Blog — Wildlife Woods

1. Travelling everywhere by car

Rwanda is fairly easy to get around via public transport – as long as you don’t mind getting a little uncomfortable every now and again. For longer journeys, Rwanda offers reliable and somewhat character building bus links to all major towns and cities. For shorter journeys, motorbike taxis are a quick and affordable method for getting from A to B. Aaaah the moto taxi. The nimble, traffic weaving bane of the male reproductive system. My own experiences ranged from leisurely drives through the Rwandan capital to ball-crushing off-road hell rides of death.

2. Handshake greetings

In Blighty, nothing is more proper than greeting fellow citizens with a good old-fashioned knuckle-crippling handshake. Indeed, many of us might judge the strength of one’s character by the rigidity of their shake or the firmness of their grip. In Rwanda, however, a simple strong handshake just will not do. Expect to be embraced by Rwandans with a warm hug followed by three quick kisses and the prolonged holding of hands.

3. Whinging about the weather

Let’s face it, most of us Brits love a good old moan and there’s nothing more reliable than the consistently inconsistent British weather to get us all grumbling. I had to find something else to grouch about in Rwanda, however, as the country boasts spectacular weather pretty much all year round.

4. Eating junk food

Rice, beans and potatoes comprised more or less my entire diet during the two years I spent living in a rural village in Rwanda. Every fortnight I’d have the chance to grab some western style food in Kigali, but I slowly started to enjoy eating a simpler, healthier diet.

5. Taking water for granted

Lack of sanitised water and numerous outages made me really appreciate how good we have it in the UK and across most of the western world. As Monty Python’s four Yorkshire men might have said, showers were, “luxury”, as was the opportunity to flush the toilet or wash the dishes during periods with little rainfall. Sterilising each glass of water before drinking became routine and hand washing my clothes in rainwater was fairly commonplace.

6. Keeping up with the football

Alright, so I didn’t totally lose the plot. I managed to locate a bar in Kigali that showed Premier League matches, but I had to make do with catching games every other weekend. Before moving to Rwanda, I could more or less state the dates, times and opponents of at least the next three matches that involved my team. But within a few months it got to the point where I was checking results a few days after each game took place.

7. Strict time keeping

During the first few months I spent in Rwanda, I found myself getting overly frustrated with the cultural differences regarding time management. Slowly but surely I adapted and came to peace with the fact that most events would start 1-2 hours after the scheduled time.

8. Feeling like I’ll be deemed insane for greeting random strangers

While the people of smaller towns and villages in Britain seem to have retained their tendencies toward random “how-do-you-dos?”, it would be fair to say that one might be considered an oddball if they were to start chatting to random folk in larger towns and cities. In Rwanda’s capital – Kigali, no such judgement would be made.

9. Watching TV

Due to the abundance of power outages, and perhaps more significantly the fact that I didn’t own a television, I spent my free time more productively by reading books, photographing wildlife and cooking meals from scratch.

10. Expecting to find everything I need at the supermarket

Understandably, it would often be difficult to get hold of certain items in any of Rwanda’s supermarkets. After my first proper shopping trip, I really began to appreciate the variety of options available in British stores. It was from that day forth that I vowed never to take caramelised onion flavoured houmous for granted.

11. Unnecessary worrying

We all worry about things from time to time, but in reality most issues we allow ourselves to become stressed or anxious over aren’t really worth it. The year I spent in Rwanda entailed living and working with some of the poorest people in the country, yet they were also some of the happiest, care-free people I’ve ever met. The wonderful and inspirational people of Rwanda taught me so much about letting go of unnecessary worries.

12. Disconnection from the natural environment

In Britain, most of us are far too busy pottering about our days to pay any attention to the wildlife that surrounds us. In Rwanda, however, the biodiversity is so rich and colourful that it’s almost impossible not to get distracted by the enchanting array of flora and fauna that inhabits the beautiful green landscapes.

In 2013, I joined a one-year fellowship that entailed working with some of the most vulnerable young men and women in Rwanda. Three years later, I could never have predicted the impact the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) would have had on my life.

ASYV is a place where “tears are dried” (signified by the Kinyarwanda word, agahozo) and where vulnerable youth can “live in peace” (from the Hebrew word, shalom). It was modelled after Yemin Orde, an Israeli youth village established in 1953, which originally cared for orphans of the Holocaust. Each year, the Village selects 128 at-risk teenagers aged between 15 and 18 to undergo a four-year healing and educational process. Through love, education, and sophisticated life skills programmes, the goal of the organisation is to transform each child into healthy, self-sufficient, and socially responsible citizens.

During my initial year at the Village, my role was to co-manage the informal education department alongside the programme coordinator and the director. The departmental goal was to provide an enriching educational environment that would enable teens to gain new skills and confidence, whilst encouraging them to think and act philanthropically.

I was later tasked with developing a comprehensive communication strategy to promote and increase the visibility of the organisation to its partners, donors, and to the general public. My duties included coordinating the design, production, and distribution of all promotional and communication materials to be used on social media, blogs, website, newsletters, email blasts, infographics, speeches, annual reports, fact sheets, and the online magazine.

Aside from my professional roles, I also served as mentor to a family of sixteen (and later eighteen) teenage boys. Referred to as their “cousin”, I was tasked with teaching them English, building their confidence, and acting as a continuous pillar of support. Most of my work with the family took place during family time – a one-hour period each evening that we spent together playing educational games, watching videos, or discussing current affairs. Additional roles included teaching sports, coaching the boys and girls football teams, and leading the environment club.

Toward the end of my first year in the Village, I was asked to write a short article for the ASYV website that was to be entitled “My Year as a Village Fellow”. My task was to summarise the twelve months I had spent living and working in the Village and to give advice to the new group of fellows who would succeed my cohort.

Leigh Woods – Agahozo-Shalom Village Fellow 2014/2016, Programs Coordinator Assistant and Sports Development/ Communications and Development

The year that I spent living and working at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village has been an incredibly insightful and gratifying experience. Before arriving, I remember feeling slightly apprehensive about my impending assignment. It wasn’t at all nervous about my professional responsibilities, but the task of serving as a “cousin” and mentor to eighteen teenage boys was a little daunting.

It quickly became apparent that my initial anxieties were entirely unwarranted. Despite my busy and at times exhausting schedule, my favourite part of each day was undoubtedly the one-hour I spent with the boys during family time. Whether playing educational games, debating hot topics, or discussing current world affairs, there was never a dull moment.

ASYV's holistic model has contributed immensely toward the development of each and every child in the Village. In addition, I have witnessed an astronomical rise in many individuals’ confidence and emotional intelligence over a very short period of time.

Amazing transformations are occurring within all areas of the Village. In formal education, the students’ grasp of the English language is rapidly improving and there is no greater testimony of their skills than during weekly family debates. In informal education, I have seen students who had never held a paintbrush before, go on to create their own masterpieces. One boy from my family couldn’t play a single chord on the guitar before arriving in the Village. Ten lessons later, all I can say is watch your back Van Halen.

As I come to the end of my time in the Village, I have started to reflect on my experience. In doing so, I've considered which aspects I will miss the most. After ruminating over the many great characteristics of the Village, I believe that the thing I will miss more than anything else is being in the company of such cheerful and optimistic people. For kids and staff alike, the level of enthusiasm for learning is striking, and every opportunity for personal growth is embraced with open arms. To leave an environment that exudes such profound positive energy is going to be tough.

As I conclude this piece, I think about those who will succeed us. My advice to future fellows is to bring to the Village a sense of good will and an open mind. Be accepting of living in an unfamiliar environment that encompasses many cultural differences. The earlier the fellows adapt to Rwandan life and embrace these cultural variations, the better.

The greatest advice I can give to future fellows is to frequently ask themselves the question, “Who am I here for?” Understand that every decision should be made in the best interests of the children. Put all of your effort into every little thing you do in the Village and the entire experience will be far more rewarding. Be sure not to end your tenure with any regrets, or with the feeling that you could have used your time more productively. Above all, immerse yourselves in the philosophy of the Village and embrace all that reside here with an open heart.