Return to “The Land of a Thousand Hills”

For several years, Meg Knight has been a regular fixture at Mango Tree Imports, but in December she’s moving to Rwanda for 18 months.

During a visit there in 2007, she had an extraordinary experience that changed her life. One day, between visits to rural genocide memorials, she happened on a fair trade cooperative where former enemies were working and laughing together while making beautiful baskets. Meg recalls the scene: “I will never forget that on a day filled with the most awful images of evil and death, I had stumbled on life and laughter.”  

She returned to Ballston Spa determined to endorse Fair Trade as a way to promote peace and economic justice. She became an enthusiastic employee of Mango Tree and was delighted when the shop started carrying “Cards from Africa,” products from another cooperative she had visited.

          Now, at the request of the Presbyterian Church of Rwanda (PCR), she is returning to serve as a volunteer English teacher under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

“The PCR is playing a vital role in the healing and reemergence of the country,” she says, “positively affecting thousands of people in its schools, hospitals, clinics, and community development programs.”

But the Rwandan government has recently mandated a shift from French to English as the second official language, which means church leaders who were educated in French need to become fluent in English quickly. That’s where Meg comes in. She’ll be working to address the specific language needs of department heads and program coordinators at the church’s headquarters. She sees her work as capacity-building, enabling others to do the important work of healing in Rwanda. For more information, visit www.pcusa.org/meg.knight or contact her at meg.knight.000@gmail.com.