Photos Kept 1/10/13: 128
"If you see far, you will go far."
For most of the morning and a bit of the afternoon we were at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. Today was their first graduation. The village was started in 2008 and has not stopped growing since. It is a boarding school where the students learn everything from politics to digital design. The campus is located on the side of a beautiful mountain just outside of Kigali. This graduation ceremony was very similar to the ones we are used to, but with some African taste added to it. It was long. Very long. But I had such a great time being a part of this historical day for this school, and all of Rwanda. There was dancing, singing and acting. The singing was a blast and most of the audience joined in by the end. The drumming was great, no surprise really.
During one of the musical numbers, the president of Rwanda just kind of strolled in. No joke. At the end of the song, some one walked up to a microphone and calmly announced that he had come. I didn't know he was supposed to be there, and neither did a few other people around me. At the end of the ceremony he got up to say some words to the graduating class. He told a story about how the students are shaping the future for the country. There couldn't have been more than 750 people at the ceremony. All I know is that I'll never be able to witness our president just stroll in to an intimate ceremony to say some words.
After the ceremony we headed back to Kigali to go to the war memorial dedicated to the Belgium Soldiers that were murdered in the soldier barracks. What a heavy way to end the day, but it opened my eyes to the intense reality that happened here back in 1994.
I'm not saying this because he's sitting across from me, but Carl Wilkens has a big heart and never ending stories, whether they be joyous or sad.
Oh yeah, and in a matter of minutes on the road, my eyes were showing me why so many people are in love with this country and its landscape.
Oh yes! No clothes still. But that is the last thing I am thinking about here. They will come when they come.
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| The valley leading down to a lake at he youth village |
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| President Kagami |
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| Rwandan Sunset |
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