Firework

“You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine, just own the night, like the Fourth of July. Cuz baby you’re a firework, come on let your colors burst.”

Yes, those are the lyrics to a Katy Perry song and no, I am not trying to use it as an inspirational quote about my time here in Rwanda. OK, maybe I'm just trying to be a little inspirational but there is a real story here. The other night, Ali (my co-cousin) and I led Family Time in English. We printed out lyrics to "Firework" and each girl had to read a couple of lines. When we got to the line above, we had the girls share a spark that ignited in them when they got to ASYV. For the first time since I met them over a month ago, some of the girls spoke about the genocide and about being an orphan. They didn’t tell their stories but they said that ASYV has shown them that they can have a future and they can be confident, self reliant, and strong women. 

After they shared, we moved on to the line about the Fourth of July. I asked, “Who here has heard of this American holiday?” Silence….. and then “The Fourth of July is Rwanda’s Liberation Day. It is the day the genocide ended.” Chills. I was in shock. Who knew that Katy Perry could actually spark such an engaging and meaningful conversation in our family? The discussion turned towards owning the night- owning the experience of the genocide- and coming out on the other side full of hope- full of fireworks that just need a little spark to go off. For many of these girls ASYV not only gives them a home and a family but it encourages them to discover talents they never knew they had. Many of them say that they have never had hope before- imagine hearing that from a 17 year old girl. 

I feel as if the walls are slowly starting to come down and the girls are opening up in new and different ways. One girl gave me 3 handwritten pages on which she told her life story. Another told me that she hated her old school. A third told me the year she was born. I hope that they are starting to own their past and recognize that their history does not define them but can make them stronger. These small clues into their lives help me piece together the struggles these girls have faced- all I can do is listen.