Project Inspiration

On Thursday I got to visit Mpanga vocational school which is about 30 minutes from my side. It is a school teaching hotel management, carpentry, welding, mechanics, electric, and culinary. CHF is hosting about 25 students and their mission is to talk with organizations in the area to provide internships for these students. So after the visit to the school we went and talked to a mechanics shop and a hotel. During these visits with CHF we were accompanied by an RPCV from Mali who now works in Washington DC with CHF and is visiting Rwanda for 2 months. It was really inspiration to hear about how she got started with projects and she informed me that the most rewarding projects for her were the ones involving youth. She also told me its ok to just start walking into schools and saying you want to do something. I have been re-inspired to do so many things here in Rwanda. I want to start teaching English at the vocational school, I want to start an after school kitchen garden club at a school, I want to start and Anti-AIDS club at the local university. And of course I want to help with camps. There will be a holiday camp in August that Duhamic Adri asked me to help out with. And the first group of health volunteers created Camp GLOW last year and we (the new group) will be helping with that and taking it over next year. Camp GLOW is a girl’s empowerment camp. I am excited about all these idea but implementing them is the biggest challenge especially in a country very set in their ways and not willing to make change even if it makes more sense. So wish me luck and let me know any ideas you have for me and this country.