When my friend Amena asked me to go on a learning exchange trip to Rwanda, I immediately said yes! I also convinced my mom to join me! Amena was planning to take a team of all-Black women to Rwanda to connect with a local organization. The last time I was in Rwanda was in 2010; I was one of two Black women on that team. I left that trip dreaming of what it would be like to return to Rwanda with all Black women. This trip was my dream come true; we would learn from an organization started by Rwandans for Rwandans. We named our trip Woman2Woman. We went with a focus on connecting with other women and telling our stories with the hope that they, too, would tell us their stories. This trip was all about sisterhood. 

Most of us decided to go to Rwanda with a limited understanding of what may happen when we got there. We held team Zoom calls and meetings but nothing could have prepared us for what our trip would be like. On July 14, 2017, a group of 11 women from around the country flew to Amsterdam where we would all meet for the first time to take our last flight to Rwanda together. I wish I could explain how wonderful that experience was. We waited for our team leaders to arrive with anticipation; I’m sure people thought we were crazy because once they rounded the corner, we were all screaming! This was the adventure we prayed for. At the time, I hoped the rest of our trip would be full of electric moments like screaming in the airport. 

Our team clicked instantly. We laughed on the bus often and we had a song for every occasion. If a word or phrase was said that remind us of a song, we would all belt out the lyrics. Our trip guide, Annette, loved our singing so much that she told people everywhere we went that we could sing. Our Rwandan friends grew fond of our singing and laughing. If you thought we were the only ones singing, then you are in for a treat because our Rwandan sisters could out-sing and dance any of us! 

We spent our time with women from all walks of life. One of the most impactful moments of the trip was spending a day-in-the-life of a Rwanda woman. We partnered with Azizi Life, an organization dedicated to offering their artisans a fair wage and empowering women to care for their families. We spent time learning how they cook, tend to the fields, mow the grass, and fetch water from the spring. The women did all of this in addition to their work as artisans; I was humbled by their strength and resilience. 

The women from the Vocational Sewing Program were vibrant and their stories were so humbling. Most of the women walk an hour or more to get to school. Many of them have several children to care for and must find ways to provide for them while they are continuing their education. The Vocational Sewing Program offers women the opportunity to be financially independent. Many of our team members received outfits from the Africa New Life design team. The women hand crafted designs the team members had in mind and each outfit was gorgeous. These women are truly talented. 

Throughout our trip, women from the villages would ask us how are we Black and from America. This led to us telling our Rwandan sisters the story of slavery and how our ancestors were taken from West Africa to be slaves in America and other countries. Most of them expressed sadness when we told them we do not know which country our ancestors are from. The women responded with love and would hold our hands or touch our faces and smile. They would say, “Welcome home, Sister.” Those three words healed something in all of us. We may not know our home country in West Africa, but we can call Rwanda home. As a symbol of being a Rwandan sister, we were all given Rwandan names. 

Most of us work in multi-cultural spaces and longed for a time where we could just be with our Black sisters. This trip to Rwanda gifted us with that time and space. I would encourage Black women to be open to experiences like this one. If you are scared or wonder how you will get the finances to go, do not let that hinder you! Just say yes; you will not regret it. I went to Rwanda as Faitth and I left as Igihozo. New name, new country, new sisters. 

Have you had an experience like mine in Rwanda?