Rwanda Trip 2018 Afterglow

Dear Friends,

Our journey has come to an end. We are home, safe and sound.

Murakoze ~ Thank you all for following our Rwanda adventure on this Blog. It enriched our experience so much, knowing you were with us in spirit. 

As you can imagine, a trip like this is quite difficult to put into words, but we did our best, and now we have a wonderful collection of photos to share with you. We're also putting together a trip video - coming soon!

Trip Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/145014284@N02/sets/72157697081978002

Biracyaza ~ Onward!

Janet & Genevieve

www.WorldDanceforHumanity.org

Final thoughts from our travelers & Rwanda team:

Arlene Satterlee: The experience enlivened our souls, expanded our hearts, and showed us the dignity and courage of these who are climbing great heights to reach a better life. I feel so fortunate to have witnessed the miraculous transformation of a population - from hate, despair, and unimaginable inhumanity - to an inspired hope for prosperity through working together. Take notice, world of strife: this is the model for thriving and the true pursuit of happiness. For me, each broad smile and hand wave, each testimony of thanks to Janet and to World Dance for Humanity, the warmth of the children's smiles and the joy of dancing with their parents, made the love compartment in my heart expand to amazing proportions.

Connor Meador: The trip to Rwanda was an outstanding experience! The co-op members are amazing people who are making great progress. It was clear to us each day how much they appreciate the presence of WD4H in their lives, and how much work they are doing to make their own lives better. It was so great getting to know these courageous people. The memories and lessons learned will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Danna English: The Rwanda trip with World Dance far exceeded my expectations. The connections I made with the people were profound beyond words. I am forever changed by what I saw at the co-ops and the interactions I had with individuals. I enjoyed seeing first-hand how our dancing and fundraising affects the people of Rwanda in such a positive way. I was astounded at how appreciative they were and how much they love us. I am also so very grateful for the camaraderie I experienced with my fellow travelers. Our companionship and conversation were delightful, and I missed them as soon as I got home. I am forever changed by this humanitarian experience.

Grace Lovio: I'm grateful for the music, the dancing, the warm welcomes, the generosity of affection, the stunning landscapes. Most of all, I'm grateful for the people I met. As someone working through the sudden loss of a loved one, it meant a lot to me to see how the co-op members - people who know more about grief and trauma than anyone - have been able to forgive, rebuild, and find ways to celebrate life despite its challenges. I will think about them often and send a mental 'Murakoze' (thank you) each time. Thank you Janet, Genevieve, Justin, Judy, Dany, Chantal, and all the other travelers for making the trip so meaningful.

Jayne Johann: I thought I had a good understanding of the work we're doing in Rwanda, but being there, I learned what life was like before we began our partnership with the people there, and the incredible transformation taking place - from depression and hopelessness to determination and excitement about the future. I was so impressed by the deep impact we’re able to have on the lives of so many through our modest donations. I am so grateful for the opportunity to witness the incredible work that is bringing these people a better life!

Jessica White: Gandhi said, 'You find yourself when you lose yourself in the service of others.' This was 100% realized for me, being in Rwanda with WD4H! I am so grateful for this life-changing experience and will hold the memories close to my heart for the rest of my life.

Jill Pezzino: Thank you so much for letting me join you on your trip this year. It was one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had. I returned home so grateful to be able to turn on a faucet and have clean water, hit a switch and have light, and open a refrigerator and have food. The trip opened my eyes to the needs of these beautiful people. Meeting my student and her mother at the Umunezero Cooperative was the highlight of my trip!

Jojo Barker: This was my second trip to Rwanda, so I thought I knew what to expect. I did not expect to see such an amazing transformation in just five years. The people looked healthier, happier, and more confident. The farms were more productive. The animals are reproducing impressively. The new businesses are up and running. The people are still as loving, exuberant and welcoming, but it’s clear that WD4H has had a profound impact on their lives. All the people we visited were certain that today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better yet. Can you image how exhilarating it is to be with such open, loving, grateful and positive people?  Our Santa Barbara community truly does extend to the Rwandan people. I am so grateful to be a part of it all. Thank you - Janet, Genevieve, Justin, Dany, Chantal and Judy - for all that you do for all of us!

Leesbeth Lagendyk: Rwanda: Can innocence and wisdom be as pure. Can smiles be that warm and sincere. Could hope and endurance be so intertwined. Could elegance and poverty be so related. Could I be more surprised by the love I feel for this paradise in process and these beautiful people.

Marcia Heller: People have been asking me what my most memorable moments were during the trip. With all our amazing experiences, that's difficult to answer! I think what touched me the most was meeting and hearing from the high school and college students. The young children and babies are adorable, of course. With their shy grins, innocent eyes and warm hugs, they pull at your heartstrings. But seeing the smiles and tears of gratitude expressed by the teens and their parents and hearing about how their lives had changed was priceless. I loved our day at Nyamirama school, sitting in a classroom with the students, watching their beaming smiles beam as they tossed around beachball globes and tried on World Dance t-shirts. Their warm, honest comraderie was a joy to behold.

Naima Sudjian-Carlisle: Thank you for the opportunity to experience WD4H and your connection with Rwanda. This trip has been a blessing in my life on many levels. I am so inspired by all of your tireless work and heart power that gives life to this organization. I am blessed to know you and hope to stay connected: through class, events, and the Rwanda-Santa Barbara Sister Schools. So much magic on this trip!

Olga Herrera Pinal: My cup runneth over with joy and gratitude, seeing the co-ops greet us with exuberant dancing and abundant gratitude. We heard emotional stories of strength, survival, and forgiveness that showed us how these people have moved forward with the help of our Rwanda Team and WD4H. I am so proud to belong to an organization that makes this possible! They have taken our modest gifts and created sustainable livelihoods with livestock, organic farming, sewing businesses, bakeries, a Tilapia Fish farm, and most importantly, they are making sure that all the children get an education. The heart of this organization is Janet (who had a global vision), her helper Genevieve, and Justin (our amazing Program Director) with his Rwanda team - Dany, Chantal, and Judy. It takes a village to rise from the ashes, and that is what we are witnessing in Rwanda. Tuzarwubaka - Let us Rebuild - together!

Pamela Albert: I've never seen such joy, forgiveness, love, and profound caring as we saw during the Rwanda trip. The people we visited honored us with smiles, hugs, food, comfort, and love. We came bearing gifts, but they gave us something of far greater value. We cried tears of sadness and joy together. I brought home many gifts for family and friends, but I hope that I've also brought home patience, kindness, forgiveness, and love.

Sherry Robin: Visiting Rwanda again was so special. I recall the joy of seeing Justin, Chantal, Judy and Danny at Kigali Airport. Our Rwanda Team is so welcoming and were so patient, helping me with my Kinyarwanda language skills. Kigali is a beautiful city and I will never forget running along with hundreds of residents on a Sunday morning when street traffic was stopped for a ‘car-free morning.’ Thank you to all the co-op members who welcomed us and who were patient with my attempts to communicate with them in their language. A special thank-you to all the World Dancers who shared in this exciting trip and were so much fun to be with each day. My final thought is Urwanda, abanyarwanda birakungahaza. (Rwanda and the Rwandans enrich my life).

Sydney Luca Lion: Many people have asked me what we actually did in Rwanda, and I’ve told them about visiting the cooperatives. On the surface those few hours of contact might seem inconsequential, but one of the most powerful things the co-op members told us was the value in getting to meet us in person, as it proves they have not been struggling alone. It means a great deal for them to know that their endeavor to better the community and their own livelihood is shared and supported by us. I’m grateful to everyone in Rwanda who welcomed and taught us, and to WD4H for what they do!

RWANDA TEAM

Justin Bisengimana, Program Director: Dear Travelers - Thank you for your enthusiasm, patience, kindness, but most importantly your love and your hunger to help the Rwandan people - which brought you to sacrificing your time and financial resources for the good of our country. We need to join our hands together to change lives, especially in this brokenhearted country where human faces couldn't even remember if a smile has ever existed on them, where happiness and love were replaced by anger, depression, and hatred, where orphans had no hope of finding a family, where prosperity and well-being was a thing of the past. Thank you for helping rebuild such a nation like this. Broken hearts are healing, communities are not just improving but flourishing. I know we keep this light glowing. The wonderful moments we spent together over 16 days will keep us thinking of you. We miss you so much!

Dany Rukundo, Assistant Program Director: Dear Travelers - Our co-op members couldn't wait to see you! It was such honor for you to greet them, dance together, exchange ideas through speeches, understand them, hold their kids, take pictures with them, share food and speak our language. These made you difference with others big NGOS which give money but not open their hearts and love to the people. They see they have people who care about them and their lives. You gave us fuel to work hard in our communities. Thank you for continuing to support our dreams. And thank you to the young people like Connor, Jessica, Grace, Sydney, Naima and Genevieve - you made a good example to us, so lives changing will be spread.

Judy Rwibutso, Business Coordinator: Dear travelers, your presence in our country taught me what LOVE is beyond what I knew. The love that made you come from that far was one thing, but the love you showed in bearing with so many challenges here and still enjoyed with the communities was beyond our imaginations. You all left your families and loved ones, your best food, best beds, and accepted to sleep where we took you, you ate what we ate, you sang what we sang, and never complained because you valued our friendship beyond anything else. The common language we speak is HUMANITY which can change the WORLD! Thank you all for giving us young people a story to tell the next generation!

I have so many memories that touched my heart, where should I start? By thanking 80 year-old Arlene, one of the most energetic women I know, who could walk for a long distance in our thousands hills but never complained? Or Grace, Sydney, Naima, Genevieve, and Connor, the energetic youths who walked and worked with us, despite how unpleasant some things were, learning what their presence means to Rwandans? Or Mike and Connor, the only men on the trip, who completed the journey without a single complaint about the lively women they were together with the whole time? How about Olga who left a huge Smile into every co-op we visited? Her smile has become a good story to tell and healing one indeed. How about Rebecca' s hug that was needed by many orphans, the love she shared to the kids, which for most of them was their first time to feel that loved and accepted. How about Janet, who led us to 25 co-ops just by heart spirit and soul, whose commitment and passion are all about our Rwandan communities, whose life-changing passion flows in her veins. Thank you everyone for your presence which has left a footprint into our lives. I miss you and pray for your health and well-being until we meet again!  

Chantal Kubwimana, Education Coordinator: Dear Travelers - I can't believe you’re no longer here! In sleeping, my dreams are of meeting you the morning. Your kindness, humanity, patience and most important your love to Rwandans we can't take it for granted. You are helping ease hunger, without expecting any return, making us strong. Broken hearts, hatred, hunger…are replaced by happiness, love, well-being. The orphans are no longer lost a hope of tomorrow. The satisfaction in my life is from your humility and patience. I have a big legacy from you until the end of my life.