Reflections from Nyamata

I don’t have money.  I don’t have rich parents to bankroll my aspirations like so many of the people who typically are in the development space do. 

Working in Africa is not a stepping stone or resume builder; it’s what I wanted to do and that for which I’ve made sacrifices to do.  I’m exactly where I want to be. 

For those who don’t really know me, let it suffice to say that I feel blessed just to be able to be where I am right now.  So when I came to Rwanda, it was to find a way to give more of myself in a meaningful way in a place that is sincerely trying to restore and revitalise itself. 

I choose to work in African nations, because here even more than in America, there is a real hunger for progress. There are educated people living without access, so imagine what it’s like for those without education. 

At least in the States, with its unquestionably dismal public school system, there is access to internet and to resources through some means or another if one searches diligently and really wants to learn-- the real battle at home is to improve education while tackling a surrounding environment that is not conducive to studying and determination. 

Here the issue is not that community members don’t value education, but that because it’s such an invaluable resource it is highly desired and not yet adequately provided.

The reason why I want to build a library in Bugesera district is because when I reflect on my life, I know that reading is what kept me in the house, off the street, away from distractions, and into the driver seat of my life. 

Reading is what brought the world to my eyes before I had access to travel.  Reading is what gave me the extra level of awareness and an ability to see some of the destructive patterns within our society and the desire to even change society. 

I remember the first time my mom took me to the library in Rahway and how amazing it was to find books on anything my limited self could conceive. 

I remember going to Brooklyn Library when I was trying to find anything and everything I could on international negotiations, American international diplomacy toward Africa and books discussing economic histories of African nations. 

I remember reading a book by Jeffrey Herbst on American economic policy toward Africa and thinking....I would have never known this were it not for the library, and even if I did, I may not have paid for it. 

I also remember going to the thrift book store with my mom to buy books for fifty cents and a dollar and to trade in old books for new ones, feeling like I was in a treasure chest. I remember when I started to get more excited about reading than about video games. 

I remember talking to a friend in South Africa who came to my room and saw an article posted on my wall about the people in Libya who were being convicted for intentionally injecting babies with the HIV virus and remarking that the world will not hesitate to tell us what is going on, but they will put it in writing because most don’t like to read and others can’t. 

I remember thinking that the only thing that gives me access to travel and to opportunities is that I read enough early on in life to get me into places that the power blocs view as indicators of aptitude. 

I remember growing up and visiting my grandfather down in North Carolina and thinking, wow, this man taught himself to read with the Bible, imagine what he would do with the access that I have had. 

I remember watching my dad read and realising how important reading and staying aware of what society is saying is to him. I am not special.  I am not unique.  I am average. 

I am not a fan of the celebrity craze that American society places within the minds of its citizens. I do not believe that we have to be wealthy or to be famous in order to make something extraordinary occur. 

I am an average person looking to work with other average people to do something extraordinary.  I don’t want to let go of the idea that anyone can make a dream become a reality if they have a good heart, a righteous aim, and a persevering spirit. 

I am confident that a library will take shape not in the time that I desire, but in the time that is right before the sight of the Almighty and even seek your assistance in the journey. 

I also know that the youth in Rwanda deserve the same opportunities to improve their lives and their community that we had at home.

The writer is the Co-Founder, Books for Bugesera

amirdemeke@gmail.com