The sensation I feel just 2 days before embarking for Rwanda is difficult to describe. There is this turmoil, a battle between my thoughts and emotions rebounding through all of the extremes on what to expect from this course. With each passing day we busy ourselves more and more in preparation for an event we know we can never be fully prepared for. My heart quickens and my need for sleep diminishes as something too far beyond excitement ebbs its way into my actions. This coming month has become this surreal mass of expectations in my head but what blows my mind is I know that it will still exceed everything I could hope for. I signed up for this knowing that I was going to have a great experience, but this has progressed so far beyond that point.
This opportunity has so many dimensions to look forward to. We are so excited to be travelling to the National University of Rwanda. We have prepared and trained hard (9 hours per day, 12-15 if you count out of class) for a lesson plan that we are incredibly excited to teach over the course of May. This curriculum will be aimed at harnessing analytical skills from an entrepreneurial and corporate perspective by encouraging the students to voice their opinions and think deeply on a number of international companies. This is what I had originally signed up for. Since then, a series of developments have completely blown away my expectations. We have signed on for a research project in which we will be interviewing entrepreneurs in the informal business economy within Rwanda. This will consist of 20 of us across Africa sitting down with each individual entrepreneur and having them share their life story with us. The ramifications of this to my personal growth and understanding of how the world operates will be enormous. Additionally, we will be writing a case about a Rwandan business with Dean Rama B. Rao and Mr. Samuel from NUR. Having read over 200 cases by this point, it will be nice to get my hands dirty and see what the process is like from the inside.
This only scratches the surface to be honest. I can’t wait to update this blog again once we have spent some time in the country. We leave on Sunday, and the energy in the air is palpable. Wish us luck!