My complete job description!

It has been very difficult for me to verbalize the entirety of my role and what is going on here in Rwanda with the organizations I am working for. I'm going to provide a more in-depth description of my roles and responsibilities here so that when I refer to specific people or projects you can all hopefully have some memory of what my role is!

1) As We Forgive Rwanda Initiative
Some of you have seen the documentary, As We Forgive. For those who haven't, it is a documentary filmed in Rwanda following the story of two genocide perpetrators and two survivors on their journey towards reconciliation. AWFRI is an initiative that seeks to use film as the main education tool to spark genuine reconciliation in this country. AWFRI has created a program called LivingTogether which is an in-depth discussion program led by trained facilitators after the film is shown where audience members can participate in a discussion concerning the possibilities of reconciliation in the country. We have partnered with a Rwandan filmmaker to screen his film called Long Coat along with our film and discussion. We have already shown this film to over 20,000 individuals in Rwanda through schools, churches, and public events.

Our next step is to become an NGO. We are close to signing the papers and we will change our name to the As We Forgive Rwanda Founation once this is complete. We are writing a grant right now to seek a two-year extension for our program along with conducting feasiblity research to establish an International Reconciliation Center in Kigali, Rwanda, so that Rwanda can truly be the global epicenter for reconciliation.

My role: I am working as a special advisor to our Rwandan Projects Manager Benjamin (I actually don't know his last name). I will be working closely with him in our efforts to establish ourselves as an NGO, assist him in creating strategic partnerships, and advise him on how to be an effective manager. I will also be attending many of our screenings of the films all over Rwanda.

2) Prison Fellowship Rwanda
This is the non-profit organization that was featured in the film, As We Forgive. Prison Fellowship Rwanda has four divisions of work.
1) Post-genocide reconciliation: PFR has initaited (with the AWF filmmaker Laura Waters Hinson) a reconciliation program called Living Bricks Villages. This is where homes are being build for genocide survivors and perpetrators by community members to allow a place where victims and killers alike can live together peacefully in the community. PFR provides the counseling aspect for this and the LIVING BRICKS CAMPAIGN is a separate effort altogether that has partnered with PRISON FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL (confused yet?) This is a tri-organization partnership and I am assisting for all three orgs.
2) Prison ministry - counseling and minsitering to those in prison. Assisting with re-integration into society upon release. Especially important since Gacaca courts are ending soon.
3) Street Children Ministry - PFR works to feed children who are orphaned and live on the streets (primarily from the genocide) by offering programs a few days a week which offer simple education, counseling, and food when it can be afforded.
4) WOmen with HIV/AIDS - PFR works with women with HIV/AIDS to help them make jewelry and shoes to sell to make a profit. Many of these women were purposely raped by HIV infected individuals from the genocide.

My role: I am working as well in an advisory role and working to expand strategic partnerships especially. I look forward to working with PFR and looking at how we can improve their different prograsm to make them more sustainable and appealing to long-term funding sources. This is so far my most challenging position as the cultural differences are astounding in how my co-workers chose to run their organization. But I am encouraged by my other Rwandan friends to be patient and observe for a while before diving in to "help change the organization."

3) Living Bricks Campaign
The house-building project that is being supported in the US. I am doing basic PR work such as updating website blogs, going to the reconciliation villages to take photos and write bios of people waiting for homes, etc.

4) All of these responsibilities fall under the KOLBE FELLOWSHIP, which was offered to me by PRISON FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL, the Secretariat organization by which Prison Fellowship Rwanda falls under. I am not working directly for PFI, but for their national minstry, PFR and also with their partner, the Living Bricks Campaign. The As We Forgive Rwanda Initiative is a completely separate program but it has direct connection with the people who run LBC so my role has expanded to assist in AWFRI.

Confused yet? I am. I'm trying to work out how to balance all of my work and responsibilities and still have time to find my own community and friends. But I'm finding that many of my co-workers are becoming like family to me, and I can't imagine better friends here.

I'm going to sign off now -- I need to go home and collect my thoughts. My co-worker Andrea just left to go to the States and she is the Director of AWFRI. Myself and my other co-wokers are a little apprehensive at how we are going to continue as effectively without her!

Prayers are needed. I am keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers on a daily basis as I go through my days in Rwanda. I hope to hear from more of you more frequently. I'm sorry if I'm not great at personal emails right now simply because I am finding time really hard to come by!

I miss you all.

Love,

Rachel