Trip Afterglow - Thoughts from Travelers

By Janet Reineck, Founder & Executive Director, World Dance for Humanity

On August 14th, 21 World Dancers and supporters returned from an epic Rwanda Trip that filled our hearts, expanded our consciousness, and connected us to humanity...as never before. We spent each day with the communities we serve - celebrating their progress, talking about their lives, working on the land, making donations (goats, bicycles, water filters, solar lights, mattresses, toothbrushes, reusable menstrual pads, cookstoves), and of course...dancing!

I am so grateful to the Travelers for their leap of faith in embarking on this journey with us, for rising to an intense emotional level required each day and meeting the physical demands we faced, for opening their souls to the Rwandan people, and to each other. I hope the trip will come alive for you in the Rwanda Trip Photos - a sampling from 20,000+ images we brought back with us, thanks to Trip Photographers Susan Goldman, Genevieve Feiner, Grant Beall, and the travelers. (We're also in the process of editing 100 hours of video from Trip Videographers Steve Crain, Genevieve, and Grant, which we'll be sharing this fall.)

View the full photo collection here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/145014284@N02/albums

Biracyaza ~ Onward!

Thank you to all those who followed our Trip Blog!

Here are final thoughts from some of our travelers:

Michelle Pasini: Oh Rwanda, you got me! I wasn't prepared for such an emotional journey. The spirit, gratitude, and generosity of the people is simply overwhelming. Their pride, resilience and sense of community are enviable. The countryside is stunning, the colorful dresses and headscarves are gorgeous, the welcoming smiles say so much without uttering a single word. There's no doubt I left part of my heart in Rwanda. I want to hang on to the feeling of connection, gratitude and spirit of generosity that I felt in such a special far-off land. Thank you to the members of our co-ops for sharing your music and dance, for letting us into your homes, your schools, your communities, and your hearts. Thank you, Janet, Justin, Genevieve, Dany, Judy, and Chantal for making it all possible. I will cherish this experience forever. And thank you fellow travelers for being such a fun and enthusiastic group with whom to share the adventure. May we forever stay connected! Tuzarwubaka!

Heather Williams: This was truly the trip of a lifetime! I am not the same person I was when I first arrived in Rwanda; I have been forever changed by the love, the generosity, the beautiful rolling hills, and the indomitable spirit to move forward into the future with reconciliation and hope. Words are truly not enough to express the depth of feeling I have experienced on this trip. Every day brought out the entire range of human emotions: joy and sorrow, love and sympathy, curiosity and connection, exhaustion and fulfillment. It was so incredible to be able to connect with the Rwandan people not through language, but through song, dance, and love, and it was an honor to play a small part in helping them create a brighter future. I will always carry a piece of Rwanda in my heart, and a piece of myself will always be there. I am so grateful to World Dance for Humanity for giving me this opportunity. Murakoze cyane!

Don Jack: I am so glad that I was able to participate in this year's trip to Rwanda with WD4H. Although I had some familiarity with the work being done there it was so much more enlightening to meet the local staff and to visit many of the cooperatives being supported by WD4H. I loved having opportunities for music and dance every day. The members of the cooperatives are working hard to create new enterprises for their communities. It was heartening to see how the contributions of WD4H are contributing to the rebuilding of Rwandan society.

Ilayda Dinc: From the second I got out of the bus at my first co-op visit, I started to dance with people. And boom! I was all in. I am not a dancer, but something happened to me in Rwanda that I cannot explain. I could not stop dancing. No matter how different we are, we were all one as we dance together. We could not speak a word of each other's language, but when we danced, I could feel much more than words can express. I felt loved in a way that I have not experienced before. I felt connected to people around me, to the work I am doing and to myself. When Justin said, "Everybody can change their community at their own capacity, and that person knows best what his/her capacity is." He was explaining exactly how and why these co-ops are successful. It was also very inspiring for a grad student like me. Experiencing how this fantastic work feels made me think about my own capacity to drive change and got me even more excited about our cookstove project!

Linda Jalaba: The trip to Rwanda was an incredible experience! From seeing the beautiful countryside as we drove to the different co-ops, meeting all the amazingly strong and loving people, listening to their stories, sharing in all their accomplishments, helping them with their farming, and spending time in their homes was priceless! And sharing the experience with all my new friends made it even more special! My fondest memory is the day I met Denyse, the student I sponsor. We were able to spend the entire day together and it still warms my heart. I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity to see first-hand what an amazing organization WD4H truly is!!

Susan Goldman, Trip Photographer: I am humbled and grateful to experience this trip, from the great work that WD4H does to help the Rwandan people, to teach them how to sustain and build better lives for themselves, and the group that I had the pleasure to travel with. Of all the things I loved of the trip, the love and smiles of the Rwandan people and their appreciation for all that WD4H has and continues to do for them, this is the highlight. The Rwandan people.

Jojo Barker: The trip was filled with so many extraordinary moments, epiphanies, conversations, meaningful connections with and without words (not to mention some serious physical labor). We have so much to learn from Rwanda, and we soaked in all we could. Our work is having a profound effect on so many lives, in so many ways. To be in Rwanda with the other travelers and our Team and to share such deep connection with our co-op members is a precious gift. I am eternally thankful to Janet, Genevieve, and the Team for making it possible.

Nicole Greenwood: It felt like every day was a miracle. The joy, the connection, and the gratitude I experienced, are unlike any other I have ever felt. And the love - communicated through words, dance, feelings, eyes, hugs. It is this unconditional love from strangers that was so new for me. Rwandans are grateful for everything they have, connection is the most important. Grateful for life, food, community, simple things. The trip was transformative and healing for me, in many ways. We were faced with life. Faced with death. Life is short and fleeting. I didn't know I could love to this capacity, in such a short time. I hope to carry that with me forever. I feel so fortunate to be able to represent such a wonderful group of people, who are doing wonderful things for others. I always thought being on the receiving side of life-changing gifts was the best, but it's not. Being on the giving side is something so powerful and wonderful.

Tammy Meador: Thank you World Dance for Humanity, again and again, for paving the road to such amazing change! Rwanda with you will always hold a special place in my heart! One of the best experiences of my life! My capacity for love has expanded and that is something that I never considered possible. I love the people of Rwanda so much. Missing them and our group! Thank you, thank you!

Sangwon Suh: "Who wants to be a scientist?" That was my question to a high school class in Kayonza. The 30 pairs of beautiful eyes staring at me were just blinking innocently. Rwandans earn on average less than $750 a year, 60% of the population live under the World Bank-defined extreme poverty line, most of the manufactured products are imported, and its agricultural productivity remains dismal. I talked about how evidence-based reasoning helped improve agricultural productivity, how science-driven innovations created value in mobile communication, and why scientific minds are needed for Rwanda to rescue itself from poverty. I wasn't sure how much my pep talk resonated in the minds of these students. It was only after we all danced together that several students walked up to me and proclaimed, "I want to be a scientist!" I guess dancing, a universal language, opened their minds. I exchanged high fives with each of them, and started marching together to "We Will Rock You" by Queen.

Kathleen Vasta: The trip to Rwanda exceeded all my expectations - which were high to begin with.  The people I know who have gone to Africa before me have all said that they absolutely loved it.  I asked each one, separately, what made Africa so special and each one replied: "the people make it special!"  They were right and the people of Rwanda are no exception. The hearts, minds and souls of Rwandans are open, kind and truly inviting.  The best word to describe what I saw, what I felt and what I tasted is...LOVE!

Anastasia Tamboer: The trip to Rwanda was so remarkable, it blew me away! Everyone in our travel group, the Rwanda team and the member of the co-op were so caring and unique in their own way. You can really feel the grace and love the people share, and I will never forget the hugs and dances we received every time we got to a new place! Everyone is hard working and you can really tell that everyone works together for a stronger community, which was amazing to see.