If you were to ask me to sum up the past seven months, I’m not sure I’d be able to do it. After all, my life over the past 7 months has been completely different from anything I’ve ever known. But since that’s the assignment, I’m going to give it my best effort. I could go on forever about my time in Rwanda and every single memory I’ve made, but no one has time to read all of that. I’ll spare you the details of the ultimate gin rummy tournament that took place over the past three weeks between me and my coworker. I won’t tell you too much about all the village dogs gathering on my porch every night for howling practice together. And I’m not going to write a ton about all of my goodbyes, because that will make me far too emotional. So, instead, I’m going to tell you about the month of July and some of the highlights from my fellowship.
July was one of the most eventful months I had, which served as the perfect way to say goodbye to Rwanda and to Shooting Touch. My dad came to visit during the first week of the month, where I got to show him what my life was like in Rwanda and celebrate my birthday with him in Kigali. We attended practices at four different courts, hiked the valley across from my village, and did a safari in Akagera National Park. I’m not going to lie, as my fellowship began coming to a close, I started to feel extremely homesick. My dad’s visit couldn’t have come at a better time, as it gave me just enough taste of regular life to power me through my final thirty days.
After he left, the real work began. My coworker, Lucy, and I spent time at the building site of our new court in Rukara. We helped the videographers capture the construction process and painted the court with logos and decals. Our All-Star Summer League basketball tournament kicked off on July 12th, with all the best teen players from all of our four Kayonza courts meeting for weekly games in Nyamirama. While I only got to attend three of the six weeks before my departure, I can confidently say that our players are proving themselves to be true all-stars and represented their sectors proudly. At the end of the month, Shooting Touch’s co-founders came to visit with their family and with one of our board members, NBA player Grant Williams. Getting to play one-on-one with an NBA player was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done, so that was definitely a highlight. We hosted an event in Nyamirama on my last day in Rwanda, where I got to say goodbye to all of my coworkers and watch the last basketball tournament of my fellowship.
Saying goodbye to this part of my life was never going to be easy - this I knew the minute I landed at Kigali Airport at the start of the year. I packed two suitcases in January and moved 9,000 miles across the world to work for a non-profit organization on a different continent. Any assumptions I had made before arriving were shattered and replaced with truths better than I could have imagined. I did not know that I would form a lifelong bond with my coworker and roommate. I never thought I would have a dog living on my porch, following me everywhere I went and greeting me with a wagging tail everytime I returned home. I had no idea that the coaches working at all of our courts would become like family to me, making Rwanda feel like home.
If you had asked me seven months ago what I was going to get out of this fellowship, I probably would have come up with a cheesy line about being grateful for my life. And while I have certainly gained a new sense of gratitude for everything I have waiting for me at home, I learned a ton of important lessons. Basketball is a gift, and it has the power to bring people from all walks of life together. People in Rwanda are some of the kindest folks I have ever known, and they made every day better just by greeting me and teaching me about their lives.
The most important thing I learned during my time here is one that I will take with me and acknowledge for the rest of my life. Getting outside of my comfort zone has always been terrifying, but this experience has shown me that it can also be the most rewarding thing a person can do. I have learned about different cultures, about the world, and about myself. For that, I will always be grateful and a piece of my heart will always be in Rwanda.