Congratulations to the brand new Peace Corps Rwanda Health Volunteers! On July 13th, eighteen Peace Corps trainees became volunteers at the American Ambassador’s residence in Kigali. My return from South Africa coincided with the event, so I was able to attend the ceremony, which was lovely. The trainees even arranged a traditional Rwandan song and dance routine!
Although the group had been training in Rwanda for ten weeks, I had not had the pleasure of meeting any of them before. Most of the new volunteers have been placed in the Southern Province, and several of them will be living in my district, so I was anxious to get to know what my new “neighbors” would be like. They’re wonderful.
It feels like just yesterday, and also a lifetime ago that I loaded the bus from Hamdallaye to Niamey with my fellow CHARM trainees, Tondi driving and everyone singing along to The Beatle’s “I get by with a little help form my friends”. It’s been eight months since my swear-in. As I watched the new volunteers deliver their speeches (English, French, and Kinyarwanda) I thought a lot about my training group, now dispersed across Africa, Eastern Europe, North, and Central America. My heart sank as I thought about the various events and ceremonies my stage cannot do together. I miss you all so much!
At the same time, speaking with the new group fills me with hope and excitement. After the ceremony, they had lots of questions, and I realized I was semi-qualified to give some advice about work and life in Rwanda. Finally, I am not the new kid in country! This group is Rwanda’s fifth group of trainees, but the first group to have lived with host families during training (not including my mini-group of four Niger transfers). They are energetic, passionate, and dedicated. I am so excited to be in Rwanda with them. 
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