Hold on, my next blog post is coming "just now"

Ignoring the rain at the SA vs Pakistan cricket game at Wanderers Stadium

It's taken much longer than expected to publish this post, probably because I've fallen into the trap of telling myself I'll get to it "just now".

3 Americans at the SA versus NZ rugby match

 In Joburg the phrase "just now" has absolutely no meaning. When speaking on the phone with someone who says they will be there to pick you up "just now" could mean they're around the corner or they've just left the house and will be there in an hour. Rather, "just now" is South African slang for sometime soon, which is only differentiated by its more urgent sister phrase, "now now". Understanding "just now" versus "now now" is only done so by experience, when once or twice you're promised something will be done "just now", only to check hours later and realizing your expectations have not been met. 

As I've mentioned before, my patience in South Africa is tested every day. I often times find myself frustrated with over-complicated processes, promises that are made but never kept, or hitting a brick wall when  you hear the oh-so-classic response that well, "this is just the way things are done in South Africa". Great - how do I work with that?! I've learned to plan ahead and budget for extra time with the expectation that more than likely, something will go awry. For me, it was a my temporary residence visa that took weeks longer than anticipated to be returned from the US Embassy. Without my passport I was quite limited, although I was at huge fault for not making a certified copy before it was handed off to USAID who handled my visa application. I'm lucky I was able to rent an apartment with a non-certified copy of my passport, but I was unable to open a local bank account or rent a car.

Bafana Bafana win over Spain - 1 to 0

Originally I had no intention of renting or purchasing a car during my time here in Joburg, but found it to be incredibly difficult. I realized quickly that this isn't New York and public transportation is limited. However, after many headaches and thanks to a reliable friend I've finally got my car sorted! I mean, don't ask me what type of used car I bought because you won't be impressed, but its a car nonetheless. Needless to say, life is much easier when you're mobile. If anyone knows me at all, they know my freedom and independence are important for my happiness, so compromising the two was starting to drive me slowly insane. Yes, purchasing a car isn't an expense I anticipated and yes, petrol is expensive (it costs about $80 to fill up my tank), but is it worth it? HELL YES.

For those who ask me on a regular basis, I'm settling into Joburg life absolutely fine, and my lack of time to blog is proof. In the last few weeks I've become well acquainted to the world of South African sports. I went to a Bafana Bafana South Africa versus Spain soccer game and then tried to get a better understanding of cricket as South Africa played against Pakistan - and South Africa won both games! However, even after watching a game of cricket at Wanderers stadium and multiple games on tv (my flatmate can watch cricket for days...), I have to admit that I still don't fully understand how to play the game...

Jumping on rocks & swimming kind of getaway at Drakensburg

About a month ago I spent the weekend away in Drakensburg, which is about a five hours drive outside of Joburg - and the scenery was absolutely stunning. It was my first weekend spent outside of the city and was a change of scenery definitely needed. The photo above was taken at a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Drakensburg. We spent the weekend hiking, jumping off rocks and swimming in freezing cold rivers. Although river swimming is quite different from the beaches I'm accustomed to, the water was refreshing beyond belief.

Hanging out with this cutie at the Lion Park

On another note, Thanksgiving recently came and left. On this annual day of commercialized self-reflection, I acknowledge the fact that I have more to be thankful for than these little fingers are able to type! I am simply thankful that I have the strength, support and open heart to experience every second of this wonderful adventure called life. I'm also thankful to the generosity, kindness and inclusiveness that surrounds me each day, always surprised and humbled by the openness I receive from people who have trouble pronouncing my name for the first time. 

This Thanksgiving I made a haupia chocolate pie. Yes, if I can't travel home for some traditional desert than I must recreate it here. Soon everyone will fall in love with haupia and then I'll have more of a reason to make the coconut pudding goodness on a regular basis. I vow to get my next post up more quickly. In fact, I'll get to it just now...

Ok fine, I'm coming just now.

Revisiting Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment

Inducting a cohort of newly certified black-owned suppliers

Last summer the focus of my final paper for my Global Hunger and Food Security course was the impact of fair trade certification and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment legislation (B-BBEE) on the South African agricultural sector. Based on my research and experience visiting numerous fair trade certified producer organizations in the Western Cape I was highly critical of B-BBEE legislation, left with minimal evidence that its impact yielded socioeconomic improvements of the black population, particularly with regards to economic empowerment. 

Who would have known that a year later I'd be moving to South Africa to work for an Adviser of a nonprofit that uses B-BBEE compliance as a vehicle for economic development? While I'm still skeptical of B-BBEE policies, I obviously can't give up yet, as I'm dedicated to a yearlong position that that requires us to work within the government's B-BBEE policies in order to achieve success.

SASDC headquarters in Rivonia

The overarching goal of B-BBEEE is to undo the socioeconomic imbalances resulting from the Apartheid, but not solely on moral justifications. It is a South African economic growth strategy that identifies the only way the country's economic potential will be reached is by ensuring the black majority is incorporated into the economic mainstream. Think affirmative action, a policy many of us Californians remember during college applications, where ticking a minority race box was a not-so-silent preferential factor in preferred admission over the white competitor given all other qualifications equal. Every company in South Africa has a BEE scorecard, displaying a rating from 1-8 where the lower the number, the higher the company's BEE compliance. These scorecards are transparently displayed at the front of the business, similar to an "A", "B" or "C" Department of Health Safety rating in the window of any New York restaurant.

My daily route to work via the Gautrain bus

According to a recent survey, “three-quarters of South Africa’s medium-sized companies are not concerned or are neutral about their suppliers’ empowerment profiles” while “over a third do not feel empowerment is an issue when it comes to wining a business”. Why is this an issue? B-BBEE creates a ceiling. Companies will "comply" with these codes to obtain a certain rating, yet aren't passionate about what the second "E" in B-BBEE stands for - empowerment. The success of B-BBEE must ultimately be driven by the private sector, but there is obvious struggle to achieve momentum of corporate leadership. 

The private sector has yet to reach a point where black-owned SMME’s are regarded on the same skill playing field as other qualified SME’s. All it takes is for one large company to report a high failure rate with small businesses, particularly small black businesses to form a negative generalized perception against any black business seeking a chance.  This is typically what happens.

Another problem facing this country is an evident skills shortage. I've heard crazy stories about how some private sector construction companies for example, will import 5,000 welders from countries in Europe and South Asia for short-term projects because we have a shortage of welders in South Africa - 5,000! Coupled with a ridiculously high unemployment rate of 25 percent, it seems unbelievable that either the government or private sectors don't invest in technical skill building. You'd figure the private sector can drive economic growth through BEE compliance and reduce unemployment through the creation of jobs by provisioning technical vocational programs for township communities, for example. This way companies can meet their technical skill labor needs and contribute to broad based economic growth.

Dusty shoes on my first day of work

About a week ago the Department of Trade and Industry held the first National B-BBEE Summit, celebrating 10 years of empowerment after the codes were implemented in 2004. I was fortunate enough to attend the conference, feeling as if I was a participant in history in the making. Main outcomes of the conference? Overall, B-BBEE is a success and according to recent studies, empowerment is spreading - or whatever that means. It's no surprise empowerment is one of the main objectives of BEE, yet I believe it is one of the most difficult achievements to measure.  I'm interested to see their indicators for "empowerment"... as I obviously have my reservations. B-BBEE has potential to transform South African’s local social economy, but needs stricter government-led implementation regulations.

So how does this relate to the South African Supplier Diversity Council and my role in the organization?

For the past month I have been in Johannesburg as a selected fellow of the Emerging Markets Development Advisers Program (EMDAP). EMDAP is a USAID-funded program administered by the Institute of International Education, most popularly known for administering the Fullbright Program. This 12-month fellowship is probably the most exciting and ideal opportunity I've been granted thus far in terms of an opportunity for professional growth. In fact, I almost didn't apply to the EMDAP because I was intimidated by the application process and competitive nature of the program, but let’s just say I'm obviously glad I did.

Enhancing our visibility at conferences

I've been added to the team as a Communications and Business Strategy Adviser for the SASDC, a corporate-led nonprofit promoting and facilitating supplier diversity in South Africa, drawing its membership from and funded by corporations based or operating in the country. The SASDC is modelled after the US National Minority Supplier Development Council Inc (NMSDC), except integrates specifically marginalized black suppliers into corporate supply chains using targeted procurement and enterprise development. The hope is that the SASDC will give black-owned businesses greater opportunity and participation into their nation’s local economy, granting them with economic empowerment.

As an EMDAP Adviser I’ll be developing strategy to increase the SASDC’s corporate membership through brand awareness and targeted outreach. Founded in 2011 the SASDC is a relatively new and struggles with buy-in from potential new corporate members.

Greatest challenges so far? Definitely cultural. Coming here I was able to identify the "New Yorker" in my personality. Transitioning from a New York pace of life to the easy-going work culture in Johannesburg has been a tough transition. Correction, transitioning from the graduate student mentality that "it is acceptable to work until 3am" to normal 8-5pm work hours has been tough. Maybe the issue is that I'm a workaholic, or maybe I'm just passionate about my work. Either way, my brain isn't trained to shut down at 5pm. Someone once described New York as "transactional", and I think they were correct. I've been brainwashed to always staying alert and in networking mode. In short, it's been difficult to slow down - although I know this is good for me (and my Mommy would agree)!

Good Morning Jozi - Howzit?

Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton City Mall

I intended to have at least one post up by my one week Jozi anniversary, but I have been procrastinating – there is much to update on! Where to begin…

Perceptions. 

I can tell you what Johannesburg is not, much to warnings from friends and peers. Surprise surprise, but no lions and elephants do not roam free in Johannesburg, no everyone doesn't live in a hut and no I haven't been mugged yet. South Africa, which is a country, for that matter is not synonymous to Africa, which is a continent. Warning me to be careful of civil unrest in Northern Africa is like asking my family in San Francisco if they are safe because of riots that broke out in Northern Alaska.  

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/08/confusing-country-continent-how-we-talk-about-africa/68870/

"Africa has an image problem. Or, put another way, the West has a perception problem."

While I agree with this statement 101 percent, I will also argue the problem of perception is a two-way street. Believe it or not, the American perception of Joburg is as equally skewed as how South Africans perceive America. Joburg is most reputable for its high levels of crime, yet if I were to ask a South African if they’d ever step foot in Harlem alone they respond with a face of horror and shake their head “Oh, NO”. Yes Harlemites, the neighborhood that has been home to me for the past two years is considered dangerous by international standards. So you see, the media’s ability to embed stereotypes and reinforce fears resulting in a reluctance to embrace a new community is a two-way street. At the end of the day, our perception problem hurts us because we miss an opportunity to view the world with a new lens. We miss an opportunity for personal growth or fulfilment of a void we never knew was there.

A field of Birds of Paradise on my way to work everyday

Rather, Johannesburg looks like this – with places like Sandton City, Africa's most prestigious shopping mall and honestly the most luxurious and extravagant collection of high-end stores I've ever walked through. I mean, there’s a Top Shop here, which to my knowledge there is only one store in all of the United States located in Soho, New York. I too kicked myself after bringing a year's worth of Body Shop facial products only to stumble across numerous stores with the same products at half the price! I too am guilty of assuming that South Africa couldn't possible have American stores that I've taken for granted.

However, compare establishments like Sandton City to township communities and you will begin to understand the cusp of inequalities everyone describes in South Africa. South Africa I was told, is a place of “haves and have nots”. With the middle class practically non-existent, it becomes easier to understand why Jozi is also laden with a stark reputation for high crime rates. In Jozi, you’re either fighting to keep what you have or fighting to obtain what you don’t have – hence the “haves and have nots”.

Balcony view in Sandton

A day after I touched down at OR Tambo International Airport, I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to visit the Alexandra township, or referred to as "Alex" by locals, for a Tedx conference. Considering how close in proximity Alex is to Sandton, its difficult to imagine how many worlds apart the two are with regards to standards of living. The two communities are only about 6 km apart, with Sandton dubbed "Africa's richest square mile" and Alex referred to as one of the poorest former black townships. 

As we drove into Alex, sights seen through the window were not unlike anything I haven't ever seen before – a dusty, densely populated community comprised of infinite rows of tiny shacks with tin roofs. While there is an evident sense of community it's not the ideal place for a stroll after sundown or even alone as a female for that matter. What struck me most were evident signs of wealth, despite the overall impoverishment of the township. On the street shining luxury cars dotted the main road - Mercedes, Lexus you name it. Necks were dressed in sparking ‘bling’ and flashy clothes. Again, it’s the irony of inequalities.

TEDxAlexandra brought together nonprofits and organizations with a proven track record of uplifting communities such as Alexandra through innovation, collaboration and partnerships. But for me the highlight of the event wasn’t a co-founder or CEO of successful organization, but an 18 year-old female African Leadership Academy student named Priscilla. As an avid young reader who immersed herself in American and European novels, she wanted to address the lack of African literature by creating writing her own series of children's books. Her project aims to banish stereotypes Africans adopt about other African countries at a young age by extracting and sharing positive narratives about the African continent. You can read about her project here because she can explain it more eloquently than I ever could.

Impromptu dancing during the braai following the Tedx event

Well two weeks have flown by and it feels as if I've been in Joburg for much longer. I'm still in the process of locking down an apartment for an October 1st move in date and will purchase a used car once my work visa comes back. Once I get those two sorted - my apartment and my car - I'll feel much more 'settled'. However, I'll update more about work etc. later... that could take a while!

And Thats a Wrap - The NYU Capstone Experience

Jules - Foundation Rwanda's Founder and Executive Director - best describes our productive adventure in her generous FB status post shortly after returning back to New York:

Dear NYU Capstone Foundation Rwanda Team: You interviewed 25 FR mothers, 12 FR students, 4 FR NGO partners & countless possible partners, you traveled to places in Rwanda most have yet to go, you barely slept, you never complained, you advocated for jobs, health, counseling, vocational training and higher education. Together we laughed and we cried. Sam, Sara and I will forever be grateful for this experience and for each one of you. With gratitude. Laura, Shalane, Alyson, Eras and Priscilla. See you all in NYC! x

Its unbelievable the Team has only been here for less than 2 weeks, because considering how much work we’ve accomplished it feels like we’ve been here for over a month. In 13 days (which by the way we worked through 13 days straight with no day off), between our team of five we probably conducted almost 50 interviews, partially due to unexpected interviews set up with potential partners we gained knowledge of while on the ground. 

Along the way we met some of the most inspiring women and were lucky enough to experience both modern and rural living - home-cooked local Rwanda meals from the villages of Kibuye to home-cooked meals in one of the most luxurious houses I never imagined I'd see in the business district of Kigali.

A friend of mine said when I returned from Rwanda she felt there was something different about me. She said she felt as if I glowing with new-found energy, and she's exactly right. There was a point in time that we were heading back to Kigali from our trip to Kibuye, riding in the back of a Toyota 4-wheel drive and bouncing around until we were carsick from the bumpy roads, and having a conversation about where we saw ourselves after graduation. Without a doubt the Capstone experience in Rwanda reaffirmed that working "in the field" is where I'm most alive and where I belong. I want place all my professional energy engaging with communities from cultures most different from me, not behind a desk with no human interaction. So thank you Capstone, but most importantly thank you Foundation Rwanda.

Local Rwandan Cuisine

Local food is yummy! Although they eat various types of red meats here, its quite easy to avoid them. If you're not the biggest red meat fan (like myself), you'll probably end up eating mostly starches, which are more than likely fried. Although everything is not as heavily fried or saturated in palm oil as Ghanian local food, the Rwandan diet is fairly starch-heavy. At a local restaurant you will find an array of starches - rice, crepes, cassava, sweet potatoes, chips (as in fried potatoes) and matooke (starchy bananas).

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not a complainer, but one aspect of Rwanda for which I am greatly thankful is their coffee! Compared to the other two African countries I've visited - Ghana and South Africa - where Nescafe or instant coffee was staple, having freshly brewed coffee is pleasant. Even when studying abroad in Thailand in 2007 instant coffee was the norm, so its nice to wake up to real coffee for a traveling change. The fresh milk served alongside the coffee is always warmed, which I also appreciate! It makes total sense... why put cold milk into your steaming hot coffee? Of course you'd prefer warmed milk in your hot beverage!

Anyways, here's some photos of Rwanda's delicious local food-

The first local meal we ate in Kigali. It was SO yummy. Cassava, dirty rice, green beans, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans and potatoes.

A Ugandan dish at the Bethanie Hotel in Kibuye near alongside Lake Kivu. Apparently its usually eaten as a hearty morning breakfast. I forget what it was called, it it was basically a stewed mix of veggies, chicken, beans, rice and pasta. Hearty indeed.

Driving around Rwanda banana trees are everywhere. Apparently, there are four types of bananas grown here: the small sweet ones (good for dessert), matooke (more starchy, less sweet and typically boiled, plantain (ideal for frying), and then the variety we are accustomed to eating in the US. Prior to arriving in Rwanda we heard that they make banana beer and were excited to try the local beverage. What we found instead was more of a banana wine, with an alcohol content of 14%. The one below was found at the local supermarket for 1500 RWF, or about USD $2.50. If you've ever tasted palm wine before, the banana wine tastes somewhat similar.

"Akarusho" or banana wine. Made of fermented banana juice and sorghum. It tasted similar to palm wine.

Humbled to enjoy a homemade meal in a village in the Rutsiro district near Kivu Lake.

A homemade Rwandan meal at the home of an FR mother. Peas and carrots,  boiled cassava, squash, matooke stew,  rice and pineapples.

It isn't uncommon for families to ferment bananas in their home and make their own banana wine! We visited two different FR mothers who make the local drink. One mother gave us a tour of her house and showed us the room where she ferments the bananas, while this mother in Kibuye served a generous pitcher for us guests with our meal. 

Especially in the rural villages of Kibuye where most families' livelihood and income rely on agriculture cultivation, bananas is one of the priority crops. Not only is it one of the main staples, but also serves as a food security crop with a year round harvest. During our interviews we were shocked to hear from one beneficiary about a dangerous and epidemic disease that a caused 100% of banana yield losses. After doing some research we learned the disease, banana xanthomonas was recognized as a national threat, spreading to Rwanda and other countries in Eastern Africa after emerging from Uganda. Apparently the Rwandan government is trying to solve the issue by replacing farmers' diseased banana trees with new banana trees.

Homemade banana wine in Kibuye.

While I am least adventurous with red meat, I never say no to fish. Jules treated us to talapias at her hotel. The meal reminded me of Duncan's in Accra, except there was no accompanying banku (I prefer rice anyways. 

Delicious talapia fish at the Chez Landau. SO fresh and yummy. It was accompanied with spinach, pees and carrots and rice. Definitely one of my favorite meals in Rwanda.

Our Capstone Team was blessed to be paired with such an amazing client. I am most humbled to have shared homemade meals with locals on several occasions. Foundation Rwanda has made a strong impression on the local community here in Rwanda, making friendships with kind and generous people. Learning and laughing from inspiring and successful business women like Joy of Gahaya Links over a glass of wine or watching Sam's wedding videos in his living room with his wife as if we were actually present on that memorable day, are some of the best memories I'll walk away with from this trip. 

Another homemade meal - Chicken, fish, rice and tomato sauce, peas,  potatoes, crepe and cucumber and onion salad.

Dirty rice, homemade peanut sauce, chapatti, potatoes, boiled sweet potatoes, beans  and homemade chili salsa.

On the Eastern Shore of Lake Kivu

To speak humbly, every day in this trip has been better than yesterday. I admire our team so much – I truly am lucky to have such as KICK ASS team. Since we’ve arrived on Tuesday, January 8 we’ve been working nonstop conducting research on partner organizations, refining our strategic interviews and identifying goals for each meeting, conducting interviews, synthesizing answers, and trying to make sense of it all. During our ‘free time’, which is practically nonexistent, we are planning ahead for the next day’s meetings. After dinner we typically fit in an hour or so more of work, head to bed around 11pm or midnight and are back up at it again at 7am. (This morning I woke up at 5am and watched the sunrise over Lake Kivu, which to be honest I am not going to complain about).

Since I have a relatively faint heart I’ve emotionally prepared for this Rwanda trip knowing that I will encounter the sensitive topic of genocidal rape by reading tons of books, watching documentaries and setting Google Alerts following the Rwandan genocide in the media. One of the books I read, Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza is a memoir by a genocide survivor who worked for the UN thereafter and still lives in New York. She tells the miraculous story of strength, faith, and survival. She describes how God and a local Hutu pastor hid her and seven other women in a cramped bathroom of his home the size of a closet. They spent 91 days in this closet praying each day they wouldn’t be found until they eventually fled and found a French refuge camp. When she left the bathroom hiding spot she faced the loss of numerous family members and friends, including her parents. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading a personal account of someone who survived the Rwandan genocide. Anyways, point is that the book took place in Immaculee's hometown of Kibuye, so I was extremely intrigued and humbled to get the chance to visit this part of Rwanda where 90 percent of the Tutsi population was murdered during the genocide of 1994. After reading reading Immaculee's story and description of her home town, its enticing to be able to put a 'face to a name', so to speak.

Overlooking Lake Kivu from the Moriah Hotel

Lake Kivu is nestled between the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, with many memories from the genocide lingering within. Although today Rwanda has somewhat found peace after its civil war, there are still acts of violence continuing on in Goma, on the north side of Lake Kivu just across the Congo border. The Western city of Kibuye is one of the most rural, but has an amazing story of survival to tell. Although about 90 percent of the town's Tutsi population was massacred during the civil war, the women have since emerged triumphant through the formation of a community support network.

Through speaking with many of the women, we found the concept of 'active listening' keeping many of these women alive and sane. 'Active listening' can be more or less described as community counseling. One women gets receives training in 'active listening' and becomes a mobile community counselor, inviting other women to call upon her when in need, and willing to travel many kilometers just to visit a women in her community who desperately needs someone to actively listen. I should mention that due to Rwanda's thousand hills and hilly landscape, outlying towns such as Kibuye and Cyangugu are isolated from the reach of servicing nonprofits. One of Foundation Rwanda's local partners, AVEGA West, is the nearest servicing nonprofit to these women, yet it would take nearly a 2 hour walk to reach the nonprofits compound for a counseling session. Thus in my opinion it is these women's evident bond and strength in numbers that has allowed them to survive and remain positive. 

Women survivors of Rwanda's genocidal past find laughter, tears of joy and self-confidence in lipstick.

These women were vibrant and full of life. They had a sense of humor and laughed with us. They cooked and shared with us a delicious local meal and strong batch of home brewed banana wine. Their smiles were bright and it brought me indescribable joy to laugh with them until they cried. They shared with us their hopes and dreams for themselves and their children. Seeing their strength today, you would never have known their traumatic past, but I am thankful, humbled, and inspired by the individual stories they shared with us. If they can live to have hope, anyone can. I only hope our paths will cross again.

Instead of a 2.5 hour drive back through the hilly terrain, we opted for a boat ride across Lake Kivu and back to our hotel.

School Visits and Interviews

Foundation Rwanda (FR) currently sponsors 827 students' education through the completion of secondary school, equivalent to graduating high school in the US education system. Since FR's primary initiative is to ensure all 827 current beneficiaries complete secondary school, it is most beneficial for our research to interview a wide range of FR's student beneficiaries. In Rwanda age does not determine what class level a student is placed, especially after the genocide. So although almost all of FR's beneficiaries are between 17 and 18, we interviewed students enrolled in class levels from Senior 3 (Equivalent to ninth grade in the US) to students who have already completed Senior 6 (equivalent to the high school graduation in the US).

So far, we've completed 10 interviews from student beneficiaries attending various types of schools - public day or boarding school, government-funded, government/Catholic partnership - located across multiple districts where FR provides support. Traveling to visit these different types of schools were interesting in itself, with each village, district, and type of school embodying a unique personality. 

Below is the classroom of a public day school in the rural areas of the Nyamata district. Pictured below is Sam of FR/Survivors Fund (SURF). As he was moving desks together preparing for our interview I snapped this photo of him.

Absolutely in love with this photo taken by my iPhone 5.

Of the 7 beneficiaries at this particular school we only had time to interview one female student in Senior 5, meaning she'll complete secondary school next year. This girl was utterly inspring and incredibly bright. Her dream was to become a journalist, yet expressed how poverty was a challenge to achieving her dream. Although she knew listening to the radio and watching tv each day was incredibly important to her aspiring career, her family could not afford a tv, nor batteries on a regular basis. Other challenges she expressed was having to walk about an hour-and-a-half one-way to and from school each day. By bicycle the trip takes about 30-40 minutes depending on how much strength she had that day. However her family only owns one bike which much be shared by all members, so she doesn't have access to it very often. Once she gets home and completes her chores, such as feeding the cow and washing clothes, she barely has any time to study. If she had enough money she'd request to switch to a boarding school, spend less time walking to school, and more time learning French and English. She also requested a solar lamp, as she did most of her studying at home with a a kerosene lamp, which is quite expensive. 

The Rwandan education system is quite complicated, as we are still trying to grasp our minds around exactly how it works. In certain aspects, the US education system is extremely different from that of Rwanda's, while on the other hand students express challenges that we too, experience here in America.  For example, the fact that all students must take a National Exam at the end of Senior 6, equivalent to our high school graduation is something that (thankfully) we dont do here in Amerca. The marks received from that one final exam determines a student's eligibility to a University, and thus nearly determines their entire future. In Rwanda it is universally expressed that if you don't go to a University, your income earning options are extremely limited. During interviews with students, when asked what they would do if they did not get into a University, students replied they would prefer to repeat Senior 6 and re-take the final year than be forced to find a job without a University education. 

Following the conclusion of our hour-long interview, fellow Capstone Team member Priscilla and I proceeded to pass out donated school supplies to the 7 FR beneficiaries at this school. As we were doing so one class of primary students were dismissed and flocked our car. Since Rwandans are so impressively orderly and disciplined, the students formed one line according to Sam's request. Priscilla went down the line and handed one pencil to each student.

Immediately after we handed one pencil to each of the 20 or so students in line, every single primary classroom was dismissed and we became flocked. Unfortunately we were unable to hand out a gift to each of the 100 or so students, so we had to leave. Word spread fast that we had handed out pencils because kids ran up and surrounded us asking us for a 'crayon' - Makes me want to go back and teach English. 

NYU Capstone Team - Foundation Rwanda

- visiting a beneficiary, Karongi district

I didn't anticipate continuing this blog after returning from Africa in August, but what do you know - its January and I get to come back! Thus, the content of my trip still fits within the original theme of this blog so I can continue my entries here without having to start a brand new blog. Yippee!

Background on the Capstone program at NYU Wagner - Our MPA program is unique because it involves a year-long Capstone project component - one of the main features of the Masters program that made it so attractive. Instead of writing a masters thesis (bo-ring!) second-year students form teams and are paired with a client. Together with the client the NYU Capstone Team works on a mutually agreed upon project scope, conducts research, and writes a report over the duration of the academic year. In short, we apply all the knowledge gained from the MPA program to a consulting project, working on a realistic issue for our client. Not only was this component of the Masters attractive because its more engaging than sitting behind a desk for hours on end, but requires personable networking skills, allows us to build our professional networks and looks awesome on a resume.

My AMAZING Capstone Team

So, back to my Capstone project - my client is Foundation Rwanda, a US-based nonprofit that aims to educate a very particular vulnerable population of children affected by the Rwanda genocide of 1994. Prior to Foundation Rwanda's existence, no existing government or NGO programs had been created to support their specific needs. It's a pivotal moment for Foundation Rwanda, in that its beneficiaries are now 17 - 18 years old and will be be graduating secondary school soon. Foundation Rwanda, who primarily funds their education, is trying to determine how best to continue supporting them. In efforts to provide 'holistic services' - health, pyschosocial, income generating activities - Foundation Rwanda has called upon us to conduct a needs assessment and cost analysis of the its current 820-some students and their mothers. This is what has brought me to Rwanda for about 2 and a half weeks. (Due to the confidential nature of the subject, for more information about Foundation Rwanda and the population they serve visit them at their website - http://www.foundationrwanda.org/)

First impressions? Rwanda is extremely clean. Compared to Ghana where plastic water sachets litter the ground, the Rwandan government has outlawed the usage of plastic. As a result litter is nearly nonexistent in Kigali. In fact, its quite evident Paul Kagame places a high value in the cleanliness of the country's capital. Driving through the streets of Kigali, the fact that government public works employees can be seen beautifying the sides of the roads and weeding sidewalks is indicative of the care and tedious effort invested in Rwanda's spotless appearance. With Rwanda's economy on the rise, Kagame made a great point in that you cannot expect an economy to flourish if its people can't master easy steps first such as keeping streets clean and orderly. I'd have to admit, in comparison to the only two other African countries I've visited - Ghana and South Africa - Rwanda appears extremely orderly and disciplined. 

playing in the 'princess-like' mosquito net,  Karongi district near Kivu lake