A Journey to Rwanda: Compassion, Community, and Connection
By Tonnie Cummings, Rwanda traveler and member of the Together Women Rise chapter in Vancouver, WA.
Reflecting on my recent Together Women Rise trip to Rwanda, these are the images that stick in my mind: row after row of brilliant, green hills extending to the horizon; brightly-colored birds flitting about and calling from dawn until dusk – even in downtown Kigali; and the huge, warm smiles of every single Rwandan we met. The consequences of the horrific 1994 genocide continue to influence their lives, but Rwandans have chosen to reconcile in order to heal and to unify their country. There is a true sense of community and of people looking out for one another. For example, every able-bodied adult participates in a monthly day of community service, called Umuganda, that involves cleaning neighborhood streets, maintaining public parks, or other activities that contribute to the overall wellbeing of the country.
On our trip, we were fortunate to visit four Together Women Rise grantees that embody the Rwandan spirit of compassion and community.
Gardens for Health provides health and nutrition education, and agricultural training, to fight malnutrition. At Gardens for Health, we helped prepare their signature one-pot, one-hour meal, which was nutritious, beautiful, and delicious!
Komera has several programs that are focused on improving the education, health, and self-confidence of vulnerable young women. We were able to meet with some current students and graduates, and it was inspiring to hear the girls talk about how much their lives have improved since participating in a Komera program.
Kula assists women coffee farmers and their families by providing agricultural advice to improve crop yield, as well as business training and loans to help women develop additional income streams. We had lunch in the home of one woman, Jeanette, who was beaming as she and her husband, Everest, showed us the small grocery store they are getting ready to open beside their house. The last Kula stop was a meeting with members of a community savings and lending cooperative. The entire village turned out to greet us with a song and dance!
Our final grantee visit was with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Girls in Conservation project. As a biologist, I am heartened to see programs like this that are encouraging girls to go into the male-dominated field of African conservation.
The icing on my Rwandan cake, so to speak, was that I got to share this amazing experience with a group of interesting, fun, like-minded Rise members. Thank you, ladies! You will always hold a special place in my heart.
