"Every human emotion possible"

I connected with Barb Da Costa today who has been working with the Rwandan village of Rugeuero and the Twa people. Barb was born in Tanzania, and although she works and lives in Toronto Canada, spends much of her time with her boyfriend working on development projects in Africa.

Barb said that the emotional impact of the Rwandan genocide is still very raw. She told me I would see the "pink jumpsuiters" everywhere. These are people who have been convicted of genocide and are required to wear the jumpsuits as part of their punishment. The "orange jumpsuits" are reserved for those still on trial. She warned me that their "eyes will be very distant" and that signs of the genocide and aftermath will be everywhere I go. She said that I will, "feel every human emotion possible on my journey. Sometimes all of them at the same time." Her own experience was that her time and work in Rwanda has changed her forever.

But take hope, she said that I will meet amazing people and that the population is on a vision of rebuilding a better Rwanda today. President Kagame has a vision of a corruption-free progressive country and that they are working hard to make this a reality. Barb will be going back in early 2010 and we are brainstorming on how we can help each other and build on each other's work for more impact. More to come...