volunteer orientation

We want to make sure that each of our volunteers is involved and informed, so we take time to go over the nuts-and-bolts of the activities and brainstorm new ideas. It’s important for each volunteer to have a rewarding experience, and we work hard to give everyone the tools to connect with the kids, the interpreters, and the other volunteers.

We get to know each other and help build the camp by discussing the hopes, worries, and aspirations each of us had as kids. By talking about our own experiences we are able to learn about the other volunteers, but it’s also important to incorporate activities that help us to understand the culture we are visiting. Meeting members of the community, exploring Kigali, and visiting centers like the Rwandan Genocide Memorial Museum help us prepare to engage the children and their leaders, and understand how their experiences are different from our own.