Two neighborhood children near the Kigali home of Paulin Irankunda, a Project Independence graduate. (Debra Archambault photograph)
'I Wish You Were Here
To Experience This Place'
Thetford Academy teacher Cindy Perry kept in touch with family during the trip. What follows is an e-mail she sent to her partner, Thetford Academy teacher Marc Chabot, on our third day in Rwanda. It describes a meeting of Amahoro Association, a group providing support for children affected by AIDS, to which we brought gifts of athletic equipment and clothing.
"I wish you were here to experience this place and its people. It is amazing, wonderful, spiritual, and extremely sad all at once. The children are resilient and strong, and can sing and dance like there is no tomorrow, because for them, there may not be. We met a Belgian man here who said it all in one sentence: "People in Africa live very close to life, and very close to death." Living and dying are equal parts to their days, not to mention suffering and joy.
"Yesterday, we were with over 500 orphans. They all wanted to touch us, and looked at us with wonder and curiosity. They touch my hair the first chance they get. Long straight hair doesn't exist here, so I am somewhat of a novelty. A few of the kids speak English. These kids can dance and sing like no others. They brought us all into the circle to dance with them, and let me tell you, it was no slow dance. It was so fun and so amazing to be a part of their day. I want to laugh and cry simultaneously...
"The balls we brought have been a source of extreme delight. No one I know has ever appreciated a gift like these kids have. We gave a soccer ball to our taxi driver and his helper, and they jumped out of the car and started playing with it, their faces aglow with happiness that is hard to describe. An English speaking, tall, older boy thanked me many times for bringing basketballs. He was so grateful to have a ball, something to play with."