Finally...

Yahoo!  We're here in Kigali.

Dan and I arrived on Saturday morning tired and dragging with (count them) seven suitcases in tow.  I'm talking big suitcases with things like a printer, staple gun, and ipod speakers in them.  We couldn't have been happier to see our new best friend at the airport, Tom Allen.  Tom is a terrific Bridge2Rwanda guy who "gave up" his LA-attorney-lifestyle and his beachfront home on Hermosa Beach to live in Kigali where he has gotten to know virtually everyone in 8 months.  

Tom gave us a great tour of the city, and eventually took us to the B2R guesthouse (his bachelor pad).  This is no ordinary house: it's complete with two chickens, a mango, lime, mandarin orange, regular orange, papaya, and avocado tree, a gorgeous garden, and a wonderful view. We'll be staying in the guesthouse while we're settling in!  What a way to settle... 

These past few days have been packed full of introductions to the people of Kigali--their culture, their history, their vision, their hope...  Most poignant has been the Genocide Memorial, which commemorates victims of each of the world’s most brutal and senseless genocides, the Rwandan Genocide among them.  The Memorial is beautiful and horrible, resting on a large mass grave, which is opened routinely as more bodies are exhumed from the country and are given a proper burial.  For me, most moving was the children's room, where there were large pictures of children donated by their families with descriptions of each child's favorite food, their dreams, their favorite family member, their personality, their last words, and their cause of death.  I just couldn't control my tears and had to write down David Mugiraneza's story.  “Age: 10.  Favorite sport: Football.  Enjoyed: Making people laugh.  Dream: Becoming a doctor.  Last words: ‘UNAMIR will come for us.’  Cause of death: Tortured to death.”  

The Memorial is so important for the world to see the horrendous nature of genocide.  But Rwandans are trying desperately to move on with their lives and their country, and anyone can tell that they do not only want to be the country that "is recovering from terrible genocide" but want their leadership and vision beyond the atrocity to carry them to economic and social success in Africa and in the world.  And from what we’ve seen, this will happen.

I’m still working for USAID, and am currently helping with the Higher Education Summit here in Kigali for the next few days.  Dan and Glen Woodruff, the new President of Muhuburra University, are attending the Summit as well and are soaking up information and wisdom from folks like the Rwandan Ministers of Education and Technology, among others. 

We’ve enjoyed the opportunity over these few days to eat dinner at the Senate President’s house; hang out with Chantal, the wonderful woman who helps out at the B2R guesthouse; visit with Nicholas Hitimana and his wife who produce essential oils from geraniums grown by widows of the war; get to know Matt Smith, a B2R guy who also knows everyone in Kigali; meet Liesel and Lainie from NYC, who are visiting the guesthouse currently; and so much more.  Dan and I are more grateful for this time than we even know how to feel or express.

Thank you for joining us on what will be quite a journey,

Campbell