Posts from March, 2010
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Music at ASYV
By: Gideon Herscher, JDC Israel
One Friday afternoon, I strolled into the music center alone and started quietly strumming on one of the available guitars. I was soon joined by another child, and another, until we had a room full of thirsty musicians. “So, where shall we begin?” I asked. After we sang one round of Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero,”—I was ready to move on. But then I stopped and listened again as they sang and their voices filled the room with:
I can be your hero, baby
I can kiss away the pain
I will stand by you forever
You can take my breath awayIt was as if they were being cuddled and embraced by every one of this popular ballad’s words. Many sang with their eyes closed, some just took in the melody. At that point, I understood that ASYV was not only a place where tears are dried, but where melodies are fostered, and music soothes and reassures…”I will stand by you forever.”
The music session lasted about two hours, and included:
• the transformation of one child’s poem of lost love into a ballad.
• a spontaneous outburst of improvised a cappella singing.
• singing one child’s song which is a current hit on the local radio, “Cest comme ca”—the life of an orphan.
• a three-part, a cappella harmony rendition of the Hebrew עוזי זמרת יה ויהי לי לישועה Ozi Zimrat Ya Vayehi Li L’eshuya, from the book of Exodus as Moses bravely leads the people of Israel out of Egypt and they sing to the heavens in gratitude for their remarkable salvation.The beauty and significance of this melody was magical, especially when the children brought the melody to the dining room on Friday night, with over 300 voices resonating within the acoustics of that room.
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Seeing Smiles and Learning about Love (Day 3)
TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2010
By: Zoe, Yale UniversityAs I perused through the final exhibits at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, I could not help but question the tragic events that took place in 1994 between April and July. After reading through almost thirty separate exhibits describing the genocide, tears had begun to stream down my cheeks. Sure, I had read stories and books depicting and illuminating the atrocities of those 100 days; yet, I had never been so close to videos, stories, and the country itself. I never had the opportunity to read about the genocide, walk outside, and look at the faces of people who live through it daily. What is more, I had never spent days in Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, a space for orphans. I had never been asked “Do you have parents?” as if it was uncommon. No one had ever questioned whether I had a brother or sister in a way that did not come merely in the form of a curiosity; rather, there was a longing in the voices of these children. I had never seen a teenage girl explain to me with a faint smile that both her parents, two brothers, and three sisters were all killed during the genocide. How is she to react? The smile in no way conveyed any sense of happiness or joy. Instead, it was a smile of questioning. A smile that asked how in the world could this happen? Are we not all human? It was not a question of human rights. No. It was a question of human nature. It was a question of love. Are humans not called to love? Can we not all simply try (and in many ways succeed) to have love for everyone in our lives…the same love that we have for our family members? That was her question as she explained that she had lost her family, as she explained that they had been killed.
But her story did not end there. She truly understood what it meant to have a loving family outside of the biological blood that connects many of us. She found her family in her fellow youth at Agahozo. She found her family in me, and she called me her brother. I was honored.
I cannot count the number of times I have simply looked at a teenager here, smiled, and received the biggest smile I’ve ever seen in my life. At family time (a time where each household comprised of about 15 students comes together to discuss household and communal issues), I glanced at one child. Every time our gazes met, smiles protruded from our faces. Love was clear.
As I listened to the conversation between the household members, I was incredibly inspired by their understanding of the importance of respect and love in ones lives. To see young high schoolers, who have seen the purest of hate in their lives, not only understand love’s importance, but also seek it was yet another inspiration. It was truly beautiful.
I am going to go to sleep now…because I want to make breakfast tomorrow morning and also have energy throughout the day. I will try to expand on some of these ideas soon enough.
We had a discussion (that we will continue) as a group tonight about our experience at the memorial. We touched on everything from facts and humanitarian intervention to the efficacy of NGOs and our role in the world. I will definitely write more about this when I can.
Again, thanks for listening.
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Art meets Athlectics at ASYV
The kids at ASYV exercised their artistic abilities on the basketball court. As in the fashion of many basketball courts, the kids at ASYV decided our logo should be front and center on the court.
The methodically thought about the design, created a model, and painted it on the court. It turned out beautifully.
We hope you enjoy the pictures of their project.
An idea on paper
An idea comes to life
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Tikkun Olam at ASYV
by Shimon Solomon, Director of Educational Guidance
Tikkun Olam (literally, “repairing the world,” and practically, “engaging in social action”) is one of the core tenets of the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village. At the village, we decided to undertake Tikkun Olam as a central project because of the strong contribution it offers to the youth of Agahozo Shalom themselves, as well as to the surrounding communities. We believe in a well-rounded education for our youth that goes beyond simply doing well in school, but extends to being a good person who cares about others and knows how to give. The concept of Tikkun Olam is particularly important in Rwanda, given the country’s history –both as a very hospitable, and giving society (therefore ideologically aligned to this healing philosophy), but also as a wounded nation, in need of repair.
House Naming, October 2009
To have an impact on society generally, one must start with the individual. Agahozo-Shalom’s youth learn about sensitivity, love, giving, and the acceptance of people for who they are. In educating our children about the importance of being kind and giving, we are building their potential to help their country in the future. We believe that if others do the same, Rwanda will be blessed with strong leadership and a bright future. In order to ensure the success of Agahozo-Shalom’s Tikkun Olam program, we engaged in a 9-month long preparatory process to foster a deep understanding of the importance of this universal value among the staff, and even people living in the surrounding villages.
Our strategy for the Tikkun Olam project involves a four year process of gradually expanding the youth’s “Area of Service.” During their first year at Agahozo-Shalom, children focus on Tikkun Halev, or “repairing the heart.” During this time they work on building their own sense of self, identity, and confidence. During the second year, the youth begin community service in the nearby village of Rubona, where they work with school children, in the local clinic, and help local residents with basic needs. In their third year, they will begin to venture out to the larger area of the district, and finally, in their fourth year at Agahozo-Shalom, the youth will engage in Tikkun Olam throughout the country of Rwanda.
Following our first Tikkun Olam of 2010, we just received a great deal of positive feedback from the surrounding communities. We’re glad to report that the Agahozo-Shalom youth have truly internalized the concept of ‘repair’ as they continually seek for ways to help their village neighbors in whatever way possible. Our neighbors were touched by the children’s spirit and desire to share their talents and skills -for example, the nurse at the local clinic was moved to tears upon seeing how much the children wanted to help. We already look forward to the next round, you’ll certainly hear about it!
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Construction on Science Center Begins
Construction on the new science center at the village begins in March 2010. Watch the progress here. If you would like to contribute to other capital projects, click on our Donate page.
