American University Athletes in Kibondo, Rwanda

After arriving in the ‘land of a thousand hills,’ our group was immediately embraced in hugs outside the airport by teacher and community leader, Danny. Danny was one of countless community members to welcome us into their village and immerse us in their rich, familial culture.

Our first morning in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, we visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial and learned about the genocide that occurred in 1994. This powerful memorial educated our group on the history of Rwanda and the lasting impact of the genocide on the country, showing our group the courage and strength of the Rwandese to forgive and rebuild after these events. After spending the day in Kigali, we drove through the breathtaking country until we arrived at the village of Kibondo where we would start building the sports court.

 The next morning, we woke up to a hearty traditional Rwandan breakfast consisting of fresh fruits such as tree fruit, mango, passionfruit, banana, and amandazi, delicious beignet-like fried balls of dough. After breakfast we walked to the school where our work would start. Immediately after exiting our compound, we were greeted by kids who rushed to grab our hands and walk us to the school. Every morning for the remainder of the trip we would not make it far before our hands were held by smiley kids, eager to journey with us to school.

Like with any project, the first morning we spent more time brainstorming and problem solving than we did working. Once we decided to transition from using a concrete mixer to having hired workers hand-make the concrete, we were quick to make progress on the court. Our group formed a bucket line with children from the school and kids from the community, passing heavy buckets – called indobos in Kinyarwanda – until they reached our “dumpers” who slung the concrete mixture onto the court. We were amazed by the strength and perseverance of community members, especially children who were quick to jump in and help, often heaving buckets of concrete that matched their body weight. Younger children helped pass back empty buckets to be re-filled with concrete before they made their way back down the line.

While we spent four days primarily building the court and putting most of our energy into completing the project, each day we still interacted with the community in many ways. During breaks in construction, in the evening, and our walks to and from school- often hand-in-hand with kids who would walk past their house or in the opposite direction just to spend more time with us, we formed strong, emotional connections with countless kids. We formed dance circles, played hand games, sang songs, and gave countless hugs, high-fives and pounds. One of the most rewarding parts of the trip was seeing the same kids each day and getting to know more about each other and our respective lives. Often, we were met with running hugs from the same kids each day.

Our work in the community would not have been possible without the help of every kid and adult who helped build the court. As well as Danny, Haley, and Sam who truly made this experience for us. Danny taught our group what it meant to be selfless, compassionate, and invested in one’s community to create lasting change. I do not think we made it more than five minutes before Danny’s phone would ring, having to coordinate acquiring building materials, logistics of the day, and answer community members. Haley was our expert translator who worked with the community prior to Covid through the Peace Corps. Her relationships with Danny’s family and other community members were inspiring and touched all of our hearts. Sam, voted by our group as the funniest person we have met, is the East Africa Director for Courts for Kids. Along with comedic relief, he was incredibly hard working and built deep bonds with every person in our group.

We were lucky enough to attend a local church service and be greeted by the congregation, whose women’s choir sang beautiful and moving songs. We also had dinner with local sector and district leaders who thanked us for our work in the community. As competitive student-athletes, we were eager for our “futbol” match against the school’s team on their field. With hundreds of students lining the field, we had the most fun and unique game of “futbol” many of us had ever played, coming out on top with a second-half goal.

After finishing the court, at the request of the school’s teachers, we ended our time in the village talking to students about the importance of education and sports’ role in promoting education and helping live a successful life. After putting on a sports clinic, we had the opening ceremony for the court where the school community sang and danced to traditional music, thanking us for our work and wishing us a safe journey home. After we thanked the community for their kindness and hospitality, we played volleyball in the rain on our constructed court before having to say tearful goodbyes to countless individuals who forever impacted our lives.

The next day we went to Akagera National Park for a safari where we saw rhinos, giraffes, a lion and countless other species who live in the lush, green hills of the park. We then spent the night at a hotel and soaked in our last day together as a group before returning home.

While we had so many unique experiences such as the safari, our favorite memories we will cherish forever were formed interacting with community members and exploring the village. Learning words and phrases in Kinyarwanda - such as “vuba” (quickly), nitwa (my name is), witwa nde? (what is your name), walking hand-in-hand with the same kids to and from school each day, learning to cook chapati- a traditional Rwandan food-, and pointing out the Big Dipper, Southern Cross and planets while stargazing under the clear sky will all remain as core memories from this trip.

Words will never embody the impact this trip had on each of us. We hope that the court and the relationships we formed with each other serve as a lasting reminder of the bonds we built with the community and our time in the caring and beautiful village of Kibondo and country of Rwanda. We learned immensely about community, respect, compassion, and how to live a life with happiness from this trip. We may all be from different teams at American University, but this trip truly brought us all together as a family. We laughed together, we cried together, and we grew together. We leave the community knowing that the legacies of the lives we will live from now on pay tribute to spreading the values the village and people of Kibondo taught us. ~Morissa Lambert, Student Athlete

This court will impact our community in different ways such as;

• Kids will develop the sports- related talent that may help them to be their passion in future

• Kids/Teachers at school and the community around the school will interact to have a common understanding of the education of their children during games and tournaments.

• Community, through playing volleyball and Basketball, will develop their body muscles.

• The number of students who drop out will decrease, because some students will be attracted by the court to play sports.

So as a teacher of GS Kibondo, I’m glad to have such a nice, beautiful and durable sport infrastructure that resulted in strong relationship and partnership between GS Kibondo and Courts For Kids! ~UWAMUNGU Daniel, Community Teacher

You don’t have to speak the same language to communicate or build a meaningful connection. One of the kids didn’t speak much English, but he was always next to me helping out and walking me home.  And he and I both cried when it was time to say goodbye. ~ Alyssa Nilles, Student Athlete

I feel this trip has opened my eyes to the world and realized there are other perspectives.  These perspectives are just as important as my own, but I need to take the time to learn about them ~ Brian Chepulis, Faculty Member

I learned to never have pre-assumptions about a community or culture. Each part of the world is beautiful in its own way and so incredible.  Rwanda was able to show me that the world is full of wonderful people and God has an amazing story for everyone. ~ Jaxon Knotek, Student Athlete

My favorite memory from this trip was the football match.  I loved being literally and figuratively surrounded by the community, playing a game everyone loves.  It was the perfect representation of how sports can bring people together. ~ Ashley Smith, Student Athlete

I learned that I know almost nothing about the rest of the world. This trip took me out of my American bubble and showed me a different culture, area and community. I learned so much about service, education and kindness in just one week. It made me realize I need to learn more about the world, especially with the privilege and resources I have. ~ Ashley Smith, Student Athlete

While a lot of my favorite memories involve working on the court and getting to know the community members and kids, my most favorite were getting to experience the culture. All of the times we got to experience their traditions, dancing, singing, food and so much more, brought me so much joy. The singing at the church service was amazing and I will remember that moment forever. And the opening ceremony for the court that included singing, dancing and chants was so special and a memory I will hold onto forever. ~ Katie Putney, Student Athlete

At one point on the trip I was just hanging out with some of the guys my age and I felt more comfortable and at home with them than I did in the States around people/friends I’ve been knowing for a decade. ~ Dilane Zouantcha, Student Athlete

I was really annoyed at the fact I wouldn’t be able to use my phone throughout the trip. But now I’ve realized it was the best decision ever. Not only did my bond with my teammates grow closer, but also the local as it helped when tuning out the outside world. ~ Breon Phifer, Student Athlete

This trip solidified that I want to definitely work with Peace Corps or other similar organizations before heading to med school.  – Maya Mru, Student Athlete

My favorite memory was seeing the kids all sprint to the finished court, laughing and smiling. I loved seeing everyone on the court together. It was a beautiful moment to see kids, families, teachers, members of the community all so happy standing on the court and to me it symbolizes the incredible hard work of the community and their sacrifice of time and effort to help us build the court together. ~ Delia Rabatin, Student Athlete

My favorite moment was when we played volleyball with the kids after completing the project.  Even though it started raining while we were playing, they were so excited to stay out and play in the rain. It was also beautiful to see so many kids and community members watching with excitement. ~ YY Yiljep, Faculty Member

I am a woman who lives in Kibondo rural area, Basketball and volleyball are common sports that Rwandan women like so much among other sports, so as a Rwandan woman, to have the such beautiful volleyball and basketball court in rural area like Kibondo, will help our rural community especially women/girls as well as men/boys. UZAHIRWA Pelagie, Community Member