12/21/15
Dear Rwanda,
I leave you today, unenthusiastically. This is farewell for now, not goodbye.
In the short, yet rich and full 6 days i’ve spent here, i’ve fallen in love. The space, the energy, the noble spirit, the underlying tension and stories never spoken of, the appreciation for life and the pursuit of doing something worthwhile balanced with the quest to merely survive in peace, the happiness and joy of simple lifestyles, and the enterprising spirit all supported by a quiet confidence that seems to stem from an inner knowingness – all of this grabs my heart and spirit and pulls me in. You’ve got a place in my heart that will never end. Is it the ability to work through such tragedy and horror in a way that is loving and forgiving? is it how you’ve embraced the world you live in, yet search and create a better world for generations to come. Is it the small strides and efforts your leaders are making to take a step toward development? Or that you understand, recognize and honor the importance of conserving wildlife and nature? Maybe it’s the endless authentic and enthusiastic hallo’s from every child i have passed – the welcoming spirit the entire nation holds? The hard-working spirit – knowing that nothing is “given”, it’s simply earned. Or the effort to do what’s right in the absence of corruption. Yes. it’s all of these things, and so many more.
I find it difficult to take it all in – as a developing country there is so much opportunity! so many things, conveniences, “the way things are” that we take for granted, cannot just be “done” here, but take small, sometimes non-linear steps to even begin to develop. I suppose that’s the challenge with developing countries – we know the answers, or we think we do, yet finding the path to get there is the difficult part.
Rwanda has now put in gudungado’s (sp?) pronounced goodungadoo’s – which are essentially pockets of areas where people are asked to live so that they can be given access to water and electricity. Because there is no infrastructure to reach remote homes, the government has instituted districts if you will that cluster around basic resources – town/city development in it’s infancy. Of course there are cities like Kigali or Musanze – with plenty of electricity, running water and amenities like computers, TV’s, cars, but the majority of the ~12.5mm people live in mud floor huts, with a simple fire “stove”, no running water and no mattress. So, the scheme to pull people together makes complete sense. and the fact that every citizen is given a cow – makes sense on the surface, right? but dig deeper and we find that people don’t know how to take care of cows properly, so they become ill – come down with diseases.
I find myself excited and energized by the idea of developing a nation. seems to be challenges and problems to solve, ideas to explore, innovation to nurture – yet i’m not naive enough to think that this is the only side of the coin. The difficult decisions on what CAN be done vs should be done, or how to balance the pain and suffering of millions to help a million – how does one make the decision of who and where to invest when it comes to human life? More on that in the coming days i’m sure. just seeds of thought right now.
I’ve learned about the soil and what it supports – eucalyptus trees, corn, irish potatoes, pyrethrum, grazing for goats, sheep, and cows…I’ve seen how the eucalyptus that came from Australia now serves many purposes (not just yummy treats for gorillas which can be a challenge when trying to keep them in the park) – the leaves provide the marrow to the bones of your house; it is turned into charcoal to be exported and provide income for your family. I have seen how buffalo make their way from the forest, trampling your fields raiding the potatoes and corn. Thankfully the gorillas only wander down off the mountain to get a taste of intoxicating eucalyptus, and any crops destroyed by gorillas or buffalo, the park compensates the land owner accordingly. It’s a really smart program to ensure the local people don’t harm the animals.
And what about the forest elephants? We didn’t see one, but apparently they exist…we saw some elephant dung to prove it, but i don’t believe there are many left and they are rightfully not very keen on us humans. in fact, they are endangered.
though this is a bit of a ramble, and a way to capture some of my observations, i close with this:
Rwanda, your beauty, hope, will and kindness lingers with me. In your growth, curiosity and challenge, i discover new ways of thinking, being and accepting without resigning.
This is a precious gift and one i plan to repay.
“Beauty does not linger; it only visits. Yet beauty’s visitation affects us and invites us into its rhythm; it calls us to feel, think and act beautifully in the world: to create and live a life that awakens the Beautiful. A life without delight is only half a life.”