My Rwandan adventure continues..

WEEK 2-4

Well, this morning I am recovering from attending a wonderful wedding in Kigali. As I didn’t have anything smart to wear, Alfred (President’s advisor) lent me some traditional clothes. I was very pleased to see they were black and white, and I thought the rest of the male guests would be wearing the same type of costume.

As we drove to the wedding, I can see a number of other weddings taking place and I didn’t see anyone else in traditional dress, which made me a little nervous! We finally arrived at the church (biggest church service I’ve ever seen) Well, as soon as I got out of the car I could see that every male there was wearing a suit and not a traditional dress. I had every person looking at me, more so than normal and before I knew it I had 30 children around me. I then walked into the church service, and I felt like I stopped the service. I even had the video man focus his attention on me which made me feel really uncomfortable. I think I had taken the ‘peacock theory’ a step further than the day I wore the white suit to the races.

After the service, I met with the bride’s mother and father who thanked us for coming. Then one of the funnier events of my life happened, this elderly gentleman was looking at me (local African guy with blue eyes - weird) he said to me in Kinyarwandan ‘you look like a white man but dress like a black man… what part of Rwanda are you from?’. I just laughed and joked that it was a small pocket, and I was called Prince Troy!! Funny stuff..

The reception afterwards was real African extravagance; this wedding was from a high profile family so they had spared no expense. A big marquee decorated with no expense spared as guests were entertained with traditional dancers and local drummers. It was a world away from the village where I am working but it was good to show me that ‘other’ side of Rwandan life. I sat behind the Rwandan Health Minister (whom I met) and the Agriculture minister with the President’s advisor. It was a very special day that I won’t forget anytime soon.

I have arrived back at the village after a marathon trip back from Kigali. I knew it would be a long journey but I wasn’t backing on the fact it was going to be a huge downpour of rain so every cat and dog wanted to board our little van.. Luckily, I got a seat at the front because they were packed in like sardines in the back. After 8 hours of travelling, we finally got to the nearest ‘big’ village where we buy our food. Well, it was market day and this tiny place was crammed with people and then I turned up and it was like everyone stopped what they were doing and surrounded me. I got out of the car and there were 1000 ppl looking at me and laughing.. I experienced what it would be like to be a celebrity. Not particularly nice, but they were very friendly and everyone wanted to shake my hand and practise their French on me! I even saw mothers picking up their children so they can have a better look at me! Got the feeling that they don’t get many muzungos around here!

I was also friendly to them but today I just wanted to walk home and put my stuff away because it had been a huge day.

I said goodbye to Christine in the morning and thanked her for everything, she has made my job as ‘easy’ as it could be and I really appreciate it. Saying that I awoke at about 4 in the morning, stressing about life without her here assisting me but as they say - sink or swim - and I plan to swim. My first test starts tomorrow as I go on site to discuss the classroom plans. I have Christine’s brother as my translator. Tomorrow, it should be another interesting day as my adventure in Rwanda continues…

Well, this week I went to site expecting work to have started but I have now been told that it will start the following week. This was due to school not finishing until last Friday, where I attended the end of year concert. I had no idea there was a ceremony to mark the end of the school year and basically just happened to be at the school.

It was an enjoyable morning, as the whole village was out to congratulate the principal, teachers and students on another year at the school. I have my reservations about certain members of the teaching frateninty at the school, especially the Principal and senior members. As was documented by an Australian volunteer teacher at the school this year, there is a distinct lack of ‘care and responsibility’ for the education of the children at the school. This is unfortunately not uncommon in Africa and in this particularly case there needs to be changes from the top if there is to be real improvement in the teaching standards. Volunteers from abroad as well are very useful as they can assist in training the teachers (as many have just walked out of high school and into teaching 30+ students).

An interesting part of the concert was a brief play by the older students on encouraging couples to have smaller families by taking part in the government’s contraception campaign. This has been a real mission by the current government as Rwanda not unlike other African countries can’t cope with families having 10+ children. Parents quite often say they can’t feed all their children and wish in hindsight they should have had a smaller family. I really hope the government is successful in this campaign and it should be rolled out to other African countries.

On Friday, I left the village to spend the weekend in Nyamibata to have a meeting with Adenya who are an NGO that I am working with in the construction of the school buildings. They also have two volunteers from Belgium and Holland that are working with them, so I was keen to meet fellow volunteers in the area.

It was fun to speak to people that speak fluent English and to hear their thoughts on Rwanda and their current role with Adenya.

On the Saturday, I attended Adenya’s monthly meeting and each of them were asked to say one story of something they have heard that could interest the wider group. This was of course was all in Kinyarwandan but through my translator he told me about each of their stories and trust me they were all morbid. They all centred on death of some description or being extradicted from their communities and of course the genoicide. Each village has a day a week at court called Kachacha, and it has been operating since the genocide and basically if you go to a town on this day then everything is closed.

It was set-up to assist with the 100 000 ‘suspects’ of genocide. Unfortunately, by many reports it is not been very successful and because of the lack of witnesses (or many are too scared to step forward) during this time many people are ‘convicted’ due to he-say. There was a lack of evidence gathered after the event and it was basically guilty by association, where you live, your ethnic group, gender or just knowing the wrong person. It has helped the system deal with the backlog of cases and it does put the responsibility back into the hands of the people from the village.

I have noticed from only being here a limited time, that people here like to ‘gossip’ and there is a real ‘jealously’ here of certain people who have become successful. I can also tell that people have a lack of trust for their fellow man, which is due to the lies that are spread among these villages and of course the atrocities of the past.

But saying all that, I still find it very hard to fathom how it ever took place in this country but I am an ‘outsider’ and will never understand the ethnic tensions that still exist.

After we had a feast of goat (this is my new meat!) and potatoes for lunch, I went for a walk with one of the volunteers to check out the local waterfall. I really enjoy going exploring, so I was suitably impressed when I saw the size of the waterfall. It was so beautiful and as I told Silke (Belgium volunteer) it is moments like this, why I love Africa. Sometimes this continent can bring you down and you think it is all too frustrating and difficult but then you see a child laugh or see the extraordinary beauty of this place and you carry on with your crusade.

Well, tomorrow we ‘start’ work on site…finally… and I also start my English classes for the adults of the village on Tuesday and Wednesday.

One of the locals said, how can he teach us English if he cant speak to Kinyarwandan… good question but I do have a couple of good translators in class and I will rely partly on my KinyaEnglish (my new language that I’ve developed)

Well this morning was the first day on site to the start of construction of 8 classrooms. I was thinking that it could be ‘mayhem’ as it was the first morning but it was far worse than that.

Just imagine this, I was walking up the hill and all I could see was around 200+ people with a pick or shovel in their hand and wanting to start work. They all stared at me, trying to get my attention as they can’t speak English. My role was definitely not to employ anyone - that was the site manager. But he decided to not turn up in the morning so it was left with me and Christine’s brother to try and manage. We told them to go home as work won’t start today and we will contact them if we need them to assist in the building of the classrooms. They all thought we were lying and were determined to stay there until we left and even followed us partly home. As there is no work in the area, these people are desperate for employment and as funny as it was it was also a sad indictment of village life.

Thankfully, the builder turned up and we marked out the eight classrooms and took some names of people who have had experience in building. Later that day the site manager turned up so we could organise a program of future activities. This was going to be more difficult than I could imagine as I wanted to record every activity so I can verify everything that is sent to me for payment. I could feel already that some people involved in the project will try and make some personal gain from it, so this is why I need the proper processes in place so I am aware of all activities on site.

Well, I was hoping the second day on site would be easier but like everything in Africa – nothing is easy. Many of my issues comes from a frustration of not being able to speak the language and always needing the use of a translator.. which of course can get lost in what I am saying and vice-versa.

Today, was also the first day of teaching English to adults in the village. Many of them had approached me and asked me about teaching English and I do enjoy teaching, especially to people that want to learn. (Many were young adults who wanted to study university and everything is taught in English now, so they need to understand what is going on in class)

After such a big day, I decided to buy my two ‘adopted’ brothers beers, so we sat down and watched the African sunset in this idyllic location by having a refreshing ‘warm’ beer…hey its better than nothing!

Well, after an interesting day yesterday I was determined to ensure that today was going to be successful and everything was to be followed according to plan.

It was pleasing then to see that they have started the foundation on the second site (3 classrooms) and I had a quick look around the site and did a rough estimate of what materials were there and they seemed to match up to the stock sheet. They had been using the labour log as well… to a certain degree as he decided he wanted to use his own book!! Everything in Africa is about power, and I don’t think the site manager likes me telling him I want things filled out in a certain way. I don’t care what system he is using as long as everything is recorded, so I have no ‘surprises’ (well very few anyway… ) when they put in their invoices to be paid.

I had another 2 hour English class and they have already made an improvement and I think after 3 months, many of them could possibly speak English to a reasonable level. I have also been asked by the two neighbouring villages to teach them English as well, especially focusing on the teachers who want to improve their confidence in the spoken word. I will try and do as much as I can but the first few weeks here will be busy as this is the period we will be buying the majority of our raw materials. Also, I hope the initial teething problems we are experiencing will subside and things will operate as ‘normal’ as possible.

I leave tomorrow to go and visit the sisters in Munganza on route to Kigali.. (Im so looking forward to going to the big smoke for the weekend, I am going to the Aussie BBQ on Sunday afternoon).

I have arrived in Kigali and it was nice to enjoy the comforts of everyday life …electricity, running water and the internet of course.

Since being here, I have been in overdrive trying to organise cement, buying water tanks and a motorbike. Nothing is easy when it comes to getting things done in an African city and it looks like I will have to stay longer than a couple of days.

Well, my initial impressions were correct nothing comes easy in Africa and I’m learning very quickly the prices of the materials and where you source them from. I am also learning that it feels like everyone in Kigali knows one another, well except for me anyway..

Today for example has taken me the whole day to organise 100 bags of cement and transport to the school. To give you a brief background, there is a shortage of cement in Rwanda due to the amount of construction taking place in the capital. I am also learning that Rwandan cement is of a higher quality than neighbouring Uganda or Kenya. Here I thought cement was cement, and there was no difference in quality.

I have experienced Africanisms everyday since I’ve been here and I had another one today.. went to a local bank to cash a cheque and I was so amused by their queuing system. Instead of a having a ticket system, they have a musical chairs rotation policy to ensure customers are served in the right order. You shuffle down the seats until you get to the counter, very amusing but I must admit it does work!

I am also learning that you have to be very ruthless here in Rwanda, otherwise people will take you for a ride. I have basically come to the conclusion that they are ripping me off until proven otherwise. This will ensure, I get the best deal and I don’t mind selling the fact that this is for the children of Rwanda and you don’t want to stop the building of their school thanks to your greed. (That I should add doesn’t always work.. but its worth a try!)

Tomorrow, I leave to go back to the quiet village and I must admit I am as ‘keen as mustard’ to get out of this city. I just get too frustrated here but I am happy with what I’ve achieved and I am slowly working out how to make things ‘work’ here and I must admit I am thriving on the challenge.

The first time I made the trip from Butare to Muganza I said was a nightmare. Well, that was ‘easy’ compared to the hellish trip I endured for nearly 4 hours. (It should take no more than 2.5 hours!)

Firstly, I arrived at the taxi station and there was no need to find out which taxi was going to Muganza as the driver yelled out to me. Firstly, it was the first time that I’ve seen this driver and his vehicle did need a lot of work. (This is saying something as they all need some work!)

Anyway, I was buying some food from the local vendors for lunch and once again I had eyes on me the whole time. Sometimes you would like a time out, because every action is watched and you find it hard to just be yourself for fear of something happening. As everyone is watching me, I have to be very careful showing that Im carrying money on me. I bought some food and quickly put the change in my pocket. (Normally of course I would put change in my wallet, but I don’t like taking it out in public, especially as I am the only white person there!) Well, lets just say an opportunistic boy walked around behind me and took 1000FRW out of my pocket. Thankfully, someone stopped him and took the money off him after which he ran into the distance. (I should say that it’s the equilavent of around 90 pence) I thanked the man and bought him a cake.

We then boarded the overcrowded taxi and with my legs around my ears, I tried to block everything out and imagine I was travelling first class… well this quickly changed as the following happen..

a) We were driving on the major road when the back door (boot) flung open and a container full of petrol went bouncing down the road behind us.. squirting everywhere! The driver quickly stopped and had to find a new container to salvage the rest of the petrol

b) The sliding passenger door kept coming off its hinges and at one stage came off.. so we had to stop numerous times for the driver to bang it back on.

c) Where I was sitting, the sliding window was missing and I thought to myself please don’t rain.. what happens it starts to rain and I’m getting wet.. thankfully, someone gave me a coat to hold up to stop the rain coming in.

d) As the boot wasn’t closing properly and due to the rain we started to get water inside the car.. and all over my bag.. not happy!

e) Due to the state of the roads and the amount of passengers on board, we got stuck so we all had to get out and push and then get on at the top of the hill

f) Oh yeah, the ignition doesn’t work so every time we have to roll start to start the engine.

g) We then make many unschedule stops for the driver to talk to locals and do god knows what.. well, I found out to put more passengers on..

h) Yes, 22 wasn’t enough, he thought we could fit 26 (this includes children) on board… on a vehicle licensed to carry 18 …

Well after nearly 4 hours I finally arrived in Muganza and I cant tell you how happy I was to see my motorbike driver. I gave the driver my 1200 FRW, and gave him a astonished smile… I made it and I’m still in one piece!!

The positive from the journey were the people on board, I think after 4 hours together we bonded and they were very happy as I gave away all my food to ensure no-one was hungry.

So, now I am back in the village and I resumed taking English classes as well as finding out the latest on the building and verifying the deliveries of stock and to see what is due in the coming weeks. I bought some sweets from Kigali and I gave them to the site manager to give to the workers, who thought all their Christmases had come at once. I am also having a BBQ and drinks next week, to thank them for finishing the foundation. They have done a marvellous job, and work so hard with nothing more than a pick or a shovel. Apparently, they are rapt to be getting Sorghum beer and it’s the cheapest way of buying drinks for 80 odd people. I have now been here for a month and things are going well. I am beginning to have a better understanding of the culture here and the local community have really accepted me and there are sooooo many children that I want to adopt. (Don’t worry Mum I’m not going to take them home… I’m not Madonna!)

I will leave with with one more Africanism…as they don’t have witches hats here, they use leaves and branches on the road leading up to the accident/broken down vehicle etc. They are all evenly spaced and everyone on the road slows down, so it works brilliantly well.. just another case of thinking of the resourcefulness of the Rwandan people!

Until next time.

Hope everyone is well and post a comment!