Background

I will be in Kigali for 30 days on a travel visa. It was the easiest way for me to gain access into the country without applying for an extended visa. I was connected to the Akilah Institute in mid-February by Betty Castor and have been on this journey to Africa ever since. I have to be back in St. Pete for a wedding that’s taking place in early May so we made plans accordingly. I got here on Tuesday, March 21 and will depart on April 19 – on the 30th day of my visa. I will arrive in Tampa on April 20 after 35 hours of travel! YAY! ❤

Akilah

I am currently in Kigali, Rwanda volunteering with the Akilah Institute. Akilah is a college here in Kigali that enables young women to achieve economic independence. The goal is to ensure these girls are employable after graduation and set them up for success. They offer 3 programs: information systems, hospitality management and business management & entrepreneurship. There are currently around 350-400 students here and the goal is to reach 1 million African female students by 2030. Akilah is the only school here of it’s kind. It’s quite incredible!
I am essentially working as a consultant for them. My main priority will be launching a formal internship program. This is something they’ve wanted to do for a long time but haven’t managed to formalize it – so I’m very very pleased to help them with this initiative! You know how I love to build a program! :). I have been asked to sit in on different meetings and offer feedback on efficiencies, ideas on creating a stronger culture, etc. Going back to my ADPi consultant days and loving it! ❤
You can feel the energy and the drive to be successful here – both from the students but also the staff to impact more girls each year! It has been an awesome first week!
Natasha: My main point of contact at Akilah is Natasha! She is their Director of Talent & HR. She is awesome, super smart. Originally from the UK but moved to Rwanda 3 years ago. She not only has ensured I got acclimated here at Akilah, but also coordinated a dinner last Friday to introduce me to some of her girl friends. They reminded me of us. Super smart and wanting to make a difference here. They all shared their experience here – where they’re from, how they got to Rwanda, and why they stayed here. Candy has been here the longest – 8 years. The average was 3-4 years. It was cool to hear their stories.
There are more than 40 people that are on staff here. I have met maybe half at this point, but people pop in to say hello from time to time. It’s a very nice place to work and again, I’m very grateful to be here! Over the next two weeks I’ll be meeting with the senior team individually, so I’m excited to get more into the nitty gritty as we move forward!

Living Accommodations – Rita

I am living with a girl named Rita. She’s 28 and has a PR company that her and her business partner, Angela, launched almost a year ago. PR isn’t really a thing here and they are trying to change that. They named their company Vibe Tribe… she says, “You know, because your vibe attracts your tribe!” Absolutely! Her family is from Rwanda but she grew up in Michigan. She moved to Rwanda 3 years ago because she wanted to make a difference here, specifically advancing the idea of mentorship among women. People here don’t share. It’s a very private, “no one should know your business”, kind of town. The younger generation sees the opportunity of learning from one another, so she recently started a mentoring group for women who are entrepreneurs. Can you say match made in heaven? 🙂

Ange

It is customary to have someone cook and clean for you as well as have someone watch your property. Ange, 21, cooks and cleans for Rita. She generally comes 3 times a week to assist Rita… which I just learned today! I have seen her every day I’ve been here! I asked her why she is coming so much, and she said “for you! I make sure you okay and you eat!” ❤ She is from Rwanda and learned English in school. Our conversations aren’t perfect – but I’m grateful for her. Ange teaches me Kinyarwanda (the native language here). She taught me how to make a fire and has taught me a few different meals so far! She is the person I spend the most amount of time with. We have become quick friends! I think she enjoys that I want to learn and thinks I’m funny! Naturally! She would easily make all meals for me, bring me whatever I need, and ensure I’m taken care of. She has even offered to run errands for me. I told her that I don’t need her to do all of that for me – but we decided we can do it together. I adore her!

Boojingo/Bene

We had a young man named Boojingo who was our “security guard”. I put in quotes because it’s not like you’d imagine. He opened the gate for you when you got home, boiled water, but also walked around the house and made sure we’re safe. Well, turns out he’s been stealing from Rita so he no longer works here. We now have an adorable young man, Bene, who started yesterday! Work here is limited. I was told there is always someone waiting for a job here, and sure enough within a day we had someone new.

Cooking

So many of you know that cooking has never been my thing! I am known for bringing wine and chips, or just a smile and a warm hug! Over the course of this journey, I have really found this desire to be in the kitchen, making food. I can’t quite explain it but I actually made my first “on the road” meal when Audra and I were in Italy! Gluten free, of course, and I have to say it actually turned out quite good. Aud can vouch! 🙂 Anyway, I have been cooking with Ange here and have really enjoyed it! It’s become a part of my day that I look forward to! We cook out of a fire pot and it is just such a cool experience. Food here is so fresh – literally when you buy a potato, it is covered in dirt, as if it was just plucked from the ground!

My list for the market: chicken, rice, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, green pepper, onions, garlic, olive oil, canned corn, bread, little bananas (they are so cute!), crunchy peanut butter, milk, black tea. It’s crazy how good and flavorful food can be with these basic ingredients, and how many variations of meals you can make. It makes me really rethink my eating habits at home. I have eaten most of my meals at home, although there are plenty of restaurant options here. My go to spot has been Java House because they have free wifi and the most beautiful view!

Kigali Life

I’ve only been here a week but I’m really enjoying the lifestyle of Kigali!

• I feel incredibly safe. I smile and say hello to everyone! I get a lot of stares… I think people are intrigued. There are many parts of town where I am the only white person, so I understand their interest. Now, there is a perception that I have a lot of money, so the motos try to hustle me and give me a higher price. To their surprise, I don’t play that game and then bargain for less than I know the fair would be. I don’t like to be taken advantage of! They always take the lower price – because it’s that or nothing.
• The moto, not quite motorcycle but more power than a moped, is their basic means of public transport. I am OBSESSED with the moto! It’s so fun and it’s just such a nice way to really see the city!
• There is a bus system here, but from what I’ve been told, the routes aren’t very strategic in regards to where you’d want to go.
• I pay 600RWF to get from my house to Akilah which equates to 71 cents USD. Isn’t that nuts!
• They do have taxis which that same ride would be about 2000RWF which is $2.38. Still not bad… but I prefer the moto!
• The people are incredibly kind! Ange has taught me a few words, but the one I say most often is rockquoze – or thank you! I am always greeted with a smile!
• One thing that I think is very cool here is that everyone greets everyone the same. Example: I went to dinner with the girls on Friday. I knew 2 of the 5 girls there. Each time a new person joined, they walked around the table and greeted each person. A kiss on the cheek while simultaneously hugging and introducing yourself. I loved it because it immediately made me feel like part of the group. So, when we do lunch, of course people introduce themselves. But traditionally you hug the people you know, and shake hands or wave or whatever to the new people. If I coordinate a lunch, this will be the new way. It’s incredibly welcoming! We went out afterwards and every person we met did the same thing. It is such a great community builder! Instant friends! LOVED IT!
• The weather here is gorgeous. It’s currently 77 degrees and sunny. Rainy season is just beginning, and when it rains, it pours! The weather channel often predicts rain and then nothing happens. I think I’ve experience 2 days of rain. The one downfall is that when it does rain, the motos don’t run, so you’re pretty much stuck where you are! I was late to Akilah both days it rained – as were many others! It’s kind a nice reason to sleep in though!

The beauty of Kigali is in the simplicities.

• The pace is much slower than Tampa. My daily routine during the work week includes – waking up, eating breakfast/having tea, get ready, moto to Akilah, Go home. Make tea. listen to music, read and hang with Ange. Make dinner. Make water for shower. Shower. Read, listen to music or watch Jim Gaffigan’s standup or Grace & Frankie which I have downloaded! 🙂 On occasion I run an errand on the way home – whether to pick up something from the market, I purchased a Rwandan Sim Card, went shopping, the atm, etc. Normal things!
•   I also “shower” out of a basin! Interestingly, it’s my favorite part to the day. It’s very simplistic experience but it takes on the feel of a primitive ritual. I t’s quite difficult to really find the right words but certainly not something I wouldn’t have imagined enjoying.
• For those of you not on Facebook, I learned to make a fire on a fire pot! I have helped make it previously, but yesterday I did it on my own! Ange was so proud!
• One of my other favorite parts, when thinking about simplicity, is that we have everything we need, yet it’s so different from home.
• We both have beds. The kitchen has a sink and a refrigerator; our bathrooms have toilets and sinks with running water. (Drinking water must be boiled first.)
• We have electricity and Kigali has internet, 3G!
• We have a lovely sitting area outside with a sheet, a plastic/woven tarp and pillows. No additional furniture within our home.
• When making dinner we use one fire pot, two bowls – one for cooking and one for rinsing food/hands, etc.; 1 cutting knife. (That’s all!)
• We also have a mix of like 3 forks, 2 knives and 4 spoons. 3 cups, (one of them I purchased my first day to make tea!), 2 serving dishes, 2 plates and 3 plastic bowls. We have 2 basins which are not only used for showering but for laundry and cleaning as well.
• Laundry is washed by hand and hung up to dry.
• There are no traditional addresses or house numbers. The street I live on is KG565 … the streets next to it are not KG563 or 4 or 6. Meaning, I cannot figure out how the numbers are what they are. Every street begins with KG.. assuming it stands for Kigali and then includes a number.
• I was originally told that you cannot receive mail here. I’ve recently learned that you can indeed get things mailed, it just take an extremely long time (possibly 30 days) to receive it. Could you imagine no mail? When I asked how they receive bills, etc. they said they don’t get billed for anything. Everything here is pay on the spot. So interesting!

I have always known that people live on less than I do, or we do, but to actually live within that environment is nothing like you imagine it. I think my tendency would be to feel bad for, or to wish others could experience the life that we are fortunate to experience. My findings have been the opposite. I would actually love for us to do a retreat of some sort and live this way for a week. I think it would be an amazing experience for us all, and cool to do together. Although alone time for reflection would be crucial!
Living here has been a beautiful experience. Everything, each minute of the day, feels way more intentional. Being on the road for a month and half in general shows you how little you really need so I’m glad to have had that experience prior to coming here. Living out of a backpack, living in hostels, wearing the same set of clothes… I’ve loved it all! Many have asked if I’m sick of my clothes, or tired of living like this. Truthfully, I haven’t hated or disliked one bit.

I continue to think about life “after this”. What will happen when I come home? How will I continue this journey? How will I continue to live at this pace or at least maintain what I’ve loved most about this experience? I continue to think back to an early conversation with Kelley. Over the years she’s continued to encourage me to slow down and I never quite understood why or even more so, how. I’ve been on the go, literally, for years. I loved living that way; it was all I knew. I guess now I am experiencing the other side of that spectrum and am enjoying it. Not enjoying it like, “Oh this is so fun!” but appreciating how life feels when you slow down. I feel so much more present and aware. Aware of the people I’m walking next to. Aware of my true feelings. I feel this inner joy, a peace about myself, and have learned a different side of myself.

I was recently in a conversation with a girl here, Angela, that I just really related to. She is from England and has been in Rwanda just short of 3 years. She was visiting friends, went home and decided she wanted to give Rwanda a go and just moved here. She had a small group of friends, no job and no place to live. She was speaking about how sometimes you just have to go for it and do something crazy. She was saying how she thought she really knew herself, but the life she has now is something she would never in a million years have dreamed of. She said, “If the life I have now brings me so much joy, and I never saw this as a possibility, then did I really know myself at all?” I guess I’ve always tried to know myself, as much as I want to really get to know others. This thought really resonated with me because this journey has just brought about so many questions, curiosities, and conversations.

I really should give a shout out to my 2 question askers – Audra and Kristi. They have really helped me dive into my experience and really process what’s going on in this mind of mine. For that, I am forever grateful! #always #bp
How would I define success? One of the questions I was asked prior to leaving was how would I know if I was successful? Well, truth be told I wasn’t sure what to expect from this journey. I had hopes and dreams, but no clear image. I’ve had this random vision of myself in Africa since I was a small child, but never a clear image of what I was doing, or how long I would stay there. I can say that my experience has been outstanding. Beyond my wildest dream or expectation actually. I have met incredible women here – girls my age. Girls who moved to Rwanda for a bigger purpose. It’s exciting.

Two recent conversations have really helped me drill down on this.
I met a girl yesterday, Diane, who is from Rwanda and went to college in the US. She made a comment that I found so interesting. She said her family was encouraging her to stay in the US but she said, “They don’t need me there (the US). They have everything covered. My talents are actually needed in Rwanda. I can make a difference here.” I am not sure what about this sentiment moved me. I think one, odd to think she couldn’t make a difference in the US, but at the same time I totally get her feeling. There is so much need here and her talents would really be maximized here.

I can relate to her sense of wanting to maximize her talents. The feeling of really making a difference. Being needed somewhere. I identify with that feeling enormously and have felt that that desire to be apart of something bigger. That is what I wanted to get out of this experience. I wanted to be a part of something. Something I couldn’t quite articulate until today.

At Akilah today, we had a little team building/education session. The topic was GRIT… Long term passion, focusing on a goal over years. Determination, courage, strength of character. Focusing on something over time; a marathon not a sprint. It was so interesting to hear the discussion. For some reason, to my surprise, it didn’t sound any different than ours. Overcoming challenges, the constant struggle of “having enough to time”; a focus on balance. Trying to do it all. When asked what country comes to mind when you think of GRIT, they all said Rwanda! Overcoming a genocide 20 years ago and the rebuilding of a community truly is gritty. They all beamed with pride. They all feel a part of this change and that is what helps motivate them to do what they’re doing each and every day. It was inspiring. I felt proud to be in this room – I felt truly among them. I’ve always been proud of the work I’ve done. I feel lucky that way actually. I think the part that I was seeking was this sense of grander purpose. I was chasing this bigger picture. A movement.
I am inspired, motivated and reenergized unlike ever before. I don’t know where this journey will lead, but I know, 100% that I will be a part of a movement. A movement that empowers you to RISE; a grander purpose.

The world we live in is such an interesting place. The perspectives that we all bring to the table; the way we view ourselves and how we fit into this larger puzzle of our world. I’m not sure what my answer WAS to how I’d define success, but I would say that I am absolutely, 110% confident, that this journey was necessary and timely for me. I look forward to really diving deeper and further into this – but at the core – I am simply happy.

In summary, this me, and this lifestyle, is one that I’d like to keep around! 

Going Against the Current

Xoxo