Visit to Fawe

Amani Africa celebrated African Child's Day on Sunday. The celebration consisted of a series of performances by their youth groups from four different schools. The groups explore issues related to genocide, genocide ideology, poverty, education, and health through theatre and dance. The event took place at Fawe Girl's School in Kigali. I was incredibly impressed by their eloquence and directness in presenting controversial or painful topics through their art.
Afterwards, the other Amani interns and myself had an opportunity to chat with the Fawe girls. We found them extremely bright, motivated and well-spoken, conveying a maturity far beyond their years. Sitting on their beautiful campus with the rolling green hills serving as a backdrop, they told us how they wanted to study such subjects as medicine, astronomy and physics and we chatted about the differences between Rwanda and the United States.
When we left the school, the President of Amani Africa said: "Look at the talent Rwanda has, see the talent here! It makes me so sad sometimes." She didn't finish her thought, but I knew that she was worried about the availability of professional opportunities once these girls graduate from university.
Skills that exist here and training opportunities, aren't utilized to their full potential. There was a volunteer program that brought twelve specialists from the United States to volunteer at Kigali's biggest hospital so that people in need could access free medical services. Unfortunately, these doctors are just sitting around with nothing to do because no one knows that they are here. Freedom of the press remains a serious problem here. The emerging youth are hesitant to express their opinions as they witness the persecution of journalists who attempt to speak their mind. While I observed the discussions during the Global Youth Connect workshops, I sensed a reluctance on the part of the Rwandan delegates to discuss certain issues. I expected the genocide to be a touchy subject but they spoke of this tragedy with eloquence, and sensitivty. However, when it came to the current political situation, they were much more reticent and were surprised by the American delegate's straightforward criticism of the United States government.
I see Amani's youth groups as a means to correct the self-imposed censorship that has resulted from a climate of fear. Through music, dance and theatre, young people are encouraged to speak their minds. I hope that it is merely a matter of time before this fear finally deconstructed and trust is restored. I see so many efforts working towards this ultimate goal; however, I am also witnessing actions that are pushing in the opposite direction.


The headmistress said a few words that stuck with me: "You can give without love, but you can't love without giving."