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In 2021, R-Evolution Dialogues in the Diaspora explored the beautiful country of Rwanda. We learned, we felt and we joined in the hope of a resilient peope.
Kigali, Rwanda - June 2021
We heard about the beauty of Rwanda and decided to check it out for ourselves…
We went to Rwanda and heard the stories of people who had emerged from the unimaginable and are now living in a country that is thriving and unified.
We asked ourselves, how is this possible?
When looking at the history of our own county, the genocides, enslavement, violence, brutality, trauma and innumerable harms, there is clearly a healing that needs to take place... but how does healing happen in one’s family, neighborhoods and community?
How do we manage the things that divide us and keep us separated?... How do we heal as a people? How do we recover?
Our inspiration...
We decided to go...
and journey the lush lands and breathtaking vistas of Rwanda in the land of East Africa. We were welcomed by the warmth of our guide, Francoise, from GEI (Global Engagement Institute) and prepared for our adventure...
Our journey begins...
with a visit to the rural town of Nyamirambo, where we experienced a guided walking tour of the colorful working class town and the entreprenuerial Women's Center. We concluded the inspiring day with a generously prepared home lunch.
Honoring the lives
of those taken by the genocide, we visited two powerful and moving memorials. Our first , Kigali Memorial Center, the country's most prominent genocide memorial and then Nyamata to visit the genocide memorial church.
Collective work and responsibility...
was a powerful decision made by the women of Rwanda to rebuild their country and feed their people. We shared in the cooking, the gardening, digging out cassava, hoeing the yard and feeding the cows. We learned weaving and heard the stories of resilience of the Azizi village women. We experienced, in real time, what forgiveness, love and hope for the future looks like...
People working to make a difference
is what the resilience of Rwanda is all about. We visited the Mental Health Hub, Prison Fellowship Rwanda, responsible for fostering psychological healing, peacebuilding, reconciliation, crime prevention, legal aid and economic development to the perpetrators of the genocide and their families.
Discovering new landscapes...
we travelled to Akagera Game Lodge to meet zebras, giraffes, baboons, hippos, elephants and other beautiful wildlife...
Dining in the Diaspora...
was the culmination of our transformative Rwanda experience. We experienced a flavor explosion of unique Afro-Fusion cuisine. Our fellow diasporan, Chef Malonga, provided culinary excellence that left us with feelings of awe and admiration...
In gratitude
for our partnership with GEI, we are looking forward to introducing our fellow Diasporans and the global community to the beauty and resilience that is Rwanda...
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