So, this may or may not come as a surprise to you, but I'm heading home. I was really trying to make things work in Byumba, but I was pretty miserable so it didn't seem to make sense to continue just to prove something to myself or someone else. I really appreciated the couple of weeks that I spent there, and learned a lot about refugees and the organizations that serve them.
The constant presence of a language barrier really made it difficult to get to know almost everyone in Byumba. When at home I was usually by myself and when at work I was with other people most of the day, but I could never understand what they were saying. The language barrier also had definite implications for the amount I was going to be able to contribute to the kinyarwanda speaking community health workers whose education was my focus. Things were very difficult at work and difficult outside of work, so I didn't really feel as if I had an outlet.
It was a difficult situation and it may have gotten less difficult the more time I stayed there, but that wasn't the sense I got from the way things were going. I'm disappointed on a lot of levels, but I think that returning home is the best personal decision for me right now. I'm trying to assure myself that this experience was a valuable one, and if nothing else, I've learned a lot about myself. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again when I get home. Hopefully you'll be able to recognize me with all the bug bites I've accumulated.
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