Muraho!

Muraho (hello in Kinyarwanda) friends and family!

We have survived a 2-hour flight from Columbus to Washington D.C, a 13-hour flight from Washington D.C. to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and another 2-hour flight from Addis Ababa to Kigali, Rwanda. After leaving Columbus at 6 am on Sunday, we arrived at Kigali around noon on Monday. In our short time here in Kigali, we have experienced so much that it is hard to put into words. Rwanda is not named “Land of a Thousand Hills” for no reason as the landscape here is absolutely beautiful. Kigali is a busy city surrounded by hills and full of “motos” (also known as motorcycles) and people walking everywhere.

            Our first day in Rwanda was spent buying phones to communicate in country, converting our money, and then returning to the Moucecore Guest house. For dinner we traveled to Heaven which is owned by two Americans, one of which is from Ohio! Heaven had delicious food, but the view from the restaurant was even better. After returning from the dinner, we finally settled in for the following day of which was our first day of class. The first day of class consisted of introductions, a life and culture in Kigali course, a group contract, and survival Kinyarwanda course. The life and culture in Kigali course provided us with information on Rwanda’s economy, politics, culture, and geography. The regrowth of Rwanda in recent years is astounding, but our guest lecturer Apollon Kabahizi noted Rwandans ability to overcome challenging obstacles and desire to move forward. Investors are interested in Rwanda’s growing economy as it is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa at the moment. Survival Kinyarwanda provided us with necessary greetings, numbers, shopping etiquette, and simple sentences such as ndi umunyeshuri (I am a student). It still has not set in that we are across the world from Ohio State even after we have finished our first full day.

            A majority of us visited the National Library of Rwanda which has a roof top café during our free time before dinner. The view over the city was stunning to say the least. The hospitality from the Rwandans has been full of modesty and respect. It is such a privilege to be studying in this country full of humble and compassionate people who are accepting of our visit. The next three weeks will provide us with an insight into become a more global citizen, and I can’t wait to experience this trip of a life time.

Wirirwe!