Thank you for the coffee

Flames to dust, lovers to friends…..why do all good things come to an end?

~ Nelly Furtado

Tomorrow I leave Rwanda, its bittersweet really. On one hand I am ready to come home and plant some roots, but on the other hand Rwanda is a very comfortable an exciting place to live and work.

I did no real research before coming to Rwanda or East Africa for that matter. I tend to let these types of experiences happen to me, no amount of research can prepare you for life in another culture. For the casual tourist, this would be the wrong approach. For someone who lives and works in foreign countries this approach allows me to arrive with minimal preconceptions and forces me to ask questions about life as it unfolds before me. I knew Rwanda was recovering from a civil war, but other than that I knew very little.

Since arriving 2 months ago I have learned much. First I am convinced more than ever that if 2.7 billion people are living on less than a dollar a day and majority of those are subsistence farmers that agriculture is the key to adressing many of the issue facing the rural poor. I find it hard to operate without a proper breakfast, how are the rural poor supposed to begin pulling themselves out of poverty on an empty stomach. Secondly agriculture alone is not enough, it takes a government with enough foresight to create policies that foster and invite innovation. Before coming to Rwanda I was not very interested in using my political science background and was focused solely on development, policy just was not exciting to me anymore. Having spent time here, however, has gotten me excited once more about the positive affects government can have when they operate with sound policies and a clear vision. I have visited both Uganda and Tanzania and spending time in those countries, it becomes real apparent that Rwanda carries its self in such a way that commands respect, they are striving to be a leader in terms of combating poverty, this is all a result of sound governance.

On a more personal level this experience has allowed me to grow. Prior to arriving in Rwanda I lacked the composure and confidence needed to be successful in this type of environment. I knew nothing of coffee, agriculture economics or cooperatives organizations; my success as an intern depended on me becoming knowledgeable in all three areas. I saw this as a daunting task and my first week was spent in panic. As the weeks progressed I began to realize that there is no failure in trying, rather failure comes when you do not try at all, with that frame of mind my problems began to work themselves out. I now have a love for coffee, can read a balance sheet and want to continue my cooperative education. My successes came as a result of my own personal initiative, I knew what I needed to do and there was no one around to hold my hand. While I got a tremendous amount of support from my colleagues at SPREAD, they were only affective because I told them what I needed and how I wanted to move. Things happened because I made them happen, because of this I found the confidence that I didn’t realize I was missing, it will be interesting to see how this carries over to my life in the States.

I have been told that I have a talent for the written word, I do not know what form this journal will take once I leave Rwanda but I hope to keep writing. For now I go back to a life in the States that is almost as unpredictable as the one I lead here. Two goals remain, complete my formal education and find a career that will allow me to combine my background in policy with that of development. So as I close this chapter in my life I would just like to say thank you for the coffee.