men of the village. While walking around Rwanda i had noticed how men tend to push women out of there way, something that in America would start a big fight. There response to that was that there are so many languages that sometime people don't understand whats being said, but they would understand with force. This made me laugh so much and then I also noticed that they excepted the women to be cooking and cleaning all the time tending to mens needs. So i asked Mukiza, Gilbert and a younger guy the question. I asked them to imagine if the men didn't work and the wife did would they expect the woman to also come home after work cook and clean. Gilbert's answer was yes and i said but why?...... you would just stay home all day sleep and watch t.v and he said yea because cooking and cleaning is a womens job. Mukiza said it was impossible that he couldn't get married if he didn't have a job but i told him to imagine then he said he would hire a cook. That was so funny. When i asked the younger guy he said he would be the one cooking and cleaning. Thats when Gilbert told me that things are starting to change for women, its in the process for women to get there rights. The conversation went on until i was was satisfied with the answer. I enjoyed listening to there opinion although i didn't agree with there answer.

Today was the hardest day of this trip. It was the final day to visit the village since we are leaving tomorrow. I got so close to the kids it was so hard for me to let go of them and leave the village. Ivan the one i call my photographer and let hold my camera started to cry before i did. I didn't realize he knew we went to say our good byes. It made me so sad to see him like that, my heart just dropped to the floor. Then my other kids came and tired to cheer me up. To see that they had gotten so attached to me in so little time made my heart drop even more. I love them all with all my heart and when next summer comes its a promise that this time they are going to have more money so that they don't have to worry about only eating one time a day or stay without eating. Ivan, Pas, Etem, Manzi, Jen, Ansh,Marissa i could go on for days but they will always stay in my heart and prayers. All i want to say is that they will always get my help. The only regret i have is not meeting them any sooner to be able to have helped them before.
I honestly cant write no more because i have to stop thinking of them right now before i break down again but these kids changed my life I love them.

Much love Maria

Genocide memorial

2008-07-30T02:11:00.000-07:00

Earl: we went to the genocide memorial the other day and learned new things also saw some horrible things. the memorial was very depressing and what made it worse was being around people who lost family members in the genocide. most of the facts i already knew but there was a lot of new things i also learned.what stood out to me was the mass graves because u can see some of the caskets in one of the mass grave spots that just made you feel terrible inside.the other thing that stood out was all of the bones that was left behind and the weapons that were used.when i visited the children's area it was the worst because it reminded me of the kids that are in the village now. the two that i remember was the baby who was slammed into the wall and the two kids who was blown up in their bath. thats just to sad.At times i didn't even want to stand by gilbert and mukiza because i couldn't imagine what they were going through while being there. just looking at them made me feel awful inside.Theres not much i can say about the experience because overall it just left me speechless. This experience was nothing like how i felt when i was learning about it in class. after all of this i feel like i am an expert in the genocide and want people to know more about it and to prevent other genocides from taking place including the genocide in Darfur.

Rwanda Is In My Prayers!!!!

2008-07-30T01:41:00.000-07:00

Today I felt all the pain that the Rwandans have been feeling for all these years. Gilbert and Mukiza are two extraodinary people and today helped to clarify that. Before today I was a person who knew nothing about the genocide but thanks to these two brave men who took us to the memorial I know know more knowledge than many others. Today I felt all the pain that the Rwandans have been feeling for many years and the hardest part was standing next to Mukiza and Gilbert since I saw all the hurt in their eyes. I found out that there were thousands of people who were killed and unable to do anything about it. The little children sat and watched as their families were chopped up, shot, raped, and even HIV infected on purpose. One of the worst things that I read was that people used HIV as a weapon to destroy the lives of women and if they were pregnant it even affected the lives of their unborn child. When I saw the visuals of the people who were killed it gave me an idea of what the streets were like with all the dead bodies lying around. As I read about the part which spoke about the United States sending help months later it made me furious to know that my own government didnt have a heart for those who were desperately in need. As I kept walking through the memorial I came upon a room which had baby pictures in it, at this point I knew I would no longer be able to hold in my emotions. There were many baby pictures and below it were brief descriptions of each child, their like, favorite food, and their cause of death. None of the children in this particular room was older than the age 13 and their causes of death caused large rivers of tears to flow down my face as if I personally were the child that was the victim of such brutality. The one that hit me the hardest was this beautiful little girl with beautiful brown eyes, age 2 was killed by being slammed into a wall. There were also two sisters whos cause of death was while taking a shower a grenade was tossed into the tub. This brought to my attention that these people had no heart. This effects the people because many are traumatized and left without families and grew up with strangers. Even after 10+ years there is still a hurt in the eyes of the people in this country, a hurt that I personally believe will never go away. However many here believe that in two more generations the hurt will go away.

I PRAY THAT THERE WILL BE NO MORE GENOCIDES BECAUSE THIS NOT ONLY EFFECTS THE PEOPLE WHO WENT THROUGH BUT PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO WISHED I COULD HAVE HELPED.

Queen Tiffany Keeps Rwanda In My Prayers

Kigali Memorial

2008-07-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

Well you guys like i thought i did spell the name wrong its actually Mukiza not Makiza.
Yesterday was a tough day for all of us. Mukiza and Gilbert meet us for breakfest and told us a bit about what we were about to see. Already I could feel my emotions bubbling. When we arrived at the memorial I was shocked at what i saw, at first all u saw was the facts then you got into the graphic parts. I couldn't bare watch the scars people had or the missing parts they had in there bodies it was so painful to watch. There was also documentaries of people that survived the genocide who watched there families being murdered which was hard to listen to. They had bones of children on display which i walked right past because i just couldn't take it. The thing that hurt me the most which they left for last was the story of the innocent kids that were murdered babies were slammed on walls and were sliced with machete's. There was this on child who's story hurt me the most which was about this little boy who's last words was "mum where should i hide." and then got shot in the head. I don't understand how someone could have the heart to kill a innocent child, they didn't even know what was happening. Even writing about this is making me cry you really have to see this to understand how painful it is to watch. Mukiza and Gilbert are strong guys they went with us to re-live that moment in there lives. They actually held up better than i did. I am amazed at how strong they are. They were actually checking in on us to make sure we were alright. I know it was hard for them to be there. Mukiza actually had family members buried on that site which he showed me. I couldn't even bare to look at them until we felt because i felt so guilty that no one helped them out. The world just sat there and let this happen to them. I still feel guilty , I feel guilty that they had to see that again although i know they were happy we went so we could have a visual of what really happened to them a,d what they went through because all we heard was stories. People in the world need to open up there eyes to this kind of things and prevent them from happening, and if they do happen they need to help these people out. They need a lot of help but there pride doesn't allow them to ask for it. There are so proud of themselves which makes me feel so bad and selfish when I complain about simple things at home, while they in the other hand only have one meal a day and sometimes don't eat for days and still have a smile on there faces.

After the memorial we went to this concert called the Pan African Dance festival. There at least 400 artists from over 30 international dance companies performing. It was so amazing the stage was so pretty and guess what, it was made out of dirt and if I'm correct bamboo parts. This made me wonder how in New York we spend all this money on stadiums which we shouldn't have to and here they make theres out of what they have which I'm sure didn't cost much but its still so pretty. All that money New York spends could be used for better things, like to help people in need like here. At the concert i also noticed before anything went on they played the national anthem and everyone just stopped, stood without moving anywhere until it was over. They also played music from church giving thanks to god before beginning. I felt good being there because Gilbert and Mukiza were so great full for being able to show us what makes them happy, and after a day like what we had that was the icing. When we were leaving i felt bad because we only had had on meal that day which made me wonder if there were going to eat again when they got home. I cant sleep at night knowing that these survivors these innocent people are suffering and not getting good water or food . I don't understand how the rest of the world could sleep knowing this. These people need help and some one has to give it to them.
As they say in there language murakoze mirwe meaning thank you and good evening.

The one and only Maria

Nothin Prepared Me 4 2day

2008-07-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Ive always known that the genocide was a horrible event which took place but I never met anyone who was personally affected by this event until I got here. 2day we went to a memorial which was one of the hardest things that Ive done in my entire life. There were many facts which spoke about the genocide but there were also personal statements from some of the survivors. There were slide shows of pictures of people and the wombs they received during the genocide.

EXPERIENCE OF A LIFE TIME

2008-07-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

Lissette: So far this trip has been an experience of a life time. My first day in the village was amazing I met the most adorable children in the world. As soon as we arrived they gathered around us as if we were superstars and to me they were the superstars. They even gave us all nicknames I was Eminem, Maria was shakira, Earl was 50 cent, and Tiffany was the Rwandan. Everyone was so welcoming and excited to be with us that it gave me no choice but to love them. Everything around us is different but the people are very much like us. Gilbert, Jenhine two of the many I met here and I even had a dance off. Even though there was no music it was awesome, just feeding off there energy alone was enough. Taking a look at things in their perspective I could tell they thought we were so cool. Lots of the children were in love with my hat, good thing i brought some with me that i could give to them. When they see the hats there going to be so greatfull.
If theres one thing I learned here its that everyone is greatful. Even for something as simple as visiting there village. The older women welcomes us into there homes and thanks us for being there and never asks for anything more then to encourage people to never forget about the things they have been through. What I find the most interesting is that even though they have been through such a horrible atrocity none of them seem bitter or angry, everyone walks around with a big smile and a positive mind state. I truly admire this about all the people in the village. They have respectfully earned a place in my heart and I hope they feel the same. Lemway= one in Kinyarwandan .......Till next time

Kinyarwanda

2008-07-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

Amakuro? meaning How are you in Kinyarwanda. Well i have alot to say since we finally went to the village of Umudugado. Once you enter the village the road changes into dirt, thats how you know that you have finally arrived. When we first got there all you saw was the little kids coming out to greet us. At first we felt like we werent welcome because of the the way we were being looked at and followed. It turned out to be that they are so caring and helpful which brought to my mind how can they be so humble after they survived the genocide? Its overwhelming to even think about. Everyone was happy to see Yael and Amy again also joyful to see them come with more people. The kids love taking pictures and in less than a day we had already taught them our New York poses. We meet one well a couple of people Yael and Amy knew but there was one guy named Makiza i dont know if im spelling it right so i will make corrections later when i do find out how to spell it. Anyways he is amazing, he talks 3 different languages, is finishing school now and plays rugbi which is a dangerous soccer/football/hockey sport and i dont know wat else to mix it with. He has a very good heart and helps his commuity out. Something that he told us that broke my heart is that he only gets to eat once a day, and sometimes people in his village dont get to eat for days at a time. For people that play sports and do alot of walking a day is tough.
I also meet some amazing children. These kids are so adorable they stick by you and make sure you are ok. They took me around there village and showed me what they do and things that are important to them. Most of these kids lost there parents and are taken care of kids close to your age. imagine having to grow up with out parents never babying you are buying you things, making sure you are ok thats hard for a child. Whats incrediable is that these kids dont even show you that they are hurt. Overall being at the village was great I dont think i want to go back to america. Well mirwe meaning evening and murakoze meaning thank you for taking your ti,e to read my experience.

Marrrrrriiiiiiaaaaaaaa

Remarkable!!!!

2008-07-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

I must admit that this trip is nothing that I had expected. The first day in the village was so beautiful because the kids are just as nuts as we are. They like to dance and sing with one another and they treat new people with extra love and respect. Immediately, I grew attached to the young kids because they are just so extremely cute that I cant seem to stay away. One girl whos 16, her name is spelled Jeanine but pronounced Jen, she seems to be the person who I truly connected with. Shes such a sweetheart and what I love about her most is that although she has been through a lot she doesn't allow it to slow her down or interferre with her everyday life. Everytime I see her my heart lights up with joy and I cant help but seeing a piece of me in her. Shes my long lost sister is what I m going to tell people when I get back to America.

Qu33n Tiffany BKA Rwandan

cant wait to give away gifts!

2008-07-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

yea its me earl back to do my blog. we just came from the village and those kids just made my day. We rode in this transport van that took us to the village and i must say that it was amazing, we saw so many things and just got a better chance to see Rwanda. Riding in the van was a good experience but to tell the truth i think i can only ride in there one more time because its just to much for me. If u think New York transportation is bad don't ever get in one of those vans but as i said i think i can deal with it one more time. When we finally got to the village it was everything i thought Africa would be. A few of the hut looking houses dirt every where and a whole bunch of kids running around with dirt on them, its nothing wrong with that because thats what i expected. i love all of the kids and they are so small and cute but i tell u one thing i don't want to here the word photo for the rest of the night. The kids love taking pictures but i think they like looking at the picture more than taking it. We took so many pictures of them i think everyone camera died. It was so funny because we showed them some hand shakes and everything we did in the picture they did. For some reason they think i have a lot of money. They was really liking my ear rings and tats on my body. i cant wait to leave so that i can give away some stuff. i could just keep going on but i will hit the blog up another time.

IM IN AFRICA PEOPLE!!

2008-07-24T03:11:00.000-07:00

Bonjour.It Lissette again we are finally here every things beautiful ...Dubai was so hot it was crazy ... I never thought the Middle east was hotter than Africa. All is well and me and me friends are enjoying ourselves. Today would be our first day working with the students I'm really excited. au revoir

its about time!

2008-07-24T02:31:00.000-07:00

Hello people its Earl... wow we finally made it here, it felt like i was on those planes for about a year. Our first stop was Dubai and man was that something. people say that Africa is hot, they havent seen or felt nothing until they go to Dubai. After spending the night there we were off to our next flight to Uganda OMG just talking about planes is giving me jetlag. Anyway we made it to Rwanda and it was nothing what i thought it would be. well actualy it was half and half, i seen some of the things i saw on tv and sometimes i even forgot thet i was in Africa because of the inviorment. when we were walking in the streets i felt like i was from another planet or something the way they were looking at me but i got use to it. Since being here i only ate one thing that i enjoyed but hey im not complaining. overall everything is going good and we are about to go to the village to meet some of the Genocide survivors to help and teach them a few things. im very excited about that because i know so much about the genocide but this time i probably would here some of their stories in person. well i see u next time hope i have something intresting to talk about. 1!

Africa

2008-07-24T02:30:00.000-07:00

Bonjour je ma pel Maria,

We are finally here. The day i have waited for has arrived. We had a long trip but it was all exciting. Dubai was and awesome place to be at. When we left the Dubai airport i felt like we were going to die. It was liek a steam room outside. I dont really understand how people live there. I felt kind of weird because i was getting alot of looks by the way i was dressed. I was wearing shorts and a halter top as you can see in our picture, while woman there were dressed from head to toe.The only thing visible was there eyes and some there face. Later that night we took a dip in the Aurabian sea. I was surpised that the water was so warm. We played marco polo, when we stepped out of the hotel we were eyed down by the whole hotel acroos from the 7star hotel that changes colors. Dubai is a beautiful place to be at. The buildings were out of this world. One would think New York has the best building but its nothing compared to Dubai. When it was time to leave i felt weird because i got accustomed to Dubai. We arrived in Uganda in like seven hours which i slept for. There i could already tell the difference. There aiport compared to Americas airports and Dubai's airport was so different. They had only one elevator that didnt work at all. You would think they would have more, we were stock carrying our luggage up the stairs. We awaited mor ethan 7hours for our plane which was tiring. When we arrived at Kigali i was shocked. it was nothing how i expected it to be. People spoke english, were fully dressed and were very polite. Today we will be going to the village. Im so excited but worried at the same time. I would love to hear there stories but dont want to cry hearing them. Me always thinking i have a bad life but people have no idea. Au revoir- thats so french for u meaning see you again

U HAVE NO IDEA!!! Tiffany

2008-07-24T02:29:00.000-07:00

I have no idea where 2 start. I feel like a 4 years old whos fascinated by absolutely everything. Im confused where 2 start so I will start with my favorite part. When we arrived in Dubai it was the HOTTEST experience of my life. The weather there is unbelievable and the buildings are beautiful. For that place 2 have been built a mere 10 years ago its spectacular. The reasont that Dubai was my favorite part so far is because we went to a hotel which is in front of the Arabian Sea and we all dived into the water with all of our clothes on. The best part was that we werent suppose 2 do that and we had 2 walk through the hotel which we were not ataying at dripping wet and then get into a cab and go to our hotel. That was AMAZING!!!!!! I dont really have much 2 say about Uganda yet because we only sat in the airport but Im sure I will have some interesting facts to share. Now Im in Rwanda seeing all types of different people and trying all types of food(im always hungry) and Im having the time of my life.

READY TO GO...BYE

2008-07-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

Tiffany's Excited

2008-07-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

OMG!!!!!! I am so absolutely excited @ the thought that my luggage is packed and we are all here @ Amy's house awaiting the time to leave. Right now I am hungry but the thought of Africa is overwhelming my mind. I am most excited 2 meet a young lady who has a style like mines so that we can have a lot to talk about. OMG!!! I cant wait to get there already.

bout 2 leave

2008-07-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

hi guys this earl and we are about 2 leave.right now im feeling real anxious and ready to go. we are @ amy house ready now and getting situated. well i see you next time.

The day we leave

2008-07-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Hey you guys its me Maria. I'm so excited the day has finally come, only a couple of hours to board the plane. I'm hoping that I didn't leave anything behind and that everything goes well. Thanks for letting me receive this once in a life time experience.

OMG!!!!!

2008-07-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hey this is Lissette the day has finally come and I am sooooo excited. Africa here I come.

Countdown to Rwanda

2008-07-18T20:32:00.001-07:00

One more day before we leave for Rwanda via Dubai and Uganda.