Buffalo State’s 2024 Rwanda Delegation Documents Life-Changing Experiences
Each year since 2012, Buffalo State’s Anne Frank Project (AFP) and SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Drew Kahn have brought a delegation of students, faculty and staff members, community leaders, and AFP supporters to Rwanda to learn more about East Africa, reconciliation, and conflict management. The delegation trains local teachers and community leaders to use story-based learning and visits schools, villages, genocide memorials, government offices, national parks, and cultural centers.
Learn about the experiences of 11 Buffalo State students in the 2024 delegation through their travel blogs and vlogs on AFP’s website:
Jemia Bennett, Early Childhood Education and Theater, ’24: “Today I conquered one of my greatest fears: heights. The journey began with a sense of dread as I thought about the canopy ahead. Our path started with a scenic trail, where the beauty of the trees, mountains, hills, and skyline was breathtaking...” more
Dylan Carter, International Relations, ’25: “Being with the kids at the compound had been a real treat. I was a little shy at first. I didn’t know how they would receive me—would they stare or be scared?—but they embraced me from the start…” more
Danae Hardy, Childhood Education, ’24: “Rwanda has remarkable people and culture. Every day I learn something new...” more
Esteri Iradukunda, International Relations, ’26: “I loved how teachers were so involved in the learning and how they were excited to teach SBL [story-based learning] to their students…” more
Rusi Mbabazi, International Relations, ’25: vlog
Jeanvier Nkurunziza, Theater, ’24: “I visited a garden full of flowers / Beneath the flowers, I saw a stack of relics / So I stood there as my heart bled tears / And the bones starting crumbling within…” more
Taliyah Oaks, Media Production, ’24: “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…” more
Devon Pernell, Biology, ’25: “The neighborhood we explored was beautiful, the views of the hills, and the streets were filled with life. Did not expect that when I first started the class. We are always shown pictures of Africa in shambles, and they never highlight its beauty…”more
Seven Soules, Individualized Studies, ’24: “Being here today and having the opportunity to learn about their stories, I have learned that forgiveness isn’t for the other person, but it is for you. Holding grudges is a heavy weight to carry and will cause you more pain over time...” more
Renata Tumusabire, Criminal Justice, ’25: vlog
Min Zo, Theater, ’25: “We visited a reconciliation village where perpetrators and victims live together peacefully. Unbelievable, right? We were given the chance to hear the testimonies from both sides before we were allowed to ask questions…” more
Photo courtesy of Drew Kahn and the Anne Frank Project.
