In Review

So, it has been a while since we posted to our group page. I would encourage everyone to check out the individual pages as there are some really interesting posts up! Beginning last Thursday, the students began an exam period that will last until the 23rd, when the students go on holiday. Consequently, the rest of our time at CDV will be spent working in the garden(s) and with the teachers in the afternoon. Our teacher classes are divided up into three levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) and most of the class is spent reviewing grammar, building vocabulary, and practicing conversation. We have done exercises that are very drill-based, we have also done more abstract, conversation-based exercises (ex: an exercise where we compared ourselves to the profile of our astrological sign). Over the past weeks, we have also taught English in student classes during the day. We have conducted lessons on adverbs, prepositions, and ‘at the hospital’ vocabulary. We have also had classes where we do nothing but field questions, everything from politics and war to whether there could be dinosaurs in the Amazon rainforest.

The garden has been an experiment in patience and flexibility, but we finally broke ground within feet of the space where we had originally planned to plant. Thus far, we have laid a brick pathway, bought lots of garden supplies (including five blue jump-suits for Matthew, myself, Peter, Samson, and Gaspard – keep an eye out for pictures of these when we are able to upload our pictures), helped with two circular gardens, planted grass, and prepared a triangular-shaped garden for legumes. We will plant the seeds today, and then work on clearing the area where the fruit and memory trees will be planted (the actual planting won’t happen until October). Whenever we go to work in the garden/on something garden related, it is amazing to watch the students/faculty completely take charge. When we laid bricks, the students divided, with a group of 5 male students hastily running wheelbarrows of bricks between the brick pile and the pathway, and a larger group of mostly female students laying the bricks, piecing them together quickly and carefully. In the garden, everyone who is there will pick up a shovel or hoe and begin working, usually laughing at our relative incompetence in wielding agricultural tools.

In the time that is not spent at CDV we have been able to explore the city and Eastern part of the country. People in the group have hiked Mt. Kigali, visited nearby markets (and generally done a lot of shopping), gone to Mass, spent time browsing at Ivuka Arts, spent afternoons reading at the Milles Colline and Bourbon Coffee. As a group, we spent a day at Akagera National Park along the border with Tanzania where we saw giraffes, zebras, hippos, monkeys and tons of birds. We have also visited the Kigali Memorial Center and the memorial in Nyamata. Last Saturday (July 3rd), we attended a 4th of July celebration at the American embassy (complete with coleslaw, hot dogs, potato salad, and pie – my favorite was the buttermilk apple pie!). We have also been following the World Cup, shedding tears over Ghana’s loss and fanning the flames of (loving) animosity between those rooting for The Netherlands and those pulling for Spain.

Over the next couple weeks, we are planning a trip to Gisenyi (on Lake Kivu) and a neighborhood day (where we split up and explore new neighborhoods within the city). We will continue working in the garden and working with the teachers in the afternoon, all to a soundtrack of Kingston (as in Sean). Although it can be difficult to find time to blog, because our mornings are now free, we will (cross fingers) be posting more frequently to the group and individual pages. Murakoze (thanks) to everyone who is following the project!

Present!

The entire KARavan is here and well. The next few days are extremely exciting: we'll be getting into more of a scheduled routine as 'the strategic plan of action' is finalized. Julia and Matt will be meeting with CDV instructors this afternoon around four to discuss the logistical happenings of the week. Exciting times! Exciting times!

ps. Kigali is so beautiful.

.5

Sarah, Oumou, and I (Matt) have safely arrived. Julia, Cara, and Taylor should be arriving later this afternoon. Peace.

Meet the KARavan!

So far, this blog has covered the work we will be doing with CDV, a little background about the project, and some of the workshops we participated in throughout last semester in preparation for our time in Rwanda. However, we have neglected to introduce ourselves properly, for which I apologize! Although I am a little biased, I would describe this group as engaged, thoughtful, and compassionate, and I couldn't be more excited to be traveling with all of them.

My name is Julia Rose (Grandma Juju), and as of May 9th, I am a Carolina alumna! I will be co-leading the Rwanda Nourish Project this summer alongside the magnificent Matthew Karkutt (Unt Matt). I majored in Political Science with a double minor in Cognitive Science and Social and Economic Justice. Like Matt, last summer I had the opportunity to participate in the Burch Research Seminar in Rwanda and The Hague, and spent time teach-teaching at CDV (see picture of me and Matt in the first post waaay at the bottom of this blog). I am big fan of big quilts, I have a small (but formidable) antique teacup collection, and I love juice (passion fruit is a favorite!). I survive by making lists. Organizing information, in many ways, facilitates thought, but it is also an effective way to put off thought. At the top of my list of things to do in Rwanda is visit my homestay brother (who will be almost three!) and visit the eastern part of country (hopefully I can find a good cow dung painting).

Hey, I'm Cara Peterson, a junior majoring in International Studies with a focus on Africa and Global Health and Environment. I spent the fall semester in Mali and jumped at the chance to return to Africa, especially when I learned about the details of the trip. The garden we'll be setting up at the school is one of the components of the trip I'm most excited about, along with learning Kinyarwanda and meeting the students at the school. The outdoors is generally my favorite place to be, whether I'm working in a garden by myself or sharing a picnic with friends. Traveling has become a passion in my life, and I look forward to combining it with volunteering in an area of the world that has held my interest for a long time. Also, can't wait to check out the fabric at the markets!

Hey! My name's Taylor Bacques, and I'm a rising sophomore and member of the Nourish International project to Kigali, Rwanda. I'm a Comparative Literature and International Studies major with a focus on international politics and Africa, and this interest led

me to becoming a member of this amazing experience! While in Rwanda I hope that I am better able to understand the atrocities that took place there in 1994. I know that I will never be able to fully understand their experience, but I'd like to at least hear and see the remnants of it firsthand -- maybe if only to put a face to the faceless evil that is "genocide." I'm excited about helping out though! I can't wait to see what these much-anticipated five weeks have in store for us.

Hello! My name is Oumou and I am a Political Science and International Studies Major (and maybe a Social Economic Justice minor) from Raleigh. Though I would like to consider myself a North Carolinian by now, I was born in Nice, France and immigrated to the United States from Senegal when I was six. I am of Senegalese, Malian, and Guinean descent; Peuhl, Mandingo, and Wolof if you want to get specific. Because of this background, I have had the opportunity to do quite a bit of traveling. However, I’ve never traveled anywhere where I have not had familial support (I think it’s safe to say I have family …everywhere) and truly challenged myself. Beyond testing my independence, I like to think that this trip is my first step towards discovering/actualizing my passions ( International Relations, Human Rights, travel, children, people etc…) in a completely foreign environment and determine if I am the person I envision myself to be, or someone entirely different (…better?).

Hey, friends! My name is Sarah Edwards; I am a rising sophomore at UNC and am grateful and excited to be a part of the Nourish Summer project in Rwanda this summer. My ideas for my major change every day and have ranged from everything from Southern Studies to International Studies (clearly, I’m pretty clueless!). What I know for sure is that I have a lot of passions to harness in that major: I’m crazy about NPR and plants and books and writing and the mountains and Paul Simon and cheesy quotes and being brave and dancing. What I love most, however, is people and I am so eager to build relationships with my team, the school and the community in Kigali this summer; to learn and grow from the people around me and serve in any ways that I possibly can. I drink far too much coffee and my greatest ambitions in life include owning a dog, learning the two-step and marrying Andy Samberg. I’ll let you know how that last one works out.

Hello! Bonjour! Muraho! My name's Matt Karkutt (alias, Unt Matt), and, along with the amazing/spectacular Julia Rose Karpicz (aka: Grandma Juju), I'm co-leading UNC's Nourish International project in Ndera, Rwanda this summer. I'm double majoring in English and Interdisciplinary Studies ( 'Sexuality, History, and Culture'). My anti-genocide activism and interest in the international human rights judicial system brought me to Tanzania, Rwanda, and The Hague last summer on the Burch Research Seminar. Alongside eighteen other fantastic students, Julia and I established ties with College Doctrina Vitae during our service learning portion, which focused on English as a Foreign Language training and a variety of arts initiatives (among which included, yes, the electric slide :)! I'm so excited to return to Rwanda this summer and continue the amazing connections that were initiated a year ago! I love reading (favorite authors include Virginia Woolf, J.R.R. Tolkien, Tony Kushner, to name a few), ballet, baking my infamous Karkutt Carrot Cake (cacophony galore!), sharing in laughter, the North Carolina Collection at Wilson Library, running, my dogs Bob and Scruffy, my family, bffls, pineapple (inner smile), psychoanalysis, listening to stories, the color yellow, and my favorite flower, the sunflower. Joie de vivre, toujours :]

EFL Workshop

The first point that our English as a Second Language instructor, Lee Melomo, made in our crash course on ESL was that what we as a group were seeking to do is actually called teaching English as a Foreign Language, teaching English in an environment in which English is not the primary spoken language. Furthermore, what we will be doing at College Doctrina Vitae is not just teaching EFL generally, but trying to teach the instructors the vocabulary necessary to teach academic subjects like economics, English, and chemistry in English. After the distinction was made between EFL and ESL, and the fact that our task would be a challenging one was pointed out, Mrs. Melomo embarked on her lesson, starting with a description of the difference between BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) and CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) -- the two main groups within which one can place language-learning students. Ms. Melomo informed us that most of our students would probably be at the BICS level, but that there could be some overlap in students between BICS and CALP. These classifications are mainly designed to help teachers understand how their students are progressing and how to better teach them. The lesson then went on to explain the different levels of language proficiency (there are four) and the characteristics of each one. After this in depth description of what to look for at each level and what to do and not do when a student is at a particular level, Ms. Melomo then explained Stephen Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis -- a theory that suggests the best way to teach a student a foreign language is to teach him one lesson while incorporating the next level of lesson into the teaching, thereby pushing him or her to learn more without frustrating the student. If a teacher is not careful, this frustration can result in the student forming anxiety, a natural impediment to learning anything, particularly a new language. Ms. Melomo also instructed us on different teaching methods, such as Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, Total Physical Response, the Natural Approach, and the Audiolingual Method. The last point that Ms. Melomo talked about was how to create a lesson plan for our students.

Overall, our lesson on EFL could be described in many ways. Personally, it opened my eyes to how challenging and involved teaching any new language can be. Through a series of handouts and drills, we learned how careful one must be in not assuming students know a lot about the language they are learning, and how we must be aware of everything we are saying and giving to them. It also helped me to learn about my own studies of foreign language. The point that interested me the most was Ms. Melomo's description of the "Silent Period" -- a period in which a student learning a new language has anxiety about speaking the language, although he or she is still learning very much. This is an experience I went through in my own studies of a foreign language.

All in all, I think the other project members would agree that this was an incredibly enlightening experience. While I think we all were left with a feeling that this would not be an easy task, through the encouragement bestowed on us by Ms. Melomo, in addition to our passion for what we are doing, we are now even more ready to go to Rwanda and do anything and everything that is needed of us.

-Taylor

PTSD Workshop

Friends, I’m sorry it’s taken so long to write this brief entry! Exams and life in general have thrown my life into a different kind of chaos, but that’s no excuse — last month our Rwanda Team had the chance to listen to Dr. Joe Lowman of the Psychology Department talk to us about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It was a helpful topic in light of where we will be traveling too—I, at least, have never been to Rwanda or any geographic region with such an overwhelmingly traumatized history. But what Dr. Lowman had to say was pertinent: only one out of ten people who have suffered from traumatic events will actually respond with PTSD; most people will deal with trauma in a positive way, while the other ten percent will suppress it until the trauma rises to the surface later. Dr. Lowman gave the advice “When you hear hoofbeats, always think horses before you think zebras.” –in essence, don’t assume that just because someone has been through a traumatic event that they will respond with PTSD. However, he also walked our team through some of the characteristics that a person experiencing PTSD will have—e.g, re-experiencing the trauma through dreams and what he described as “intrusive memories.”. He explained that people who have PTSD have "overactive nervous systems”. Emotional memories are processed in a different part of the brain and create hyperactive emotional responses for people who have experienced trauma.

In going to a region with recent trauma such as Rwanda, Dr. Lowman advised that we not jump to conclusions or treat people differently based on what we suspect they have gone through—instead, we should share our different observations with our team and work through those observations as a group. Overall, I thought Dr. Lowman’s advice was a thoughtful and sensitive approach to our time in Rwanda.

-Sarah

Photo: The Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital was the first, and remains the only, psychiatric hospital in the country. During the week of remembrance in April, there is a brief but marked increase in the number of patients who seek treatment for PTSD. For many, the week of remembrance acts as a 'trigger' and leads to intrusive memories about traumatic experiences that occurred during the genocide.

Tunnel of Oppression at UNC

As a group, the team participated in an event on campus called Tunnel of Oppression in the basement of Cobb lounge. Matt, Julia, Taylor and I were walked through a series of situations and rooms designed to convey the many kinds of oppression that people experience in this world. Student actors, posters and simulations were all employed to express the severity of issues such as genocide, racism, body image disorders, homophobia, domestic violence, xenophobia and others.

We were part of a larger group of students being taken through the different situations, and first took part in a stratification exercise. After a statement was read aloud by the leader, we would take steps forwards or back depending on our personal experiences and eventually found ourselves sorted out into different levels of privilege and disadvantage. Then we were led through rooms that each dealt with a specific issue, although after discussion, these themes were shown to overlap and affect individuals in different ways.

The student actors were fabulous and had clearly put in a lot of effort preparing scenes, such as police interrogations, harassment and testimonies of domestic violence. Of course, their messages were often upsetting but they were effective and often hit close to home. Matt and I had attended the Tunnel of Oppression the night before as part of STAND, but the actors and the different scenarios were still as affecting and moving as they were the day before. Actually, because I knew what was awaiting us, I was more nervous walking into some of the situations than earlier, waiting for the actors to start yelling or making derogatory remarks as part of their character.

The scenario regarding genocide connected this event to Rwanda's history, with facts posted on a the walls of a small room illuminated by black lights. The statistics, numbers and details seemed to blend in and mix with the facts posted about other genocides around the world. While it was not a very comprehensive education about the Rwandan genocide, the overall impact was an overwhelming view of ethnic warfare all over the world and throughout history.

-Cara

Gardening Training on the First Day of Spring!

Saturday, March 20^th marked our first training/gardening experience together! Meeting at the Old Well at 10 am, appreciating the spectacular weather, and bathing in Aveeno sunscreen, we walked (Taylor biked) to the Carolina Garden Co-Op, which we thought was on Battle Road behind Kenan Dorm. When we saw a rundown, weed-ridden landscape, some of us lost hope in the Garden Training Day. Matt felt inspired, at the ready to plunge through the rough terrain, weeding as he went. Others— including our guest Mo, Julia’s longtime friend from Worcester—were skeptical. Sarah remembered, however, that the Carolina Garden Co-Op was somewhere off of Cameron Avenue on one’s way to Carrboro (did ambiguity/the unknown frighten us?!): we embarked! Trudging through a 5K running group (and cheering on a sprinting dog and fast five year-old) and splitting off by gender at the crosswalk (tisk tisk), we arrived at the Carolina Garden Co-Op where much work was underway.

Our friend Grace MacNair introduced us to the Garden and the process of laying the beds. Our goal was to layer each bed with cardboard and then layer it all with mulch. Some of us pulled loads of tape off of cardboard; some of us used the cardboard to puzzle together a pathway; some of us shoveled mulch into wheelbarrows; some of us got really personal with the mulch (…), spreading an eight inch layer (with our hands!) over the cardboard pathways. All of us worked really hard and had a great time contributing to the garden and engaging with each other. At the end of the work day, the garden’s beds were completely covered with cardboard/mulch and the garden’s leaders had no idea the Co-Op was going to accomplish so much in a few hours’ time. We’re definitely planning to make the experience a regular one!

After the training—and an ‘interesting’ photoshoot :)—we went to McCallister’s, then sunbathed on the upper quad, and discussed a wide array of subjects, from nationalistic identity to clown felons! What a blast!

Project Information

As promised, here is some more information about our project, presented in FAQ format!

What is the project?

Our project is multi-faceted in approach but vectors into two primary areas: English education and agro-ecological development. Project team members will work with CDV faculty to increase their proficiency in conversational English, formal English, and subject-specific vocabulary through assistance in daily lesson planning and classroom instruction. By the end of the project, we aim to increase the faculty’s confidence in conducting their classes in English and decrease students’ reliance on disadvantageous teaching methods like French-English translation and rote learning. This will help CDV instructors to meet the challenges of the new English-only curriculum, required by the Rwandan government as of 2008.


Alongside this initiative, we will be working with students in the expansion of a small-scale agricultural project designed to effectively teach a technical trade and simultaneously decrease CDV’s food costs. Team members would collaborate with CDV’s Environmental Student Organization to physically expand the garden and increase student awareness with regard to methods of sustainable agriculture. By the end of the project, CDV students would have the tools and knowledge necessary to maintain the garden independently.


Who is CDV?

College Doctrina Vitae (CDV) is a alternative secondary school in Ndera, Rwanda.
The school is unique in that it provides an education and community for students who haven’t met the requirements to enroll in public schools and cannot afford expensive private school fees. CDV accepts all students regardless of their ability to pay. There are currently 527 students enrolled at the school.

Many of the students at the school have been directly affected by the 1994 genocide. Twenty-one percent of the students are genocide orphans and thirty-eight percent have only a single parent. Although only forty-four students have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, many more suffer from similar ailments. For all of these reasons, CDV must remain open to ensure that the youngest generation affected by the genocide does not become socially marginalized.

The school’s continued operation is dependent upon a certain level of student performance on national exams, which must be administered in English due to governmental changes in the language of instruction. While continued English education is necessary for CDV to remain open in the short term, it is also vital in the students’ transition into the English-speaking East African community.


Why CDV?

As a part of UNC's Burch Research Seminar on Conflict, Reconciliation, Justice and International Law in Rwanda and the Hague, a group of UNC students had the opportunity to volunteer at CDV. Upon returning to UNC in the Fall, the students from this program made the decision to maintain their relationship with CDV, and began searching for ways to support CDV's development. In December, the UNC Chapter of Nourish International approved the project proposal detailed above. In January, Matt and Julia were selected as co-leaders for the project, and in mid-February, four amazing individuals, Cara, Taylor, Sarah, and Oumou were chosen to participate on the project this summer, expanding the UNC/CDV family!

Welcome to Tell the Story!

Hello! Muraho!

This is the official blog for the Nourish International 2010 Summer Project in Ndera, Rwanda, also known as the KARavan to Rwanda. This blog will document our pre-departure preparations as well as our experiences this summer in Kigali and Ndera, Rwanda. While we are in Rwanda, you will be able to follow any of our six, spectacular project members on their individual blogs in addition to keeping up with us as a group right here. We are excited to be able to share our experiences and hope you enjoy reading about our project - comments are welcomed!

Stay tuned for more information about the project and our pre-departure agenda!