Second visit to the village. Part 2

'Wednesday is market day in Mugonero and it is an experience not to be missed. 

It was another one of those outings where everyone wants to join in and make the event into a party. We had our shopping list of things to buy and another list of things I needed to find out, so we headed down to the lake once again, saying 'hi' to everyone we passed.

At the lakeshore the fishermen were mending their nets and passed the time with humour and banter. Several of them come from DRC and speak a different language, called Mashi or Moshi (something like that). The most extrovert and outspoken of the men appeared to be called 'Machini' and was always saying 'Freshi, Freshi' He was a very popular character and very skilled at mending. The needle was made out of two pieces of reed tied together with twine. 

The short boat ride to Mugonero was quiet and uneventful, unlike the return journey.

We walked along the new Tarmac road until we came to the town itself. We knew we would be meeting two more friends who had travelled from Gisenyi on the big boat.. We made our way to the Resto and  there they were - Alexis and Tante. Twelve of us sat down in the shade to enjoy Fanta whilst     we discussed what  we needed to do next. The two finance officers met for the first time after months of e mailing across the miles.

It's difficult to describe Mugonero on market day. It is the social event of the week and the whole town throngs with people on one errand or another. There is always noise, colour and bustle. Friends meeting up, on a mission to sell their produce or catch up with the latest news. The crackly sound system blares out music and announcements. A floor show is provided by one of the mobile phone service networks, Airtel, who are promoting a reduction on some of their phones. 

Whilst half of our party went to buy provisions from the food market the rest of us split up into three groups. My task was to find out the cost of materials for making 'sand filter pots' which is a system of filtering dirty water to make it into clean water suitable for drinking.

This link and new project came about through a real 'God moment'. You know, one of those moments when coincidences happen and  you get a tingly spine knowing that this is not just a coincidence! I hope you know these moments sometimes and also appreciate them , like me.

I wrote on my blog that children were suffering again because of the dirty water. There had been an outbreak of cholera in the next door village and I was desperate to find some way of providing clean water. My daughter read the blog and showed it to someone in her church at home, because she knew he had something to do with water sanitation in Uganda. The very next day, Geoff phoned me from England and said he wanted to help and that he had an answer to our difficulties.

After a few messages back and forth it was arranged that an expert from the town in Uganda would come to visit us in Gasundwe and teach some local men to make these filter pots from local materials. It is a very exciting and hopeful development. Yona( our new Ugandan friend) can't come until after the Ugandan elections on February 18th but he will stay for three weeks. So keep a look out for future developments on this issue. website. www.sandfilteraid.co.uk  

Another exciting link has been formed through a friend who worked for VSO in Nyamasheke District. She gave me the contact details of ACSD (African Community for Sustainabale Development). The Canadian director just happened to be in Rwanda at the moment so Alexis and I went to see him on Friday. We were very excited about what they are doing in the rural areas. All their initiatives are based on traditional culture and their main aim is to relieve poverty amongst widows in the area. They have developed a safer and cheaper way of cooking but using locally available materials. They have developed bio composting toilets, model kitchen gardens where the waste from the toilet is used properly as fertiliser. They also have a scheme where they rent a piece of land for one year and 10 widows cultivate that land and with the profits they can pay the rent themselves the following year. We are hoping to form a partnership with them. Once again, we want them to come and stay in Gasundwe for a while to teach their skills and ideas.

I am beginning to get a clearer vision of the Children's Centre, not only as a building dedicated to improving education for young children and their families but also as a 'model' for a healthier lifestyle. The stove, the bio composting toilets, the water sanitation and the kitchen garden ideas all coming together alongside skills training in these areas.

So much in Rwanda happens by 'chance' and you really do have to take hold of the opportunities as they fall in your lap. Or, in my belief, as God the Holy Spirit leads you. Listen to that still small voice and step out in faith. It's not rocket science!

Lots of love for now

Tricia