I can hardly believe that I will be returning home for Christmas break in just four days. Has it been three months already? Even more difficult to believe is that I still have six months ahead of me. I've been diving into my work here and learning a lot about my personal skills and passions and on the other side, learning about what does not drive me. For example, I am learning that I do NOT like to be in the spotlight and to be a group mobilizer. For the screening of the film As We Forgive, I've been tossing around the idea (with co-workers) of hosting a screening of the film for the large ex-pat community here. Since it's a non-Rwandan crowd I would be in charge of the publicity, leading the group discussion post screening, and hosting the entire event basically. I get sick to my stomach at the thought of doing this! Rather, I love working behind the scenes. I like to sit down with my co-workers at PFR and brainstorm to create ideas for ways to improve the Communications department, our programs and partners, and I even learned that I like writing.. Or maybe I'm just improving my writing skills and I'm happy with that...
But I think most of all what I like to do is work with small groups of teenage girls (getting way more specific now!!!). Thinking back to my time in Kenya, I was the happiest when I was at a tea shop with a group of eight girls, talking with them and trying to influence and empower them to be confident in themselves and their skills. Come January, I am going to try to make time to create a small lesson plan to teach our Street Kids small bits of English once a week for abour 45 minutes every day. Hopefully when we get the funding one day to send them to school this will help them catch up on their studies.
I have been thinking a lot about the "place" for ex-pats in development, and specifically in Africa. Education constantly comes to my mind as a place where we (Westerners) can help the Rwandans (using my experience example) to become the ones to change their country, NOT the ex-pats that come in with good intentioned wills. If we can first of all help the Rwandans learn good English skills, and teach them beyond basic education but into character development and leadership development, than this empowerment can change the country much better than Westerners coming in and doing the work for the Rwandans. Here in Rwanda there are hundreds of NGOs run by Westerners as the Executive Director or President with lots of Rwandans under them but it's unbelievably rare to find an NGO that with a Rwandan as an Executive Director (Well, except for Prison Fellowship Rwanda :) sorry personal plug!).
Local ownership of development efforts are huge, but I believe that many Westerners make the mistake by thinking that "as long as we hire Africans to do the on-the-ground work and we still run it (Western Boards, Executive Directors, Presidents) and make the major decisions, then are accomplishing local ownership." WRONG (well, my opinion..). If a project is being steered by Westerners it misses SO much, even if the Westerners are getting "advice" from Africans, I don't think it's enough.
This is why I appreciate my role at Prison Fellowship Rwanda especially. It is an autonomous organization that receives skills and leadership training from PFI the Secretariat . But PFR's executive Director is a Rwandan and I'm serving the organization based on my skillset helping them establishing a firm communications platform , grantwriting, etc (not entirely sustainable, but hoping that PFR will eventually hire someone with excellent English skills as a Comm. Director as we currently do not have this). I'm not making any big decisions in the organization, but following the lead of the Rwandans and trying my best to help strengthen programming based on my educational background.
But in the long run when I consider how I can contribute to development, I keep coming back to education. Forming capable leaders is huge for the future of development. That's why Rwanda is "on track" (in some ways). Personally, this may be something that I would like to follow one day... I love having relationships with teenage girls and being able to have intimate and influential relationships with them. But I need to let my thoughts marinate first.
I hope you followed my stream of consciousness writing...
I'll be home SO SOON!
These pictures are from when we went land hunting for a home for street kids. This cow loved this man (I forget his name but was helping us look for land) but when I tried to pet the cow it ran away from me! Why do I scare cows?
The "Cow Whisperer"
Just Rachel, wishing the cow liked herLove,
Rach
Rach
