In a world gone slightly mad I find a constant that does not change: hope and healing. Being in Rwanda during the world’s financial crisis is a bit comforting. The worries and fears that are riveting the world, are less so in my work in Rwanda. It’s like being on a vacation, or when I was at University. It’s buffered. And that is not a bad thing. Because in spite of the problems which will affect me financially and personally, good work is going on. The good work of our donors is continuing. Let me tell you a story to illustrate my point:

A CAMP – A FIRE – A PURPOSE

Last year I visited the ex-child combatants (see blog dated October 20 2007 – When a Child is No Longer a Child). In it I described the problem of children (7-16) years old being forced to become soldiers in the Congo along the border of Rwanda. Can you imagine? But it’s not necessary to try. Because it is not about the atrocity of war or the exploitation of children. It is about the hope they have, the healing that is taking place, and the reintegration of these boy soldiers back into their communities. It is about the the belief that the past in not the future.

Last year I vowed to return to the camp of healing and prepare a meal for the children. And late last week that vow became a reality. Sara Oberdorf and I left Kigali with 10kg (22 pounds) of a combination of minced ihene (ground goat) and minced beef. 10 kg of spaghetti; 6 cans of tomato paste; 50 kg of tomato sauce; vegetables;spices carried from the US; AND oranges, candy, cheese, eggs, bread, cheese graters, ladles, spaghetti tongs, ice chest, and enough miscellaneous items to insure our campfire meal of spaghetti and meatballs would be a raging success!

Five of the children were chosen to be aspiring chefs for the day. We began by discussing hygiene and using the kitchen disinfectant spray to clean our hands and our work area. That was a big hit. Sara who is a US scientist living in London studying infectious diseases discussed unseen bacteria and the need to keep ourselves and all work areas spotless. The children were focused and learning.

Did I mention this is taking place in a large shelter with only a table, some huge pots and a raging smoky fire in the background?

After the cleanliness lesson we began our mise en place of our ingredients. Then the boys began to carefully chop the vegetables, pore the sauce into the HUGE pots, prepare the meatballs, begin to fry them on another raging fire and stir like crazy because MAMA Itafari (yours truly) was giving them multiply warnings NOT to burn anything. This is all taking place on wet wood with water oozing out the ends of the firewood causing enough smoke to can and smoke all the salmon in Oregon!

As we were literally in the ‘thick’ of it, all smoky, all working hard, all anticipating a great meal, we worked as a team for 4 hours. The meatballs were sticking to the bottom of the pan and so I made the executive chef’s decision to turn the sauce into a bolgenese and prayed the eggs, bread, cheese, etc of the meatballs would be delicious in this new recipe. Of course there is also the issue of cooking 22 pounds of spaghetti….that was a challenge. I will never again mind cooking anything on my gas stove with controllable heat…

As we progressed, the miraculous happened: a meal began to emerge! Five large baguettes were cut. These huge pots were carried to the area where 42 boys + staff + curious onlookers awaited. (the camp chef, an older wiser man was a bit perplexed by these activies in HIS kitchen – a lot of head shaking and laughing on his part). We served huge portions to the kids.

Such an unexpected meal – and they ate a lot – once the first one came back for seconds, a great portion of the kids followed suit! My heart was made glad! Then they danced. As only they can dance. With joy. With abandon. With grace and beauty. It was their way of showing their appreciation.

Our Jr. Chefs couldn’t believe what they called our ’sacrifice’. But it of course was no sacrifice but an honor to serve them. Food heals. Love heals. And there was a lot of love in this food. We told them about the goat program we will establish in their camp that that will be incorporated into our existing program. To teach them a skill so that when they leave the camp, those who are interested in animal farming will have a marketable skill and will be able to incorporated them into our existing child cooperatives.

MAMA Itafari made too much sauce but just about the right amount of spagetti. The meal was ended with fresh oranges and candy. And many cheers of thanks. As we left, I was concerned that our additional sauce would go to waste (no refrigeration at the camp). But Ally the Director of the camp called later and said they pored the remaining sauce over the beans and rice (their usual fare) that evening for dinner and the boys were ecstatic. And he laughed and said they couldn’t quit dancing.

How hard was that? Not at all. Just challenging. But comparitively speaking, to their life and challenge, it was nothing. And perspective is everything.

Thanks to Jo Smith who accompanied me last year on the Tour of Hope and gave generously for this meal. The future does belong to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. And the children are always a wonderful reminder of how little it takes to make a great difference in the world.

How little is little? $25 will buy one goat (which will not be minced!) to give to a child in one of our cooperatives. Don’t resist the
urge to make a difference. Go to Itafari.org and donate. Murakoze and Bon appetit!