Day 1: On dreaming and hope

And we're off- two students and two teachers - in total a team of 4 educators who are packed up with cameras, tripods, journals, laptops, books, lesson plans, national standards, malaria pills, and even greater doses of excitement and apprehension.

Throughout the nearly 9 months planning, all of our documents and emails have been titled Rwanda Dreaming. Even when plans begin to finalize, I could not think of a word more apt than dream. For it is a dream realized when I think about the support and the generosity of the alchemists who turn this dream into reality.

It is a dream realized that allows us to escape, or at least retreat from, our own toxic national conversations in order to connect with educators half a world away--educators who teach their students about the power of hope rather than fear. A pleasant reminder that the energy of a classroom is the antidote to cynicism.

It is a dream realized to hear the words of one parent who said "I'm just so proud of my daughter. Proud that she can go to a school, a public school, where she has the opportunity to travel." And then to receive prayers of safe travels and good hope in the Logan terminal.

It is a dream realized that now allows me to travel, observe, question, listen, share, and learn alongside my students. Our traditional school roles have dissolved into an amalgamation of individuals who sit cross-legged watching documentaries on airport floors, press our noses to car windows, and hold hands on airplane takeoffs. Now we are a team rich with the diversity of ideas, perspectives, and experiences.

At a time when hope and optimism are increasingly rare, Rwanda calls us, 8 hours till Kigali. Rwanda calls us, now boarding.