First Survey and Meeting with Community Leaders

February 20, 2009

Today we conducted our first survey at the place where the sector leader's office is. We were able to meet all the leaders of the different cells in the district of Muhanga, including the two communities we will be spending time in: Cyeza and Takwe.
There were at least 150 to 200 people standing and sitting in groups on the community lawn all morning long for a five-minute meeting with the leader. I am proud to say that the leader of the entire sector was a woman about 29 years old. She was going to appoint a member, who is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, to speak on behalf of the rest. They all lined up and cheered when she came out to speak to them. She spoke to them with authority and they respected her. She has the highest position in her district; she is in charge of many people's lives and safety and a great woman for it I might say. We were honored that she invited us into her office and allowed us to take up her time and talk.
It's amazing the way people work together for the good of the whole community. I can't imagine all the counties in even just southern NH coming together, meeting on a lawn and cheering when the governor came out to greet them and speak, without even a microphone, giving him that much respect.

We spoke with a community member for about an hour. The interview went quite well considering Marceline - an FH CDP officer, often struggled with the English to explain. God really conducted the survey because I don't believe there was any miscommunication.

I am excited to visit several households next week and talk with the children.

I held another baby – and spoke with a few more young girls who were standing nearby, fascinated for some reason. They warmed up to me and gave me multiple hugs after I gave them my water bottle. They were extremely thirsty because they drank the whole thing right away. I was sitting waiting for my “moto” (small motorcycle taxi) driver to come and take me back to the FH office, when she came over to me all timid and asked in a faint voice, “Where's the pen?” I said, “Pen?” and made a witting motion. She said, “Yes!” I pulled out a pink, sparkly pen and gave it to her – she was overjoyed. I said, “Miridwe!” which means goodbye in Kinarwandan and walked away. I realized I should have given them some paper and the other pen that was in my bag because she doesn't have school supplies.

The children that are sponsored in the CDP communities are given school supplies. Although FH chooses the families which are the poorest among the poor to be CDP children, and the entire family is taken care of through sponsorship, it makes me sad to think that some children don't have school supplies.