I would not be asking for help with this fundraiser if it wasnt something near and dear to my heart, so I will explain why improving the quality of living in Kanembwe Village, Rwanda is something worth your consideration. When I visited Kanembwe village two summers ago, my study abroad group was welcomed by a traditional dance of the village. The Kanembwe people seemed to be the happiest of souls- even before we spoke- only have danced and (tried to) sing along with their music, this was the impression I quickly got. Soon after dancing and introductions of the village heads, our group split up to go visit with some of the families in their homes. During our walk to the family on a windy dirty road , a downpour came out of nowhere and the ground suddenly became a mix of red mud and sharp volcanic rock, so we ran behind our guide, Gabi, with our shoes quickly filling up with mud and holding tight to the earth with every step we took. The children were racing past us with their feet bare and their laughter loud into the houses along the path. We finally got to the house of the family we were visiting with, and as soon as we hit the seats of our chair we were offered boiled corn and an orange Fanta. As my stomach growled from missing breakfast, I was about to take my first bite of corn when I took a moment to absorb everything around me- the dirt floor, the sheet metal roof with rain finding its way in, the family room the size of a laundry room, the five 1 inch thick mats in the bedroom all in a row, and the fresh gashes and old scars on the childrens feet- I suddenly wasnt so hungry anymore. How could I eat this precious corn when the giggling little girl on my lap was thin as a rail and I could hear the stomach growls of the little boy sitting on the floor who had me in awe of his dancing talent minutes before? I clearly remember fighting tears at that moment and I couldnt sort out the flood of emotions I was feeling. I felt guilty for even accepting the corn I was offered. I felt so sad for the children for never getting to go to school or be able to play and not worry about survival. I felt a angry with God for letting people suffer like this in these conditions. I was so confused about how anyone in this circumstance could be this genuinely happy and thankful. I felt so unappreciative of all of the blessings in my life. And in the middle of all these overwhelming thoughts I was having, I heard Gabi translate the head of the family saying blessings from God. Since this positivity was so opposite of my current state of mind, it caught my attention and I continued listening- they were happy because they focused on their blessings, no matter how small and they praised God for simply being alive. Suddenly I felt one thing: hope. Hope for the difference we could make in this village and hope for myself to grow and learn from this humbling experience. I split my corn into three parts and shared it with the kids, and for the first time in my life, I accepted gifts with a true sense of graciousness and gratitude. We soon found out that this was a farming village that used to live in a different, more fertile part of Rwanda and after the war the government moved the village to the side of this mountain. The soil was poor because of the volcanic rock and the sporadic climate wasnt conducive to farming. Everyday, the women would have to go and collect water, harvest the food they would need for that day only since refrigeration wasnt available, and gather the wood for the stoves (inside their homes) to cook. If it rained, the family could not eat because of the difficulty gathering all of these things through the mud since the fields of crops were so dispersed over such a vast area. The children didnt have shoes because the volcanic rock tears the shoes up in a short period of time, so maintaining shoes is costly. The donation page explains what the funds will be used for, so I wont waste your time explaining that twice but please know how much this one project can improve the quality of life and how this could be a huge step in helping this village progress. All you have to do is follow the link to find out more and donate any amount to make a difference. Feel free to pass this along to anyone who might want to take part in this wonderful project! If you have any questions feel free to email or call. gofundme/4zmb8c
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 19:56:04 +0000
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