Looking Forward To Rwanda

Carly Scott
Edinburgh University Junior

Having grown up in a part of the world were most people don’t have to worry about being able to feed their families and every child gets to go to school, I know how lucky I am to be apart of such a community. Because I have been so fortunate, I want to help those who don’t have the same opportunities that were given to me.

My last trip to Rwanda was a life changer. The Rwandan people are in a class in their own when it comes to friendliness and hospitality. For a country that has endured so much it is incredible to see how open and welcoming they are and I’m looking forward to learning more about their culture and their history.

I loved being in the schools last year and really can’t wait to get back. Our group taught in high schools but you couldn’t get far down the street without a group of 15 or 20 primary school kids running up to us and practicing their “how are you?”s and “I am fine”s. I’m excited to start working with the younger kids and of course with the primary school teachers. I know how big of a role teachers have played in my life and feel really good about being involved, even if it’s in a small way, in primary education––especially in a country like Rwanda which means so much to me and where I know there are millions of kids eager to even have the opportunity to learn.

One thing that really got to me when I was in Rwanda last summer was seeing the street kids that often fill the bigger towns and cities. It’s unimaginable to me that a child of 5 (which was the youngest of the group of street kids who lived outside our rooms) goes to sleep each night on the side of the road instead of going home to a family and a bed. I can’t begin to understand what those kids go through and can’t help but wonder what sort of future they will have. After meeting and getting to know some of those street kids, I knew the next time that I came back to Rwanda I wanted to work with kids, especially in primary education as I think every child deserves the opportunity to go to school and the chance to create their own futures.

More than anything, I’m really looking forward to getting to know and work with the amazing people that undoubtedly will be involved in the IEE program.