There is a lot to be said about ruminating, as cows do. As you store the information for a while, then take it out and re-chew the whole thing the flavor changes and digestion is easier. It has been two months since I left for Africa. And, maybe, I have come to grips with all of it. Or maybe it will take a lifetime.
I remember hearing the stories of the genocide, seeing the memorials, hearing horrific firsthand experiences, and not feeling anything. Almost as if I wasn't there. And I wondered why. I should be reacting to this unimaginable horror, and yet I felt nothing. Almost as if I was watching a movie. I wondered if I had any emotions at all.
It took a while, several weeks after I got home, for it to hit. First to hit was the pure power of evil in this world. I admit that it overpowered me for a while. It was all I could see. I was angry. Angry about what had happened, angry that other people didn't understand, perhaps angry because my life had been so easy, or angry that I couldn't make you understand what I had experienced. Man's inhumanity to man is hard to explain to someone who hasn't seen or heard it firsthand. And my experience was nothing compared to those who survived the atrocities.
But Rwanda has overcome that, but not without scars. We are no different. Scars are the connective tissue that hold us together and bind us up. As I listened to the stories of seventeen young women who had suffered everything from rape to abuse to kidnapping, starvation, and homelessness at the hands of men (mostly) my perception of males tanked. There was no escape from men as parents, relatives, employers, strangers in their lives. If they refused, they were out on the street. These girls were truly caught between a rock and a hard place. They suffered pregnancies which lead them to be thrown out, or disease that ruined their lives. My anger resurfaced. They were not only abused and used, but they were also denied the one thing that could help them---an education. They had no power, and those that did, treated livestock better than people.
Once I faced these feelings, and my complete helplessness to do much about any of it, I came to the conclusion there was one thing I could do. I could advocate for the children. It I can convince you to sponsor a child through any reputable organization that offers food and an education to a child, then I will have helped in a small way. We can't change their country, but if we help educate their next generation, they can change it. These children want to go to school more than anything. When an education is denied them, it hurts deeper than we can understand. Their future is gone. Even as youngsters, they know they need it. They have dreams of becoming doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, etc. They know their land and their people, and they can make changes to it when they grow up.
I went with an organization called Africa New Life that does wonderful things in many areas. But they need people to sponsor children. There are photos of children on their web site that desperately need sponsors. For a few dollars a month, not only does the child eat, but the family does also. The fare is beans, rice, flour, and oil. But that is way more than they had. They get their schooling paid for. For a few dollars a month, you can change a life. Eliminate dinner out or a movie just once a month and use that to feed someone who is starving for food and education. There are many organizations out there. Research them, find ones that really do use your money for children and not to line their own pockets. Or check out https://africanewlife.org. They have pages of children needing help. By throwing one stone in the pond, the ripple effect will go on forever. Or, if you choose, sponsor a woman in the program so she can leave there and earn a living for her family.
I will leave you with this: If you ever have a chance to experience a trip such as this, do it. Not because you want an exotic vacation, because it won't be that. But you will come home seeing things differently. Your heart will desire to make a difference. And you can.