I chose to spend a year as a JDC Entwine Global Jewish Service Corps Fellow in Rwanda because I knew it would transform the way I think and behave – as a life-long traveler, a female, a millennial, a friend and family member, and as a Jewish person. And it did that, and more.

They say that if you give a person a fish, she’ll eat for a day. But if you teach her how to fish, she’ll eat for a lifetime. But the creator of this idiom overlooked a critical question: how do you get someone to want to fish?

Over the past 10 years, there has been huge growth in the number of travel programs for Jewish young adults, focusing on everything from culture and tradition to tourism. Out of a personal desire to seek new challenges, I discovered The Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and their young adult initiative, JDC Entwine who works to connect young Jews to the global Jewish community and foster a sense of global responsibility through their programs.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from my trip to Rwanda. It was difficult to see past the long list of shots I needed to get, and the upcoming 24 hours of travel to get to the country. I looked forward to seeing my sister, Lauren, who has been serving as a Global Jewish Service Corps Fellow with Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV), but wasn’t sure what to expect.