Letters from Rwanda are penned by Jason, a 17-year old high school senior who was part of a film crew working in Rwanda to capture the ASYV groundbreaking ceremony. You will get to read, first-hand, through the eyes of a young man, the impact Rwanda and it’s people, culture, country, have on a person. Even a 17-year old high school senior.

Here is his story…

Letters from Rwanda - Part 1
Sunday, August 12, 2007, 6:23 p.m.
Kigali. At least, I think that’s how you spell it. This will be our base of operations for the next week-and-a-half. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to get the position as production assistant on a documentary covering the groundbreaking of the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village, as well as following around and recording the introduction of Ethiopian Israelis participating in the program to the country and its history. I’m doing no creative work - just hauling camera bags, doing the lighting, sound checking, holding the boom - but from a filmmaker’s perspective, this experience is proving to be extremely beneficial. I’m hoping by the end of the trip it’ll have profoundly affected me as a person.

For those unfamiliar with the project, the ASYV is a project of my mother’s. It is a youth village modeled after the successful Yemin Orde village in Israel, made possible with help from the Joint Distribution Committee. The idea is to heal a generation scarred by the Rwandan Genocide from 1994 by establishing a community where they will be taken care of, loved, cared for, and taught coexistence in addition to regular (though good quality) education. The name “Agahozo” means “to dry one’s tears” in Kinyarwanda, while “Shalom” is of course “peace” in Hebrew. My sister, Jenna, came up with the name for the village, which represents the connection being made between Rwandan and Israeli culture in the village. Ethiopian Israelis who are graduates of Yemin Orde play a major role in the village, and are invaluable because of their African background and because of their growing up in the ideal setting of what the ASYV will one day become. If you’re reading this, Jenna, and I’ve forgotten anything or made any mistakes, please feel free to correct me. Jenna, again to those who don’t know, is very involved in the creation of the village, and spent a week or so after camp before coming to Israel going to meetings and working for the project.

Going back to my experiences thus far - So far, I’ve stayed primarily inside the hotel, where life is just about as sheltered as it is in the great state of New York. If there was anything at all that happened to me today that gave me a chill, it was that I passed the Hotel Mille Collines - also known as the Hotel Rwanda. Twice. I’ve been told that in the days to come I will see the true face of the country, outside these walls. Following in my mother’s footsteps, I’ve decided to record journals detailing my first experience in Rwanda to share over the internet with any friends who are interested. Tomorrow I’m following the group to a set of Rwandan Genocide memorials, followed by a visit to some sort of youth building for genocide survivors, while my mother, who has seen it all before, goes with my father, brother, and sister on a one-day safari. I would have gone, too, but I have work to do - plus, I don’t blame her for not wanting them (Yoni, at least) to see the memorial. If what I’ve heard is true… It might be a bit intense. I’ll write another entry tomorrow, once I’ve got things to actually talk about.

Until then,
Jason

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