Bad Boys Saloon

Yesterday we passed a joint called Bad Boys Saloon. Dr. Totten decided we needed to check it out so we went in. We found that it was actually a salon. Being the jokester that he his, Dr. Totten wandered around the inside like he was looking for something and asked the Barbers where all the beer was.

Later that evening, Dr. Totten made a call to his good friend K.K., a famous Major General here in Rwanda. Soon we were picked up by one of his soldiers and driven to a somewhat remote hotel and restaurant, where we met the mayor of Nyamata.

We arrived and sat down with Mayor Gasparo and Mweusi, K.K.'s older brother. For about two hours we enjoyed food and drink, while discussing the future project in Nyamata. What I hadn't realized earlier is that Dr. Totten had only come up with the idea two days prior. The main ideas for the project unfolded right in front of me. It was quite a treat to sit with these men as they discussed ideas.

Nyamata was one of the first cities in Rwanda to be attacked by the atrocities of 1994. In Gaspero's district alone, nearly half the population was murdered; 120,000 to 65,000. The genocide left the place in shambles. Those who were lucky enough to survive, many of them orphans, were left with next to nothing. Gaspero, very passionate about giving his people a better life, explained that Nyamata receives help from the government and other organizations, but that a huge gap still remains between the needs of its people and what they have available.

Gaspero and others are no longer encouraging orphanages. He believes a much better way to give children a normal life is to find homes for them. "The new formula," he says, "is a children's village." A small community of four bedroom houses, where mothers are given free board and paid to take care of the children in their home.

A project like this, complimented by the scholarship organization Dr. Totten has already started, and other educational options sure to come in the future, will undoubtedly transform dozens of lives.

I met an intern of the New Times Newspaper and she's offered to take me to work with her today. Then, tomorrow, Mayor Gaspero is picking me up in the morning and taking me with him to Nyamata. There, I will gather information for the Children's Village project.

Dr. Totten

One of the biggest reasons I chose to visit Rwanda was Dr. Totten. He's a very inspirational leader who influences activists worldwide. I met him a few months ago at a conference on Darfur and was captivated by the talk he gave students. I was able to sit and talk with him and his wife Kathleen for awhile. He told me he'd be in Rwanda this summer and if I could make it, we'd meet up. I consider myself very lucky to make such friends. I've spent only a few hours with him since I've been here, but Dr. Totten has already given me plenty to think about.

Today I will be tagging along with him as he meets with government officials to begin setting up a sponsorship program with the U.S. The goal, from what I understand, is to have communities across America sponsor Rwanda's orphanages. The Genocide left communities in very bad condition. Orphanages filled with children affected by the genocide are stuck with a lack of supplies and resources. The government doesn't have the money to support them, so Dr. Totten and local leaders are working towards starting the project.

Hanging with Dr. Totten has been great. He inspires me and someday I hope to be as productive as him. If I can get there I'll accomplish a lot.

Spending evenings with Vinod has taught me a lot about the Indian culture. Last night we had dinner with a Sikh named Sammy. I spent an hour bombarding him with questions. I find his religion very interesting. They originated from the Hindus, and were formed to protect India against Muslims from Pakistan who were forcing Islam on the country. The main goal of their religion, according to Sammy, is to protect the rights of people who cannot protect themselves. They're warriors, and it sounds like, of a worthy cause.

Sam and Vinod

I've become pretty good friends with a local Indian business man. He's put me up in his spare room for as long as I'd like. Vinod's a good man and has been very generous towards me, but I don't have any doubt he would kill a man. The Africans on his street know him as "Mafia." He got the name after beating three street thugs. They mugged one of his girlfriends, so he beat them with a rod and took her money back. Luckily for me I see his sweet side. For three hours last night he bore his heart out to me about problems with the love of his life.

This morning I got to hear more Genocide stories from a Tutsi man. For someone that has been through so much, he's got an attitude that could be admired by anyone. For the last four years, Sam has counseled the very prisoners who murdered a million of his people. "Nobody is perfect. We're all weak in nature and that is why we sin. After realizing that, I had to forgive." Sam forgot about his degree in Biology, and started over again in Social Work. "Hutu prisoners do one of two things when they get released. They hide from the people they hurt because of guilt. Or they go back to killing again. I try to help them forgive themselves."

"They tried to kill us all but they couldn't. Some of us remain and we want to help build Rwanda." In the future Sam plans to work with the youth. "If young people have a positive vision, the world is safe."

Gisozi Genocide Memorial and burial site of 250,000

Pictures of thousands of mutilated bodies. Machete cuts. Bullet wounds. Crushed skulls. Missing limbs. A chain that was found at an exhumed burial site which bound husband and wife together as they were buried alive. Story after story of innocent victims. Video of a young man around my age explaining how his mother was beaten to death. A girl, who's two sisters were raped, beaten and thrown into a septic tank. Dozens of pictures of once beautiful children like Kim's, all chopped up, or shot. Streets and churches scattered with rotting bodies. Mass graves outside the memorial where family members placed flowers. It all brought tears to my eyes. Imagining the pain makes it hard to stand.

Later I read that an estimated force of 5,000 UN peacekeeping soldiers could have stopped a majority of the slaughter. It makes me sick. How could we have failed like this?

Rwanda

About nine hours of bumpy roads and checkpoints and I'm here in Kigali, Rwanda. It was a beautiful drive covered with lush green rolling hills and terraced farmlands. The city here is much cleaner than Kampala. And the Boda Boda drivers give passengers a helmet to wear, so you should be happy about that mom. I wandered around the city for a while trying to find a hotel. It seems there is some sort of conference going on and the first four hotels I checked out had no available rooms. I finally found a place here a little bit over budget but tonight I'm going to enjoy my first hot shower in Africa.

Mzungu

Mom.. you would have freaked if you saw me today. I road my first Boda Boda. The traffic is already crazy, then you hop on the back of a little motor bike and fly past traffic from all sides. You nearly get hit or smashed around every corner, but that's normal here. It's scary at first, but you just learn to let go and enjoy. Its actually very effective for getting around and touring the city.

Today I passed a large group of kids in a field dancing and playing the drums. I had the driver flip a U and drop me off. I watched from a distance and was soon called over by the adults. They explained it was a conference for scouts in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. They invited me to volunteer for the day and before I knew it I was covered with kids. I taught the group some games, and the kids showed me how to dance and play African drums. It was a great experience, and I couldn't have been more happy to see such goods kids.

As I left I was swarmed with telephone numbers and kids trying to get a hold of something. Just as I broke away there was one last youngster, about thirteen. He explained he had dancing and singing skills, and that all he needed to be a star was for me to pull a few strings.

Here I am going to bed for the second time in Africa and I already feel as though my eyes have been opened to so much. I set up a deal today to volunteer at a primary school in the south. Kim, one of the advisers at the school, has about the biggest heart I've ever seen. Kim is always accompanied by her beautiful African baby girl. She's one of the most adorable babies I've ever seen. By the looks of things you would never know that at one point the baby was so starved that she nearly died. The baby's mother killed her other two children; threw them in a latrine after starving and abusing them. Kim saved the baby when she was near death and made her whole again. She now calls her her own and is in the process of adopting. She saves other children in similar situations all over Uganda. She says she knows she can't change Africa. She only wants to show love and affection to kids who need it. I think she's wrong. She's already changed Africa.

For many people I meet, development is very frustrating. There always seems to be something negative. I think you just have to weigh it out. Some things work.

"Only a girl's heart"

Sorry guys, I didn't ever make it back to fill you in on Amsterdam. It was great though... don't worry about it.

I'm in Africa now! Landing at night without any sleeping accommodations makes things exciting. I met Dennis though, and he took me to Kampala.

The whole way we zoomed in and out of cars listening to sweet love songs and country music. Dennis grabbed a cassette and put it in. "Only a girl's heart" was one of the lines of his favorite song. He hummed along while making all sorts of rally racing maneuvers, and I just held on.

I made it to this sweet little backpackers' hangout in the city. All is well.

Boo-Ya!!!

Two planes, one twelve hour layover, the Atlantic ocean, one pair of underwear, and who knows how many time zones. I'm finally in Amsterdam.

I gotta go while the weather is good, but I'll be back with more details when it starts to rain.

The Big Dipper

I've found that one thing that always brings me back to optimism is service. Although it doesn't erase past mistakes, each sincere act of kindness helps me believe I'm not just some animal.

Reason for going? I guess I'm quenching my thirst for adventure; or hoping to expand my understanding of the world and its people. I suppose I'm going for several reasons, but the biggest of all I think, is that I don't really know who I am yet. How can I possibly know when I'm affected by everything around me? The moment I love myself the most, the time I feel as though I know myself and my purpose in life, is when I'm trying to help others.

I'm not very knowledgeable. I've always been a mediocre student, and I haven't read very many books. I feel totally unprepared for this trip. I do, however, have an understanding of the simple fact that we are the only ones who can make the world a better place. I'm not saying I expect to change anything huge. The intent of my trip is to change myself, and attempt to show people that you don't need millions of dollars or a powerful position to bring joy into someone's life.

If I can motivate one person to go out of their way to help another, my trip will be well worth it. If I can make a small difference in one person's life, while I see a new part of the world and satisfy my thirst for adventure, I've reached my goal.