[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/24720_enlightenAfrica.mp3|titles= Delaware Public Media's Cathy Carter interviews St. Elizabeth High School's Melissa Pollio about her trip to Africa.]
The Republic of Rwanda in east-central Africa is etched into the world's consciousness for its devastating genocide nearly 20 years ago. The ethnic tension that resulted in the death of nearly one million Rwandans affects the country to this day.
Over the past two decades, Rwanda has sought to heal and restore the country through a wide array of initiatives including trauma counseling, education, health care and teaching its citizens about agriculture.
Last month, Melissa Pollio, a teacher at St. Elizabeth’s High School in Wilmington was part of a global solidarity venture to observe some of these programs with Catholic Relief Services, “Called to Witness Program.”
“What they do is take youth ministers that work with young people to a developing country to see what they are doing in order to bring people out of poverty and give them a better education,” says Pollio.
The Rwandan experience is unique in that participants also experience what the country is doing to bring citizens together in the wake of its tumultuous past. One of those programs is the Peace and Justice Commission.
“What they do is take young people between the ages of 14 to 20 and teach them how to facilitate conversation between survivors and perpetrators of the genocide,” explains Pollio. “These are young people who were not alive when the genocide occurred.”
Polio found one particular exchange especially moving.
“We were with a group of survivors and perpetrators,” she notes. “And this perpetrator got up and talked about how he had destroyed the life of his neighbor. They stood side by side and told their story.”
Pollio says she witnessed first-hand the power of reconciliation.
“This weekend their children are getting married which is amazing. We just have no concept of that kind of forgiveness in this country and to see that first hand was really inspiring.”
Pollio was also surprised to learn how opaque the country is about its tragic past.
“They really keep the genocide front and center,” she notes. “It’s not only to not forget, but so that they don’t make those mistakes again.”
Memorials to genocide victims dot the landscape of Rwanda and Pollio says they are much different from one’s she’s seen before.
“It’s not like going to a museum in our country,” she explains. “Here, if you go to the 9-11 museum for example they won’t show the really graphic stuff. In Rwanda, it’s right there in your face. In one memorial there was a room full of skulls and bones. When I saw that I thought this is not archeology; these are people that should be alive right now. By putting it right out there, it made seeing the forgiveness that they are working through so much more powerful. They are fully committed to unity as a country as a people.”
Another issue facing Rwanda and other developing countries is food and wellness and Pollio was also impressed by what she saw being done to teach Rwandans about agriculture and nutrition.
“We visited a small village where they were teaching people how to eat,” she notes. “It’s not they didn’t have enough food, it’s that they were only feeding one or two foods to their families and sending the rest to market to make money.”
The educator learned the practice was a common one in Rwanda.
“The malnutrition rate for children up to the age of five is roughly 45 to 65 percent depending in which area you’re located,” she says. “What that results in is bowed legs and very short stature. I was taller than most men I encountered. So what they’re doing is showing them eat a variety of foods.”
Now, Pollio is looking forward to sharing her Rwandan experience with students.
One story she plans to tell is about the man she met outside the country’s capital, Kigali.
“Two years ago this guy took a small loan from Catholic Services,” she notes. “He used the money to sell tomatoes and then he graduated to renting a store to sell dry goods. He drives his bike an hour away to get his supplies to bring back to his village and you can only go one way when you’re trying to get supplies, the other way you have to haul your bike back on foot pushing all this stuff back and he’s like, my life has changed because I was given all these resources. His story was truly inspiring.”