Bringing Up Baby/Out of the Mouths of

Yesterday RA2 got to do her first home visit to see Claudine, who is expecting a new baby in March (we'll be here!). Claudine has a BEAUTIFUL daughter named Sylvie, who has the suspicious look of RA2's cousin Kate and the independent nature and big smile of her fairy goddaughter Nadia. Claudine also lost a child to SIDS about a year ago, and she is so excited for her new baby.

After two weeks here, we had a few big breakthroughs yesterday. At times we have felt that while things like home visits were awesome and very informative for US, they might not be as helpful to the women we're working with as we would like them to be. But out of the information that came from several hours of chatting yesterday, we made some huge steps forward. First, women here always carry their babies on their backs. It's beautiful to see and really cute, but they get TIRED. They have to have their baby strapped to them even while making dinner, because cribs are expensive, and if they put the baby down on the bed, it might roll off if they aren't paying perfect attention. Also, obviously, their child sleeps in bed with them, exacerbating the exhaustion and complete lack of privacy. After a brief discussion of "baby baskets", Claire had an amazing idea; since these women are weaving baskets anyway, why not find a design for baby baskets? They could use them themselves, AND they would be very marketable.

During that conversation RA2 also realized there's very little infrastructure in terms of organizing the volunteers; Claire heads up all of us as well as running the entire GBV program, two truly daunting tasks. Since rebuilding it (bigger better faster stronger) is EXACTLY what the RAs do, we've been thinking of creative ways to apply our unique skill set (there's a resume sentence for you - "Applied unique skill sets to new and challenging situations IN AFRICA") to make Claire's life easier and introduce some continuity to the volunteer program. Yesterday, for example, we drafted Claire an email she could edit and then send out like clockwork to every volunteer two weeks before they arrived.

A recent counseling session with an amazing, very bright young woman named Jen who is having a lot of problems at home had your fearless RAs stumped for a little while. She had mentioned perhaps wanting to grow up to be a journalist, so RA1 was working her DC connections, thinking of something special to do for her. Then, last night, RA2 just so HAPPENED to meet a journalist named Gloria who writes for The New Times, the only English language daily paper in Rwanda. Not only did she say Jen could come visit her at her office and get a feel for journalism, she said the paper has a children's page and they always need writers! We're connecting Jen and Gloria this week and setting up a time for them to meet soon - how cool would it be for Jen to see her own byline at 16!

Finally, in an out of the mouths of babes moment which can only be regarded with a shrug and a T.I.A., RA2 was privy to a conversation between the womenfolk at the house this morning tye-dying. Willy, Claire's supervisor and head of FVA, had told us that hanging out with the women would give us an opportunity for them to open up and be comfortable, and even with the language barrier, after two weeks they seem to be getting used to us. Sitting in Louise's house today with her two boys, Edison (about 6) and Addison (about 4) who are students of ours and who are ADORABLE, Peace translated the "funny" conversation they were having. Apparently, praying last night with the whole family, Addison asked God to "forgive my father for stabbing my mother and for using bad words and for hitting her and drinking." Oh, and also, "please help my lazy uncle find a job so he can support my auntie." They were all cracking up laughing. Man, we thought we had perfected the art of "laugh or lose it," but these women PUT US TO SHAME.

T.I.A.