Rwanda on my Mind

by Ellen Nesson

As I work towards getting over my jet lag, I can’t help but want to put into words my thoughts, ideas, feelings, and observations about my recent trip to Rwanda. How did I make the decision to go there? What was I seeking in making this trip?

At a UJC Women’s Philanthropy event in the spring, I had the opportunity to hear Will Recant, an executive vice president at the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), speak about anti-Semitism in the world and some projects JDC is involved in throughout the world. One of the projects that Will highlighted was the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV), which JDC made a commitment to.

After I heard this talk, I couldn’t get the image of this project out of my mind. The fact that Jewish money and resources help in diverse and unusual non-Jewish settings is not news to me. I lead a fairly involved Jewish life as a Rabbi’s wife in Morristown, New Jersey, care deeply for the Jewish people, but also like to go out of my tight Jewish world to work towards Tikkun Olam. Having recently committed some time to the Rachel Coalition Steering Committee, I was also drawn to see the Youth Village for myself. Since my husband needed quiet time for High Holiday preparations, who better to accompany me than my 21-year-old son, Willie.

Rwanda is a land-locked country in southeast Africa and is similar in size to Maryland. The country, often called “Land of a Thousand Hills,” is a tranquil-looking place with rolling hills in every direction. The horror of the genocide in the 1990s has been replaced with a forward-thinking government, trying to put the genocide behind them and look to the future.

But the genocide left over one million orphans in a population of little more than 10 million people. Families are large with 5 — 9 children and most people are subsistence farmers who often do not have enough food. So the orphans, possibly taken in by relatives or even neighbors, did not have much to look forward to in their lives.

Enter philanthropist Anne Heyman from New York. After meetings and consultations with Rwandan authorities, Anne decided to raise money and commit to a project she learned would make a dent in the problems of orphans. With the guidance and experience of the JDC and her own inner conviction that this was the right thing to do, Anne has created the amazing and breathtaking Agahozo Shalom Youth Village.

The village overlooks a lake. The air is fresh, and the buildings new. The students, all orphaned during the genocide, live in houses with a “family” of 12 other boys or girls and a housemother. This is a place where the students are able to dry their tears (“agahozo”) and live in peace (“shalom”).

The kids are amazing. Many of them already know a few languages, are now learning English, and are definitely picking up some Hebrew, as well. There is a contingent of Israelis there, volunteers and staff, as the entire village is modeled after the successful and well-known Yemin Orde Village located outside of Haifa, which has worked with thousands of troubled or orphaned youth. The kids are being taught and encouraged to be open to new experiences, to be in touch with feelings, to be respectful of the learning process. At Village Time on Fridays before dinner, the Village Director made a point to the kids. It was about “after school” programs, which were from then on to be called “Enrichment Time.” He urged the kids to understand that this was just as important as their morning academic classes. He explained that when the student signs up for something, there needs to be a commitment to it as someone (the instructor) is expecting and waiting and therefore, out of respect, the student must go. These are kids who know how lucky they are.

My son and I shared a volunteer house with two Australian volunteers and two Israeli Ethiopian volunteers. While we were there, we helped with Israeli night and worked in the library cataloging books that have been donated. And with the energy of youth, Willie also helped build what will one day soon be an amazing amphitheatre.

Willie and I tried to engage the kids in conversation. Of course, the kids were a lot more interested in Willie, a Rutgers University student. But they did their best to also interact with us. Interest in why we came, whether Willie had a girlfriend, and what sports we liked were some of the questions put to us. Also, a lot of questions to me addressed my limping along the paths, As luck would have it, I fell four days before my trip, fractured a toe, and sprained the ankle on my other foot. Needless to say, I could not win any races recently. The kids offered me a hand when I was schlepping up a hill that gave me some trouble (nothing is paved, the paths are full of different sized rocks and ruts). They also slowed down to walk with me as we were talking. Respect and consideration were truly evident within the kids.

We were not the first visitors there, so the kids are getting used to Westerners wanting to witness this village. Others have arrived before us to see for themselves the Village as it was being planned and built. Some, like me, came to connect with a project that touched them so deeply that contributing to it was just not enough. I think all visitors to the Village come because of the desire to make a statement that helping others in need is the right thing to do, even if those in need are far away strangers. I believe that atrocities and injustices around the globe are our business because of what happened to the Jews over the centuries. This is right. This is just.

Before I left New Jersey, to involve more people in my adventure and with the orphans, I collected items that were needed in the Village — toothbrushes and toothpaste, games, and of course, money. The Agahozo Shalom Youth Village is an enormous undertaking and such support is meaningful. Thank you to all my friends, relatives, and community members who contributed items or money to help support ASYV.

An added bonus of my trip to Africa was spending this unique time with my son, who has shown concern for the injustices of the world and wanted also to see ASYV for himself. Together we roughed it — no hot water — and enjoyed as we got to trek to be with the gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park, an experience like no other. And for me, to top it off, after my visit to ASYV, I made my way to Malawi, another land-locked and impoverished country, to see my old friend Helen doing good work as a mission leader for Emmanuel International, because it is right, because it is just.

To get a fuller picture on the Village, you can go to their web site at http://www.agahozo-shalom.org/.

Ellen Nesson lives in Morristown, works part time, and tries to stay involved in community projects that touch her heart. She is married to Rabbi David Nesson and is the proud mother of Leora and Willie.

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