My journey to Rwanda last year, together with a group of fourteen counselors was focused on training local counselors in trauma counselling to aid them in their work with genocide survivors. We came face to face with the ability of a people to move so far past the atrocities of genocide that I had to adjust my perspective and call the place – ‘a land of the living not the dead!’ Hope and signs of progression or ‘moving on’, as they might say, was everywhere. Rwanda has not slowed down.

While we talked I smelled the coffee! A few questions revealed that coffee was a major export for Rwanda and there was a lot of attention being paid to this sector by the private and public sectors. The people were proud of their coffee and it was soo gooood!

One of the ways that Rwanda as a nation has ‘moved on’ is in developing the coffee industry from the grass roots. Famers are being educated, are working together in cooperatives and have had 100 more washing stations added in the last 5 years to process the coffee beans in readiness for export.

Why coffee in particular? I am not entirely sure. Why find a way to do direct and empowering business with people in Rwanda? Not out of pity or sympathy but for the express reason of finding ways to join in the ‘moving on’ I have come to see is rooted deep in the psyche of the Rwanda people. I’d like to understand how a community rises up practically and how people overcome. I’d like to understand how they move on to become productive and powerful and not just another country waiting for aid.

I am looking forward to finding ways to import Rwanda coffee from the farmers directly to Canada coffee lovers.

I have returned home now two days and the thoughts of being in Rwanda on such a mission are quietly fading. As I write this letter I am invigorated with the awareness that the trip has been successful on many levels: Our exposure as a team, opportunities to see counsellors learn self-care, training trainers who will pass on what they learnt, meeting with the government leaders to hear how Rwanda sees itself as a future hub of East Africa, possible leads for future collaborative work with individuals and organizations in Rwanda and many more…

Adventure is not knowing. Adventure is being satisfied with the little that’s familiar. Adventure means you let go. As I get ready to participate in an expedition to Rwanda with 13 other counsellors for two weeks the only word is adventure. We have been encouraged to let go of expectations. Expecting to make a big difference. The attitude is to anticipate. Come what may.

As helpers, its easy to place immense expectation on oneself to provide all the answers. 

Going to a land where genocide, rape and betrayal has been serious recent realities brings about great anticipation and expectation. That we would be able to help much.

I plan to anticipate. To hope for adventure. To wait and see. And to go with a mind to be helped as well.

If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time.
                             However, if you have come because your liberation is tied with mine, 
                                                             then let us work together.”
                                                                   ~Aboriginal Woman