What I’ve Learned: “There are many positive things happening in Rwanda that are often overlooked.”
Written by Odochi Akwani — Dec. 31, 2019
For the past week and a half or so, I’ve spent my time in Rwanda soaking up the beauty of its terrain and the beauty of its culture. With this huge task of creating a multimedia story about the people, learning about my specific stories has been helpful with understanding more of the culture.
I’ve learned that Americans have a very narrow view of what Africa is like. It’s apparent in the way it’s talked about it. Some say “Africa” when describing a specific country when Africa is really a continent comprised of 54 different and unique countries. I’ve learned that although Rwanda is still a developing country with issues of poverty, it is still growing economically. There are many positive things happening in Rwanda that are often overlooked such as its move toward sustainability or the low crime rates because of governmental efforts that make Rwanda one of the safest countries in all of Africa.
Through my story on the Skateaid skatepark, I’ve learned that a positive community environment is important for kids growing up in a developing country to stay on the right path in order to succeed. This is especially important for kids who are not in school. They may not have the opportunity to make friends with the right people or stay off the streets. A community like the skatepark provides those connections and helps kids to avoid getting into trouble.
Through my story on Friends Peace House and its transformational mediation, I’ve learned that people are more open to talking about the genocide than I had previously thought. The country is trying its best to grow and learn from the past, and now it seems it understands that the way to do that is by talking about it. Aime from Friends Peace House claims that by learning how to deal with conflicts, they are better equipped for conflicts in the future.
