Ready, Redi?

Redi was the first person I met from Mavudzi-Ponte; She came and picked me up from Chimoio, took me to our house, and made me feel welcome. My first year of service, Redi and I lived together and had a blast. We work together as English teachers, we co-facilitate our REDES group, we are both involved in English Theater, and she hosts a once-a-week English lesson for the kiddos in Quizito and my community library program. Redi is my closest Mozambican friend, and I don't know what I would have done these last two years without her. She's got spunk, she's funny, she's a good friend, and most of all, she is a great teacher who really cares about her community.

Whodathunk my closest friend would be a 40-year-old sassy African lady.

Back in January, at a Peace Corps conference, I learned about a scholarship opportunity for Mozambican teachers through the U.S. Embassy in Maputo. The program, funded by the Department of State called TEA ('Teaching Excellence and Achievement,' funded by the Department of State) is a six-week teaching seminar in the United States with a two-week practicum in an American high school.

On my paper, I wrote in capital letters in red pen and circled and starred it: REDI!

Over the next three months, we worked hard on Redi's application. She filled out a mountain of paperwork and I wrote her a glowing letter of recommendation. She traveled to Maputo to take the TOEFL test and do an interview, and passed both with flying colors. She was approved as a finalist for Mozambique, and her name was sent to Washington to be considered alongside hundreds of others from all over the world for one of 75 spots in the cohort. And then we waited.

...and waited...

...and waited...

The original deadline for the decision, the end of July, came and went. August came and went. September came -- and then, one day, Redi appeared at my door, flushed with excitement. "Can I check my e-mail on your computer? The decisions are out!"

Redi, Laura and I huddled around my little laptop and cursed the incredibly slow internet connection as it loaded Gmail.

Loading. (I closed my eyes and cross my fingers.)

Loading. (Redi crossed herself and said a prayer)

Loading -- and then!

"Congratulations! It is my pleasure to inform you of your acceptance to the 2015 TEA Cohort."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

We all screamed, at a pitch probably only dogs and small children could hear. We jumped, hugged each other, and screamed and laughed some more. Redi went running out the door, past all the other teacher's houses, shouting "I'M GOING TO AMERICA! I'M GOING TO AMERICA!" Everyone else came outside and started hugging and clapping, shouting "LET'S ALL GO TO AMERICA!" It was a very intense communal joy, and one of the happiest moments of my time in Mozambique.

This program will most definitely change Redi's life for good. Without this opportunity, Redi almost certainly would never have made it to the U.S. -- and most likely, she probably would never have left southern Africa. During those six weeks of next spring, she'll make contacts and learn new skills that will help her to go far and do whatever she wants to do.

I'm so proud of her, and so happy that I could help her to make this dream a reality. Sometimes, in Peace Corps, we lose hope, because we don't see the immediate results of what we're doing. In the movie Blood Diamond, Leonardo DiCaprio's character says "Peace Corps types only stay around long enough to realize they're not helping anyone." Well, at least in this case, I feel proud to know that I did help make a difference in someone's life, and it's a big difference too.

World, get ready for Redi!

Thanks for everything, Redi! You deserve this!