Farewell Rwanda

My walk to work

So sadly, today is my last day (for now!) in Rwanda.  Tonight I am getting the bus to Uganda and in less than 2 weeks I’ll be home in London.  School term finished just over a week ago at all the schools and the CHH have a short break from their training but there is still much work going on.    At Wisdom Primary, the school is getting enquiries from new parents about bringing their children to the school next year and the handful of teachers who have not yet left for holidays are conducting interviews and tests to place the children in the correct class.   Construction of the new school building is nearly complete.  The accountants have been creating files for next term while I am still around to advise if necessary and so that they are prepared before they also get to take a short holiday. 

Dressed for success

With the head chef and another member of the team

My favourite holiday work that I have seen is that two of the older deaf children from school are spending 2 months of their school holidays doing cookery training at one of, if not the most, exclusive lodges in Rwanda, based near the Volcanoes National Park.    The managers of the lodge have become good friends of the Deaf School.   Firstly, they have been bringing guests, who have expressed an interest in visiting local community projects, to visit the children.   The children love to have visitors and almost fight over who will go to the front of the class to write the name of the visitors on the blackboard once Louis or one of the other teachers has spelt it for them in sign language.  Then the children will come up with a sign name for the visitor, which is always fun.  Sometimes there is dancing too.  The children pick up the vibrations from the drum and are great dancers.  The visitors often bring gifts for the school, varying from crayons, pens and footballs to soap and toothpaste and nearly always buy handicrafts that the children have made from the shop onsite.   I still can’t believe the lodge came up with the idea of cookery training.  They could literally be changing lives.   Such a fabulous way for 2 children to get vocational skills training to an incredibly high standard, plus so generous of them to donate the time of their staff to coach them, particularly given that the staff can’t just yell instructions across the room to a deaf child – they have to face them and make sure they speak clearly so that they children can lip read.  The 2 that went were the perfect choice by Louis to pilot this training – not only do they both love to cook and help at school, but they are strong lip readers and also both have a little speech.    On day 1, Becky and I went to the lodge with the children.  The lodge sent a car to collect us as the lodge is several kilometres out of Kinigi at the base of the Sabyinyo volcano.  Before training started, we were all invited to have tea and biscuits on the terrace. The children are both outgoing, but were a little shy and nervous being served tea by waiting staff, fiddling round with their tea bags, not quite sure what to do with them.  The lodge staff were warm and friendly and I am sure they will make friends here.  Next stop was the kitchen, where they met the head chef and got their uniforms.  Cue for me to get watery eyes (again!) as I was just so proud of them that there they were at this 5-star lodge, dressed like professional chefs and would be helping prepare meals for guests.   I know they will both work hard and make the most of the opportunity.  I heard afterwards that one member of the kitchen team in particular had taken them under his wing, making sure that they understood what they were expected to do.   The lodge also used donated money to buy trainers for them, because for safety reasons in the kitchen, they need to have shoes with a grip.    To me, this exercise is community-based tourism at its very best.  The lodge already has a record of making sure that tourism from the gorillas / national park benefits the local community, but putting the extra effort in to help local deaf children, who still face stigma in Rwanda, in such a practical way is just amazing.  My experience while I have been in Rwanda is that people here don’t want to be given things for nothing; they want to be helped so that they can work and become self-sufficient.   There are also some smaller projects planned by the lodge to help the school.   I hope it is the start of a long, rewarding 2-way relationship.

Still smiling at the deaf school, even in the rain!

So now my 3 months has passed, and I’m leaving.  This country is amazing in so many ways.  Its history is dark and tragic but its future is so positive and optimistic.   I have learnt so much from the wonderful people who live here, who have made me so welcome.  At the primary, there are small signs scattered around the grounds with messages for the chidren and I always think about one that says, “What you have is enough”.   People here have so little but manage to find so much joy and laughter in their lives. They have invited me to their homes to meet their families and shared their food and their stories.   I will always remember the daily walk from home to Wisdom, 15 minutes up a dirt track road overlooked by the volcanoes, where children run over for a hug and to say good morning; where the parents watch their child chatting in English with the muzungu with pride and swap a smile and a “mwaramutse”.  So much community spirit here too – I hope that never changes.  I want to thank my family and friends for being so supportive and interested in my adventures and especially for being so generous donating funds to FCYF (work has started today preparing the school playing field!).  But mostly, I want to thank Elie and Bernadette for giving me this opportunity and welcoming me into their home and their family and all my Rwandan friends and colleagues for making this an experience I will always remember. 

Gorillas

Just a quick post to share some photos of the mountain gorillas from a few weeks ago.  I saw the gorillas back in 2003 and wasn't sure if I was going to see them again but the pull of looking at the volcanoes everyday was just too much.  I am so glad I did visit again.  It was as amazing as the first time.  The group I went to see was called Bwenge and consists of Bwenge, the silverback, 5 females and 5 babies. The youngest baby was only 5 months and very cute.  This won't mean much to anyone who hasn't been to Rwanda but the gorilla on the face of the RWF 5,000 bank note is called Titus and is the father of Bwenge and one of the gorillas that Dian Fossey studied before her death.  His claim to fame :)  The group live on Bisoke and it was a really stunning hike - 1 hour through the farmland to the edge of the park and another 45 minutes to the group.  Our guide was great and stopped continually to point out things of interest - like the pyrethrum, which are plants with big white flowers farmed for natural insect repellent - which was a handy distraction when the hillside got steep.   The hour with the gorillas went far too quickly of course, but was very special.

Visitors, Graduation and the first Goodbyes

It's been a very busy 2 weeks.  Firstly, the prime minister visited Musanze as part of the national celebration of World Food Day.  Then it was Nursery Graduation to celebrate the achievements of the Top Class of Nursery who have passed their exams and are moving onto Primary.   We also had visitors from the UK, who came loaded with audiology equipment to test and fit hearing aids for deaf children at the school and from surrounding villages.  Finally, and sadly for me, it was the end of the school term and time to say good-bye to the children.

Prime Minister meets the deaf children

The World Food Day celebration was focused on good farm prices and increased productivity.  The event was held in Nyange sector, where the Deaf School and CHH programmes are based.  All the children were invited to the event to hear the prime minister speak (Louis stood at the front to sign the speeches for the deaf children). The speeches were in Kinya-rwanda, altho I was lucky that Teacher Noel translated much of the proceedings for me.  At one point, the prime minister presented cows to 3 vulnerable women in the community.   You could see how happy the women were - one of them was dancing round, even tho she was quite elderly!   The highlight of the event for me tho was when the prime minster called out the deaf children in his speech, encouraging the community to greet them - at which point all the children (fortunately wearing bright yellow T-shirts!) stood up and waved at the crowds!   After he had finished, he went over to the children to shake hands with them and to greet Louis.  Considering how many people attended the event from both Musanze and out of town, it was pretty powerful to see him make such an important gesture of support.   I was so happy for the children and for Louis and the teachers to get such public recognition.

Bernadette leads the procession

Boys from the deaf school in "intore" costume

Last Sunday, it was Nursery Graduation to celebrate the Top Class completing their nursery education and moving up to primary school from the start of next year.  Altho to folks overseas, this might not be any big deal, it is an important event here.   Nobody takes education for granted and every achievement is celebrated.   Also, it was a great opportunity to raise awareness of FCYF’s wonderful work and projects.   The “graduates” wore gowns and mortarboards, which was very cute.  All the parents were dressed up in amazing outfits and beamed with pride throughout the day!  After photos at one of the hotels in town, they marched thru Musanze then were whisked up to the primary school, where there were speeches from Elie, Bernadette and VIP guests (including the vice-mayor of the district); certificates awarded to the children and songs and dances from nursery, primary and the deaf school.   The singing and dancing was definitely my favourite part of the day. Baby Class (3/4 year olds) sang several songs very enthusiastically, including one about HIV.  Middle Class, Top Class and children from Primary also sang, and children from the deaf school did some amazing dancing, with the boys dressed up in intore (traditional) costumes.   Becky and I wore beautiful Rwandan dresses for the occasion, which Bernadette had helped us choose beforehand, and welcomed parents and visitors.

Children from the school checking out the testing room!

We also had visitors from the UK last week running a hearing project at the deaf school.   Jane, an experienced audiologist, and Anna-mai from Jubilee Action arrived laden with donated equipment so that Jane, together with Louis, could test children from both the school and from surrounding villages and fit them for hearing aids where it would be beneficial for the children.   Everyone worked incredibly hard all week and Jane and Louis were able to test over 40 children, which was a massive achievement.   The school had been donated an audiology testing machine earlier in the year and Louis had been trained by a VSO volunteer to test so in order to maximize the number of children who could be helped, we all helped out with Louis focusing on testing, helped by me, Becky and Anna-mai, with Jane fitting moulds for hearing aids and providing guidance to Louis when needed, and one of us recording details on the computer for future reference and follow up.  I know that Jane felt like she had not helped enough children, but she was completely amazing and could not have done more in her week here.  One of the things I loved about the way she worked was that she did not assume that the children would want a hearing aid as the children from the school at least, are able to communicate via sign language and lip reading.  So once a test confirmed that a hearing aid would be beneficial, Louis asked the child if he/she wanted a hearing aid.  They all did!  One of my jobs when helping with the testing was to help “condition” the younger children for testing. The older children could press a button on the equipment but the younger children had to be taught that when they heard a sound, they had to drop a coloured counter into a bag.   Most of them got it quite quickly.  I found that I desperately wanted them to hear the beeps when testing so that they could have a hearing aid but of course, many were profoundly deaf or had no hearing at all so couldn’t. When a hearing aid wouldn’t help, Louis would explain to the child that they weren’t going to have a hearing aid and it would break my heart.   

The children from the school took the testing in their strides but it was a different story with some of the village children.   FCYF had done a radio broadcast a couple of weeks before to find parents with deaf children and many came to the centre, prepared to sit round all day waiting for their turn.  Several of the children were nervous and many had other problems.  One profoundly deaf child had severe scarring on his eyes and Jane was worried that he might go blind also.   We were able to get the doctor husband of a volunteer helper to come to school and he advised that the scarring was the result of the boy being too close to the charcoal fire his mother cooked on, so Louis had to explain to the mother that she must keep her son away from the fire or there was a risk of blindness.  Another child was severely traumatized and Jane found out that she wasn’t deaf at all.  When her family was questioned by Louis, he found out that the girl had had tonsillitis several years ago and a traditional healer (witch doctor) had put his hands down her throat and literally pulled out the tonsils, and the girl hadn’t spoken since, not thru physical damage but from fear.  Her family had assumed that she become deaf.   FCYF is planning to expand the number of children at the deaf school next year, and the good news from this week is that several of the village children who came to be tested are likely to be able to come to school. 

School term ended on Friday for all schools in Rwanda so sadly, it was time to say goodbye to the children.  On Thursday, it was our last chance to see children at the deaf school before they returned to their parents / guardians (many are orphans) for the holidays.  We decided to buy them "fanta"  (generic term Rwandans use for fizzy drinks / sodas) for all the children at the centre (68 deaf children and 64 CHH) and an American lady who volunteers two mornings a week at school, brought small cakes she had baked.   The children rarely get to have treats like fanta or cake so they were all quite excited (the little ones all kept their drinking straws!).  Of course, Rwandans are the most generous, thoughtful people anywhere and altho it was supposed to be our little treat to the children as a farewell, they turned the tables and made it into a special farewell party for us!  We were banned from the main common room while they "set up" and then when we went in all the children were assembled and the singing and dancing began!!!    I can't begin to tell you how amazing it was.  Firstly the deaf girls danced, then the CHH girls, then the two groups together.  Despite not hearing, the deaf girls danced in perfect rhythm to the drumbeat with the CHH girls, with other CHH girls singing.  Just beautiful to watch and the video I took of it is now a treasured souvenir of my time in Rwanda.  The boys got dressed up in their "intore" (traditional costumes) and danced too, and then everyone in the room was up dancing, including us.   So, so special.  Of course, after that it got all emotional and everyone was crying (not just me and Becky, but the children and some of the teachers!!).

It was also time to say goodbye to the primary school children.   Friday was school report day, so parents came to school with their children to see the teachers.  The children had done really well in their exams but for some it was not enough.  One boy was inconsolable for only coming 7^th out of his class of 40+ !   His mum was really happy and proud of him but couldn't cheer him up.  The two girls I sponsor did very well in their exams, which I was very excited about!  I went to talk to their teacher like a proud parent!!   I have some books for them that I bought in Kigali as a treat and am looking forward to seeing them this week before I head home.

Rebuilding a Home

Per my earlier post, you'll recall that the home of one of our CHH girls, was recently washed away pretty much leaving her and her younger siblings with no shelter.  Short term, they have been staying with their community mentor but yesterday, work started rebuilding their house.  This involved taking apart what was left of the old house and rebuilding using old materials where possible together with some new iron roof sheets, wood and materials.  I didn't realise but the rebuilding was going to be done by the other CHH children and the older boys from the deaf school, together with some of the teachers / vocational skills trainers.  Becky and I also went along to help!

CHH girls chat away whilst carrying rocks on their heads!

There was the most amazing feeling of community spirit I have seen!  Not that that was a surprise as Rwandans are very community minded, but it was so special to watch the children work so well together.  We walked down from the deaf school together after morning lessons, and all picked up some stones at the road side to carry to the home.  I carried a rather pathetic smallish rock.  Some of the CHH girls could carry 2 large rocks on their heads at the same time!!!   They used wrapped banana leaves to make holders for them.  Then others carried wood.   In less than 4 hours, the frame of the house had been built.  There were no arguments / debates over how to do things - the children just got on with it.  No breaks either!! Plus it was one of the hottest days since I'd been in Rwanda. 

Here are some more pictures from our rebuilding.   There are also more houses that need urgent repairs (plus many more urgent needs across the organisation), so sorry for the plug again, but if anyone has not yet donated and would like to, please visit my fundraising page.  Thank you so, so much!

A Day in the Life of...

Lakeside at Gisenyi

Instead of writing about my travels, for a change I thought I would tell you a bit more about my day-to-day life volunteering at FCYF.  As a side note, I’m writing this in Gisenyi, sipping delicious Rwandan coffee (grown locally) and overlooking the northern end of Lake Kivu on the border with DRC.  Another stunning place in this beautiful country.  Anyway, am diverting.  The objective of my volunteering assignment, arranged by AfID, is to help FCYF build their financial capacity.   This broadly means I am here to coach and provide advice and recommendations to FCYF’s director, Elie, and his team on financial management to ensure that their financial practices are not only at a level that can ensure the continuation of their programme activities but also support expansion.  For example, this might involve developing better management reporting information for decision making or ensuring that the financial accounting routines are at a level required by international NGOs and other organisations that might provide funding.   I’m also coaching various folks around the organisation on computer skills, primarily MS Office.  I’ve had (too many) years of crunching spreadsheets and multiple training courses – some of the team here have only recently had access to computers and never had any training nor used them at school.

Elie & Bernadette at Wisdom Primary

I’m half way through my assignment now and (sort of!) in a routine.  My day-to-day life is pretty simple, compared to the chaos of life in London.  I am living at the lovely home of Elie and his wife, Bernadette, which is a short walk from Wisdom Nursery and Primary Schools.  My colleagues at work are a great group of people including the teachers at Wisdom (who are mainly from Uganda); teachers and vocational skills trainers at the Nyange centre (5km from Wisdom on the road to Volcanoes National Park), where the Deaf Children’s Centre (DCC) and Child Headed Households (CHH) programme are based; Jacky, who is the social worker for CHH and Becky, who is the other volunteer at FCYF.   My closest work colleagues in addition to Elie are Pelagie, who is the accountant for the primary school and Angelique, who is the accountant for the nursery school.  Both Pelagie and Angelique studied in French at school (Rwanda swapped teaching in French for teaching in English in 2009). They both learned English at school but were a little shy using it with me at first, but now they chatter away in English.  They’ve both welcomed me into their team and are keen to learn new things – also there is lots of laughter.  It’s a fun place to work.

With Children at the Deaf Children's Centre

Elie is keen to make some changes to how the accounting and finance works, so I’m mainly working by creating new spreadsheets and processes, reviewing with Elie then coaching Pelagie and Angelique on how these work.  Then we follow up continually to ensure these are working effectively and then move on to the next thing.   I’m the first AfID volunteer at FCYF and AfID looks to build long term relationships with its partners so there will be volunteers at FCYF next year and they will adapt the coaching as required.   One of the reasons that working with AfID was so appealing is the long-term commitment – I will do whatever I can, then hand the baton over to the next volunteers.  When I worked in London, my day was broken up by meetings and calls, and to avoid too much time at a PC screen here (and because I also want to spend time with the children), I break up my week by spending a morning and an afternoon at Nyange, coaching computer skills to Louis, the director, and helping out in the classrooms with the deaf children and also when I go to Nursery a couple of times a week I usually get there for 7.30am when the children do songs and play before class (yes, even the 3 year olds in “Baby Class” have scheduled lessons!).  It’s so cute to watch the nursery children sing – a great way to start off the day.  I spend more time at the primary school than other sites because that is where Elie is based, and usually have lunch with the primary school teachers, where they frequently engage in lengthy and lively debates about all sorts of topics.  They are a great crowd (and no wonder, the primary school children are doing so well at debate practice!)

 It’s rainy season here at the moment, which means frequent heavy downpours in the afternoon and I usually head back into town late afternoon between rain showers if possible then if I need a break from work, I might go to town and grab coffee (there are a few nice little cafes in Musanze) or do some more work.    The evenings are pretty quiet and for some reason that I haven’t yet fathomed out, I usually feel exhausted in the evenings so go to bed embarrassingly early.

I love the time I spend with the children.  Most of the CHH speak no English or only a little and since I speak hardly any Kinyarwanda we have to find other ways to communicate.   So this week we were playing around with the video on my camera – the children were taking it in turns to dance for the video, then they would watch the images and laugh hysterically at themselves!!   But it’s a double life for these children, which was brought home to me this week when I heard that the home of one of the CHH girls had pretty much been washed away and she and her 2 younger siblings were effectively sleeping outside.   Her home is a 1 room hut and the roof has almost completely disintegrated, the walls have big holes in them, she is being harassed at night by folks poking her with a stick through the holes in the wall (Elie thinks maybe to see if she is awake as they want to steal the goat that FCYF provided to her) and she has no lock on the door.  This leaves her family exposed to all sorts of risks.  It's rainy season and there is torrential rain daily; also she is at risk of rape.  Also I found out that the 3 children have no mattresses and share 1 blanket. It was heartbreaking to see the photos but at least Jacky, the social worker, found out about the damage and Elie has arranged for it to be fixed urgently (new metal sheet roof, special sealing mud for the walls and new lock).   At least she has FCYF supporting her.  One minute loads of laughs and smiles at the centre and next misery at home. But I guess that's one of the reasons that the centre is so amazing - for one part of the day the CHH can relax and enjoy being children, hanging out with their friends and getting some training for the future.

Unfortunately FCYF has limited funding and there are other CHH children with problems at their homes, plus many other needs for FCYF projects.   So sorry for the plug, but if anyone would like to help by donating money, please visit my fundraising page at Just Giving.  I’ve been working with FCYF for some time now, and can assure you the money will be well spent and will go directly to where it is needed.

Right, time for me to leave the Gisenyi lakeside and get the bus back to Musanze.   Hope everyone has a good week.

Ancient Life is better than Modern Life

“Ancient Life is better than Modern Life” - the motion for the first debating competition between Wisdom Primary and its friendly rival Sunrise Primary!  I was very excited to secure a place on the Wisdom supporters’ bench for this important inaugural event, held at Sunrise.  And very professional it was too!  The teams comprised 8 boys & girls from each school, aged between 9 and 11 years old.  Both were dressed incredibly smartly (Wisdom children in their Sabbath uniforms of blue and white striped dresses / shirts) and were well versed in the rules and practices of professional debating including starting address for each speaker (“Madame Chairperson, Secretary, Judges, Proposers, Opposers and the House at Large”) and how to challenge the other team by making either a point of order; point of enquiry or point of information. 

Sunrise were great hosts and before the competition gave us a tour of their school (which is 10 years old, hence more established than Wisdom, which opened in January 2010) and had dancers and music to entertain the audience (I think the music was supposed to be background music pre-debate but in true-Rwandan style, as soon as there is music there is singing!).  The quality of the debate itself frankly blew me away.  Each child was able to stand up in front of what must have been 200-300 other children/teachers in the audience and raise many good quality points addressing health, community, technology, family and ethical issues.   I would have been surprised to see such a debate from secondary school children, never mind primary.  As the children got more confident, they started to challenge each other’s points (and members of the “house” were also able to challenge), sometimes quite harshly, but always politely.  Amazing to watch!   Slightly unusual judging system in that the judges comprised one Wisdom teacher and one Sunrise teacher, who marked independently then the scores were added together (unsurprisingly each gave their own team the highest!).  On an aggregate basis, Wisdom were the winners!!   And seriously (I know I might seem biased) but they did make better quality points, which was all the more impressive given that they were proposing the motion, which I think made it even harder. I was so proud of them.  And they were soooo excited!   My ears were aching with the din of victory singing on the bus on the way back to Wisdom.  What a result!  Both schools acknowledged the event as a huge success and there will be more to come.   And a great sign, that children of this age can debate so professionally – maybe some future politicians for Rwanda?

Life here continues to be good.  The rainy season seems to have started with rain most nights and often mid-late afternoon (and the very occasional rainy morning).  Not today tho, which was absolutely gorgeous.   Here is a picture of my walk to work from this morning – volcanoes in the distance and beautiful farmland along the way (newly ploughed – planting season has just begun).   I went to the deaf school this afternoon, and was in luck when a moto stopped as I waited for the bus from the primary.  I’ve wanted to get the moto to the deaf school for ages as the route is sooo stunning and I love the exhilaration from being on the back of a motor-bike somewhere beautiful (yes, Ian – I know you’ve been telling me this for a long time  - it’s only taken me about 15 years to acknowledge!). Usually the moto drivers don’t want to go to the deaf school as it’s the wrong direction from town and not so easy for them to get a fare back, but I was in luck today (they must have been on the way to collect someone).  Then more in luck, because I got to the school much earlier than I would have done on the bus and it was still lunchtime for the children, which meant I could join in the volleyball (my sign language is coming along but not great, but who needs language when you can knock a volleyball around?) 

I love hanging out with the children at the deaf school.  Just the loveliest group of children – so smiley and happy - and I love that they act like a big extended family with the older children looking out for the younger ones.  They even humoured me when I missed the shots in the volleyball game!  There are 68 deaf children at the school, which is one of only six in the country, so they are the lucky ones who get opportunity for an education, as so many deaf children don’t (and there is still stigma in Rwanda that deaf children are stupid so it’s a rough future for deaf children who can’t go to school and be supported by an organisation like FCYF).  Louis, the director and the other teachers (and the trainers that do vocational training for the older children in the afternoons) are absolutely amazing with the children.  You can tell that they genuinely love being with the children.  The children don’t have a lot but there is a lot of joy and laughter at the school.   Since I have been in Rwanda there have been 2 volunteer experts visit the deaf school, one an audiologist and one a speech specialist for deaf children, and both said that they did not have resources to work with every deaf school in Rwanda but chose to work with ours because they love the energy, enthusiasm and positive, open attitudes of Louis and the team.

At the weekend, I went to Nyungwe Forest National Park in southern Rwanda, one of the oldest forests in Africa.  Becky’s parents were still in the country so I was lucky that they invited me to tag onto their trip as you need a private vehicle to get to Nyungwe and it would have been difficult and very expensive for me to travel there alone.    It was incredibly beautiful – like an enchanted forest, sitting behind the tea plantations.  It took a day to get there from Musanze, via Kibuye where Becky and her parents were staying and a scary 4 hour drive down a slippery, deep mud road with sheer drops either side.  Good job our driver was experienced!   The lodge we stayed at was very pretty and friendly and the following day we headed into the Forest with a guide for a 4 hour roundtrip walk to see a waterfall.   Our guide was great, pointing out birds, plants and trees and the work itself through the Forest was fabulous with the added bonus that we didn’t see a single person so it felt like we had the Forest to ourselves (in fact it is more than 1,000 sq km so plenty of space to not run into other visitors!).  It had that fresh rainforest smell  - I realised how much I missed going hiking.  In the afternoon, Becky and I went to see the colobus monkeys, who were very cute, but unfortunately hanging out in the trees by the roadside – we had both fancied another walk into the Forest!   After another great meal at the Gisakura Guesthouse and my first glass of red wine in a month (very kindly supplied by Becky’s parents), it was time to pack up for a long journey back to Musanze the following day.

We stopped off in Butare on the way to Kigali, where we were dropping off Becky and her parents.  Butare is the 3^rd largest city in Rwanda and has a really nice feel to it.  It is home of the biggest university in Rwanda and a world class museum, which we stopped off to visit.  The museum was exceptional and could give any museum I’ve seen in the UK or US a run for its money.  It’s the national museum for Rwanda, but does not focus on the genocide at all.  Instead it has rooms on Rwandan geography, history, and its way of life, including model homes, background to agriculture, handicrafts, customs and culture.  Very impressive.  After lunch in town, we headed on to Kigali, then back to Musanze.

After 3 weekends in a row of travel, am looking forward to staying in Musanze next weekend and focusing on the schools and their activities.   And cracking on with the accounting!

Kibuye, Kigali and a Football Tournament

Apologies up front for writing an epic!  So much is happening; it is difficult to keep the blog up to date.  One of the reasons that things have been so busy is because Kat, who volunteered at FCYF for 10 months last year when the primary school first opened, arrived in Musanze for a 2 week visit.  In addition to catching up with the children, former colleagues and her many friends in town, Kat very kindly offered to show Becky and me some of her favourite places in town and was also keen for some company on a weekend trip away to Kibuye, a beautiful town on the edge of Lake Kivu, which separates Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).   I’ve been very lucky having both Becky and Kat around for my first few weeks and also that everyone I’ve met in Musanze has been warm and friendly.  Am feeling very settled in my temporary home.  So much so, that I’ve already decided that 2 months is not going to be long enough and have extended my trip so that I now head back to London in mid November.

Kibuye was completely breath taking.  It was a bit of a trip to get there as although it is south of Musanze, we had to get a 2 hour bus ride to the capital, Kigali, then take another 3 hour bus ride.  But it was worth it – we arrived about 5pm so had an hour of daylight to take in the panoramic view of the lake from our guesthouse.   In addition to being a beautiful place, Kibuye has a darker history – during the genocide, the prefecture of Kibuye experienced the most comprehensive slaughter of Tutsis anywhere in Rwanda, with 9 out of 10 being killed and whole communities being annihilated.  Over 11,000 people were killed at the church on the hillside next to our guesthouse.  Today, the physical damage has been repaired and the church has a simple beauty, together with a memorial built just outside. 

Despite being the start of the rainy season, we had amazing sunny weather for our weekend, which meant dining al-fresco and a great little boat trip out to one of the islands on the lake (there are 52 islands total in Lake Kivu).  Amahoro Island was very pretty, with a tiny restaurant, swimming off the stony beach and a short circular walk.   We could easily have stayed there all day, but headed back to the mainland to watch the sunset and grab a couple of drinks in a local bar. 

I returned to Kigali this weekend to explore.  The main genocide memorial in Rwanda is in Kigali, and is a very serene, moving place.  Outside, in addition to mass graves of over 250,000 people (many of whom have not been identified), there are several beautifully tended gardens, including a children’s garden surrounded by fruit trees; rose gardens, to symbolize the individuality of everyone who died; a “flower of life” garden for all Rwandan women, past, present and future; three gardens to commemorate Rwanda before, during and after the genocide (gardens of unity, division and reconciliation) and a cacti garden, the garden of self-protection.   The exhibits inside the centre, tell the story of what happened together with rooms containing skulls and bones of victims.  The idea behind showing these  (which is consistent with other memorials, including the memorial church at Kibuye) is to prevent anyone ever from claiming that there was not a genocide in Rwanda.   There is also a children’s room, showing pictures of individual child victims together with a simple plaque for each showing their name and information about them such as what their favourite sport was (swimming, football) and their favourite food, together with how they died.   A very poignant reminder of young wasted lives.

In addition to touring the city, I was also able to catch the England / Argentina rugby match.  Of course, the electricity went out part way thru, and we joked that when it came on again, England would have got a try – and voila, it was true!  Phew…

Life at FCYF has also been very busy.  I have been working with the accountants at the primary and nursery schools to implement some changes to how the accounting records are maintained, which will hopefully make their lives a bit easier.   The nursery school pupils are absolutely adorable and on nursery school days I try to get there for 7.30am to watch them sing songs and play games before classes start.   On Friday, they did a little baby “rap” song, where different children would come up individually and sing a few lines to a song, while the teacher played a drum to accompany them.  Soooo cute!   There was the scarier moment also where Kat, Becky and I got asked to teach them all (over 100 children) a new song – thankfully, my friend Cheryl had suggested Wheels on the Bus, which went down very well as the little ones liked the actions and all knew what a bus was (thanks, Cheryl – owe you one!!). 

We also organized a football tournament for the Primary School to play the Deaf School.  We bussed the deaf children to a playing field in town and walked around 600 primary school children, crocodile fashion, to the field, which was a sight to behold (and probably a health and safety nightmare but thankfully with all the teachers at the school plus Kat and I watching closely, all got there with no issue!)  The children had lots of fun although the matches were taken very seriously – consistent with pretty much every football loving nation on the planet, the players were very focused on winning.   The primary school boys beat the deaf school boys (who had won last time) and the deaf school girls beat the primary girls.  On the sidelines, there were lots of games and the frisbees I brought with me from England went down very well.  It was great to see the primary school children and deaf children play together – I was told they have come a long way from the first time the children all met last year, where the primary school children did not know what to make of the deaf children.   These days, some of the deaf children attend the primary school as part of our integration project – a big step to removing the stigma that deaf children are not capable just because they cannot hear.    A great afternoon was had by all.

The CHH children have also been on great form.  Thanks to all of you who donated blankets, clothes etc.  Together with some other donations, the centre had enough items for each of the CHH to choose a couple of items for themselves / their families.   Numbers were picked randomly by each child, and they could then choose two things, like a plastic bowl and a T-shirt or blanket.  It brought tears to my eyes watching them choose then giggle at their friends about items they had chosen, like a T-shirt with a funny logo on it.  They have so much responsibility and not enough things, that it always nice to see them have a chance to behave like the children they are.  My Mum & Dad had donated a cellular blanket that had been used for me and my sister when we were babies, and when I saw one of the girls choose it for her family and then clutch it with such care, it was such a lovely moment to know it was going to a great home.

Anyway, will wrap up for now.  I have a busy week ahead – we’re starting to build new management reporting this week, and I’m also doing some excel training.   Plus am trying to improve my sign language (which is coming along at a faster rate than my Kinyarwanda which has sort of stalled at basic greetings!)…hope everyone has a good week.

Introductions

Last week was a big week of introductions.  On Tuesday, I went to FCYF's site at Nyange, about 5km from Wisdom Primary School, where two programmes are based - the Child Headed Household programme (CHH) and the Deaf Children's Centre.  The deaf children were not back from their school holidays but I met the CHH.  The CHH are a group of around 85 teenagers, who are orphans and raising their younger siblings, acting as parents while they are still children themselves.  FCYF, sponsored by a UK charity, Jubilee Action, supports them by providing vocational training in basket weaving, sewing, wood carving and electrics/plumbing each morning and by providing food to their families (otherwise they would not attend training as they would need to work to provide food) and health insurance.   They also get the support of a social worker, Jacqueline, and very importantly, a mentor, who is an adult in their community who visits their home and supports and advises them.  Over 40 mentors support the CHH, and each has received training in children's rights and skills training such as how to listen actively and provide support to a household suffering from grief from the loss of parents and often suffering post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from difficult events in their lives.  This programme of community volunteer mentors (called "Nkundabana" meaning "I love children" in Kinyarwanda) was pioneered by Elie, with Care International.  Elie was invited to visit the EU in Brussels in 2007 to speak about the programme and subsequently advised them on issues impacting Rwandan orphans. 

                                                                

Each day the CHH start their day at 7.30am with prayers and songs together.   I set off early from home (it takes about 1 1/4 hours to walk from home to the centre, and although it is possible to get a bus,  I decided to walk as the route there is so stunningly beautiful).  Hearing the children sing completely choked me up.  They were singing in Kinyarwanda so I didn't know what they were saying, but their voices were just amazing - like a professional gospel choir.   I didn't expect it at all.  After prayers, it was time to get down to work.  The children were happy to show me their work (and even to try and show me how to weave baskets but I was completely useless and a little worried about the extra work I would create for them as they had to unravel and redo - the work has to be professional enough for them to sell).   Despite the communication difficulties with my limited Kinyarwanda and their limited English), there were lots of laughs and smiles - it was hard to believe what difficult lives they've had.   After my unsuccessful attempts to basket weave, I was given the baby of one of the girls to cuddle instead - at least I could do that!

In the afternoon, I went to Wisdom Primary.  It was the first day of lessons for the new term and the deputy-head, Vian, took me round to the classes to introduce me.   It was so sweet - each class would stand up and say in a sing-song "You are most welcome Teacher Rachael".  Most volunteers actually teach and altho I am at FCYF to help with the finance and accounting, there is a good chance that I will get roped into teaching an English lesson, which is pretty scary!   P2 (who are mostly around 5/6 years old) sang me a couple of songs which was sooo sweet!   They decided to sing me "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine", which a recent Canadian volunteer had taught them, then they cracked me up by singing a song called Calypso.  Three children volunteered to come to the front and stuffed jumpers up their jumpers and then pranced round the room like chickens while singing (and while the rest of the class laughed).   It was hilarious.   I walked down the hill into town with a couple of children later and they asked me what song I would teach them.  Hmmm - any ideas will be greatly received as I'm feeling under a bit of pressure to find a good one!

On Friday, I went back to Nyange to meet the deaf children who were now back at school.   There are nearly 70 children at the school, which is residential and one of only six deaf schools in Rwanda, not nearly enough.   The headmaster, Louis, who clearly loves working with deaf children, took me around to meet the children and I now have a sign name that the the children gave me.   Lots of hugs and smiles from the children and I am now able to sign a few phrases (good morning, how are you..).   The school also had a visitor that day, Dr Morag Clark MBE, from the UK who is a world renowned audiologist specialising in teaching deaf children to speak.   It was interesting to see her work.  Her methods have been very successful worldwide, including in developing countries.   All teaching at the deaf school is done with sign language, but under Dr Clark's methods, there is no signing.   It takes time to implement her methods, which involve spending time one-on-one every day with children practising their speech.  It will be interesting to hear from Louis, whether he thinks this method can be implemented successfully with the limited teaching resources he has (4 teachers for 67 children).

And for anyone who is wondering, yes, I did agree my work objectives with Elie this week and have started work!  More to follow...

Muraho! (Hello!) - My first weekend in the Land of a Thousand Hills

So after a couple of months of planning, I finally arrived in Rwanda last Friday!   I think most of you are aware that I've decided to take a break from corporate life and spend a couple of months working in Rwanda with an amazing organisation called Fair Children / Youth Foundation (FCYF).  FCYF is based in Musanze, a beautiful area in northern Rwanda, and works alongside the local community to restore human rights and rebuild lives and community in an area that suffered greatly from civil war, the genocide and disease.  My assignment was arranged through Accounting for International Development (AfID), who place qualified accountant volunteers with community based organisations in Africa and Asia to help them build their financial capacity.  I stumbled across AfID by chance and immediately knew I wanted to return to Rwanda, which I had visited in 2003 when I went to see the mountain gorillas.  I had been struck by how beautiful and lush the country was and how friendly the people were - we celebrated New Year's Eve 2003 in a party in Musanze (then called Ruhengeri) with some local people and I have never forgotten it.   (I also remember that the folks at the 2003 party had been very impressed with England's recent rugby world cup win and am hoping that there might be somewhere in town to watch the upcoming 2011 NZ competition!)

It was great to be met at Kigali airport by Elie, the director of FCYF, and Becky, another volunteer, and whisked straight away to Muzanze.  It was dark when I arrived (it gets dark around 6pm all year round) so it was even better to wake in the morning (to the sound of singing and a cockerel in the garden which made a nice change from planes on the Heathrow flight path!) and take in the stunning surrounds - jagged volcanoes and lush, rolling green hills!!   Becky had very kindly offered to be my tour guide for the weekend.   First stop was the town - it has a really nice feel to it, with 2 markets, some small shops and bars.   Even tho Musanze is one of the major tourist areas of Rwanda,because of its proximity to the Volcanoes NP where the gorillas are, there are not many "muzungus" (white people) in town, which means we got a lot of attention (in a nice way).  Children appear for a hug and to hold hands and lots of "mwaramutse" (good morning) greetings from the adults!  

On Sunday,  I had the most scenic walk to work I've ever had as we headed to Wisdom School, which is part of FCYF, so I could have a tour before term started.  I got chance to practice my already expanded Kinyarwandan on the way (now at mwaramutse (good morning), amakuru? (how are you?), nemeza! (I am well) - after that I get stuck tho!).  I also realised that altho school is 15 mins walk from the home of Elie and his wife Bernadette, where I am staying, that you need to allow double the time so you can greet the children along the way!

In the afternoon, I had my first out of town trip with Becky and Elie's eldest 2 sons, their cousin and their friend to Lake Burera, which was absolutely stunning.   First we got a bus to Kidaho, which was an experience in itself - it was cosy to say the least and every stop involved a lot of re-organisation to fit everyone in, including one small girl (no older than 5 years old) who got passed around continually and must have sat on the knees of about 10 different people during the trip! She took it in her stride most of the time but was close to tears at one point.   Then after the bus, we caught a "taxi-moto" (motor-bike taxi) to the lake, which I loved!  It was so exhilarating going down this dirt track on the back of a motor bike, with the volcanoes in one direction and Lake Burera ahead.  I think 2 muzungus wearing skirts on taxi-motos might have created a bit of a show for the local people along the way!  The lake itself was very serene - I will definitely be back another day...

Monday morning was registration day for the first day of the new term at Wisdom School.  All the children were arriving with their homework folders, and stationery for the new term, dressed smartly in their school uniforms.   No work for me yet, as the registration process needed the full attention of Elie and all the staff, but tomorrow I have my first meeting to discuss my objectives for the next 8 weeks.  Am looking forward to it....