Open Day (Post #15)

 At last came what the IREME team calls Open Day.  This is a day when local government officials, community leaders, development leaders, funding partners and other dignitaries were invited to come see the school and all IREME's projects to date. It is a time to showcase what has been accomplished so far and plan together for next steps.  It is a celebration and planning meeting at once.

  Olive let me borrow a traditional outfit for the day which made me feel like I was now accepted into the Rwandan culture.  Everyone was dressed up and looking their best. Nili and Titien even saved the shoes I brought them for this special occasion!

We had some important people come to see the projects including the Executive Secretary of the Sector, the head of the Joint African Development Forum, a representative from the Ministry of Education for the sector, the Cell leader, the parent representative, the Nyabirehe principal, the teacher representative and all the Nyabirehe teachers.  We all went up to the school and had a tour of the projects, then the principal gave introductions and a welcome speech.  

  Then, at last, Manzi arrived!  After a week without him, it was great to have him pull together the Move Up Global side of our work and anchor the vision to this place. It was beautiful to see how the people of this community see Manzi as such a beacon of light. He is of this place, one of them, but shows everyone what is possible when a door is opened and you walk through it with hard work and dedication. I am awed by the humility and self respect he carries at every moment. With Manzi arrived Rhoda, the Rwandan representative for World Connect, who has been an early funding partner. 

Then we made our way back to the office for the second half of the day. The Executive Secretary of the Sector asked me if I would ride down the hill in his car, so Olive and I went with him.  On the way, he asked me if I would bless his car! I told him he was severely overestimating my powers, but he replied, "You are so full of love, I wish for you to leave some of that with me before you go." I was touched and understood in that moment that entering a space with an open heart and overflowing love for the world has more power than any of us know. So I patted his dashboard with my hands and said, "Then I will leave you my love until I return!" He seemed very pleased with that.

At the office, everyone took turns giving speeches. I gave a presentation on where we stand now and the vision of how we want to grow in the future to make Nyabirehe a model school where everyone in the region comes to see what a great school looks like. At this point, I could palpably feel the teachers start to understand the magnitude of our goals. Even the fact that every single teacher showed up and participated in this day is powerful proof that they now believe we are there to help them.

If you are wondering, no I did not make it through my presentation without crying. By now, IREME was used to me getting emotional, but it was good. I was happy to lay my heart out in efforts to show my passion for these people. 

There were probably 10 or 12 speeches in total, and by the end we all felt a part of something very special starting. So then, of course, there was a delicious lunch and DANCING! 

We celebrated and laughed and made commitments to the future. Then we went outside and an hour long photo shoot ensued. At first, each person wanted to take a picture with me individually. Even the security guards started jumping in. It grew and grew until we were huge groups hugging and laughing and commemorating the culmination of an amazing trip. 

I think I tried to look everyone in the eye and say, "This is the beginning." 

As people started to drift off home, I took a little time to rest and breathe. The roller coaster of a day took a lot out of me and now I felt like I just had a wedding! When I came out, I found Manzi, Olive, Nili and Jean Damascene talking around the table in Kinyarwanda. There was such a warmth as I joined their little family.

We debriefed a bit and snuggled with Baby Esther. Then, to celebrate, we tried some local banana wine. I had been previously warned that this can be like moonshine, so you have to be careful where you get it otherwise you can end up with something that is 45% alcohol! But this came from a trusted source, so we toasted a wonderful trip. It was very tasty, but a few sips was plenty for me.

With the Open Day behind me, I settled into the knowing that this trip was very successful. It will serve as a pin in time on the Move Up Global journey, a moment when a young organization became ready to grow up. And for me personally, it is a life changing adventure, full of new family, great courage and most of all love.