Sunday afternoon tea in Rwanda

The guys 

This week, I had a great weekend in Gitarama. Sometimes, it’s good to go away for the weekend and visit friends, see new things and find out how other volunteers are getting on in their situations. Last week I went to visit  a friend who is working in a Teacher Training College in the north west of the country. But this weekend I just wanted to stay at home and have a relaxed couple of days.

Saturday market

Having a laugh with the stall holders

So, on Saturday morning I went out shopping for food in the market. I used to find it overpowering - it was busy and strange and confusing. I could see the fresh vegetables but had great difficulty asking for them and not knowing what price to pay. But now, I'm so familiar with the whole set up that I can have a joke and a laugh with the women. They are very shy about having their photo taken but are also intrigued when I show them the resulting picture and often want me to take more!

After shopping in the market for fresh goods (and I mean straight off the bush, straight into the basket on the head and down to the market the same morning)I go into town to buy bread, tea, milk and other basics. With my arms full of shopping and a heavy bottle of oil I hop on a moto. The drivers are beginning to know me and enjoy my particular brand of Kinyarwanda.

A beautiful baby girl

Following my choir practice in the afternoon, on  Saturday evening three of us got together and had cocktails, home made Indian food, chocolate and watched a film, on the laptop.


Sunday was a day for visiting a 'miracle' baby. She was born 3 months early, and in the hospitals here there are not the same resources available to promote the survival of infants like this. 

She was in an incubator just to keep warm, no feeding tubes or anything.  But look at her now, seven weeks later and she is thriving. Of course I couldn't resist having a cuddle!


Later that afternoon I prepared a traditional Sunday afternoon tea for our guests.Home made scones, jam and cream (yes, we even managed to find some cream but I must admit whipping it with a fork  for half an hour for it to end up looking like curds and whey was probably not worth it)


Proper Rwandan leaf tea, teapot, cups,saucers, tablecloth, sugar bowl, sandwiches cut into triangles - the works! Our Rwandan guests were delighted and delightful! They enjoyed the scones so much that they requested a cookery lesson!


So, a lovely weekend. The next two weeks are four day weeks for work. On Friday 1st July it is Independence Day when Rwandans celebrate independence from the Belgium colonists. Monday 4th July is Liberation Day when Rwandans remember the day in 1994 when the RPF took control of the parliament in Kigali.


At home, I hope you are enjoying many summer days and late evenings, lots of BBQs and fresh chilled white wine. mmmm!!


Love to everyone and don't forget to write. Tx