One of my goals of this blog is to give
my beloveds at home a view of Rwanda beyond genocide. I came here to
study the genocide, yes, but more importantly to study recovery. I came here to find out how a broken, bleeding society
could build this beautiful city I live in, could become the lovely
people I know, in less than 2 decades. I have no answers.
Instead, I will share a couple of adventures that show the light of
Kigali, not its darkness.
This weekend I went out exploring. I
went to a market with a couple of friends, and wandered through the
chaotic spread of beans, passion fruit, cucumbers, kitchen untencils,
used American tshirts, Chinese shoes, and tourist nicknacks. My
favorite: the rainbow of bright fabric which Rwandan women use as
skirts, baby blankets, get made into shirts or dresses.
Then today I tried to walk from my
house to my school, and while I was getting lost in a random
neighborhood stumbled into an art studio. Overlooking a valley the
studio was painted brightly, adorned with funky statues and
paintings. And the art within made the fabric market look drab! It
was collective, but all the art shared explosions of color. I
expected art in Rwanda to reflect the torment of the past, but this
studio was a celebration of life. I hope if I save my pennies while I
am here to bring some home: a reminder of all that Rwanda has to
offer.
Outside of the studio.
A painting I loved using fabric bits.
You come to Rwanda for the darkness. To
stare into it until you can make some sense of it, no mater how much
it hurts. You come expecting victims, expecting broken, trauma,
paralysis. You find smiles, strangers who call out 'hello' in a
multitude of languages, kids who give you a high five as you pass,
angels who point you home when you're lost. You eat mangoes. You
watch brilliant birds play around tropical flowers. You find life.
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