Ra's Life

I won't try to impart philosophical insights but some thoughts on what the heck I am doing in Kigali the capital of Rwanda.

I hate to admit but perhaps actress Sandra Bullock ("Speed", "Miss Congeniality") is my new spiritual adviser. Just before I accepted this gig, I heard that she said on a recent Letterman show "I only do what scares the hell out of me".
.. But I like that philosophy.
(And she recently gave the American Red Cross her 2nd $1 million dollar donation - this one for tsunami relief efforts)

After leaving Egypt last summer and getting over the culture shock of "Coming to America", I signed up on Geekcorps.org and IESC.org - volunteer executives - to OK to be asked to do short term volunteer consulting worldwide.

in late March they asked me to go to Kenya to help Kenya and Uganda get their border customs and VAT all figured out and communicating but I didn't really want to go for 4 months (in NaiRobbery/Nairobi)- I said yes - if I could get my buddy Eric to go with me- he said he couldn't leave his work contract now so I canned it.

I thought that changed decision would upset Geekcorps.org - then the guy called right back and said "My colleague down the hall needs someone in Rwanda for 45 days - can you go do that?"

I said yes. Then started researching Rwanda - found out it is safe and the genocide history is just mindblowing.

The task is to set up a website for an NGO which converted from a Government Organization a year ago that is assisting Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in recovering Rwanda.

see http://Capmer.org as it grows .. it is just a holding place now and it mostly empty but in about a month should be helping Rwanda in it's enthusiastic drive to a prosperous unified future.

# posted by matthew : 4/19/2005 08:48:00 AM