Blog
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My Visit to ASYV
December 2009
By: Josie SternI went to Rwanda (and Tanzania) this winter break with my family to visit the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village. We had a rough two days getting there…but when we finally arrived, it was unbelievable. We landed in Kigali, Rwanda, and from there we went directly to spend the night at Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV). The Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village aims to create a safe, loving home and learning community for high school aged orphans in Rwanda. The teens are orphaned because of the Rwandan genocide and other reasons. The village is a place of hope, where traumatized youth can “dry their tears” (Agahozo) and “live in peace” (Shalom).
ASYV is a new home for the teens. It was founded a couple of years ago by Anne Heyman and welcomed its first year of students last January. The day after we arrived, the second class of students would arrive too. This was a very important day in the history of Rwanda and ASYV…and I was about to experience it. Just being there when the first girl walked onto its grounds was amazing. She had come from three hills away (in Rwanda they sometimes measure in hills because it is so hilly and they call it the “Land of a Thousand Hills”) with nothing but the clothes on her back. She must have woken up at a very early time and walked to ASYV. Her journey took three hours. The courage to go somewhere that you do not even know that much about is inspiring.In the morning, before the rest of the kids arrived, my family and I joined Sifa, Anne and Bosco on a trip to the nearby village market. We purchased bananas for the kids to enjoy as a snack when they arrived. Later, when the buses brought the groups of kids, there were tours of the village for them. It was really moving to watch the kids being introduced to their new “family” and meeting their house “mothers.” The hope that these kids have is purely unique. Their stories are horrible and devastating but they still got through it and made it, and now their lives will be slowly healed by the wonderful staff family at ASYV. I really admire and respect them for this. It was a truly wonderful trip and I am very honored to be a part of it by giving donations from Bat Mitzvah to it.