Volume 6 - June 2011

SOMA
Stories, Opinions, Messages, Art
A quarterly journal publication by Peace Corps Rwanda Volunteers

CONTRIBUTORS
Sonya Alexander is a health PCV and aspiring fashion and shopping magazine columnist. Her goal is to visit every major Rwandan market and never wear the same outfit twice. Sonya comes from Baltimore County and went to Washington College (in Maryland) where she studied psychology. She loves teaching camp songs, making oatmeal cookies, and coloring with the local children in Gitwe, Ruhango, in the southern province.

Jen Ambrose, a health PCV, is originally from Montana and went to Claremont McKenna Col-lege, where she majored in International Relations and developed both a love for the West Coast and an appreciation of the Big Sky State. At her site in Nyagatare, she works for EPR, teaches English, and talks to students about their view of Rwanda and their hopes and plans for the future. Jen is currently trying to decide whether to spend her post-Peace Corps life attempting to improve the aid industry, attempting to tear down the aid industry, or accepting it for what it is and becoming part of it.

Matt Beamer, an education PCV, was born in the city of Casper in the state of Wyoming, where he remained until leaving to attend Montana State University as a Math and French double major. Matt currently teaches math at G.S. Rwatano in Gisagara district. He enjoys reading, running, and (when in the U.S.) brewing beer and cooking.

Sally Dunst is a health PCV in Nyamagabe. Originally from Fredonia, a tiny town in western New York, she graduated from Cornell University. Sally is working in the ARV service area of Kigeme Hospital helping the staff create an electronic database of patients. She is also allowing the Rwandan mountains to enervate her on daily bike rides to work and is assiduously memorizing ridiculous GRE vocabulary words.

Janelle Fann, an education PCV, is a writer aspiring to live with the kind of honesty she writes with. Originally from Michigan, she attended university in Tennessee. She will live in the great city of New York after her stint as a Peace Corps Volunteer primarily because she has a free place to live there.

Kerianne Hendrickson is a health PCV who lives in Rulindo district in the Northern Province. Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, she attended Michigan State University where she received a Masters Degree in Social Work focusing on older adult and mental health studies. She loves people, especially the old and the wise.

Michele Hernandez, an education PCV, studied at California Lutheran University where she re-ceived diplomas in Spanish, French, and International Studies. She taught swimming and water polo to children for four years and then taught for a year in California. In 2008 she joined the Peace Corps as an agroforestry agent in Mauritania. She arrived in Rwanda in 2009 and has been teaching English in Bungwe (Burerea district) to secondary students since 2010. Currently she is developing youth empowerment materials as a Peace Corps Volunteer assigned to CHF International, stationed in Kigali.

Avery Miles is an education PCV who lives in the mountain village of Muramba in Ngororero district where she works at a secondary school. She comes from Morris Plains, New Jersey and went to American University where she graduated in 2008 with a degree in International Rela-tions. Avery likes dancing, reading, hiking, and writing.

Jen Olsen, who was a health PCV, is a blossoming photographer known for running with and
from the small children in her village outside of Kigali. Other than raiding the VRC bookshelf on a weekly basis, her projects allowed her to convince people to draw comics of the day-to-day absurdities that are ubuzima mu Rwanda. She hails from Long Island, New York and studied sociocultural health at Binghamton University.

Christa Pugh, an education PCV, is originally from Rochester, Minnesota. She graduated from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in 2008 and then spent a year as an Ameri-Corps volunteer in Washington, D.C. before joining Peace Corps. Christa teaches in Nyamasheke District and works with her school's English club and GLOW club. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, watching Gossip Girl, and having long conversations with her cat.

Trude Raizen, a health PCV, is based near Gishwati forest in Rutsiro in the West, where she is engaged in a losing battle against mold but regularly enjoys views of three volcanoes. Since she got electricity a month ago, her latest hobby is quilting. She graduated from Swarthmore College in 2008. Trude has decided that Amstel is the most drinkable beer in Rwanda, and she highly recommends getting a kitten for mental health.

A.J. Rikli is an education PCV who teaches S1 chemistry in Rugabano sector, Karongi district. He comes from Portland, Oregon (the best city on earth). A.J.‘s favorite word in Kinyarwanda is "gutera" because of its many different applications.

Dan Serwon, an education PCV, teaches math and English in Mulindi, near the Ugandan boarder in the Gicumbi district. He loves football, golf and college basketball and won 10,000 franks in his March Madness pool this year and is still upset that the Steelers lost the Superbowl. He tries to make everyone laugh, but is also capable of having deep conversations and crying, which he enjoys just as much as laughter.

Lucy Sung is an education PCV in Gicumbi District, Northern Province. She teaches chemistry to smart students who love to yell, "BINGO!" when someone gets the correct answer. Lucy is from Los Angeles, CA and attended Bryn Mawr College, a Seven Sisters school outside of Philadelphia. Lucy misses fish tacos and loves adjusting recipes to work in Rwanda. Kimchi in Rwanda? It is possible.

Andrew Udelsman is an education PCV in Kabatwa, right under the volcano Kalisimbi. It's got to be the coldest part of Rwanda-- if you don't believe him, come visit! He‘s from New Haven, Connecticut, and he studied sociology. Andrew loves monkeys and Congolese music.

Deanne Witzke is an education volunteer living in the Western Province, Rutsiro District. She loves yoga, ultimate frisbee, ijana piles, and documentaries. She studied Psychology and Criminol-ogy at Drury University in Missouri. Her goal is to own a not-for-profit restaurant bridging the gap between rich and poor in a small way. If you're intrigued, or know how to bake, contact her.