In this interview, we hear from Haley Davenport. Haley is a Peace Corps volunteer working as a Education volunteer in Rwanda. What Haley shares gives us a better understanding of the work volunteers do. We learn about the challenges, rewards, and personal growth that happens from volunteering in a new place. Haley talks about living in a different country, working with local people, and dealing with surprise situations. Join us as we learn about Haley’s journey and see how volunteering with the Peace Corps can change lives.
Table of Contents
- Volunteer Experience and Motivation
- Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
- Surprises and Challenges
- Advice and Support
- Practical Tips and Language Learning
- Final Thoughts
Volunteer Experience and Motivation
1. Can you tell us more about serving as an Education volunteer in Rwanda?
As a volunteer in Rwanda, my days differ depending if it’s a weekday or the weekend! When I was an education volunteer teacher, I co-taught and co-planned English classes with my primary and secondary school-level Rwandan teacher counterparts for 40 hours a week.
On my weekends, I visited my other Rwandan neighbors and friends, went to the market, did household work/chores and, if time allowed, I loved to visit other volunteers at their sites!
2. What motivated you to join the Peace Corps and choose Rwanda?
My dad was actually an RPCV for Palau from 1978 to 1980, so I had grown up all my life hearing about the Peace Corps and how great of an experience it was for him.
Also, while I was in college as an undergraduate student, I also wanted the opportunity to experience living and working abroad and had big hopes to have the chance to study abroad. Unfortunately, while I was in college, COVID hit, and all study abroad programs were canceled, and thus I didn’t have the chance to do as I wanted. During this time, I was also studying International Affairs and History, and knew being abroad would help me with my future career aspirations of working with International Development Agencies, such as USAID.
Because of my dad’s experience and my desire to have experience working and living overseas, I decided to apply for the Peace Corps to see if I could get in. I applied to serve anywhere, but had been very interested in being placed in an East African country since I wanted to experience a completely new culture and had never been to the area! So, when I was chosen for Rwanda, I was so excited and a little nervous!
Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration
3. Tell us more about your home situation:
Living with a host family during training
While doing my first three months in the country, during my pre-service training (PST), I lived with an amazing host family! Both of my host parents were teachers (which was great as I was an education sector trainee), and I had two younger host brothers! This was all so exciting to me as I had always wanted to have a brother! My host family taught me essential skills such as cooking with firewood, and cleaning, and helped me to learn some more of Rwanda’s language spoken by almost all Rwandans, Kinyarwanda.
Living on my own in a rural community but near the capital
However, after PST, I moved out to another village and lived on my own in a house, surrounded by neighbors. My site was rural, but was only an hour and a half by bus away from Rwanda’s Capital city, Kigali!
In Rwanda, the food is not my favorite part of the country. In this country, a lot of the meals consist of beans and rice, green banana plantains, maize meal, and tomato sauces. In general, Rwandans do tend to enjoy more bland dishes and are not huge fans of spices. However, as a vegetarian, I’ve easily been able to have meals in Rwanda, as many Rwandans unintentionally eat vegetarian meals! This is because the prices of meat and fish are too expensive for many individuals in the villages.
Rwanda has so much nature to see
Something interesting about Rwanda is that it is very hilly and is nicknamed the “Land of a Thousand Hills”. In the Northern Province of Rwanda, temperatures are quite cool as that is where many of the taller hills and volcanoes are located. In this area of the country is also where Volcanoes National Park is, which is home to Rwanda’s unique mountain gorillas, including many silverbacks! This is an important tourist destination for Rwanda, and Rwanda has dedicated so much time, money, and effort to conserve its gorillas! The results have been amazing, leading Rwanda to have their gorillas’ status go from nearly extinct to a saved species!
Many volunteers, including myself, can exercise here! Many go on runs, play basketball with community members, or like to do yoga and other mat exercises in their homes.
4. Any memorable experiences or interactions you’ve had with community members?
I have had a few memorable experiences with community members and my friends in my village. One of my favorite experiences was when I played an active role in a friend’s wedding. It was so fun to dress in traditional clothes and learn about the different customs of a traditional Rwandan wedding!
I also enjoyed having meaningful conversations with different leaders when we were planning a grant I received through the Peace Corps, which was to refurbish an area in my school to be a science laboratory.
Surprises and Challenges
5. What has surprised you most about Education challenges in Rwanda?
There have been a few surprises I’ve faced about education challenges in Rwanda. One of these challenges I found shocking, which in hindsight I shouldn’t have, was how limited the teaching resources and materials are available for students and teachers alike. Many times there are hardly enough books for students to read and learn from, and the books that are available are very worn out and outdated.
It is also interesting for Rwanda, as the country recently changed from having French as a teaching medium to English. Because of this, many older generations of teachers themselves do not know English well enough to teach their subjects in English. Thus, sometimes it can be difficult for the students to understand the material being taught to them. This is often where I came in as an Education volunteer to not only help my students understand English but also the teachers of my school.
6. What challenges did you face while working on Education projects?
A lot of the challenges I faced when trying to co-plan and co-facilitate English projects with counterparts or community members have been the timing. In many instances, Rwandan teachers and others have many obligations outside of their normal teaching hours and therefore do not always have the time to do extracurriculars.
Furthermore, time is interpreted very differently in Rwanda, and oftentimes individuals in Rwanda do not keep to a tight schedule. Here, time is flexible. Because of this, many individuals aren’t punctual, which can cause planned meetings and events to be very delayed. At times this was frustrating to me, but I soon had to realize that was just how time is followed in Rwanda.
7. Could you share some of the secondary projects you have been involved?
Along with my primary responsibilities of co-teaching and co-planning, I also took on a few secondary projects including starting English clubs for teachers, secondary students, and my upper primary students. I also co-facilitated spelling bees for both of my levels of students, while also managing a grant to build a science laboratory on my school’s property.
Additionally, alongside community counterparts, I attended a training and started a school garden to help assist the school feeding program at my school! The goal of this project was to grow more nutritious foods so that our students could have better lunches (as many times this is the one meal a day our students have).
Advice and Support
8. What advice would you give to someone considering serving as an Education volunteer in Rwanda?
Over two years ago, I arrived in the country of a thousand hills. At the time, I had so many emotions! I was so excited to start the adventure of a lifetime. However, I was nervous, as I had no idea what was in store for me, and being a Peace Corps Volunteer would be my first job after graduating from college. Another emotion I felt was fear. I was terrified that I would fail as a volunteer in Rwanda.
Now, I realize that I have learned so much. Not only have I enjoyed learning about Rwandan culture, but I have also loved learning about myself!
Looking back, I shouldn’t have felt fear when arriving in Rwanda. In Rwanda, I live in one of the best communities, with some of the closest friends I have ever had. Being in Rwanda has also given me the opportunity to experience something new and exciting every day, which did not happen when I was in the United States.
During my PST, learning Kinyarwanda was very difficult for me. During one of the language sessions where I was really struggling, one of the language teachers shared a Kinyarwanda saying that I will remember forever. The saying is, “Birakomeye ariko Birashoboka“, which translates to “It is difficult but it is possible.” That night, I realized she was right, learning Kinyarwanda was difficult, but it was possible. That being said, my advice to the PCTs would be that sometimes being a PCV in Rwanda can be and will be difficult. But no matter what challenges may arise, it is always possible to persevere and become stronger in the end.
9. What skills or qualities do you think are most important for a Education volunteer?
As with most Peace Corps volunteer positions, I believe it is really important for Education volunteers to be flexible, adaptable, willing to think critically and problem-solve. Many times there will be days, events, and classes that do not happen or go as planned. This is completely normal, and it saves a lot of frustration if one is more willing to be patient and go with the flow as necessary.
Another skill I believe is essential is the ability to collaborate and be willing to make compromises. As an education volunteer, as mentioned, I had co-teachers I needed to work together with to make thoughtful, thorough lessons. There were instances where my counterparts were hesitant to change their techniques and disagreed with how I could have facilitated a lesson, and I had to respect that. However, we always had thoughtful discussions and always were always able and willing to consider each other’s perspectives and ideas.
10. How has the Peace Corps training helped you during your service?
I believe the Peace Corps training that I completed throughout my service greatly helped my ability to not only be an English teacher in Rwanda, but also an integrated member of my small village community.
For example, myself and the other volunteers in my cohort had countless technical sessions that improved our confidence and ability to teach English as a foreign language. Prior to joining the Peace Corps, I had no teaching experience, and because of this, I had to really rely on these training sessions.
Furthermore, my cohort and I had many cultural sessions throughout PST, IST, and MST/C that helped give us insight into many of the social norms individuals in rural parts of Rwanda have. This helped my integration into my community and helped me to make meaningful connections throughout my service.
Practical Tips and Language Learning
11. Anything that you packed or didn’t pack that you’d like to tell future Rwanda volunteers?
After looking back, I realized I was very much overpacked with items that really were not needed. For example, I brought lots of clothes, when in reality there were so many markets in Rwanda where one could easily buy clothes. I also brought items with me such as a solar shower, which I never used! Additionally, I brought certain foods that were heavy, like peanut butter, which I thought wouldn’t be available in the country and were.
However, I also brought many items that were so useful and I would recommend bringing them! One of these items was my Kindle, as reading became one of my favorite pastimes while in Rwanda. I also brought flash drives full of movies which were also great to have, especially as I did not always have a lot of Internet access. Additionally, I brought a couple of portable phone chargers and a solar-powered charger, which was so useful, especially when the electricity would go out. I also liked having my own fitted sheets for my bed with me, and certain spices that are not easily accessible in Rwanda.
12. How has learning the language been?
The language I and all Rwandan volunteers learn is Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda that nearly every single individual throughout the country speaks.
I think it could help a future volunteer coming to Rwanda to know a few basic greeting words, but it is not necessary to know a lot of Kinyarwanda before arrival. The language teachers Peace Corps Rwanda has are phenomenal, well-trained, and very good at their jobs, to say the least.
When I was a trainee, as someone who does not learn languages quickly, I was not the best at learning Kinyarwanda. However, with the support of these language teachers, I was able to leave PST feeling much more comfortable communicating basic needs in Kinyarwanda. Furthermore, once I got to my site, I had a tutor and practiced Kinyarwanda all the time. Now, after more than two years in the country, I definitely feel comfortable conversing in Kinyarwanda.
Final Thoughts
Haley’s journey reminds us that true growth often happens when we venture beyond the familiar. Her experience in Rwanda demonstrates how volunteering can transform not just communities, but the volunteers themselves. Thank you, Haley, for sharing your story and offering a glimpse into the meaningful, sometimes challenging, but ultimately rewarding world of international service.
What are you waiting for? Opportunities like this don’t come often. If you have a passion for service and an adventurous spirit like Haley’s, apply to the Peace Corps today. Expand your horizons, push your limits, and create positive impact as a volunteer. You never know how serving as a Peace Corps volunteer could change your life.
The content of this post does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or Rwanda Government.
