Monday, June 16, 2014

Intellectually Acknowledged by Ciara C.


Ciara C.
Ngoma District, Eastern Province
#ciarainrwanda

Being my first blog post as a GAD member, I feel the need to introduce myself.   Hello, readers!!  My name is Ciara.  I’m a recent graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science, and a newly elected GAD member from the Education 5 (ED5) group.
                                                                                                                                            
Similarly to my ED5 colleague, Sam, I was unsure what I wanted to write about for my first post, so, I’ve decided to begin with a personal experience. 

While perusing through the clothing section of the Kibungo market on a typical Saturday afternoon, I happened upon a group of American volunteers who were exploring my town for the first time.  Their leader, a professor at a small, liberal arts university in Missouri, said that my glasses told him I wasn’t Rwandan and the accent of my “hi” gave away my American nationality.  After a brief and pleasant conversation, we agreed to meet at the private, Anglican school, directly adjacent to mine on the following Tuesday.                                                                                                                       

Embarrassingly, I have to admit that in my six months as a teacher, I’d never visited the school that practically shares property with my own.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn, upon arrival, that my pastor teaches there.  As I waited for the professor, Pastor Ray showed me around the main office and introduced me to available staff members.  Among them was a teacher who I will simply refer to as “M.”

“M” is a Ugandan teacher of Economics, and holds a degree in History.  I learned these and many other interesting things during our lengthy conversation.  Little did I know, that first conversation would be the prologue to what is blossoming into a lovely friendship.  I ended up seeing “M” a number of times that week, both by chance and by choice.  In that initial introduction and in every subsequent interaction, “M” has shared how much he appreciates my intellect and ability to articulate my ideas.

HOLD THE PHONE. I am in East Africa, right?  I am in a male dominated society where women are not regarded as complex thinkers with ideas of their own, right?  I’ve intentionally pushed hot buttons and limitations with controversial subject matter when speaking with “M.” We’ve touched on subjects that are culturally sensitive, especially in regard to gender.  “M,” while having no problem disagreeing with me, has yet to dismiss my opinions or tell me that I’m wrong.  In fact, he’ll often tell me that because of his cultural upbringing, he disagrees with me, but yet understands my arguments and sees them as being valid.  He even introduced me to one of his friends as being “rich in the mind.”

Before meeting “M” I didn’t realize how long it had been since I felt appreciated for my intellect, especially as a woman.  Thanks to my sheroes, like the late Maya Angelou, I already know myself to be a “phenomenal woman,” but there’s something to be said about a man who can recognize and appreciate the same, particularly in a culture such as this.  It made me wonder about my female students.   Have they ever felt appreciated for their minds?  Have they ever felt regal and beautiful and strong for their opinions?  Have they ever been acknowledged by their male counterparts as being wildly intelligent? 

I’m certainly not suggesting that one needs to be validated by men, however it’s appreciated when members belonging to the group deemed “dominate” are able to recognize and acknowledge that members of “the other” are not, in fact, inferior.  These interactions with “M” challenge me as   educator.  They remind of my responsibility to the young queens in my care.  It is my job to acknowledge and appreciate their intellect and to encourage my young kings to do the same.  It is through cultivation of the mind that they might, too, see themselves as being phenomenal.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

LGBT Issues and the PCV by Samuel B.

Samuel B.
Kirehe District, Eastern Province
(sorry, no picture this time)


This being my first blog for the GAD Committee, I wasn't really sure what to write about, so I decided I write about something that's been on my mind since the Friday following the All-Volunteer Conference. That night some of us attended the LGBT Panel at the Goethe Institute. With the exception of the Scandinavian(?) scientist who felt it necessary to Google a bunch of bullshit statistics on the factors contributing to the likelihood of being “homosexual or lesbian” and present them in poor English, it was a great event. I think what caught my attention the most, well everyone's attention, was the presentation by the Ugandan lawyer who started a coalition for the defense of those Ugandans being prosecuted under the new anti-homosexuality law. I think his, as well as his colleague's, view on the nature of local LGBT issues and the influence of various types of international pressure directly relates to our position as PCVs.


At a certain point in the lawyer's presentation, it was asked how international pressure, such as rescinding aid, was affecting the internal situation. Essentially, the belief was that withdrawing aid only exacerbated the tension, making the LGBT community the scapegoat and doing little to directly affect wealthy politicians. This question led to many more like it, and I started to think about how we, as PCVs, can take a stance on LGBT issues in a productive way. For weeks, I've been wanting to do some sort of controlled lesson, in a GLOW or BE Club setting, on different lifestyles to maybe spur a debate or at least show that I'm someone that students struggling with their personal identities can talk to. But when I heard the lawyer's colleague claim that Museveni only signed the anti-homosexual bill into law after Obama's public statement objecting to the bill, which was particularly popular to the Western audience, I reconsidered my plans. The colleague went on further to discuss how prior to the bill's signing, it had been passed by parliament on several occasions, after which Secretary Clinton was known to call Museveni personally to discuss the matter. After the panel concluded, I approached the speaker and asked his advice on introducing LGBT issues in the classroom or in after-school activities. He suggested only doing so under the umbrella of general human rights issues, allowing the students to take the initiative. He claimed that he and his colleagues have been trying to restrict the debate in Rwanda to politicians only in hopes to prevent wide-spread support for a bill similar to that of Uganda's. “If we were to open the debate up to the general public, 90% of Rwandan's would vote for an anti-homosexual bill,” he said. With that in mind, I realized that as good as my intentions might be, in a country that currently has no law against or for the LGBT community, simply talking about these issues at a grassroots level would in fact be harmful; a grassroots wildfire, as it may.


Maybe his answer was simply common sense, but I hadn't considered before that at the very least my GLOW and BE Club, the students who are supposedly more enlightened on gender-related issues, wouldn't be the appropriate audience for a direct discussion on LGBT issues in Africa. So, if you have also been wondering what you can do to introduce these issues, do so with caution. Don't champion an issue in the hopes of advancing open-mindedness only to leave a bad taste in the mouths of others who aren't ready for it.


I think we sometimes think we have all the right answers. It's hard to remove ourselves from the subconscious superiority we feel as Americans, but we have to remember that we aren't here to force change. We aren't here to perform invasive surgery on the culture and society we're serving. We have to let the change come to us, as painful as the waiting might be. That doesn't mean do nothing; it just means serve softly. I know there are things about my personality and opinions that I won't sacrifice to blend in or integrate, and I think that's fine, but I can choose how I represent those parts of myself, especially if it means a more positive outcome for something I'm passionate about. It's odd to think about how being less democratic might lead to progress, but then again, the LGBT community in Rwanda is a silent minority; so don't do them a disservice by being vocal for the sake of good intentions. Take a step back. I said to my PC recruiter back in August 2012 that I didn't care about changing every life I came into contact with, whether it was 150 students or more than that in the community, I was doing this in the hopes that a handful get it, that the few that need what I can offer receive it. It's not grassroots, it's bean shoots, and that's quite alright.