Video about Rwanda

Here's a video that shows you why I've fallen in love with Rwanda and it's people. It's a country full of hope, forgiveness, and a very bright future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oasGWQglz4c

Thank You

Thanks to everyone who has donated money, toys, clothes and other gifts to me and the people I visit in Rwanda. I really appreciate your support and generosity and I know it's all gone to very good use and has brought many smiles to many faces (mine included!).

Also, huge thanks for the lovely emails and notes I've received over the last month. Your words mean a lot to me and I'm happy to be sharing this life-changing experience with you. :) I've kept all the notes and plan to make a binder - or something - as a keepsake. I say "something" because I'm not a crafty person and may be better off asking someone to make it for me! lol

What's next? Project Bella is in full swing and I have my eyes on 4 orphans who have lost their parents because of HIV. In my opinion, they all deserve an education so I've started the process of raising money to pay for their schooling. More to come soon on this - I need to gather a little more info before making any announcements.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends. XO

Meet Lilly

Today I was sent this picture of Lilly, the 3-yr old orphan I mentioned in a previous post. She's so gorgeous and she reminds me why my trips back to Rwanda are important - I'll never forgot little Lilly's hugs and cuddles and I hope to see her again soon. xo

Friday Nov 12 - beautiful babies and moving forward

Today was a mixture of inspiration and emotion. We started the day by visiting Faith Victory Association (FVA) – a non-profit organization started by my dear friend, Dr. Immacullee. FVA is an orphanage, the organization that is helping with counselling for the 15-week social therapy classes that I mentioned in an earlier blog, helps small rural communities set up farming co-ops because families are so poor they often eat once (maybe twice) a day, they’re building a new orphanage, and they provide counselling, support and other services for gender-based domestic violence cases. To me, Immacullee is the Mother Teresa of Rwanda. When I was here in December we spent a half day at FVA with many of the women and children that FVA supports and it was great to see familiar faces and to hear that they are stronger now than ever before. Or, as one of the leaders in their community said, “a year ago we were sorting our issues. This year, we are able to breathe again and move on with our lives.”

While we were there, Catherine and I interviewed a 16 year old boy who is HIV+. His parents were both infected and died when he was a small child so he lived with his grandmother until she also passed away. When he started working with FVA he was very thin, sick, and completely orphaned. Now, he looks so healthy and loves going to school. Despite his illness and knowing that his odds of dying are higher than most 16 year olds, his vision for his future keeps him going. He’d like to attend University in Europe and wants to be a doctor. The only thing he struggles with now is security and ensuring he has enough money (through donor support) to continue his studies without disruption. FVA is sponsored by Dr. Immaculee’s private clinic and donors from around the world.

In the afternoon we visited another orphanage. This one is not run by FVA but Immacullee visits as a physician and has treated many of the children there. For me, the orphanages are the best and worst places in the world. The kids are so much fun and love visitors – they’re not unlike kids anywhere else or from any other socio-economic background. They love to colour, play football, sing, dance, they like music videos, and they love affection – something they don’t get enough of. Immediately after we arrived, Lillian, a 3-yr old who is orphaned because her parents died of HIV (she was at the orphanage with her 3 siblings, none of whom are infected) latched on to me and wouldn’t let me put her down. She doesn’t speak much but she loves to cuddle and rest her head on your shoulder.

This orphanage is the worst I have seen (through my limited experience), but from what I hear it’s in desperate need of good management and a lot of TLC. We toured the rooms, where we found mouse feces on the top bunks – I don’t believe any children are using those beds, where there were often 3 kids sharing one twin bed, where medical supplies are low for ailments most of the children have, and where food supplies are so low they can’t afford milk for the newborns and every day the kids eat beans and cassava for all three meals.

Recently they had 3 small children at Immacullee’s clinic for dehydration and malnutrition and 2 babies were delivered by the police – a boy who is 2 weeks old and a girl that is 1.5 months, named Vivian. Vivian, a gorgeous little girl was brought to the orphanage after police found her abandoned in a bush. As I held her and made gurgling baby sounds she smiled and giggled at the attention. It was so hard not to run away with little Vivian...if I legally could...I would have.

It’s heartbreaking to go into these places and I have such a hard time knowing that some of these children will die because of illness and/or malnutrition, and that most will not get an education. It’s a rough start to life, but as Immacullee told me, “that’s life and you have to do what you can.” I get so emotional at the orphanages but thankfully the kids don’t know why I cry and are often told it’s because I love them and am so happy to see them. That is true.

When we left I felt emotionally drained and took the time in the car to think about how I am going to help. Project Bella will pay for the education of as many kids as possible, but I’m sure there is more I can do…

Since today was my last day in Kigali, I needed to stop at the market to get gifts. I hadn’t been to the open air market before so it was an interesting power shopping experience. The market is open 24hrs but by the time we arrived it was getting dark so it was difficult to see the merchandise in the crammed stalls of beaded necklaces, baskets, shoes, clothes, wood carvings, linens, and just about anything else you can think of. Our friend Alan came with us to help negotiate prices so we wouldn’t get the “mizunga” price and wouldn’t be taken advantage of. Thanks Alan! :)

Before catching my flight to Nairobi – the first leg of my 26 hour journey home, we went to Bourbon Coffee for dinner and to spend time with Immacullee and Sandrali. It’s so nice to have two people that take care of us, provide us with a car and driver, take us to new restaurants, and give us with as many Rwandan experiences as possible. They genuinely care about us and have become dear friends, and family.

Thursday Nov 11 - Speed "dating" with entrepreneurs and a great art show

Traditionally when Dave comes to Kigali for the workshops he sets up 45 minute one-on-one meetings with the workshop participants. I call it speed dating for entrepreneurs! Dave O, Dave H, Catherine, Elizabeth, Betty and I were stationed around the Serena Hotel pool (which is stunning I might add!) for the day. We coached the entrepreneurs on areas like strategy, sales and marketing, customer service, business development, and leadership. It was so much fun, yet used a lot of brain power so by the end of it we were ready for some R&R.

That evening we went to our friend Innocent’s art show at Heaven Restaurant (aka “the American restaurant”). Innocent is from Uganda but his whole family lives in Kigali and he is one of 4 members that started a co-op called Ivuka Arts. He is a self-taught contemporary artist that is starting to get International attention and is one of the artists that donated a piece to Art for Africa 2010.

Wednesday Nov 10 - Bigger Future Workshop and the US Ambassador

It was fantastic to see the Bigger Future workshop – this series is based on Strategic Coach tools and concepts and was brought to Rwanda by a “Coach” client, Dave Ormesher. The one day workshop, which takes place 4 times a year (approx. 90 days apart) provides entrepreneurs with a lifetime of personal and professional growth, strategic planning so they can work on their business rather than in their business, and enables to them confidently focus on the many opportunities that are available to them. In this first workshop series there are approx. 35 entrepreneurs who come from a variety of industries such as architecture, medical, solar energy, construction and development, cookie and cake decorating, law, importing and exporting, and coffee production/farming, to name a few.

What surprised me most during the day was that it doesn’t matter where the entrepreneur lives or what language he/she speaks, they all have the same struggles and concerns. I had the opportunity to participate in the workshop in Kigali on Tuesday and use a tool called D.O.S (dangers, opportunities, and strengths) which is a client focused conversation we use daily at Strategic Coach. The woman I was paired with is president of the local Junior Chamber of Commerce, has two young daughters, and is in her 30’s. She runs a very successful book distribution company that just got a contract with the government which allows her to sells books to various organizations around the country. Her issues of time and money were no different than what I’d here from my clients and/or prospects in Canada – she wants to spend more time with her family, would like to take an annual vacation with them, she’d like to motivate her staff and create a team culture that enables them to continually increase their sales, and she wants to expand her business into provinces around the country. Her dangers – she’s very busy, doesn’t like to delegate to her staff, and she wants complete control over every detail in the business. Sound familiar, entrepreneurs?

Dan Sullivan, the creator and owner of the Strategic Coach program is a genius for designing a program that is applicable to any business owner around the world, and for understanding exactly how they think and act – even before they understand it!
Because this workshop was their last one for the year, at the end Dave asked each of them to provide a testimonial about how the workshops have helped their businesses and/or their lives. Some of the responses we heard – I was able to grow my medical business by 15%, I took time away from the office to spend with my family, I’m thankful for the tools because I didn’t have to struggle like so many entrepreneurs do, and so much more.

After the workshop we were whisked off to the US Ambassador’s house for drinks with him on the terrace. Mr. Ambassador is a very interested man who loves Rwanda and what the Bigger Future workshops are doing for the country. He’s very supportive and appreciative of the work Dave does here. I’ve never met an American politician and I can assure you they are different than Canadian politicians and any others I’ve met through my travels/experiences. The Ambassador is both gracious and tactical. He touches you at least two times- the first is through a handshake and the second may be another handshake, a pat on the back or possibly your arm, he says your name at least once and cross references members of the group throughout the conversation. He also makes a point of going around the group to get “your story.” I’ve been told that he’ll never forget your name or your story so I look forward to testing this next time I’m in Rwanda with Dave and Bigger Future. (Unfortunately my picture is blurry so I'm hoping somone in our group has a clear one)

After our 45 minutes with the Ambassador, 16 of us dined at a great Indian restaurant near the President’s house. Three of our Rwandan friends came with us and none of them had tried Indian before and I doubt they’ll go back anytime soon. At one point I thought our friend Cyusa (chew-sa) was going to blow up because one of the dishes was too hot for him. The next day I asked him how his stomach was holding up and he grumbled and then moved on to another topic!

Tuesday, Nov 9 - Bigger Future presentation and back to Gisimba

I'm now on my way home and have taken the opportunity to update my blog...

The morning as busy with an introductory presentation to 60+ entrepreneurs who registered for or are considering The Bigger Future workshops for 2011. I opted out of presenting this year and instead did logistics for the morning along with help from Catherine, Betty, James and AJ.

After the presentation Dave and I returned to Gisimba to take a photo of the 16 Sonrise School students (including Bella) that started school this past year. Sonrise is a private English school that was started by Bishop John after the genocide. It’s a very good school with a great reputation and allows students to continue their studies in a college or University setting upon completion of S6 (senior 6 or grade 12).

coffee beans, textiles and dining

I've been behind with my blog updates because we've been so busy so I apologize for not adding as much detail to my posts as I'd like.

On Monday I met with foreign entrepreneurs that have moved to Kigali to set up investments. In the morning, our group spent time with Matt and James, both from the US, who run a large coffee distribution company that sells Rwandan coffee around the world. It was incredible to see the process that a coffee bean goes through before going to market and what surprised me most was the difference between a quality bean and a “bean” used for low quality grocery store brands.
The picture above shows the hundreds of women who are part of quality control. They work seasonally and hand pick the best beans, each day going through one full bag of beans.

I also met with a Spanish woman who moved to Kigali two years ago to expand her clothing business. Ines and her partner, Mark, have employed Rwandans in fair conditions and provide them with an opportunity to create clothing that integrates muted colours that are popular in North America and Europe with bright, bold colours and patterns used in Africa countries. The result, award winning clothing that is sold around the world. Ines and Mark have registered for the 2011 Bigger Future workshop series through Global Relief and Development Partners.

While we’ve been here we’ve had an opportunity to experience some incredible meals. As Kigali grows more and more new and trendy restaurants open. We’ve had some traditional Rwandan dishes, but also pizza, Indian food, and a lot of chips (French fries) – since they come with everything!

seeing Bella

Sunday, the 7th day of my trip, was spent at Gisimba Orphanage. When I was here in December, 2010 I met a 15 year old orphan who had lost her entire family due to war. Her story touched me and when I found out she wasn’t attending school I took action and raised enough money to support her until she has completed high school. Thanks to my parents, Sylv and Andrew, Hillary and Gary, and Annika for your support.

I haven’t seen Bella since December but had progress reports from friends who visit Kigali regularly that she was doing well. I was both excited and nervous to see her and when Dave (a Strategic Coach client), Elizabeth (my colleague at Strategic Coach) and I arrived, Bella came running out to great me and gave me the biggest hug I think I’ve ever experienced. I couldn’t have asked for a better welcome and I was so relieved to know that I have made a positive impact on her life. She is far more expressive than she was a year ago and although she still struggles with English, we can have a basic conversation. She’s enjoying school and loves math and physics and tells me with conviction that she wants to be “a doctor, doctor, doctor.”

It was a pleasure to sit with Bella and give her an English lesson so she can practice while she’s on break from school for the next few months.

And thanks to my Strategic Coach team in Toronto who have donated clothes, toys, and books to the kids. They loved them!

As a result of meeting Bella and so many other children who are unable to get an education - sometimes because they can't afford a pair of shoes or even a pen - I have created Project Bella. Project Bella will be a registered non-profit that supports and pays for the education of children in developing countries. Thanks to Kathleen, Tanya, Carmen, Jen, Akash, Zoey for your on-going support and advice with this worthwhile cause.

Saturday - living on $80/year

The last few days have been so busy, it’s now late and I have to be up in 5hrs for a presentation so this blog post will be a very quick update of what we did on Saturday…more to come soon.

On Saturday we drove about an hour out of Kigali to Vista which is a small village near Nymata – south west of the city.

The day was filled with mixed emotions as we met Genocide survivors and Genocidaires who live together and are taking part in 15 weeks of social therapy classes as part of the healing process in Rwanda. We met a man whose entire family was murdered during the genocide (63 people) including his wife and children and who is now friends with a man that spent 10 years in jail for murder. Now, because of their social therapy sessions the two men are leaders in their community and one is helping the other build a home. They’ve been able to move past their hurt and pain to rebuild their community, and as someone who has had a family member murdered I struggled to listen to these two friends tell their stories and share their experiences of forgiveness. The level of and capacity for forgiveness in Rwanda is incredible and continues to amaze me and as I sat listening to them I struggled with my own reconciliation process. Not just for the hurt that was caused to me and my family, but to look into the eyes and shake hands with a convicted murder without judgement is still something that I try to overcome.

In addition to the social therapy that is taking place, co-ops are being set up in communities so they can grow crops and sell their produce in local markets. There is a strong surge to get out of poverty and have a better life and although everyone knows this will take time they also know that there is a better future ahead. Interestingly, the government is pushing for this in rural communities so that their capital city does not become the sole place of trade in the country, and the reason this is important is to prevent animosity and ultimately fear and hate amongst the people of Rwanda, which is what happened years ago and lead to genocide.

We spent time with children that are being sponsored so they can attend school. I had the privilege of interviewing the children and their families for one of the projects we are working on that pays for their education because they are orphaned or come from families that are extremely poor. Danny, an 11yr old who has 3 siblings has been attending school for a few years and loves going because 3 times a month he gets to eat rice. His parents are in their 60’s, which is equivalent to about 80 in developed countries, and they make approx. $80/yr. A typical meal plan for Danny’s family (and most families in the area) is cassava and bananas and they eat 2 times a day. Danny is very patriotic and loves his country. He wants to get an education so he can support his family and his country and get out of poverty which he says is “very, very bad.”

Surviving Rwandan Roads

Over the last few days we’ve spent many hours in a car –some of the roads were in excellent condition and others were less than ideal. ;-) Most people would not believe the road system here and how it functions without apparent rules, but somehow vehicles and pedestrians alike manage to navigate the roads without harm. I haven’t seen another country where the roadside (even highways) are the place to stop and talk to friends, for kids (often as young as 2yrs) to play, where business is conducted, and where vehicles of all sizes fly by often honking their horn to warn pedestrians ahead. The bustling streets and highways of Rwanda are filled with action at all hours of the day and despite having a dividing line to indicate which side to drive on, nobody actually follows it. We experienced this first hand as we sped around mountains and cut corners on the inside lane, and passed vehicles in front of us with a blind spot straight ahead. There were a few moments were my heart slowed and I definitely stopped breathing as I clung to the console!

Getting directions and altering your order in a restaurant. Yes, I realize it may seem strange to have these two, seemingly non-related topics together; however in Rwanda I believe the result is similar. Rwandans are very hospitable and helpful but trying to get directions or alter your menu choice is equally as difficult and causes a lot of confusion and much discussion. The infrastructure here isn’t as organized as Europe or North America and there are no addresses so landmarks are paramount when asking for directions, and good directions are hard to find. Changing your order or requesting something “special” is equally as difficult and we’ve found that it’s best to order a menu item exactly as it’s described and not ask for anything more or anything less, not even warm milk for your tea/coffee. How would the majority of the North American population function if we weren’t able to modify our choices?!

On another note, welcome Elizabeth, James and AJ who arrived late last night.

This morning we woke at 4:30 to drive 3hrs east to Akgara National Park, which borders Tanzania. Most of the animal populations were killed after the genocide so park officials have reintroduced elephants, lions, hippos, etc.

Tomorrow we are going to the site of the new Faith Victory Association’s orphanage, school and lodging and then to our friend Sam’s for a BBQ. Sam is a young entrepreneur from North Carolina who has lived in Rwanda for about 5 years. He supplies solar energy to rural areas in developing countries because over 90% of houses don’t have electricity.

The internet connection is fickle so my posts are probably going to be quick over the next week, and don’t be surprised if I jump from topic to topic but I want to try provide a good overview of my trip.

"Mizunga, give me money"

Highlight of the day: taking pictures with a group of children along the side of the road.


After a very peaceful sleep I believe the jetlag is gone. Thanks melatonin. :)

Kibuye is a gorgeous town surrounded by lush mountains and Lake Kivu, which could blow up at any time because of the methane gas that is below the lake's surface. Apparently this only happens about every 70,000 years...it does make me wonder when the last explosion and mass extinction took place.

Catherine and I spent the morning enjoying our lake view and decided to skip the usual white bread and omelette breakfast in favour of tea and fruit. After deciding what we should do for the day we took a taxi (cost $10) into town and had lunch at a small local restaurant that served a buffet of rice, spaghetti, beans, potatoes, (goat?) meat, sardines, green vegetables and some sort of tomato broth (cost $3).

After lunch we walked through the town of Kibuye (approx pop. 48,000). We attempted to bribe a woman carry a basket of bananas on her head for a picture. Turns out the joke was on us and we paid for a large bunch of bananas and didn't get our picture. However, the woman walking past us was quite happy when we gave her all the bananas to take home.

After an hour of walking we tried to get a taxi back to our hotel only to discover that there aren't really any - except if you get one directly from your hotel or you choose to brave the motorcycle taxis, which we were not prepared to do. We walked some more - this time down a looong hill towards a local resort where we thought we could call a taxi. Turns out we went the wrong way and could turn around and walk back up the looong hill or call our hotel to arrange a pick up. Thanks to Jacob the owner of our hotel for coming to our rescue. Yes, we could have done this earlier but we didn't realize we had the number! Oops.

After many years of travelling and after being lost in so many locations around the world, I often have the most fun when things don't go according to plan, and welcome the unknown. This latest incident was no exception. It appeared that the people of Kibuye were just as, if not more fascinated with Catherine and I as we were with them. Throughout the day we overheard "Mizunga, Mizunga" which means white person or foreigner. Unfortunately, many of the kids we encountered would follow it with asking for money. But the kids we met along the side of the road as we waited for our ride were happy to practice their English with us, let us take photos and show them themselves on our digital camera screens, and ask where we are from. At one point I believe there were 20 people (adults and children) standing around us staring.

The adventures of 'Mel and Cath's East African Adventure' continues...

Surviving Rwandan Roads

Highlight of the Day: after 12 hrs of travel actually making it to our hotel in Kibuye. This was a day of small victories.

Here's a synopsis of our day: wake up at 5:30am, dress and have breakfast. Get in the car and drive 2hrs west to Ephriam's coffee plantation. Nap in the car. Stop for 2nd breakfast before going to the plantation. Drive uphill for 30 minutes on extremely bumpy road (where are the chiropractors in this country?!). Walk around the plantation, learn about the crops and the process of growing coffee. Try a raw coffee bean, which is white out of it's pink shell and very sweet and slimey. Get back in car and drive back to town. Nap again, despite the state of the roads. Literally knocked heads with Catherine as we both did a simultaneous head bob, and woke up laughing. Have lunch - altering your ordering in any way causes complete confusion and takes at least one or two discussions. Catherine asked for no cheese on her salad - she got cheese. Ephriam sent it back for her and it took him 5 minutes to explain that she wanted the salad but without cheese. 15-20 minutes later it came back with no cheese. Success. :)

Get back in the car for 2 more hours, or what we thought would be 2 hrs, but turned into 4 hours and then we got lost trying to find our hotel- despite the many attempts to ask for directions. There are very few signs in Rwanda so getting lost is common and a good test of patience. After reaching Kibuye and after a few attempts at finding our hotel we finally hired a taxi driver to lead us here. It was well worth the 500 francs ($1) he asked for!

Couple of cultural nuances -
1. The workers at the plantation make less than $2 for a half day of work then they are free to work other jobs.
2. It's illegal to have sex before the age of 21 yrs, if you're caught then you can be convicted of statuatory rape.

Catherine feels right at home now that she's seen her first development project and now feels like she's in Africa!

We are about to have dinner at our hotel along Lake Kivu - it's so peaceful here and we're really looking forward to trying the local fish.

First days

This is going to be a little choppy because I'm rushing to pack for our early departure tomorrow and need to get some sleep too.

Highlight of the day: Seeing Sandrali and Immaculee!

Thanks to Josh and Harry for making the first leg of my long journey so enjoyable. Josh and Harry were my seat-mates on the flight from Toronto to Amsterdam and made a 7 hr flight feel like an hour.

Josh - originally from Ottawa now lives in Toronto and works for World Vision as a project manager. He kept me entertained with good music and Sudoku. Josh thanks for “sharing” your table with me!

Harry - a young father of four from Guelph was flying to Amsterdam to meet clients. He works in the farming industry and enlightened us with his views on starting a farm in today’s modern economy, and the massive expense of following his dream to become a conscious dairy farmer. Harry lost his brother to ALS 2 weeks ago – thanks again for sharing your story with us Harry.

I love that three strangers can meet on a plane and it feels like you’ve known them your entire life. We solved a lot of the world’s problems that night...over a "few" glasses of wine!

When we landed in Amsterdam, I went with Harry and his friend Brian, also a colleague of Josh’s, went to Harry’s hotel for brunch. It was a great way to pass the 5 hour delay to my next flight.

Thankfully I was able to skip the Nairobi portion of my flight and get a direct flight to Kigali. I was on the inaugural KLM flight which saved me 4 hours of travel time and allowed me to arrive in Kigali at a reasonable hour, which I fully appreciate. When we arrived in Kigali we were met by fire trucks – no there wasn’t a fire. They sprayed water along the plane to welcome KLM to Kigali, Rwandan dancers, media, and about 75 people cheering on the tarmac. I guess it’s a big deal to welcome a new airline.

The bad news – no luggage and it wouldn’t arrive for 24 hrs. Good thing I packed an extra outfit in my carry-on.

I checked into the guest house and caught up with Catherine, my colleague form Toronto who decided to join us on this journey.

First day in Kigali, after a great sleep – thanks melatonin- I woke to the sun shining through my window. I got up, had breakfast and then went back to bed for a quick nap. It was a lazy morning with a visit from Sandrali and Immaculee, friends we met in December. There is something so comforting about coming back to a place and feeling at home and I was so excited to see them.

The rest of the morning was spent getting cell phones, exchanging money and sitting at Bourbon Café for lunch. Bourbon Café is a North American style coffee shop that serves American food and they have WiFi so it makes it an easy virtual office.

Our trip to Kibuye (western side of the country) was delayed by a day because we waited for my luggage to arrive. So at 6am tomorrow (5.5hrs from now) Immacullee’s brother will pick us up and drive us 2hrs west to our hotel, but not before we stop at his coffee plantation for a tour.

departing Toronto

I'm sitting in the Toronto airport waiting for my flight, which is scheduled to leave in an hour. YAY for WiFi and small portable computers!

My biggest dilemma today - what to wear on the plane...I wore one outfit and packed another in my carry on. Oh and YAY for not being over my weight limit - I was worried I was going to have to get rid of a few clothes for the kids. :(

Off to find fruit and water for the flight.

Catch ya in Amsterdam.

leaving today

My flight cannot come soon enough - I couldn't sleep last night and all I could think about was "I should have left Friday instead." Oh well, I'm sure after 26hrs of transit it won't really matter.

Today I have a few last minute things to do like get US cash - I can use US currency there which they'll then change to local currency. It's not possible to buy Rwandan francs in Canada. Then I have to get a carrying case for my computer - oops, completely forgot about that, and then do some cleaning for my friend who is staying at my place while I'm gone.

I checked into my flight last night and thought about upgrading but in the end I decided against it. Yup, I think it's going to be something I regret mid-way from Amsterdam to Nairobi. Ah maybe I'll do it at the airport...it made a huge difference last year.

I'll try upload pictures of my airport adventures as I go - I have to make this long-haul exciting somehow!

See you soon. XO

questions

Here are the most common questions I am asked:
1. Am I packed?
Huh, anyone who knows me will know that this will be done at the LAST minute.

2. What items am I taking for the kids?
I am really restricted this year since I'm only allowed one bag, however I have packed an extra suitcase and will try to sweet talk that allowance to two bags. I have clothes, books, and toys for the kids.

3. What will the temperature be while I'm there?
Rwanda is very mild and typically 20-30C year round. I expect to see sun each day and have a nice brown colour upon my return!

4. Where am I staying in Rwanda? Last year we rented a gorgeous, huge house, but this year there are too many of us so we're staying at a local guest house that is owned by a friend. It's perfect for us because we'll each have our own room with bathroom, breakfast and internet.

5. Am I getting excited for my trip?
Huh, NO! Of course I am!! ;-)

What will I be doing?

I leave for Rwanda in two days and I am so excited - and still shocked that I'm going back again so soon!

I'll be gone for two weeks and the entire two weeks are chock-full of activities. I guess there's no rest for the wicked.

After 26 hours of transit, I arrive at midnight Sunday night (local time/6pm EST)) and will be leaving for Lake Kivu the next morning. Lake Kivu is along the Rwandan/Congolese border and we'll be spending 3 days there before heading back to Kigali to "work."
Once we're back in Kigali we'll be working with entrepreneurs again - having one-on-one coaching sessions, completing their last business development workshop of the 2010 series, and we'll have another introductory presentation to register new business owners in the 2011 workshop series. We will also be attending a local art show, working with Faith Victory Association's orphanage, visiting Gisimba Orphanage to see Bella and the other kids we met last year, and possibly attending a bike race with the Rwandan cycling team. I didn't even know they had a cycling team!

Follow my blog each day for a full report/details and pictures and videos. :)

2010 Theme song yet TBD

Last year while driving along the Masai Mara looking for wild animals, TOTO's song called "Africa" became out theme song. I wonder what the 2011 song will be - stayed tuned!

Aside from packing, I have everything I need and am ready to go...3 more days.

8 days until I leave for Rwanda

Many people have been asking me about vaccinations for my trip, but since I had them all last year I won't need more. Thankfully. I do, however, need to take anti-malaria pills and must find my yellow fever card. Yellow fever vaccination is required in order to get into Rwanda and I seem to have misplaced mine...yes, I am a little panicked about it but hope I can get a replacement card from my doctor if necessary. I guess I should call them right now to find out... :)

Introducing: Project Bella

After hearing endless, heartbreaking stories of kids not being able to attend school because they are orphaned or their families couldn't afford it, I decided to take action.

My first step was to raise money for Bella (pictured to the right), a 15yr old I met at Gisimba Orphanage in December/09. Bella, a beautiful young woman who lost her entire family to war found herself travelling across dangerous borders to get back to, what she's been told is her homeland, Rwanda. Bella likes to dance and play soccer and she wants to be a doctor. She's a gentle girl with a huge smile that will melt your heart. But, she wasn't able to get an education because there wasn't enough money at the orphanage to send her (or most of the 130 children there).

Here's a video of our first meeting just after she told me she wasn't going to school.
http://www.youtube.com/mdwpx#p/u/5/JldbLd0Ss3Q

Two weeks after returning to Canada, I had friends and family commit to supporting Bella through her secondary (high school) education. She started school in February, 2010.

Now, in honour of Bella and what (and who) she represents, I have a team of dedicated professionals who are helping me create Project Bella. An organization dedicated to providing educational funding to kids in developing countries. We named it after Bella - in French, bella means beautiful.
Project Bella is a work in progress but during my next trip to Rwanda in a few weeks I want to work with Faith Victory Association and Gisimba Orphanage to see how Project Bella can help provide more children under their care with an education.

Thank you Kathleen (aka Mom), Carmen, Jen, Zoey, Tanya, and Akash for your belief in Project Bella, your time, and all your hard work.

I look forward to sharing many more success stories with you and to sharing the ongoing progress of Project Bella.

If you're interested in supporting a child, please email me at mdwpx@yahoo.ca and I'd be happy to send you more information.

Generous Donations

Thanks to Dana, Alex, Tanja, and all Zoey's friends in Peterborough who have donated books, clothes, pen and pencils, and toys. I will be taking the items to Faith Victory Association in Kigali - they'll be Christmas gifts for the kids!

T-18 days until I leave!

with anticipation and excitement

In three weeks I'll be leaving for Rwanda and it's with great excitement and anticipation that we'll be seeing incredible friends in Kigali again.

Our trip this year will be a little different because Dave Ormesher, President of Global Relief and Development Partners, will be there along with his team. Also joining us are co-workers Catherine and James, and Elizabeth's friend, AJ. The buzz has started!

I will have regular Internet access and will be posting (what I hope to be) daily blogs of our experience in early November.

The countdown begins

It's been a long time since I've posted a blog - my apologies.

In a month I'll be leaving for Rwanda for two weeks of a combined vacation/work adventure. If you've been following my blog for the last year then you'll remember that when I was there in December, 2009, Elizabeth (my co-worker) and I presented Global Relief and Development Partner's business development tools and concepts to nearly 80 entrepreneurs. 45 of which registered for four workshops that have been spread out over the course of 2010.

This time, there are about a dozen of us going to Kigali to work with GRDP and we'll have the honour and privilege of attending the fourth workshop (of four) in the first year. I'm extremely excited to see the progress the entrepreneurs have made individually and collectively as a community. It'll be a thrill to see how our time and effort has contributed to positive change and I have no doubt that our work with GRDP is empowering people in a way they didn't realize was possible.

Two weeks may seem like a lot of time but every minute of each day is booked. Here are some of the scheduled events:
1. We're going to have another presentation for a new group of entrepreneurs so they can take action and register for the 2011 workshops
2. Meet and Greet with the current entrepreneurs in the GRDP workshops
3. Attend the last workshop of 2010 with the current group of entrepreneurs
4. Evening at the US Ambassadors home
5. Continue our work with Faith Victory Association and Gisimba Orphanage
6. Visit Bella at Gisimba Orphanage. Bella is the 15yr old girl that I "sponsored" immediately after meeting her last December

31 days and counting...Stay posted for more on our adventures!

Team Rwanda - or part if it!

I spent this past weekend in Chicago and had the opportunity to (finally!) meet Dave Ormesher, CEO of Global Relief and Development Partners (www.grdpartners.org).
L-R Elizabeth Cox, Dave Ormesher, and me.

We will be travelling to Rwanda in November to complete the last of 4 (for yr 1) entrepreneurial workshops, continue to work with orphans at Gisimba Orphanage and Faith Victory Association, and we'll have a presentation for local entrepreneurs to register for the 2011 GRDP workshops series.

President Kagame wins election

I'm a little behind on my Rwanda updates but here's some recent news on the elections from Rwanda earlier this month.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/08/201081011220514123.html

3rd 2010 workshop complete

In 78 days I will return to Rwanda to continue working with entrepreneurs in Kigali and continue supporting a couple of orphanages - however we can!

Dave Ormesher, CEO of Global Relief and Development Partners, is currently in Rwanda and here are pieces from an email he sent me this morning.

Finished another great workshop, our third in the 2010 series. I also did a module on Building a World Class Brand to Compete in the new East African Community. Big hit...

Then after lunch...Everyone got the positive impact of Free Days on relationships... But when I quoted the statistic that Coach clients who double their free days (aka holidays) double their income, the crowd let out a collective gasp.

We had an informal coffee reception the night before the workshop, and then tomorrow morning I and two other American entrepreneurs are holding back-to-back 45 min 1:1s with entrepreneurs out on the patio at the Serena Hotel. Then a swing by Gisimba and then a dash for the airport to go to Nairobi.

The election here was amazing. Very peaceful and orderly. I went to a couple of polling stations. And then I went to the national stadium at 8pm for the celebration. You may have seen a few of my Facebook pics. It was amazing. I went down onto the field which was packed with thousands of people all dancing to the live music of a series of pop Rwandan acts on stage. I got myself a bright red RPF campaign shirt the day before and wore it as I danced my way through the crowd right up to the stage. I became quite the celebrity. Or oddity. Then at midnight I went over to a private big-donor party at one of the new hotels and hung out with the celebs until about 4am. It was around that time that the gov’t declared the next day a national holiday... Good thing.

There is so much optimism and excitement here. Everyone feels like the last seven years were focused on building infrastructure, and now they feel they are ready to rock.

Thank you to the Toronto team for supporting me with the customized presentations and the detailed coach guides! You guys are the best. People love the fact that the content is in their context, and it makes it so easy to present.

Cheers!

-do

So many clothes to take!

I mentioned my cousin Zoey in my earlier post, and thanks to her I now have seven HUGE garbage bags full of clothes to take to Kigali with me in November. Thanks ZoZo!

Zoey (14) put a call out to all her friends and we had tremendous response. To all the teens and parents that donated, thank you very much for your support. I am taking the clothes to Faith Victory Association (in Kigali, Rwanda) and they're very excited because it's perfect timing for Christmas presents for the kids/babies.

Now I just need bags big enough to get them there. Ah it's a good problem to have. :)

Bella is mentioned in Valedictorian Speech

My cousin (Zoey) is graduating from grade 8 today and is the valedictorian of her class. She volunteers for Free the Children and is raising money so she can go to Africa next year and work with kids in Kenya.
Zoey and her family are helping me sponsor Bella's education, and Bella made it into Zoey's speech.

"...we are taught about the bigger picture, and reality is, we are extremely lucky. There are children around the world, who are our age, who can only dream of going to school and having an education as broad as ours. In the past year, I learned about a girl, who lives in Rwanda and has no family due to the genocide. Bella, who is our age, is just beginning school. She is 14 years old and has never stepped into a school in her life. She has never had the chance to play on the school yard or go on a school trip. She hasn't even had the chance to read a book. We all sometimes think of school as a burden, somewhere we have to go 5 times a week, but we should really be thankful for being able to attend school every day. These values of community and looking out for each other are something we have learned here..."

I'm really proud of you Zoey - have fun tonight!

Faith Victory Association's New Orphanage is underway...

Earlier this week I received a wonderful email from Dr. Immaccullee. She became a fast friend and is one of the most incredible women I have met. She definitely made our experience in Rwanda very special.

Immaccullee is the mother to six gorgeous children and is the Executive Director and Madam Chair for the Secretariat of National Steering Committee for social science research in the field of HIV/AIDS-MCP-Rwanda. This woman has a heart of gold and it was an absolute pleasure to spend two weeks with her and to meet many of the woman and children she helps at Faith Victory Association (FVA) in Kigali.
FVA has a mission to help eradicate poverty, reduce HIV infections and help communities in capacity building programs aimed at the transformation of society.

Here is the email she sent me:
Dear Melanie

hope you and your family are doing well.

we are thankful to God that we now have the relevant documentation and authorization to begin construction of the Faith Victory Association – Village of Hope, starting with the Orphanage - Phase I of the project.

It is with great joy that we inform you that we will be celebrating the launching of the construction of the village on Tuesday 22 June 2010 in Rusororo, Gasabo District, Kigali on the Village of Hope site. The launching will begin with a word of thanks & prayer, and then we will dedicate and anoint the site, thereafter the builders will proceed with their work and begin to lay the foundations.

We will begin with the construction of one of the Apartment blocks which will have four (4) homes.

We are truly thankful for the support given; and your participation in the realization of this dream. And as we continue to work together we shall see many vulnerable children’s lives being changed to the glory of God.

Once the launch is over and construction begins we will send you update and photos of our progress at the Village of Hope.

please convey our greetings to your family.

we miss you and we can't wait to see you again in Rwanda.

God bless you,

in unrelated news

Friends since we were 7yrs old, Hillary and I completed our first tri together on Sunday and we made sure to cross the finish line together!

oops typo. lol

thanks to my friend for letting me know that I requested sanity pads. OOPS! I'm still laughing about this typo, and am sure almost every woman in the world would like these if they were available!
Make that sanitary pads added to the list of items I'd like to take to Rwanda for the girls.

Good catch Jen!
:)

Buy art directly from Rwandan artists

If you're interested in supporting Rwandan artists directly, visit Ivuka Arts at http://ivukaarts.com/
This co-op has some incredible talent and I look forward to visiting them again in Kigali in November.

p.s. they ship internationally so pls ask for details.

Going back to Rwanda

I'm thrilled and so excited to be planning another trip to Africa!

Since my trip to Rwanda in December, I've been talking about going back and saving for the possibility of returning at Xmas this year (2010), but to be honest I didn't think it would happen because it's quite expensive to fly there and stay for two weeks. Despite what you may think about a developing country, Rwanda is surprisingly expensive.

On Friday I woke up with no intention of buying a ticket anywhere - my travel savings account was collecting dust...errr I mean interest...but that afternoon my colleague (thanks Justin!) sent me an email with a link to an incredible seat sale to east Africa. One that I couldn't pass up. So, by 7pm Friday night I had reserved my seat back to Rwanda in November, 2010 for two weeks. YAY!

Just as I did last time, I'll be taking items with me to donate to the kids at Gisimba Orphanage and Faith Victory Association. Here are a list of items - if you are able to donate anything, please let me know and I'd be happy to take it:
1. toothbrushes and toothpaste
2. clothing - all sizes, for men, women and children
3. stickers
4. balloons
5. soccer balls
6. small (light weight) books (preferably in English since this is now an official language)
7. sanity pads
8. bras
9. school supplies - notebooks, pens, pencils, paper, etc
10. If you have other suggestions, they are welcome...let me know.

How will my donation help?

I keep saying over and over again that every dollar donated does make a difference. That's especially true in a developing country where there are no resources and "basic amenities" like electricity and running water.

To-date I have raised $10,000 for GRDP and here's how your contribution has helped (email from Dave Ormesher, CEO of Global Relief and Development Partners (GRDP):
The donations to GRDP (through private donation and Art for Africa) are going towards a couple of different projects.

Gisimba Orphanage: Sixteen Gisimba orphans are being sponsored to attend one of the top private schools in Rwanda. To help them make the transition from learning in French to learning in English, we have purchased an English dictionary for each child. In addition, there are a number of personal items they needed to make the transition to a boarding school. We bought them new shoes, a new mattress with sheets and blankets, towels, etc. and paid for private bus transportation for the children to travel the two hours to the boarding school.

Creating A Bigger Future: GRDP is working with 50 entrepreneurs in Rwanda to help them build their companies in order to create jobs, provide living wages, and impact the local economy of Rwanda. Donations are helping to pay for the educational tools and a Rwandese staff person in Kigali to help facilitate the quarterly workshops and ongoing coaching.

email from a Rwandan entrepreneur

Today I received an email from a woman I met in Rwanda in December. She is from Saskatchewan (the Province I grew up in) and is married to a Rwandan. They moved back to Kigali last year with their four kids.

Hi Melanie!

Nice to hear from you! And good to hear you're returning. I've become so attached to this place I feel sorry for anyone who has to leave!!

Business is going pretty well considering that I'm working full time. Only three more weeks of that, however. My "Spice Girls" have mastered the art of the sugar cookie and I'm looking forward to teaching them new skills.

I will be travelling to Dallas in June to benefit from some intensive training in entrepreneurship :)!! Can't wait! When I return I'll be ready to devote my full attention to Sugar and Spice Kigali.

Sugar and Spice will be taking an unexpected turn. We just moved into a large house with a new - never used two car garage. This will become my work space once I fix it up. And it will be the location of cake decorating classes. Customers will pay for 30 - 90 minutes of instruction, and for a cake baked and iced by us (since very few Rwandans own ovens). They can use my equipment to decorate their own cake, and perhaps buy some edible decorations to put the final touch on it. Then take it home with them.

Speaking of the new house, we have started a second business - a bed and breakfast. We have two rooms functioning now and hope to furnish the third soon. Breakfast and internet are included, and other meals can be purchased for a small fee. You can even order a fresh pizza whenever you like! I think our cook makes the best pizza in town. We charge a weekly rate of $250 single and $300 double occupancy. Any additional nights beyond a week would be prorated to that fee. The house is fairly close to the MTN location of Bourbon coffee. It's close to transportation and convenience stores, and it has a big yard and beautiful view.

Letter from a U.S. child asking about the orphanage work

This is taken from Elizabeth's blog. Elizabeth is my colleague and was my travel companion to Rwanda/Kenya in December, 2009. She is working with Faith Victory Association and Gisimba Orphanage to create new websites for them so they can receive International donations.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below is her letter with my responses to her questions.

Dear Elizabeth Cox,
In our French 1 class at my school we have been learning about the genocide in Rwanda and now we are doing a follow-up project about a topic of our choice. I wanted to learn about people who helped during the save people during the genocide and also about current things in Rwanda, so i decided to learn about the Gisimba Orphanage. As i was researching, i found your email on gisimbaorphanage.org, and thought maybe you could answer some questions that i had about the orphanage now. If you could answer any of these questions for me, it would be greatly appreciated!
Sami

How many children are currently living at the orphanage? 156 in December

Where does the orphanage get their fundings? Mainly from people who have visited in Kigali, they don’t have a web presence yet (which is an issue I am trying to help solve for them) but they are known and appreciated for rescuing people during the genocide and therefore have a strong presence in Kigali.

What are some things that the children do for fun? Volunteers teach art classes and English. When I was there, a volunteer from Australia was teaching music lessons as well. They LOVE soccer!

What are the responsibilities of the children in the orphanage? The older ones help tend to the younger ones, they help with chores, some are at boarding schools to go to school as well.

How many more children come to the orphanage every year, on average? I don’t know the answer to this, but with AIDs and malnutrition it has been on the rise in recent years.

What are some of the orphans who have grow up doing now? If you search the Web I have seen testimonials from Gisimba orphans that have succeeded through education. In general in Rwanda, education is everything. What is given away so freely, here in this country, is desperately sought after not just by orphans but every child there… They want to be educated! Not only is school not free in Rwanda but you must also buy books and you cannot attend without shoes (some schools also require a uniform). Many of the children who were not educated, have become adults but still stay at the orphanage because they don’t have anywhere to go.

random stuff

I was talking to my mom about my blog tonight and didn't realize people were still checking it. Nice to know that someone is reading this (I'd like to know who you are)!

My mom is going to look for some books for Bella because she is struggling with English, and since my mom is a former principal I trust she can find the right books. haha
My 14 yr old cousin is saving her unwanted clothing and collecting clothes from her friends too so I can send them to Bella and the other kids at the orphanage.

I am planning on registering a non-profit - name TBD - so I can help more kids in developing countries get an education. I plan to have it registered by the end of the year...Don't ask me how this will all work. I just trust that it will.

After a recent conversation with one of our coaches he asked me if I would write a story about my experience. It hadn't really crossed my mind - I admittedly have a fear of writing and allowing people to read my words. Ironic isn't it?! Maybe I'm too hard on myself and critical of my style, but I think I should give it some serious thought. I've been back from Rwanda for 4 months and am still enjoying the high of the trip and the inspiration it continues to bestow on my everyday life. For example, I'm not a morning person but I need to get into the habit of training for my upcoming triathlon, and mornings are the best time to fit it in. On Monday when my alarm rang at 6:15pm I tried to make every excuse in the book as to why I should roll over and go back to sleep, but I stopped myself. I thought about what Bella would be doing at that moment and suddenly all my excuses seemed ridiculous. I wonder if she knows how inspirational she is?

a harsh reality

Today I received a touching email from Dave, CEO of Global Relief and Development Partners, the organization I went to Rwanda with.

This email was sent early this morning and I have changed the girl's name for her privacy...
"Had our brush with reality today. One of the primary age girls was crying went we met with the group of Gisimba kids at Sonrise. JF pulled her aside. She has been sick on and off every day. It turns out she is HIV+ and is suffering. We had a meeting with the headmaster and he agreed we should take her back to Kigali for care. Everyone was crying, even the headmaster.
So now we have "P" with us as we head back to Kigali."

This email from Dave was sent after a few correspondences after the above email...
"Melanie,

Bella would love to receive some English books. Even primary school level would be great. We are buying her an English dictionary tomorrow and sending it up to her.

Positive ending to the story about "P". As we were driving out of the Sonrise compound, JF asked her if she was feeling better that we were taking her back to Gisimba. She equivocated. This conversation was all in Kinyarwanda, but the discussion back and forth was intense enough that the driver stopped the car. I wondered if we were going to turn around. Then JF explained that "P" was very happy to be going to Kigali to get medical treatment, but that she was determined to come right back to Sonrise because she knew that was where she belonged. ..."

I'm sad to hear about "P" and hope that she will get the treatment that she needs and deserves. I don't know how she contracted HIV and as much I want to know the details, it's not important. I'm happy she wants to return to school to continue her education, and have realized that it's vital that more children are educated. It's really the only way to help stop the spread of this terrible disease that will rob too many kids of their childhood.

What started as a 3 weeks vacation to Africa has turned into...well, as my colleague just said to me, "what I love is that you've made this so real for me, too, because you're the girl who loves her designer jeans and buying shoes, but you are so dedicated to helping people in Rwanda. It makes it real."

It's a pivotal turing point in my life because what started as a start, middle and end has only hit the starting point, and I look forward to what's next and to providing an education for more kids.

new youtube videos and Bella up-date

I've posted more videos to my youtube channel, please check them out at www.youtube.com/mdwpx

It was Bella's 16th birthday on April 13th so I sent her a new shirt and some chocolate along with the picture that we took of us when I was there in December. I'm hoping for a progress update from her school later this month so will keep you posted.

Catching Up

It's been so long since I've posted in my blog. So sorry for not keeping everyone up-to-date, but please become a facebook fan - or "like" as they now call it - so you can see pictures, videos and regular posts. There's so much to keep "updated" in terms of technology these days that it's hard to stay on top of it all..and it's not my strong suit!

Art for Africa's inaugural event was a great success. There were 120 people at the event, 62 pieces of donated art, Africa drummers and dancers, and through all my fundraising efforts I managed to raise $10,000 (my goal!) for Global Relief and Development Partners. It was a fantastic night and I look forward to planning the next one in June, 2011.

Huge thanks to The SHAMBA Foundation, Creekside Estate Winery, and Steam Whistle Brewery for their sponsorship, to all the volunteers that helped before and during the event, to everyone that bought a ticket and supported Art for Africa by buying art, and especially to the artists that donated art.

Solitaire Jewellery

Special thanks to Alex at Solitaire Jewellery for the custom designed white and black diamond necklace that he created for Art for Africa.

One lucky bidder went home with it and she loves it!

Check out Alex's designs at www.solitaire-jewellery.com

Art for Africa is tonight!

Thank you for your generosity - it's appreciated.

Art for Africa 2.5 weeks away www.artforafrica.info

It's been some time since my last post - I've been keeping updates on facebook so please become a fan to stay up-to-date.

Art for Africa Update:

We've got over 50 pieces of art that has been donated to the event - jewelry, photography, and paintings, and all range in value from $50-7000. There will be African dancers and drummers entertaining the guests and drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served. The event takes place on April 8th from 6-9:00pm and you can buy your tickets, in advance, at www.artforafrica.info

I've recently had an update from Gisimba Orphanage and unfortunately it's not a good one.Gisimba, the man who runs the orphanage has been sick and in the hospital and so has his operations manager. They have also run out of money and aren't able to pay their staff. Most of the people working at Gisimba are volunteers - many were saved by Gisimba during the genocide in 1994 and work there to repay him for saving their lives. However, there are a few staff members that receive a small salary for running the orphanage. They aren't sure what they are going to do to keep it going so it seems that Art for Africa comes at a good time to help support them.

Creating Sustainable Business in Rwanda

While in Rwanda, I had the pleasure of visiting the women who make KEZA jewelry - who have been featured in O Magazine and by Prada. Here's more on their story and success.

http://www.nashvillescene.com/2010-03-04/news/jared-miller-the-philanthropist/

Tickets are on sale for Art for Africa

Tickets for Art for Africa are now on sale and must be purchased in advance. They are $30 each and can be bought at www.artforafrica.info

We've had two more African dance/drum troupes confirm for the night - thanks to Biko for her help with this!

Please let your friends and family know about the event so we can all help support these two great organizations - Global Relief and Development Partners' Social Entrepreneurship Program and Gisimba Orphanage in Kigali, Rwanda.

Thanks Steam Whistle Brewery

Big thanks to Tim and the Steam Whistle crew for donating their very tasty Pilsner to Art for Africa.

www.steamwhistle.ca

Bella starts school on Monday!

Dave sent me another email today and I want to share it with you. To see Bella's story go to my post from January 19, 2010.

"I met Bella today. What a beautiful girl! I have pictures with her and the other 15 kids who are going to Sonrise.

I spent 90 minutes at Sonrise. I thought of you. They are so appreciative of what you are doing for Bella.

-do"

I am raising money to send Bella to a good school so she can fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor (tuition includes: her education, supplies, room & board, and clothes). My hope for her is that she does become a doctor and then 'pays it forward' to another child in need when she can afford it.
If you'd like to know how you can contribute, please email me at artforafricainfo (at) ymail.com

News from Rwanda - GRDP's first workshop was yesterday!

I've been waiting with great anticipation to get a message from Dave Ormesher, President of GRDP. Dave is currently in Kigali, Rwanda and yesterday he coached their first workshop to 45 entrepreneurs. You'll remember that Elizabeth and I presented to 70+ entrepreneurs last month in Kigali - presenting GRDP concepts, tools, and strategies, which resulted in 40+ entrepreneurs to register for 4 (quarterly) workshops in 2010 after the presentation.

Here's his email to me and Elizabeth (my travel companion last month): (sorry for all the work-speak :))

Elizabeth and Melanie,

I’m wiped out, but it’s that feeling after a great, exhilarating workout.

Fantastic workshop. Many, many stories. 45 was the final count. Perfect size. One guy actually left at the lunch break to bring back his business partner for the afternoon session!

Thanks for your timely emails during the workshop; I was able to read them to Sandrali, Immaculee, Donat, Sam, etc. Cyusa did a fantastic job on logistics .Great find. Thank you. He engaged the same volunteers that helped in December, so they totally knew the registration drill.
(note: Elizabeth and I interviewed for a part-time position for GRDP while in Rwanda - our suggestion was Cyusa.)

The end of the workshop was almost spiritual. I declared that we were all bonded through this experience as a family, and I challenged them to look around the room and imagine us all together three years from today looking back... having built deep friendships and successful businesses.

I did a full public debrief and had everyone take the mic to tell their highlight of the day. So inspiring. Many talked about how they learned to network today and how many people they had exchanged cards with. I pointed out to them that they could have gone to 6 months worth of parties with this group and never would have gotten as personal and transparent as they did today through small group sharing of Pos Foc, DSQ, DOS, and 3-year P. Again, this level of intimacy just doesn’t happen here. Ever. It was a very poignant moment, and why I keep doing these workshops.

Sam told me at the lunch break that he had already made two new contacts that were worth much more than the investment of time and money. He was very grateful. Another woman told me that after the DSQ, she was ready to leave... She had gotten so much value from that one exercise that all she wanted to do was leave and start working on her bigger future!

At 4pm after the coffee break I had planned to do a short 20-min bit on leadership, but I could tell everyone was full. I put a water glass on the podium and slowly filled it to the brim. As the water swelled at the top, everyone gasped. As I dropped one more drip and the water overflowed on the podium, I explained that sometimes we get to that point of diminishing returns in a workshop where one more concept or worksheet pushes our brain over the edge. We were there. So I stopped the content and moved to sharing.

I put together several great iTunes playlists of African music that I played during the personal worksheet time, and that worked well as always.

During my debrief over drinks with the two senior administrators and professors from Johns Hopkins, they expressed amazement at the intellectual quality of the group. This is a high-powered group, and once we set them free to imagine three years out, they went nuts. But by the time they had processed everything to get to the point where they could do the 3-yr P and then break it down to the next four quarters, you could tell that they were serious and ready to roll. There were some industry-changing ideas...

At the end I gave a high-level overview of the The Gap, and told them how most if not all of them would fall into it within the next month. One woman laughingly complained that I wouldn’t explain how to get out of the Gap until April! So I just used the opportunity to predict that some of them would be in the Gap by April and would be tempted not to come for fear of facing the rest of us with their lack of progress. I explained that if they were in the Gap, then the workshop in April is exactly where they would need to be! They got it...

I also pointed out to them the power of the Coach materials; the energy and vision they experienced was not because I had brought incredible American insights into how to run their business. I explained that Dan’s power was in coming up with powerful questions, not powerful (and ultimately limiting) answers. That through a series of questions and worksheets, I had pulled their three year plan right out of them! You could feel the room crackle.

I had dinner two hours later with Chris, and he told me that he had already received four phone calls from people who had been at the workshop and who told him how transforming it was.

I’ve got a full day of meetings tomorrow, and then I catch the evening Brussels Air flight out to get back on Fri afternoon.

It’s working! Thanks again for all your help. We couldn’t have done it without your efforts in Dec.

-do

Meet Bella

While in Rwanda, I met Bella at Gisimba Orphanage. Bella, who lost her parents, is 15 years old and was living in Burundi as a refugee. She has no family so travelled across the border back into Rwanda, and was found by police who took her to Gisimba Orphanage.

Her birthday is April 13th and she likes to play football (soccer), dance, and she likes tea. Bella is very affectionate and when she grows up she wants to be a doctor.

Why am I telling you about Bella? Because, like so many children in Africa and other developing nations, she is not going to school and without an education there's not much hope, let alone a future, for kids like her.

I am raising the money to send her to a good English speaking school so she can fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor (tuition includes: her education, supplies, room & board, and clothes). My hope for her is that she does become a doctor and then 'pays it forward' to another child in need when she can afford it.

When I met Bella, I knew she was a survivor - she lost her entire family and her caregiver, she travelled across (dangerous) borders, and she is now in a place that can take care of her to the best of their ability. She told me, in French, that she likes the orphanage because she has a family again. She is happy.

Bella deserves an eduction and she deserves to be a doctor.

p.s. If you have questions about this initiative, please contact me at artforafricainfo (at) ymail.com. This initiative is separate from the $10,000 fundraising commitment to GRDP.

Watch the video of our meeting at the orphanage

My youtube.com Channel

To go along with some of my stories and my photos, I've started a youtube.com channel.

Have a look at the many videos from my trip at, www.youtube.com/mdwpx

I've been back for two weeks - already!

It's hard to believe that my trip to Africa has come and gone. I continue to miss the people in Rwanda, and actually had a dream about them last night. I'm not sure a day has passed that I haven't looked up flights back to Kigali and I know that I will be back there soon.

I've been reflecting on my trip over the last two weeks - with another 12 hours spent on flights (this time to the US for work) - I've had a lot of time to stare out the window and daydream. I've wondered what the draw is to Kigali and why it touched me so much. There's so much poverty and such a divide between the haves and the have-nots, but I miss the people. I miss that feeling of being content and at peace. I haven't slept a full night since I've been back because there's so much to do - at least my trip has motivated me to create a Bigger Future for those I met and for me. I now know that I have a purpose in Africa. I'm not fully aware of what that is yet, but I know I'm on the right path and I look forward to all the surprises of this journey.

I really want to thank everyone who made a contribution to GRDP. Believe me when I tell you, that your $30, $40, $50, even $150 donation HAS changed lives. It may not seem like a lot to you, but in a developing world every dollar counts. And yours did, and continues to change lives.

Here are a few things Elizabeth I did and continue to do now that we're back:
1. GRDP - over 40 entrepreneurs registered for 4 workshops in 2010 (with GRDP) which will help them grow their businesses, become leaders in their fields (medicine, tourism, property development, and IT, to name a few), and to create jobs for so many people. This is vital for survival and it will enable more parents to send their kids to school so they can get a complete education. It's the only way out of poverty.

2. Gisimba Orphanage - thanks to Hapnot Collegiate and Michael P., along with Elizabeth's donors, for your generosity. The kids loved the toothbrushes, the soccer balls, the balloons, the stickers, and the school supplies. We will continue to work with Gisimba on developing a website for them so they can receive donations from around the world. Donations to Gisimba help feed the 130+ kids at the orphanage, provide an education to the orphans, provide clothing and supplies, and continue to house the kids.

3. Faith Victory Association (FVA) - our dear friend, Dr. Immaculee, founded FVA which is a foundation that helps fight gender-based violence, is an orphanage, and supports people living with HIV/AIDS. We are working with Dr. Immaculee to rebuild her website so FVA can easily receive donations.

4. Art for Africa - on April 8th, 2010 I am throwing a fundraiser with all proceeds donated to GRDP. Please visit www.artforafrica.info for more information.

If you have any questions or suggestions about the projects, please let me know. I'd love to hear from you.

Here's a video of me talking about my time in Africa.

Pictures are coming. I promise!

It's taken me a little longer to get over the jet lag than I expected so I'm behind and haven't finished downloading pictures from Rwanda. I hope to have them ready to post/send by the beginning of next week.

I am still missing Rwanda but it's great to be home and to have received such a warm welcome. My clients and friends are so excited to hear about the trip and want to learn more about GRDP and what Elizabeth and I did there.

I will post a synopsis shortly...once I get organized again!

Today, I came across this posting on the GRDP website that I thought I would share with you.

http://www.grdpartners.org/blog/elizabeth-cox-and-melanie-woodward-arrive-in-kigali/

Home sweet home

Happy New Year!

After 3 days of jetlag I have finally recovered and am ready to get my life organized again. My trip to Rwanda and Kenya was incredible and one of the best experiences of my life - with Rwanda being the highlight for me.

I will continue this blog over the next few months as I plan Art for Africa which will support GRDP and the many entrepreneurs I met in Kigali last month. They are all such an inspiration so I look forward to creating a spectacular event for them on April 8, 2010.

www.artforafrica.info

Here are a few video outakes that Elizabeth and I took while we were away - pure silliness really - enjoy!
p.s. I'll post some pictures ASAP but there are many that I need to organize them, which is going to take me awhile.

Take One - Tips for travelling to Kigali, but Kigali where?


Take Two -Elizabeth and I attempting to record tips when traveling to Kigali, Rwanda. I love silliness!