A Step-by-Step Guide To Have a Good Day

You know those days when everything seems to be going badly? You woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Despite your best intentions, you just can’t seem to turn the day around? While I wish I could say that everything the past month has been all sunshine and rainbows, that’s not reality for anyone, and I had my fair share of rough days. However, I found the panacea for a “bad day” in the Eastern Providence: going to a Shooting Touch Court. 

Let me illustrate. You make the seven-minute walk from the house to the court in Mayange, and our Head Coach Patrick runs over to give you a fist bump. Next, our Junior Coach, Isaie tosses you a ball - a clear indicator to jump right in with the group shooting around. Once practice starts, you loosen up with a few laps around the court. With every step and the subsequent release of endorphins, your mood starts to lighten. This is compounded by the joy and laughter emanating from the women, and their excitement to have you join them. Then, it’s time for a full-court 12 v 12 scrimmage. Teams are picked and suddenly you’re running up and down the court. You help your teammates try to guard Coach Isaie three-on-one, with limited success and lots of laughter. There are baskets made and celebrated accordingly. You quickly forget about the score and just have fun playing. When Coach Patrick blows the whistle far too soon, your team runs over to give high-fives and fist bumps before meeting as a group for a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene health lesson.

It’s pretty hard to wallow in a bad mood with that much joy all around you. Whatever I may have been feeling before practice was quickly flipped on its head, and I left feeling energized and in need of a glass of water.

In all actuality, this month has been hectic, but rewarding nonetheless. After spending much of January settling in, it was time to jump into work. Between mobilizing for Mutuelle health insurance registration with our Community Engagement Coordinators, to preparing for the Community Day in Rilima with the entire Shooting Touch leadership team and Fellows, to drafting and teaching a Coaching Clinic on professional communication with Madi, a lot was going on. In between, I traveled an estimated 600km back and forth between Mayange, Rwinkwavu, and Kigali. Needless to say, for a very short month, February was packed full.

The highlight of the month, by far, was our community day in Rilima. After working with the Shooting Touch leadership team and specifically Ingrid, our Community Engagement Coordinator in Bugesera, it was exciting to have all our work come together for a fun day of basketball and noncommunicable disease (NCD) testing. Our teams from both Rilima and Mayange came to play. Every game was competitive and the crowd of spectators was invested in every play. Just as importantly, we were able to provide NCD testing for women aged 35 and above and men aged 40 and above. This meant mobilizing not just our group of beneficiaries in Rilima, but the community at large and providing attendees a better understanding of their health status.

On top of the basketball and health testing, our beneficiaries currently participating in My Voice, My Power, a youth gender equity curriculum led by our local nonprofit partner Paper Crown Rwanda (PCR), presented a skit. It was exciting to see the work that PCR is doing to move the needle on gender equity across Rwanda and watch our beneficiaries share what they are learning. The entire audience was engaged and laughing right along with the beneficiaries performing. Although I may not have caught all of the jokes, I was energized to see the attentiveness of the community and their understanding of the lessons on gender equality that our beneficiaries were sharing. 

At the end of the day, I was exhausted, slightly sunburned, and grateful to have one event under my belt to learn from before preparing for our International Women’s Day event in March. Onward and upward from here!

A Basketball Odyssey in the Land of a Thousand Hills

As of this writing, it’s been about three weeks since I gave my dad two long hugs at JFK, both of us understanding that a new chapter was about to unfold. That moment marked the end of over two years since I had moved back home to New York after graduating from McGill University in Montreal. I was going to deeply miss my friends and family, but it was simply time for new beginnings. I had been counting down the days for this journey to begin, one that would combine my love of basketball with a fascination for a country that has made remarkable strides of progress despite enduring the unimaginable. 

In the early hours of January 9, I touched down in the “Land of a Thousand Hills” after a 20-hour journey that spanned from New York City to the Ivory Coast, then to Ethiopia, and finally Kigali, Rwanda. After picking up my Visa, I grabbed my two suitcases from the luggage claim and spotted a taxi driver who offered to drive me to the Airbnb in Kimihurura where I would be spending the week with Sam - Shooting Touch’s Director of Communications - as well as Lucy and Madi, the two other new Shooting Touch Fellows, hailing from Tennessee and California, respectively. I observed the lush greenery and immaculate streets out the passenger window, though my attention was mainly focused on navigating my driver in French to the correct address while my iPhone desperately hung on at 1%. Alas, I spotted Sam and the guard standing outside the house - I’d finally reached my destination two calendar days after departing.

I woke up early due to the jet lag and worked out with the Olympic rings I had brought over. Later that morning, Sam and I picked up Madi from the airport, who had just completed a six hour layover in Doha. With the Fellowship crew assembled at last, we immediately took part in a group orientation attended by some of the other Shooting Touch colleagues we’d be closely working with: Christelle, our Program Director, as well as Denise and Ingrid - two rockstar Community Engagement Coordinators operating out of Bugesera and Kayonza. Sam orchestrated the orientation over the ensuing couple hours, encouraging us to articulate our individual strengths, our preferred ways of collaborating and receiving feedback, as well as how we wish to successfully grow through this experience. Just as importantly, it was an opportunity for all of us to be vulnerable and transparent about our backgrounds, given that we’d be spending a lot of time with each other.

After Madi took her well-deserved nap, Lucy and I went for a jog around the neighborhood to familiarize ourselves with the new environment and acclimate our lungs to the higher altitude. We were the subject of quite a few stares - a very common occurrence in Rwanda, especially when locals spot some new foreigners in their neighborhood.

The next day, we went to the Shooting Touch court in Mayange Sector, Bugesera District, and got a chance to introduce ourselves to the coaches and female adult beneficiaries. The practice was cut a bit short due to rainfall, but we were able to squeeze in a chaotic full court scrimmage. We then drove over to another court and assisted a boys practice in Rilima. Some of the kids giggled while attempting to utter a few words in English as hundreds of other eyeballs gazed at us with curiosity. A beautiful sunset hung over the field as the practice wrapped up at around 6:00pm. The long day culminated with a dinner in Bugesera at a local restaurant suggested by Sam. I devoured my plate and immediately passed out in the car on the way back.

Spirits were high in Rwinkwavu

Over the ensuing days, Sam helped us set up our local MTN phone SIM cards and Bank of Kigali accounts, a must given the prevalence of Rwanda’s Mobile Money system. We also attended a local youth basketball clinic organized by members of the APR basketball team (Armée Patriotique Rwandaise) led by former Pistons Assistant Coach Billy Bayno. Finally, we visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a deeply moving experience. 

Additional highlights involved visiting the court in Nyamirama, where we helped dozens of women build a drainage ditch around the basketball court as part of umuganda, which translates to “coming together in common purpose to achieve an outcome,” as well as taking a 30 minute moto taxi all the way to Rukara, where hundreds of ST female beneficiaries warmly greeted us with applause.

I also recently played on the Rwinkwavu basketball team headed by one of Shooting Touch’s head coaches, Laurent, as part of the Umurenge Kagame Cup, a tournament initiated across the sectors of Rwanda to promote good governance, health, and mobilize citizens to compete in sport and competition. The games were a lot of fun, even though our team didn’t quite come out on top. 

However, my 7:00am two hour bus ride on the way to the Kagame Cup games was just as noteworthy. I met a woman named Judith who was kind enough to share her life story with me. It was both fascinating and sobering, listening to her personal evolution as someone who experienced the 1994 genocide as a 14-year-old and how it continued to affect her life and marriage during the aftermath. She explained how, for years, her life had been tied to domestic work, and how the visual trauma seen by her husband rendered it difficult for him to converse with her. Yet, she assured me that in the last few years, she has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, evident in her infectious spirit and personal desire to uplift other women. She also showed me pictures of her kids, now grown up, as well as her wish to ship the avocadoes she grows to the United States.

To me, this encounter further confirmed the myriad reasons for why I was so thrilled to arrive in Rwanda. As I reflect on the past weeks, each encounter, experience, and heartfelt connection has reaffirmed the profound reasons that fueled my excitement for this journey, emphasizing the rich tapestry of personal stories, the transformative power of basketball, and the boundless spirit of resilience within the Rwandan community.

ABOUT ALEXANDRE SHERMAN

Alexandre earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University in 2021, majoring in English with minors in Political Science and Communication Studies. Before joining Shooting Touch, Alexandre garnered experience at two prominent public relations agencies in NYC. Alexandre is eager to learn more about how the sports industry can join forces with the public and private sectors to drive social and economic development across Africa. 

20 Cows, 110 Goats, 5 Dogs, and 1 New Fellow

When I first told my family and friends that I was going to pack up my life, quit my job, and move to Rwanda for eight months to work with a non-profit organization, they thought I was just summarizing the plot of HBO’s newest documentary series. When you say it out loud, it does sound a bit crazy. At first. But after giving them a bit more information and explaining the organization’s mission, they came to the same conclusion that I did: I was meant to do this.

Upon arriving in Rwanda at seven o’clock in the morning, running on five hours of plane sleep, I was greeted by warm air and warmer people. Every single person I made eye contact with had a smile on their face, happy to share it with me. People approached me to shake my hand and ask my name. Seven different people came up to me to offer a ride, even when I told them I already had one waiting for me. After managing to lug my two giant suitcases outside and into the car, the drive to Kigali started. The stay in Kigali was brief, only about five days or so. I had no intention of living in the city, since I already knew I wanted to live close to the courts. Despite my lack of appreciation for city life, Kigali was great. The most memorable stop was at Pup Cafe, which is exactly what it sounds like. It is half cafe and half doggy day care, combining my two great loves: food and animals. I ordered perhaps the best chicken and waffles I’ve ever had and threw a toy for the dogs to chase all in one sitting. 

When we left Kigali, our next scheduled stop was in Bugesera to visit the two courts there. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I heard the words “basketball court” and “village” in the same sentence, but as soon as we arrived at the first court in Rilima, I knew I had made the right decision in coming to Rwanda. Before I even stepped fully out of the car, three young children came running towards me, arms ready for a hug and toothy grins plastered on their faces. Every person at the court was beyond excited to meet me and the other fellows. The women all repeated my name back to me and were super pleased when I confirmed that they had in fact said it correctly. Meeting the coaches and realizing these were going to be my “coworkers” for the next eight months made me feel relieved and excited at the same time. 

Our last stop was Rwinkwavu, a village in Kayonza District. I probably should not have been as excited as I was to see cows and goats on both sides of the street for miles. But I have no shame in admitting that I audibly yelled “cow!” when we saw the first one. The other people in the car were less than enthused when I pointed out the twentieth cow, but I could not have been more stoked. That is, until I saw the first goat. I pointed out ten goats on the drive, but decided to spare the other passengers and not point out the next hundred. As soon as we got to the house in Rwink, I knew I was home.

If you had asked me in November what my goals were for this trip, I probably would have made a smart aleck comment and said, “My goal is to survive the lions, elephants, and rhinos.” But now, my goals here are crystal clear. I want the coaches here to trust me, both on and off the court. I know they have a lot to teach me and vice versa, so I can’t wait to see how much my basketball knowledge grows while I’m here. I want to prove that I belong here and that Shooting Touch made the right decision in picking me to be the Basketball Operations Fellow. I plan to do everything I can to help this organization grow, and while that may sound overly ambitious now, I know I will be given ample opportunity to do so.

My last goal is probably the most important one, because it applies to every area of my life. I want to become a better listener and learner. I know that I am an outsider in this country and I can learn something from every person I interact with, if I give them space and time to teach me. I want people to feel like they can come to me when they need to talk, no matter what the issue is. And I want to learn as much as I possibly can about basketball in Rwanda. While the rules of the game are universal, there are a myriad of styles, paces, and attitudes that I will get to experience while I’m here. I know I will have good and bad days, just as everyone does. But I know that if I’m having a hard time, I can walk less than a mile in any direction and see enough cows and goats to make any day better.

ABOUT MADISON KNIGHT

Madison recently graduated from California Lutheran University in May 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management. Before joining Shooting Touch, she held the position of girls’ high school basketball coach at Castaic High School in Castaic, California. As a Rwanda Fellow, Madison is particularly enthusiastic about the practical insights she will acquire in the realm of basketball and the opportunity to delve into diverse cultures during her time in Africa.

You? Basketball? Where?

As my dad so often reminds me, I tend to lack a little thing known as hand-eye coordination, and my short-lived youth basketball career is a hot topic of jokes in the Marret household. I found the game more frustrating than rewarding as a competitive kid who hated being bad at things and was more used to having a soccer ball at my feet than a basketball in my hands. So, when I decided to move to Rwanda to work with a sport-for-development basketball organization for eight months, I was met with some skepticism. However, while I may not understand the intricacies of basketball, I can recognize the transformative power of the game to impact communities and build teams. There is nothing like a team environment to lift you up, hold you accountable, and be there to celebrate the big and small moments in life. Being here the last three weeks and observing Shooting Touch in action has only reinforced this notion. 

During my few days in Kigali, we worked through some of the onboarding materials and met with the Shooting Touch leadership staff to better understand this incredible organization and our roles this year. Then we headed to our first court: Mayange Sector in Bugesera District. This was actually the first Shooting Touch court I had ever visited, almost two years ago, when I traveled to Rwanda with the University of Tennessee’s VOLeaders Academy. It was about to start raining when we arrived, so instead of running a full practice, we jumped into a quick scrimmage with the women and quickly saw the competitive, joyful energy that radiates from every Shooting Touch court. Once the rain started and the game ended, we drove to Rilima to experience the U13 boys and girls practice. This was much more my speed (and skill level) and I was happy to start shagging balls and dropping in on a few dribbling lines. 

After the first week, we left Kigali and headed to Kayonza District -- home for the next few weeks and the location of six Shooting Touch Courts. We got to the house in Rwinkwavu after dark on the first night, so we truly woke up the next morning in a whole new world. It was so calm, sipping coffee on the front porch with the doors open and light pouring into the house. 

With each day spent in Kayonza, we visited a new court and got to experience the unique coaching styles and energies at each. In Nyamirama, instead of practice, we hopped in to help the women build a drainage ditch around the court. In Rwinkwavu, we ran laps with the women while attempting to learn the accompanying rhythm, clapping, and singing. In Rukara, we were met with over five hundred women rotating through agility drills, passing patterns, and dribbling training. Each court was so different, yet the joy of sport and community was evident throughout.

During my second week in Rwinkwavu, my colleague Madi and I had the opportunity to visit with three women in their homes to learn more about how Shooting Touch has impacted them individually. One woman explained that when she first joined Shooting Touch, she and the other women would come to the courts with dirty hands. However, they quickly learned through our Turikumwe Health Lessons about the health benefits of washing their hands. Now, all of the women come to the courts with clean hands and take pride in their hygiene, knowing how it impacts their overall health. I am so grateful we had the opportunity to visit with all three women so soon into our time here. Hearing their stories and the tangible ways that Shooting Touch has impacted their physical, mental, and emotional health only reinforced the mission of Shooting Touch and the work that I am excited to be contributing to in the coming months. 

From the time my parents dropped me off at the airport in Atlanta through the first few weeks in Rwanda, I kept waiting for homesickness and anxious thoughts to arise, but now almost one month since my arrival, more than anything else I feel content where I am and excited for the months to come. Obviously, there are nerves that come with moving to another continent and starting a new job with new co-workers that double as the only people you know in a foreign country, but our Director of Communications, Sam, as well as the Shooting Touch Rwanda staff and coaches, have been so welcoming during this time of transition. From helping us navigate buses and motos, to sharing a meal, to taking a road trip to the Tanzanian border, we have met so many people ready and willing to share these new experiences with us. 

Now a few weeks in, I am just as eager to be involved as I was on day one, and looking forward to the big and small moments to come, while (hopefully) improving my basketball skills along the way.

ABOUT LUCY MARRET

Lucy graduated from the University of Tennessee in May of 2023 where she was a member of the varsity women’s rowing team. She was also a member of the VOLeaders Academy that travelled to Rwanda in 2022 and partnered with Shooting Touch. After graduating with a bachelor’s in political science and minors in business and global studies, Lucy worked for the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative correspondent for Tennessee’s 2nd district before joining Shooting Touch.

Heat On, Windows Down

The summer going into my senior year of uni I was living up near campus. Pockets were empty so I was grinding away, helping prepare the Brody dorms for the incoming freshman class. It wasn’t much, but it was honest work - washing walls, painting bedrooms, vacuuming carpets. Walking to work for the 6am shift was out of the question, so I borrowed my good friend Bryan’s (Mazzy) moped for the summer. Trash can on wheels is what it was. One afternoon I was cruising home on Grand River going about 20mph (40km/h) and I was cut off by someone. I slammed on the brakes and turned the moped to avoid a crash. I hit the ground, moped fell on top of me. Scraped up my leg and arm real nice, got a tetanus shot for peace of mind. Moped was in an even worse state after. Bryan refuses to this day to accept I was cut off – just thinks it was a solo crash – files it away as negligence.

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I tell this story because as luck would have it, 6 years later I would move to a country that relies on motos as a primary source of transportation. We’re talking hopping on the back of a two-seater and zipping around to get from point A to B. Maybe do a little research eh guy? 

Other than a few trips to the capital, Kigali, I have been in the village of Rwinkwavu (Rwink). It’s located in the Eastern Province, in the Kayonza District. Kayonza is where we have 5 of our 7 Shooting Touch courts. A crucial part of my job out here is to travel to practice at one of these courts every day. There is a court in Rwink that I can walk to (huge), but below is how I get to the rest of them from the house in Rwink:

• Nyamirama (2 courts): Moto to Kabarodo, Bus to Nyamirama (Repeat for return)

• Mukarange: Moto to Kabaronda, Bus to Kayonza (Repeat for return)

• Rukara (buddy): Moto to Kabaronda, Bus to Kayonza, Moto to Rukara (Repeat for return)

So yeah, had to get over the fear quite quickly. The first few trips were pretty brutal. I had white knuckles the whole time, holding on so tight. Teeth clenched. Always yelling, “Bahoro (slow),” to the drivers as they rip it up and around the hills. Each driver has their own unique style, and you can usually tell the type of guy behind the wheel within the first 30 seconds. Obviously prefer the cruiser type, just vibing on the roads versus the speed demons.

As I’ve put in my kilometers, I’ve started to get more comfortable with motoing around the country. It’s part of the life, I just needed some practice runs to suppress my past anxieties. Although I’m more relaxed, my riding style is still nothing compared to Rwandans. They’re riding no hands, answering phone calls, carrying huge pieces of luggage, just hanging out back there. I’m still rocking with two hands (practicing with one though), but I’ve started to appreciate my surroundings more.

As I’ve stated before, the country is full of hills and luscious green backdrops. I can now sit back and appreciate the scenes around me - rows of banana trees that look like paintings, people cultivating in the fields, hang outs at the water pumps, the exotic and vibrant birds flying around, crowds of schoolchildren in uniform yelling “muzungu (white person)” as I cruise by, smoke from the trash fires in the hills, goats eating on the side of the road (always feels like one is going to just dart out), women in kitenge wraps carrying a baby on their back, while balancing a mountain of food on their heads, yellow jerry cans. The moto rides capture the essence of daily life in the village. A 20-minute ride is like reading a few books; each turn opens to a new road, with new characters, images, and a different story to tell. Since my fears have subsided significantly since my first trip, I now enjoy the moto rides because of the time it gives me to think; and I think about everything. What was once a stressful part of my day is now a time I look forward to.

The buses have been an easier transition for me (although the first one I took I got off at the wrong spot and had to walk 25 minutes to the court). There’s no room to be bashful on the buses between villages, and be sure to give yourself extra time to accommodate Rwanda’s schedule. The bus from Kabardondo to Nyamirama, for example, is a 10-minute drive - on paper. Ah but wait, the bus at Kabarondo Bus Park won’t leave until it’s full. Twenty minutes go by and now you’re finally on your way. Okay, I can text the coaches and tell them I’ll be there in 10 minutes, right? For sure you can’t. Along the way, the bus will stop half a dozen times, people will get off and get on. Nice try. Keep a book on hand and don’t let the thoughts of frustration enter your mind. 

Once you’ve grown accustomed to this dynamic, its easy living. Again, I’ve come to appreciate this time in transit. The bus offers a chance to spark up a conversation with a local who speaks a little English, to people-watch on the bus, and just see life happen around you. 

One of my favorite memories is actually when I was waiting nearly 30 minutes for this bus I was on to fill up so we could leave the bus park. Not ideal, but I was calm because the driver was jamming to some old-time Don Williams. Couldn’t believe it, being the big-time country fan I am. This place is full of surprises.

February Is Only 28 Days??

It was early in the afternoon on a Saturday, and I was sitting with a bunch of our U18 players on a mini-bus that was chasing down the mini-bus that I was supposed to be on. The kids around me were giggling with joy and would even let out a boisterous laugh every time we passed another vehicle that was traveling ahead of us. I found myself in this position after I had spent the morning watching our girls scrimmage at their morning practice in Nyamirama, before sitting in on “My Voice My Power,” a youth gender equity workshop series led by our nonprofit partner, Paper Crown Rwanda (PCR). After an electric morning filled with empowerment, dancing and lots of learning, I was catching up with Clementine, who leads the sessions for PCR, just before I was meant to ride the bus back to Rwinkwavu with our players. I thought that I was keeping an eye on the buses, but after a quick jog down to the bottom of the driveway, I realized the one that I was meant to be on had already left. I told the other bus drivers that I would simply take public transport, but the one who was meant to be headed 40 minutes in the opposite direction was not satisfied with that answer. He insisted that we leave right away and catch the bus that had already been able to make pretty good headway on us. In about 10 minutes, we caught up to the bus in front of us and honked until it pulled over, and all of sudden, I was sitting on the right bus and enjoyed an easy ride back to the Shooting Touch house. 

This experience pretty much sums up what the month of February felt like – in some moments, I thought that there was no way we could finish everything that we needed to do in the time allotted, but somehow someone (or everyone) would pull through and the result would be spectacular. In February, our Shooting Touch team accomplished a lot. We began our second unit of Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH2) at five of our six courts, and there is much to be done before we start teaching a lesson. At the end of January, I ran a three-day long health clinic, where I covered all of our curriculum with the coaches, with the support of our Kayonza District Community Engagement Coordinator, Melissa. It was my first time teaching a group that large, but I personally thought it went really well, with our biggest issue being our coaches’ inquisitive nature sometimes taking us into much more detailed explanations than are needed for our curriculum. At the same time, Melissa and our Bugasera District Community Engangement Coordinator, Ingrid, were conducting focus groups with our Women and U18 Boys and Girls groups in order to gather more information on their experiences relating to our health education , including but not limited to questions about contraception, family planning, and menstruation. Melissa and Ingrid also mobilized field staff to conduct short surveys to reach even more of our players, and at the courts our coaches facilitated a ARH2 pre-test with our players. It has been such an amazing experience this month to see our players interested in learning more about reproductive health and our coaches doing an amazing job teaching!

After launching ARH2, I quickly began reviewing our next unit that will launch at the end of April, which focuses on HIV. Reviewing each curriculum provides me with the opportunity to research and learn more about these health issues and how they affect Rwanda specifically, so I really enjoyed reading through the curriculum and working with the team to update some of our lessons. At the same time, I have begun to process all of the data that we have collected, both at the start of ARH2 and from our previous unit. While I have been busy working on our health curriculums, the whole of Shooting Touch Rwanda has been busy planning our registration periods at all of our courts, as well as the two big community events that we have planned for March.

The first event was a Community Day in Bugesera, the District where our two newest courts are located. The coaches’ selected teams for each of the age groups and players from the two courts came together to compete against each other. We also mobilized the community in order to test adults 35+ for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes and hypertension, and community members 15+ for hepatitis C. It was a hot and sunny day at our Rilima court, Shooting Touch’s new court built just last year, but the players, healthcare workers, and coaches (and Nate) all showcased their commitment, passion, and hard work in order to put on a super amazing event at the beginning of March. This also served as a practice run for Nate and I, as our International Women’s Day (IWD) event quickly approaches.

Our IWD event takes place in Nyamirama Sector, Kayonza District, and we bus in players from the three other Kayonza courts. In addition to the basketball tournament and health testing, we also lead a 5K March to the courts in the morning. This event is usually our largest community gathering, and March will surely be busy, with all hands on deck to make sure everything runs smoothly, and we can maximize our impact. In March, I will also have the opportunity to attend the African Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC) and listen to Chloe speak about Shooting Touch as a speaker on one of the panels at the event.

On a personal note, this month I moved into my new house near our Mukarange court, which is central to all four of our locations in Kayonza District. I was without water for the first week, but luckily, I had the support of my landlord and some of the women that work in his house to make sure that I always had water on hand. Since getting water back, it has been smooth sailing, and I even have a hot-water heater, which is a luxury in the Provinces. Another personal highlight was when Sam treated me (since the Eagles beat the Niners) and Chantal, friend of Shooting Touch, and her three kids to lunch at “Jambo Beach” to celebrate the youngest’s birthday. Nate then treated us to a boat ride on nearby Lake Muhazi, and we got to witness Sam geek out over all of the birds that resided near the water. I could describe the day in more detail (including some very heavy rain fall), but life out here is pretty exhausting at times, and I’m tired. Until next time. XOXO.

First Week in Rwanda

I stepped out of the Kigali airport at seven in the morning local time. I had been traveling for 30 hours at this point, and the gentle Rwandan breeze greeted me as a panacea to the sleep-deprivation that naturally comes with that much travel. With each breath and intake of my surroundings, the nerves of moving half-way across the world from where I had lived for the first 22 years of my life began to disappear. Before arriving in Kigali, I had never been to Africa, or even flown across the Atlantic Ocean, but when I first stumbled upon Shooting Touch through social media, I was instantly drawn to the organization and the country. As a Division 1 athlete, I had experienced first-hand the transformational power of sport and understood the force that sport can be for bringing communities together and building confidence. I was further inspired by their mission to create healthier communities through health education, partnerships with local organizations, and providing health insurance to their beneficiaries. With these feelings of inspiration, I embarked into uncharted territories, spending eight months in a foreign country with people I didn’t know.

My first day in Rwanda gave me a taste of the peaceful pace of the weekend, but this relaxation and recovery would not last long. The following week was long, informative and borderline exhausting, as I had to start a new job in a foreign country where I did not speak the language. Luckily, I was not alone. I was greeted by two Shooting Touch veterans, Chloe and Sam, who served as perfect guides to start the transition into my new way of life for the next eight months. I was also joined by another fellow, who was embarking on the same adventure as me. During that first week, we took care of the logistics of moving to a new country – getting a new SIM card, phone number and data plan, and spending an early morning at immigration applying for a visa. We also went to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which gave me the space to learn and understand the history of Rwanda in a different way, as well as pay my respects to those who had lost their lives.

As I was beginning to prepare for life in a new country, I also was trying to fully understand the organization that I would be working for and my responsibilities as a Health Operations Fellow. The Shooting Touch Rwanda team sat around and had discussions about our values, professional expectations and what we each wanted to achieve with our work. The energy was palpable, with the whole staff committed to making an impact on the organization and our participants. With that under my belt, I felt confident that I was ready to go to my first basketball practice. We spent an evening in Bugesera, a district in the Eastern Province of Rwanda that hosts the two newest Shooting Touch courts. At the newest court in Rilima, I was immediately greeted by tons of children who were hanging around the court as their mothers practiced and learned basketball. I used my limited Kinyarwanda with these kids, asking them how they were, introducing myself, and asking their name. The language barrier dissipated into nothing, as I read the familiar physical cues of the children and was quickly able to determine if they wanted to play a game of keep-away with the basketball or use me as a climbing toy.

Our second stop was at a court in Mayange, where I caught the end of their final practice of the night, with their U-19 boys’ group. Seeing this second location, I soon realized that each of the Shooting Touch courts would likely bring their own energy. The next day we would travel to the court in Nyamirama and the following, one in Rwinkwavu. The energy at both of these courts, where Shooting Touch has been operating for a much longer time, simply can’t be put into words. After the women’s practice at Nyamirama, community members and participants greeted me with hugs and welcomes, and with each introduction, relinquishing the nerves that come with being the new person to join a well-defined community. Each hello reaffirmed the power of sport to build and unite a community. Throughout the afternoon, I began to see how different players engaged with the game – some were there to win and others were there to learn and grow. This subtle distinction across and within different age groups reaffirmed a different core component of the Shooting Touch mission: sport is for everyone. At the Rwinkwavu court, I began to understand what community looked like for them – women took turns helping to care for a crying child, so that no one had to miss out on a drill.

This week marks only the beginning of my time with Shooting Touch, and while I feel that I have learned so much in such a short time, I also know that there is much more to learn. I am excited to visit Shooting Touch’s two other courts, in Kayonza and Rukara, and learn how basketball brings these communities together. I am impassioned to begin to learn from these communities and try to continue to help use the power of sport to create healthier and happier people.

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About the Author

Laine Garber is the 2023 Shooting Touch Rwanda (STR) Manager of Health Operations Fellow. She graduated from Yale in December 2022, where she was a member of the varsity field hockey team, and is excited to travel to Africa for the first time and support Shooting Touch with their health operations.

Past Fellowship Posts

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One Down Out East

“Doc, I’m in no mood. I was supposed to be at Joe B’s two hours ago. What’s the verdict?”

“NOT ALLERGIC.”

(Shakes head) “No chance.”

“May just be a severe irritation. I’ll write you a prescription for an EpiPen.”

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As I stare down the barrel of potentially 8 months as a part-time vegetarian, I’ve begun to reflect on the above interaction from nearly a decade ago. Living in the villages outside of Kigali has me seeking extra calories to sustain my already slim frame. I’ve started to ponder my options, recognizing I have no unwanted poundage to shed, also noting my limitations with nuts and slimy fruits (mangos, pineapple, bananas). The issue for me is that the Rwandan village diet relies heavily on these ‘deadly’ fresh fruits, and the incorporation of peanut butter and nuts is utilized heavily for quick nutritional boosts. No doubt I will survive though. (Irritation might also be fake – had pad Thai with peanuts a few months back and nothing happened). 

Trivial issue relative to my environment out here, but I thought I’d start my blog with my first and lingering observation. My reliance on meat heavy meals and the overabundance of items to choose from at shops in the US and Europe has certainly given me a jaded perspective on food consumption throughout the world and I’m learning quickly I need to adjust.

Moving on.

I’ve always had the tendency to romanticize experiences in life. People have then always been quick to warn me about the dangers of dramatizing the world and the threats of being let down. Don’t think like that, it never works out the way you imagine, they say. Often that is true – you don’t get into your dream school, your dream job ends up being unfulfilling, or you don’t meet your future wife reaching for the same vegetable at the grocery store (dang). 

My first month in Rwanda has reinforced the notion that romanticizing reality is better than the alternative. The saddest stories are those of regret from people who were too risk-averse to disrupt and abandon their comfortable lives to achieve their dreams. Fear creeps in and triumphs over passion. I’m certainly from a position of privilege as I say this as well. Responsibilities are true barriers. Not everyone can say hey I want to move to Africa and just pack up and leave. I’ve had incredible support systems throughout my life who have always encouraged me to pursue my passions. My point is that I think we need to shift the narrative to discuss what will go right if you take a chance versus being so concerned about what will go wrong. If you’ve got the chance (and support) to make a big change, and you’re concerned with the associated challenges, it’s natural, but the regret of inaction will be harder to deal with.

This reliable support has helped me develop the mindset that it’s better to be positive about life and expect everything to work out. Why not? Experiences will always be different than what you imagine, whether you’re overly optimistic or you attempt to take the ‘rational’ and ‘practical’ pathway. You can dream about a place or experience, but until you’re in the moment, it’s impossible to verify.

I’ve had this desire to move and work in Africa for some time now. I can’t remember a specific reason why, I have just always been drawn to the continent, the people, the differences. Now that I’m in Rwanda, transporting from the progressive, developing capital city of Kigali, to the surrounding rural villages embedded within the land of a thousand hills, my initial lived realities and true feelings towards this country are nothing compared to what I imagined. They’re a combination of things; better, unexpected, different. It’s not a binary experience.

It's good to romanticize. It’s good to imagine yourself living out a dream. I glamorized an experience and a place I had no idea about. Grateful for those daydreams – they were the best use of my time. Getting lost in thoughts about Africa pushed me to take the necessary steps to get out here. As I said, it’s impossible to replicate an experience in your mind anyways, so why limit your imagination? My time so far has been awesome. Even if it was the opposite, at least I would be able to confirm that, instead of being one of those “what if” people that live with regrets.

Advice to my future self out here in Rwanda, as well as people in general, is to keep an open mind instead of allowing the negative thoughts of “it never works out like you would imagine” enter your mind. Obviously, my Rwanda experience is going to be different than I imagined. How would I ever be able to predict my experience without having ever been to Rwanda? I was right about some things, wrong about others. Some things I had no idea about. Loving every minute of it right now though. Excited to keep learning about this place and the beautiful people – continuing to confirm previous expectations, while keeping an open mind about the new and exciting knowledge that’s yet to come. 

Enough preaching. Some quick hitters for my millions of readers:

• The big smiles and joy from the basketball courts – easy to stay energized watching the women and children hoop.

• Your body receiving an unannounced “African massage” from being tossed around on the bumpy, broken dirt roads.

• Kitenge – colorful fabrics with vibrant patterns that give an elegance to everyday life/activities

• Coffee, beef samosas, mandazis, chapati. 

• Rwanda wins – having a plan for the day and that agenda being completely interrupted by the Rwandan flow of life.

• The Shooting Touch impact is real. It’s palpable. The team is full of gems (and weirdly good at card games). Excited to grow with them.

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About the Author

Nathaniel Cueter is the 2023 Shooting Touch Rwanda (STR) Manager of Operations Fellow. He received his Master’s in International Relations from IBEI in Barcelona this past summer. He is excited to share his love for basketball with the communities in Rwanda, experience life in Africa, and contribute to the Shooting Touch mission.