Here’s a secret that we can never mention again: I cried on Thanksgiving in front of a room full of strangers. I was helping my family cook and serve dinner for 30 election officials who were staying at the school for the elections. It was so cold that night, and it was really late, and […]
When I first got to my village, I asked my host brother if I could join in his daily soccer match with a group of 20 young men from the surrounding area. He told me, “girls can’t play soccer.” Ten months later, my girls organized a three-day, four-team, all-girls soccer tournament. They found two local […]
A few days ago, my friends finished their time in their villages. They packed their bags, gave out hugs and photographs, and left their communities. I’m the last one living in a village. Now, when I hear rats scuttling in my room, when my toes turn numb from the cold water while I shower, when […]