2025 Rwanda Delegation— Gianna Cotto
Theater ‘25
I am so excited to go on this journey with the Anne frank project of Buffalo State. I am embarking on this adventure because I feel like it's a road we should go down. The Anne frank project had taught me that forgiveness is messy, but it is a gift to give and receive it. I couldn't think of a better way to experience that than traveling to a different country that has completed that mission. I solemnly believe that if we were to learn how to forgive each other how Rwanda has, America would be a better place. Thank you to everyone who made it possible for me to go on this journey! God bless you all ! :)
June 6, 2025
11:21am
The air is different here. It’s almost forgiving. The people are happy. Traffic is crazy! But it’s so different. I’m looking around Kigali and I’m emotional because it reminds me of home. The streets, the joy, the art. Just like Puerto Rico. The smell of food is absolutely killing me lol. I haven’t been able to keep much food down so I’m kinda hungryyy ! The streets are so clean ! Not a single piece of garbage in site.
7:09pm
We just finished resting which was so needed :) and now we are at this really nice restaurant ! Mom if your reading this, they have the best passion fruit cheesecake!
June 5, 2025
9:00am
It’s morning in Kigali. It’s raining again lol but it’s a peaceful rain. There were a couple sounds of thunder during the early morning so I’ve been awake since lol. But I love it because everything is so green. I am about to try the mangos here lol. There are so many people singing! They are always happy here. If only we had a little bit of that back home. No mangos today but there was a really good plantain breakfast. It’s different but I like it. Niko if your reading I tried something new ❤️ and I liked it.
1:03pm
We have done a walking tour and a tour of the women’s center and can I say we need more centers like this. If we had centers for all women in Buffalo were we could provide services that they look for, I feel like it would be so beneficial. There are so many women in Buffalo who have not had the privilege to go to college or even finish high school who could find the skills they teach the women who attend this program so useful! We have also just eaten at a local woman’s house and can I just say her rice and beans were amazing. Almost as good as mama’s. Soon we will go to the memorial center. I also have to pee but I didn’t want to pee in a while because I was scared to pee myself.
2:00pm
Just passed by hotel Rwanda 🤣
4:00pm
I have just finished walking through the remembrance center and it was the most beautiful experience. Although it was a somber and hurtful memorial for most. It helped heal parts of me that most don’t know about. The room that was most impactful was the children’s room. Being a future teacher and someone who struggles with the idea of future children it was really hard to see all that was left of a healthy and happy kid was there name and information about them. To see the clothes they wore that day hung up and the remains that are now memories was so painful. But through all of this pain and you see a light. Hope. And faith in the people who survived this. You hope that after all the life that was lost.. people learn that anger and resentment will be resolved with death. As a teacher this room taught me that empathy and understanding is what children need most. I strongly believe that if teachers came to this country and experienced what I have …our school system would be way better at what it does.
4:51pm
Dad we thought that driving up the mountains in Puerto Rico was bad lol just imagine a van with 14 people in it going up what felt like a thousand hills
June 6, 2025
8:20am
It’s morning at St. Paul’s, it’s kinda rainy. It’s also kinda cold but it’s not to bad. Today on the agenda we are going to visit another memorial site and a restorative circle almost. We will be meeting victims and perpetrators in the same room and talk about their experiences. People say that this experience is hard because the people go into detail on what happened and what they did. Today will not be easy. Yesterday wasn’t. But it’s important to hear the stories so we can prevent something like this from happening again.
12:44pm
We just walked through the church. I have no words. When you walk in . You can hear the screams . You can see the blood. The bones. The little clothes. The baptism pool. Why? Just why?
5:19pm
We have just done the meetings with the reconciliation village and I can say I feel much better about going to the memorial site today. Seeing all of the coffins with over 30 bodies in each like absolutely killed me. Seeing where they laid there clothes where they originally died. Seeing where their blood on the walls and mantel of the sanctuary was absolutely terrifying. Not because of the death it self but because they died at the hands of people who were supposed to protect them. Over 45,000 bodies buried and remembered there. We were actually able to walk down into one of the mass graves and as I walked in I felt like I could hear the sounds of wind and voices. As I walked further in, one of the coffins was actually open .. and I was in utter shock. But this is normal because during this time people come to be with their loved ones. As we left we actually seen a family walking into the mass grave section because after 31 years the person who killed there family confessed and showed them where there family members were so they could finally lay them to rest. We were all in shock when we seen the mass graves. Over all, I felt much better when we made it the reconciliation village. Hearing they’re stories and how they prevailed and forgave, gave me a sense of ease. Also looking at them and seeing that they were just people who, because of there families, were told lies about each other. That’s why it’s important to tell your stories! Because someone got it wrong and it lead to so much pain.
June 7, 2025
5:00pm
Our first day in the Urukundo Learning center and I have never felt so amazed ! The teachers were teaching me our methods it was like I didn’t know anything. Like I was just learning it all over again. They have such an energy that is so different from what we usually have. It’s almost intoxicating!
June 8, 2025
10:00am
We are traveling to Urukundo Learning center again to spend the day with the teachers in training once again! I’m excited!
2:20pm
We have just finished our day here and I completely loved it !! We worked on how we would implement SBL (Story-Based Learning) into the classroom to make the students more comfortable, engaged, and motivated to come to school. As a future teacher this day was essential to me because I want to take back new ways of teaching to Buffalo. I even volunteered myself to show how I teach and they loved it! I opened up my lesson with a daily affirmation for the “students”. And then taught them about primary colors and gave them homework. Although it sounds straightforward it was kinda hard because there’s a language barrier, and they didn’t always understand me. But they loved it ! We had a section were we opened up the floor for feedback on how they think it went for us, and one of them said that they loved how I included what we learned today with things at home for homework. Another said that they liked how I connected the children’s emotional state to make their day better and another said that the energy I had with them made them want to know more. Even one of our professors that traveled with us said I did a good job ! And that ment a lot !
Then we went home and got in the pool lol 🤣
June 10, 2025
4:00pm
What the absolute heck lol we climbed a mountain for coffee and can I just say that kicked myyyy butttttt ! But I did something that I never thought I would do. I climbed 6,000 meters. Was it challenging yeah but the best reward I could have ever received was the view ! It was amazing. My little sister Nayeli would have been all over this view with pictures. Wish she was here 💗 coming down was easier ! lol I had to pull out my inhaler when we reached the top because the air was different and I was also like hecka out of breath but it was worth it !!
5:00pm
Omg another amazing view! The hotel we are staying at has such an amazing view! All I could say was okay God you did your big one lol. My sister Yoly would have laughed at me for saying that lol 😂.
8:00 pm
Just watched the sun set go down while on a swing and it reminded me of when my mom and dad would take us to the park as kids. So loving and innocent. Being here makes me think so much about them. Also, I seen like three butterflies 🦋 like the ones that are at my grandmas house in Puerto Rico and I can say that I could really feel her with me. I’m also thinking about how Mamá would have loved to play her game by this sunset. She been hooked on her iPad lately but this would have made her feel so happy. Papá if you reading this, I’m okayyyy ! There’s a lake here that you would like but you would have a million facts about if you and mama were to talk about it. How it’s not good to swim in because of the tectonic plates and they can move and what not.
Tomorrow we are going hiking in a rain forest called Nyungwe. And it sounds and reminds me of El Yunque the National rainforest in Puerto Rico.