It sounded like the crinkling of paper or the pitter-patter of rainfall. The staccato nature of the noise was just broken enough to disrupt my REM cycle. My eyes opened slowly and I groggily rolled over on my twin mattress trying to make out shapes and shadows in the dark.
Read MorePeace Corps Rwanda
Volunteering While Black: Experiences from Peace Corps Rwanda
Even as the first Peace Corps volunteers were being sent abroad in 1961 to work in the newly independent African nations of Ghana and Tanzania, African-Americans were still waiting for our own second wave of independence at home. Now, nearly sixty years since the Peace Corps was founded, Black Americans have increasingly been among the cohorts of volunteers who go overseas to represent our country around the world, a task as exciting as it is daunting especially when we serve in African countries.
Read MoreHere's To A Year
I feel as though I have learned so much more than I have taught. I know, I know. I can hardly keep from rolling my eyes myself. But friends, it’s true. This post delves into a few of the many ways my experience living and working in Rwanda have impacted my life.
Read More“Hi, My name is Joe
And I work in a button factory
One day, my boss came up to me
and said: “Joe, push the button with your right hand””
Hi, My Name is Joe...
Before beginning my service, I had a conversation with one of my aunts who is an educator in Los Angeles. I vaguely remember discussing the challenges of teaching but I definitely didn’t fully grasp the weight of that reality. So, now, nine months into my teaching career, I am happy to report that teaching... is really hard. Really, really hard.
Read MoreOn The Simple Splendor of Sunset
Rwanda ni heza, I whispered to Andrew. Rwanda is beautiful.
Cyane (very much so). Cyane, he replied with such deep conviction, pride and love it brought tears to my eyes.