As June comes to a close and I am staring down the final quarter of my time in Rwanda, I am starting to reflect a little more on my time here whilst simultaneously wishing for time to slow down. Every month seems to move faster and faster, and June was no different.
The month started with a Family Day event in Rwinkwavu in which Shooting Touch hosted a second group of students visiting from the University of Tennessee. For the afternoon, the court was painted with a little more Pantone 151, a beautiful sight otherwise known as Tennessee Orange. I love cultivating the growing Knoxville-Shooting Touch Rwanda connection, and having that little taste of home when the group started singing Rocky Top.
The very next day, my family arrived in Rwanda after a series of travel delays. This is the longest I have ever gone without seeing my family, so I was ecstatic to have them here and show them why I love Rwanda so much. We tried to make the most of our limited time together and kept a full itinerary. We started in the east with a safari and a trip to Rwinkwavu to see where I spend most of my time. We then headed north to Musanze to see golden monkeys and visit the Sunzu Yacu Library, a highlight for my whole family. We finished the trip by heading west to Lake Kivu for a few days of relaxing on the water before heading back to Kigali.
Soon after they departed, it was back to the village and back to work for the rest of the month, with two more events in back-to-back weekends. The first event was a basketball-for-health tournament, including NCD testing, in Mayange. The second event, hosted in Rukara, brought together beneficiaries from all four Kayonza courts to educate against gender-based violence (GBV). The “End GBV” event was a long, hot day, but you would never know it by the energy of the players and surrounding community. The edge of the court was packed with people from start to finish, and the line for health testing continued to grow hour after hour.
After the end of the women’s tournament, I spoke with a few women from Rukara about the event, and the importance of raising awareness about GBV prevention. One woman, Magnifique, spoke about basketball bringing women in the community together, teaching them about their inner light, and helping them stand tall as women. This conversation struck me, and reminded me of a Mark Twain quote one of my college coaches shared with me years ago: “A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” There is an inner confidence and self-worth that inevitably follows sports, and it was moving to hear Magnifique talk about Shooting Touch with such conviction, joy, and vigor. It was also a reminder that sports can be a microcosm of life, and what you learn through sport translates to life. The confidence you build on the court doesn’t leave you when you walk into the community.
I also had the joy this month of helping host Grace, one of my former teammates at Tennessee, a fellow VOLeader, and an absolutely incredible human. While she was here, she got to experience all sides of Shooting Touch from events to practices and everything in between. She even stayed with Madi and I in the village for a few days of early morning coffee, yoga on the porch, and afternoon basketball practices. On Grace’s last night in the village, the three of us sat on the porch well past our usual bedtime talking, laughing, and reflecting on the very different yet similar paths we took to all be sitting there together. It was a full-circle moment and a great way to round out the end of June.
Heading into July, I know I can’t slow down the clock, despite my best intentions. Instead, I want to be intentional, stay in the present, and soak up every possible moment. From the basketball court to the late nights hanging out with Madi and our favorite village dogs to the bus rides connecting it all, there is so much left to do, and I plan to enjoy all of it.