Letter to Congo…
Through Women for Women, I sponsor a woman living in the DR Congo. Jeanine lives in Kasheke, a village in eastern Congo. In her last letter, she told me about her daily routine…
“…everyday when I get up in the morning, I arrange things in the house, then I go to market to sell my goods. When it is evening I go back and immediately start cooking the evening food…”
My previous sister, Saverine, recently graduated from Women for Women’s program, so Jeanine is my new sister and we are just getting to know each other. It seems appropriate to write my first letter to her from Rwanda, as I am her neighbor for the summer. Sitting in Bourbon Coffee, sipping my coke zero and polishing off a chicken panini, I write about the work I’ll be doing with Survivor Corps this summer, how I’ll be advocating for disability rights within Rwanda and helping youth survivors of the genocide. I also tell her about what I left behind in the states - my family, friends, and school.
Even as I sit in her neighboring country, I know our daily lives couldn’t be farther apart. But it will be our letters and our stories that will build the foundation of our friendship. And perhaps, we will have a chance to meet this summer…
