Rwandan Disco Magic!!!!

Well, it has been a great last couple of days to say the least, was transported back into my college days in the form of a Rwandan disco, dancing my heart out until 3:30 in the morning with 4 feet pygmy men, it was amazing!!!! Today was the start of the entrepreneurship week for the Project LIGHT participants, it started with the most ecstatic dancing and drumming and financial literacy training from the the top micro-finance bank in Rwanda. The energy of these students is truly unbelievable; over the past two and half weeks I have seen them come to life, opening up to what is possible. Just a couple of weeks ago they entered the room with not knowing one another, not having any hope for their future, now they sit together holding hands and start each morning singing praises, they have found a family. Each day here is really a miracle from being with the students, to little kids chasing your car down red dirt mountain roads, to back alley craft markets, to wild wild discos all encompassed in a country that has seen the worst faces of evil and has risen from its ashes. Rwanda you amaze me.

Perfect Rwandan weekend

I could not of dreamed of a better first weekend in Rwanda, craft markets, back alley deals with bead traders, the nakumat, dinner under the stars, jam packed car rides, 4 hours at church this morning all in kinyrwandan (okay could of done without that) no for real though, church here is quite an experience lots of amens, hallelujah, amazing singing and ecstatic dancing throughout, the only issue though is it is a thousand degrees and you can't understand a word anyone is saying, I left smelling like a dirty elephant, and finally broke down today to buy some deodorant. This afternoon though was amazing, we went to visit a women's cooperative made up of 77 women who have all survived the genocide but are now all widows and many are living with HIV/AIDS due to being raped during the genocide. The women meet 4 times a week and raise cows and goats as a way to support one another and earn an income. These women exuded the most amazing strength, hugging each of us and singing and dancing just because we came to learn more about their cooperative. One women stood to tell her story, her name was Marianne. Marianne lost several of her children during the genocide along with her husband and is now living with HIV and diabetes, but she was the leader, so grounded and confident in herself. The women of Africa are my greatest hero's, continually teaching me time and time again the ability that we all to heal and support one another and the power that is created when women join together. The only downside of the visit is I think I am going to have to stop eating beef again because I have fallen in love with these cows, feeding them from my hand and petting a three week old calf, makes it really hard to enjoy a cheeseburger. As we left the women presented us with a gift of a gallon of milk, yes they gave us a gift, just for coming and listening to their stories. Africa has taught me that each one of us just want to be heard and feel supported, and the greatest gift that we can give one another is an open listening heart. I will never forget today.

Project LIGHT has launched!!!!!

Driving up the red dirt roads of the Rwandan countryside you feel as though you have entered Jurassic Park, only with mud homes and the most beautiful smiles of children chasing your car yelling muzungu, muzungu (white person). Being back on the bumpy roads of Africa is heaven for me. Women walk up the streets carrying 50 pounds of forest on their heads as men fly down the hillside on their 1940's bikes. Each and every person you pass waves at you with pure love in your eyes, and every couple minutes or so a child will pop out from the woods as though it is Christmas morning to wave to the muzungus. Project LIGHT has begun and is beyond amazing, starting on Monday we can began the program working with 12 young adults ages 20-25, all of whom have survived the genocide, many of whom have lost their entire families and witnessed the murders of the people they loved most, now left to live life alone. When I really stop to think of this, I think to myself what would I do if this happened to me and my family, I do not think I could go on, even the thought of it is debilitating, but what Africa continues to teach me is that anything is possible. As we enter the first day we are greeted by these young people with the most amazing song and dance, and have spent the last three days listening to their dreams, goals and what they are grateful for. Today the group made a list of things they were grateful for and they could not stop writing, these were some of the things they wrote. 1. I am grateful for being able to help others. 2. I am grateful for my relationship with God 3. I am grateful for the opportunity for me to work on unity and reconciliation 4. I am grateful for having goals. Amazing!!! Take the average American and they would probably write I am grateful for my 5 cars, I am grateful for my vacation home, I am grateful for my NFL team, after taking about 20 minutes to even understand what having true gratitude means. I know at times I am a part of that as well, but this exercise really impacted me, showing that the energy of gratitude brings you into a place of possibility, and that if these young people can be grateful for so many things after what they have experienced surely we can begin to write our lists. The level of eagerness and passion exuding from this group is palpable and I feel so blessed to be a part of witnessing their transformation. This project is being done through Create Global Healing www.createglobalhealing.org, I wish my words could fully explain the depth of work that this organization is doing; meeting people where they are at and giving them the tools to truly heal so that they can begin to see the possibilities in their life. One girl in the group I will leave her name out was 9 years old when the genocide occurred, she was thrown on top a pile of bodies after her head was cut by a machete and then witnessed the murder of her whole family, somehow she managed to escape and lived alone in the woods for three months holding the wound on her head so that she would not die, before me she stands her little body singing and dancing with joy, yes there are moments when I look at her and I know she is having a very difficult time, but just that she choose to be a part of this program and is able to make a list of things she is grateful for and sing with such joy is proof of how amazing the human potential is. Thank you Rwanda.

The land of a thousand hills and a million smiles

Awoke this morning to the sound of birds, chickens, hammers and the distant mooing of some cows; over the years these have become my favorite sounds, rooting me back into my heart and enlivening my soul. I have arrived in Rwanda a country that only a little over a decade ago experienced one of the worst genocides since the Holocaust, the Rwanda that stands before me though is one of generosity, hope and incredible resilience. Walking down the red dirt roads tonight I am greeted by each person on the street, children run up to me holding tight to my legs with the sweetest smile and a truck load of machine gun armed soldiers stop their truck and jump out to welcome me, something amazing is happening here.

Today throughout Rwanda was community work day, a day where each first Saturday of the month every citizen is required to work with their neighbors to clean up their communities, build roads, gardens and also meet with the community to hear what issues need to be addressed. This is amazing, and am wondering why we do not do this in the United States, wouldn’t it be great if we each created our own community workday!!!! Anyway I have arrived safely in the land of a thousand hills and feel like a kid on Christmas morning being back in the continent who has taught me how to love, live, forgive and be in continual gratitude

Thank you to everyone who has helped to support this project, wish you could all be here to experience the amazing spirit of these people.

Maasailand

Under an acacia tree I sat with around 100 Maasai women, women who had all welcomed me into their community with such purity and grace. Looking around I am overwhelmed by the sense of joy and contentment that radiates from each one of them as they concentrate on their beading. I came here to help train these women about costing and pricing their beadwork so that they could find more markets in order to help support their families, but I left here learning what it means to truly be in community and what it means to welcome one into your heart in the most genuine of ways. The community gathers as we walk through the open bush, I let go of any fear of being attacked by a lion or trampled by an elephant because when you are with the Maasai you feel safe, for the wisdom and innate instincts of these people runs so deep. We gather at the top of the hill and in the distant I see a herd of elephants. It is time for me to leave now and as I say goodbye to the community that I have spent the last three days with they begin to gather around me, hundreds of Maasai elders, children, and women. Two women hold my hand and as I stand in the middle of the circle they begin to sing a traditional blessing and dance all around me.Tears begin to flow from my dust filled eyes for this is one of the most magical moments of my life. Breathing in the moment I know that this is one that will impact my life forever. Thank you.

Karibu Kenya!

I have returned to the place where I feel most alive, the place that inspires me to be my greatest self through recognizing the fragility and utter magic of life- Africa, I am home. Breathing in the smells of burning trash mixed with a freshness of African air is the greatest smell in the world to me, I know it is strange, but true. As we drive along the pot filled chaotic roads of Nairobi I realize that life is much like traffic in Kenya that in the utter chaos and confusion their lies an unexplainable magic order, that always takes you to exactly where you need to be at that point in your life. Today that road took me many places into the hearts of women that I have been working with for the past two years who struggle each day to make a dollar but some how each day can discover within themselves what they are grateful for. Today that road took me to Grace Care Orphanage where a husband and wife have dedicated their lives to children who thought theirs was over; a couple that is completely present not knowing where the next dollar will come from to feed over 60 children, but lets go of fear and worry because they believe in their purpose and know that all their needs will be met. Often as Westerners specifically as Americans we feel that we are bringing something to Africa when we come here, each time I come I learn more and more how wrong that is, for no one in the world has taught me more about gratitude, resilience, and dedication then the people of Africa.

A Way Out: How crafts are impacting the lives of women around the globe

From Kenya to Kazakhstan women artisans are transforming their families, communities and nations through the creation of craft initiatives. Once thought to be the role of male political leaders and regal diplomats women around the world are finding their voice and reclaiming their power through the making and selling of crafts.

In the slums of Korogocho, Kenya home to over 300,000 people living within one square mile lives Amina. Amina is HIV positive along with her 8 year-old daughter Nuria. Before becoming a part of a women’s beading group Amina sat alone in worry; her cupboards were empty, her children uneducated, and her will to live was limited. Now Amina is part of a women’s craft group, where each week 12 HIV positive single mothers gather under the blazing sun of Nairobi to make bracelets. Amina’s daughter is now in school, her cupboards are now full and she spends her days in gratitude for the community of women that surround her; reminding her of the strength that lies within when given an opportunity.

In the lowlands of Nepal 41 women gather six days a week to paint. They are part of a women’s cooperative and earn a living through the creation of traditional paintings. Before becoming a part of this cooperative these women were confined to their homes under the strict orders of their husbands; they had no creative outlet, zero rights, and were part of a debilitating caste system. Years later these 41 women have created their own cooperative, where women from different castes now work side by side and share a common vision for their lives and the lives of those around them. The creation of their paintings is now the primary source of income for the entire village. The self-sufficient women of this once enslaved village now leave their husbands at home as they venture out into the world of entrepreneurship.

Women artisans are weaving hope back into the nation of Swaziland where one in four people are HIV positive; the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world. Phez’kwemkhono Bomake-Ncheka Cooperative was created as a means to support the women and children of Swaziland where over 56,000 children have been left orphaned due to AIDS. Created by a local Swazi woman in her village, this basket-weaving cooperative now employs over 50 women and funds food, education, and medical programs for child headed households throughout Swaziland while providing a living wage for the women artisans. The creation of this program has empowered these women and has decreased cases of domestic violence in their homes while earning the respect of elders in their village, the chief of this village now looks upon this cooperative for advice on how to govern the entire community.

These are just a few patches from the quilt that is collectively being sewn by women around the world. Women who were once victims of abuse, poverty, and limited education, women who once sat alone in their homes contemplating taking their lives, for they saw no hope. This silent voice started with the weaving of a basket and the beading of a bracelet and has turned into a powerful roar, a roar that is being heard around the planet, and a roar that is busting old beliefs and creating opportunities where there were once none.