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The Indiana Daily Student

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Packing for Rwanda

Rwanda

Almost all students start their first year of college stocked with everything they could possibly need. Band-aids, toothpaste, dental floss, granola bars, cold medicine, loose-leaf paper, etc. Move-in day is full of over-prepared freshmen and their anxious parents making last minute trips to Wal-Mart for socks or an extra toothbrush.

There’s a similar feeling of panic when you study abroad.

For me, though, I will be in Kigali, Rwanda. So the fear I won’t find the toiletries I am so accustomed to in the States is slightly more real.

Although Rwanda is more progressive than people assume, there are obviously differences in culture and lifestyle, like any foreign country. And not only is Rwanda in a completely different part of the world — a part typically ambiguous to American students — it is also recovering from a violent, horrific genocide 20 years ago.

The 1994 Rwandan genocide marked the worst mass killing since the Holocaust, with almost one million lives lost in a short period of time. And yet, surprisingly, many Americans know little about it, a direct result of Western indifference to African politics and an inability to see our African neighbors as equals. Studying the causes and after-effects of the genocide is the focus of my program.

Yet despite its grisly past and lack of support from the international community, Rwanda has made incredible advancements in the past 20 years. Today, it is known for its beautiful scenery and is considered to have the cleanest cities in Africa. As much as the academic matter interests me, I am equally excited to explore what is known as the “land of a thousand hills.” And, of course, Rwandan tea and coffee.

And so I am packing for both an enriching academic experience and a slightly touristy one, the dynamic combination of study abroad.

One item of note I cannot bring with me is plastic bags. They have been illegal since 2008, when concern for their environmental effect overrode their necessity. The fact that no Rwandan receives their groceries in a plastic bag may be strange to Americans. But it has contributed to Rwanda’s extreme cleanliness. A worthy trade, I would say.

Another thing I won’t bring are the ripped jeans and shorts so common in my American wardrobe. As it turns out, America seems to remain the only country where it is acceptable to go out in public in sweatpants. On college campuses, it’s downright expected. Not in Rwanda.

The most important thing I’ve realized as I’ve packed for Rwanda is how we tend to hold on to one perception of a certain part of the world. Here, we typically only see Africa as that place Americans go on mission trips and not as a place where people actually live and work. Throughout our lives, we change our perspectives on so many things. How we stereotype our international neighbors, though, often does not change. At least, not without proper education. And, of course, study abroad.

Right now, I have the pre-college jitters. I’m packing and stocking up on supplies. It’s like I’m a freshman all over again. Only this time, I think I’m going to have a much bigger adventure.

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