My new Home, Red Rocks Rwanda

The last couple of days I have been residing at Red Rocks, Rwanda, located just 7 kilometers outside of the city of Musanze. It has overall been a very informative and productive week at Red Rocks. During this time, I have participated in many different activities around Red Rocks and nearby cities to get a better understanding of this social impact organization and how it works.

I arrived at Red Rocks Rwanda on Thursday, June 8th when I first got here I immediately felt welcomed by everyone at the intercultural center made me feel as if I was at home. Over the last year, I have moved in and out of places from Berlin, Germany to Washington D.C., Florida, Virginia and lastly Rwanda. This feeling of home is something that I have only felt very few times in my life. As a result, it is going to be difficult to leave Red Rocks and Rwanda in only two months!

Not only do I feel like I have found a home but I am also emerging myself in the culture here in Rwanda. For example, on Friday, June 9th a group of us from Red Rocks Rwanda took a hike to Muzanze, it took about three hours. As I walked through the villages of Nanyuki children would follow us around and yell muzungo muzungo, which means white person. This walk allowed me to see first-hand how beautiful this country is and the people in it.

The fun did not stop there, on Saturday Anna and I (another intern at Red Rocks Rwanda) hiked up a large hill to a local primary school. This hike was much more challenging than the previous one as we were going almost all uphill! On our way, some children were also going up to the school. In fact, they got up early to hike all the way to the city to get supplies for their family (e.g. water, food, and materials). They would then put all the stuff on their head while walking some of these kids were as young as five-years-old.

Later that afternoon the interns and some of the Red Rocks Rwanda staff took a trip to Lake Kivu (the largest lake in Rwanda). When we arrived, at Lake Kivu we all found a place

for us to camp. Then we watched the sunset while we played cards and had dinner. However, the highlight of my weekend was the next day!

After Anna and I had gone to bed at midnight, we

woke up at 5 AM to see the sunrise! This was just the beginning of one of the best days I have ever had in a long time. After we had watched the sunrise, we went down to a local hotel where we had breakfast and swam in Lake Kivu. Once we did this, we wanted to do something crazy and fun we went jet skiing! This was my first-time Anna, and I ever drove a jet ski at first I went slow and then went fast around the different islands on the lake. We did all these activities, and it was not even 11 AM! After this, we took yet another adventure and walked to the local hot springs with nothing but a map! In fact, the hot springs were heated by the Congo volcano. It took us about 40 minutes to walk to the location, and on the way, we met more kids that followed us around the town. After leaving the hot springs, a guide took us to walk around this island where we could see the Congo mountains.

At this point of the day it was only 3 PM we were tired and hungry; however, both of us were determined to see the Congo border. Since my freshman year in college I have always had a dream to travel to the Congo; however, this is not possible yet! Instead, I walked to the Congo border, and I even saw some cars driving from the Congo to Rwanda! For many this may not be a big deal however to me, this represented where I have come in my life and where I am going. It gave me the confidence that one day I would come back to Africa and go to the Congo.

My new home at Red Rocks, Rwanda has allowed me to grow and understand the country of Rwanda. When I first came to Rwanda, I had many different stereotypes ingrained in my head. I thought that this country I was going to was much different than it is. For example, jet skiing is not something that I expected to do in Rwanda and even buy a cellphone for only 7 dollars! I am excited to start my work at Red Rocks Rwanda, and I am ready to challenge myself in my adaptability and stereotypes.