Adrift in a Sea of Rolling Hills

My time in the Pays des Mille Collines

The Back Story

In this country of a thousand hills, this blog is my own personal hilltop from which I hope to share the experiences, observations, and compelling moments of my fourteen month stay here in Rwanda. It may soon aspire to do so much more - to glimpse a country and a people busily negotiating the past, present, and future - but until those stories present themselves, it is just a simple traveler’s blog with potential. No promises.

In my fourteen months I am serving as a Jewish Service Corps volunteer for the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV), a special project of some very dedicated people and the non-sectarian arm of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Genocide, War, AIDS, and life itself have left at least 20% of Rwanda’s population orphaned. When the village opens in December, ASYV will become the new home for its first class of 125 orphans, restoring the rhythm of life and - with the resources of a healthy home and community - provide the space and freedom to discover, learn, create, and grow into poised leaders of the Rwanda of tomorrow. When its complete, ASYV will serve 500 high-school aged orphans from every part of Rwanda.

Until November, I will be living and working in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, helping to tackle the scores of tasks and many challenges in the home stretch before ASYV opens in December. Come November, I’ll move an hour east, to the top of a hill that houses our village, and join a talented team of informal educators.

Along the way, I hope I can share some of the stories of the people I meet and come to know. I hope you’ll enjoy discovering this country alongside me.

ASYV: agahozo-shalom.org

JDC: jdc.org

Disclaimer: Please note that all postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.