Week 2 highlights: The act of body language can stem through actions and kindness.

Brenda Maytorena Lara helps 8-year-old Fridaus take pictures on Jan. 1, 2020 in Kigali, Rwanda. Fridaus came up to her and pointed to the camera and started to press buttons, taking lots of pictures.

Every day in a new place brings new adventures and new memories. So far, I have had a couple of moments that have stuck out the most.

A woman passes by on a busy road carrying sombe (cassava) leaves in her head on Jan. 1, 2020 in Kigali, Rwanda. Sombe leaves are just one of the many things that can be seen being carried on the head.

A couple of days ago, Brenda and I were on the side of the road taking footage. When we were waiting for our car, some people came up to us and were chatting, including this little girl. She spoke no English, yet spoke kindness and acceptance to us through her actions. This 8-year-old girl loved our cameras and tried it out. She even tried to speak to us, even with knowing we would not understand. Before we left, I noticed she was wearing a rubber band as a bracelet. I had thrown on an extra one just for this trip and a smile grew across her face when I put a new bracelet on her wrist. When we went to leave, she gave both of us hugs, without even knowing our names or knowing how to speak to us. The act of body language can stem through actions and kindness.

Josephine Uwase poses for a picture in her traditional African dress on Jan. 3, 2020 in her home in Kigali, Rwanda. She is 44 years old and lives in the Butare district with her mother and two sons.

An act of kindness has come to me through words as well. Being in a foreign place over the holidays, missing your family is common and talking to them over the phone is not always the same. One instance, I had someone call me their grandchild. Another walked out and declared herself as our “African mama.” After only a few days of knowing me and hanging out with me, they are willing to claim me as their own and open up to me as if they have known me forever.

So, I guess a recap of my second week in Kigali and some highlights all stem from kindness and being accepted and welcomed. No matter what I am here to do and no matter the place or ethnicity that I come from, I am being widely accepted and taken in, and it is calming to know.

Brenda Maytorena Lara and Kylie Graham take photos of a rainbow seen above Centre St. Paul on Jan. 4, 2020 in Kigali, Rwanda. Both sprinted over for a picture after Professor Bruce Thorson (not pictured) pointed it out.