Year Course Around the World

KUMA trip to Poland

Diary From the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda
by Stephanize Blitzer, Year Course Participant

Being here in Rwanda has really made me appreciate everything I have.  I may not have all the things I want in the world, however I am surrounded by love and kindess and I also have a lot to give.

Tuesday was my third and last time making mud bricks for the house that the senior-4 class will be building.  Words cannot describe how good and refreshing it felt to be helping out someone in need.  I will miss getting my feet all muddy, singing songs, having discussions with the students, and showing the young children how to take photos on an iPhone, but the smiles and the laughter as well as the grateful looks will always be something that I will take with me as a gift.  There is no way to illustrate how I felt helping to make the bricks and being surrounded by such passionate young adults.  As cliché as it sounds, my experience building bricks over the past three weeks brings tears to my eyes thinking as I think about the hard work that the students put in and how enthusiastic they are.  There is so much devotion that went into making the bricks and making sure that the children were smiling and having a good experience, too.

Over these past weeks, I have been trying to figure out how to describe my experience in Rwanda.  Like so many Year Course experiences, it is difficult for me to find words that will evoke the emotions  I’ve been having other than saying it has been amazing.

The Year Course Group in India