Exports

Have you ever had that moment when you went on your first trip without your family? your first plane ride alone? or your first night at college in the dorm? The door closes, the car pulls away and you are alone in a new world. Everything is exciting and different. You want to make new friends, eat new foods, see new things. It's an amazing moment of growth and taking a leap into the unexpected.

I've had a bunch of these moments in my own life - going to DC for a school trip on my first plane ride, moving to college, studying abroad in England, going on volunteer trips with a bunch of strangers, flying to California by myself, moving to Rwanda. It's been exhilarating and life defining. And now I've come to a country where everyone is aching for those experiences. Sure, a lot of Rwandans go to boarding school and get some freedom there but they want to really see the world, see other cultures, go outside of this tiny country - it just doesn't happen often.

My counterpart, Fidele, just got a great opportunity. Out of our whole organization he was chosen to travel to Germany for a conference. It will center around youth empowerment and leadership. People from all over the world will be there to discuss the problems in their specific countries and how to inspire young people to face them head on. Fidele will be in Germany for 2 weeks. It will be the first time he's been out of Rwanda, on a plane, and speaking English 24/7. He's giddy like a kid on Christmas. He wants to take pictures of everything and wanted to make sure they would even let him take pictures on the plane. I'm planning on giving him a plane tutorial before he goes. I don't want him thinking there's no bathroom on the plane! There's a million little things that I want to prep him for, but I know at some point he will have to be confused and look dumb. We've all been there!

It's really difficult for Rwandans/anyone to get visas to the US and Europe, etc. There is a flight risk. And I'm not making blind accusations, I'm speaking from real life. I had a coworker travel to Europe for work. We were all so excited to hear about his experiences and see pictures. And then poof! Gone. I endearingly call him the fugitive, but it's people like him that ruin it for everyone else. People who don't honor their visa's departure date and instead just disappear into the country. Now countries are afraid to let citizens of developing nations visit. Who says they won't run? (I've made some serious threats to Fidele about this, but I believe he'll come back. Being the fourth of eight kids, he gives part of his income back to the family to help support them. I can't see him walking away from that responsibility.)

What's really sad to witness is the expressions of nonchalance surrounding disappearances like this (whether they are just repressed emotion or not). It's like other Rwandans realize this is a rational choice in life. That being illegal will be worth it. There's this strange mixture of sadness, disappointment and hopefulness. I'm still marinating on this feeling because it's nothing I've ever had to encounter, being American. Writing it on paper is difficult but maybe I'll get a better grasp of it in the future.

So I'm basically going to pummel Fidele with questions when he gets back - what was the first thing to surprise him? What was his general impression of Germany? How did it feel to speak English all day long? Did he feel like an outsider? How did he deal with the stress? Does he like flying? I'm fascinated to get his thoughts. Unfortunately he will be flying back in the same day I am flying out. We may pass each other in the air - which I thought would never happen in a million years.

So more about all this later...