2024 Rwanda Delegation— Taliyah Oaks
Media Production ‘24
With my major, I can document people’s experiences, encapsulate a feeling or event in said moment of time and impact the masses while doing it.
These skills that I’ve learned over the course of these four years have prepared me for a moment like this by being able to document my own story as well as others from another country to capture the human experience of interaction between two opposite sides of the world. I’ll be able to create bonds and memories with other young girls and boys like me who share my same spirit, hobbies, or interests.
Beyond that as I am a black woman in America and I also take many Africana Studies classes, I yearn to embrace my people who’ve never been stripped from their homeland. To know what my life could be like if I knew where I originated from, what status my family had been in my community or tribe and what my beliefs and morals would be like instead of coining some of those of a white man favored America.
June 7, 2024
Day 2:
— We visited Nyamata Genocide Memorial—one of the churches where Tutsi were hiding from the perpetrators— and this was a memorial/ museum that I’ll never forget. As we approached the front doors, there were bullet fragment holes in the roof of the church which I had never seen before. Entering through the doors, our tour guide made it known to us that the clothes of the victims would be seen all throughout the memorial. I was informed of this by Jonise, but I was unaware that the coffins of the victims as well as their bodies would be within the memorial.
This made my experience surreal and beyond shocking because they had immortalized this tragedy within those four walls instead of making it neat and more so “PG-13”. It allows one to embrace the reality of the situation and also picture themselves/their loved ones in the shoes of the innocent. I have little cousins, siblings and more, so even seeing baby clothes as well as knowing the baptism tub for babies was used to smash their heads against it, honestly hurt my feelings deeply.
In the back of the church, an underground burial site was created to place more of the bodies somewhere. Going down there, we seen the bodies stacked up on top of one another, which symbolized the Hutus (the perpetrators) stacking the bodies of the victims on top of one another. Walking inside there are notes left behind by the victim’s family members who have said their prayer or sent condolences to them. Some of the caskets were closed, but some of the coffins were cracked open showcasing the skulls and bones of multiple people. Knowing that I am accustomed to death, it did not deter me away but allowed me to sympathize/marvel at what once was a beautiful living soul, now stripped of life and withering away.
This day will forever be embedded in my heart and mind.
~Taliyah
June 8, 2024
Day 3
June 10, 2024
Day 5
As we traveled Rwanda, one of our destinations was to the Urukundo Learning center in Muhanga. This is one of the top schools in Rwanda which was created by a white woman who calls herself Mama (due to one of her occupations of being an orphanage mother to kids in Rwanda years before). Upon visiting the center for three days in a row, we were always greeted with the kindest and beautifully spirited children and staff. The staff were open minded to the activities we brought for them to learn to implement in the class. Just as we were to be learning from them and how they direct their classes.
I made a few friends from the staff — Hoziana, Jane and Theophile. We will stay in touch but mainly Hoziana and me, she was basically my best friend those past few days. Aside from the teachers, the children were nothing but lovely. They walked us around the school, introducing us to their friends, translated for us whenever we couldn’t understand someone and played along with us.
I found one boy named “Lucky” who gravitated towards me and I to him. He was so sweet and stayed underneath me whenever he could. I started calling him my brother and he accepted me as his sister. We will always share these memories together and hopefully I’ll see him again someday. I will reach out to the Urukundo directors in the U.S. and see if they can keep us in touch.
~ Taliyah
June 12, 2024
Day 9
June 15, 2024
Day 12
Azizi Life
Today was a day full of hard work. We visited Azizi life and spent a day in the life as a rural Rwandan. From the peeling of the cassava plan, hoeing the fields and fetching water, it showed me how difficult but rewarding it is for most people in Rwanda. The women were content with their place at the co-op and their village is more like a family from what it appears. Knowing that long ago my ancestors had to do similar acts and that it could’ve also been my life if not for slavery, makes me feel connected with those who came before me. I was humbled in my experience and appreciated every moment with those beautiful women.
~ Taliyah
