Thanks, Joy and more goodbyes....

Before I start writing about all the lovely things that have happened since my last post I must tell you about one horrible event. as you know I needed a quiet holiday on my own and so I booked a week in Zanzibar - Paradise Island. Unfortunately, for me, it turned out to be not such a paradise after all. I was attacked as I was walking down a busy street at night. I was smashed full in the face with something hard and fell to the ground with blood pouring from my nose. I really don't know what happened but the end result was a broken nose and two black eyes. The physical injuries are healing nicely but the emotions take a little longer. Anyway, I cut my holiday short and came back to the safety of Rwanda. But I want to say a HUGE THANKS to all the lovely friends in Rwanda and at home who looked after me physically, emotionally and spiritually. I am a very lucky lady to have so many beautiful and caring friends.
But sooo many joys to compensate for the few bad times... 

So close to the gorillas with Naomi

The Silverback came to say 'Goodbye and Thank you for calling'

Another joy was sharing a day in the village with the women of the co-operative. They open their homes and their lives so that we can begin to understand their daily life. 

We helped to prepare the food and to grind the manioc. We went into the banana plantation and out into the fields to learn how to cultivate the land. 

 

We cut grass for the cows and Naomi was able to carry it on her head all the way from teh field back to the house. The only time she had to hold it was when the path was steep. Mine fell off as soon as i took my hands away!!

These cultural days are organised by our friends at Azizi Life in Gitarama and if you are ever lucky enough to come to Rwanda you must try this experience. Look on trip Advisor for more information. 

I had the joy of sharing some of my work with Naomi. she came to visit a  school where we are making a library and she was immediately surrounded by lovely happy welcoming children.

We had a wonderful Midsummer Party at the Hacienda. we put on a shortened and adapted version of Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights dream, with lots of laughter and merriment.

But eventually it was time for Naomi to leave and so another goodbye! But whilst she was here I realised that I needed to visit home in the UK for a while, so I have booked  a return flight in August. The added bonus will be that I will be able to attend Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival during the Bank Holiday Weekend. I am very excited about seeing everyone again and also about coming back to Rwanda for 3 months to complete my Placement before returning home in time for Christmas.

Love to everyone and I hope you get a decent summer in the UK. Please don't forget to comment. I always look for them .

Tricia xxx

Ever since I came to Rwanda I have wanted to go and visit the gorillas and who better to go with than one of my lovelydaughters?? We had an amazing time with these wonderful mammals.

Changing Seasons

The Rainy Season seems to be coming to an end and the Dry Season is upon us . Hurray!


This means we can get out to all sorts of places without worrying about the muddy roads. I have been on Annual Leave for the last two weeks and in the next two weeks I will have more free time to be able to spend with my lovely daughter who is coming to visit me in Rwanda.



I'm so excited because I really miss her. We keep in touch by Facebook chat and by texting, which is brilliant but it is not the same as chatting over a cup of tea at the kitchen table!!So tomorrow I will be at the airport watching through the glass. We are planning to go and visit the gorillas and spend an hour communing with them. We'll also go to Akagera Game Park, the beautiful Lake Kivu and she will visit schools with me.

The Railway network in the North East will have to manage without her for a couple of weeks 'cos she's going to be with me !!!!

 In addition to my holiday, I have been doing some work as well recently. Every year` at VSO Rwanda we hold an Education Conference for all the education volunteers - about 60. This year the theme was 'Inclusion', so there were also many Disabilty volunteers included. 


The Rwandan Constitution is based on equal rights for all citizens regardless of race, religion, ethnic origin, gender, disability or sexual orientation. As you can imagine in a country where resources are scarce this vision can be difficult to put into practice. In the past many children with disabilities have been hidden away at home and have not been able to get to school, either because of physical difficulty, shame on the part of the family or reluctance from the school. This is all changing now and there is a great move to include all children into education.


The photo shows a 'Warm Up' game called 'Being Connected'. Everyone stands in a circle and one person holds the ball of string. She has to find someone that she is connected to, say his name and say how they are connected and then throw him the ball of string, keeping hold of the end. He then chooses someone else and throws the string. A web of connectivity is created. Participants are asked to hold up their arms and look at the web of connectivity and admire it. But what happens if one or two people let go of their part? Of course the web begins to disintegrate.

 My session at the Conference was entitled 'Working Together' and so i started the session with tthis game and continued with a photo show of how I have been working with all sorts of different people. There is an energy in working with others - Synergy. When people work together effectively they can achieve more than when each individual works on their own. This , of course , is dependant on everyone doing their share and getting on with each other!

Soon it will be our Annual Gitfest Celebration - my last one. This year the theme is 'Midsummer Night's Dream' It will be held on June 16th which is as close as we could get to the 21st June - for the Summer Solstice. I hope the next blog entry will be a report on our activities.


Meanwhile I must go and get on with my preparations to go to the airport tomorrow. I'm finding it difficult to concentrate but I will be in school today training Nursery teachers so that will keep my mind occupied for a while.


Lots of love to everyone . Tricia xxx

Wet Weeks which go on forever!

Sunday

The Rainy season seems to have gone on forever this time. If you think that living in Africa is always hot and sunny think again!! For the last few weeks it has been cold and rainy and once you get wet and the cold penetrates there is no way of getting warm again – no fires or heaters to dry your clothes – and ‘No!’ no sun either. The only solution is to get home and get under the quilt – ‘When the going gets tough, the tough snuggle into bed under the mosquito net!’ 

But we are blessed because we have a nice dry home and more dry clothes to change into.

The week started with our marathon film-fest of 'Pride and Prejudice' all day Sunday. Friends came round to the Hacienda with food and drinks and we hunkered down for the day. (I must admit I nipped out for a while down to the local bar to watch Man City v Newcastle – Yay!) But most of Sunday was spent indoors knitting:)

Monday

Landslides

On Monday we were back on the road up to the northern sector of Rongi where the roads and tracks were treacherous, with landslides and mud everywhere. But our drivers are brilliant – they are  local guys who know these hills better than anyone and I feel safe with them. Of course sometimes we have to get off and walk, but that’s ok.

We stayed again in the Priests’ house and realised that we have been visiting them for over one year now! We have made good friends there and we often share a Primus with them and engage in very interesting discussions. We actually look forward to our visits and we are used to the damp beds now.

The Guys

The quality of the photos is exactly how the atmosphere is here at the moment – we live constantly in a mist of wet air and rain. Everything is damp. The big birds in the photo were taking refuge from the torrential rain and gathered in the tree, as the rain stopped they began to fly away. They soared high into the sky, but still beneath the low cloud, and were soon lost to sight.

Big Birds

Soaring

Three days later I had to go to Kigali again and so was quickly transported from rural rural Rwanda to the bustling and exciting urban area of Nyabugogo. I love it there!! There is so much happening and the whole world seem to jostle along nicely together! Even the tarmac roads are covered in mud from the rains and the River Nyaburongo has overflowed its boundaries – the flood plain is completely flooded, destroying some crops and threatening to engulf the road bridge leading into Kigali from Muhanga. If the rains continue in this way, Kigali will be cut off from the south of the country.

Nyabugogo, Kigali

On the way back from Kigali today (Thursday) our bus got a puncture (it happens! Ntakibazo). So, we all got off the bus and waited by the roadside for other buses to pick us up. I was happy because we stopped by a roadside stall selling bananas, onions and the local brew in bottles. I have noticed this stall before and the family who lives there. I went to say ‘Muraho’ to the family and ‘Bite (pronounced beetay, Hi) ’ to the children, then got out my sketch book and started to draw. The children all came round to watch and wanted me to draw them into the picture. It was a wonderful experience and brightened up what was threatening to be a drab day!! After about 20 minutes a bus came long and I had to jump on board, ‘Umuzungu, come, come!’

And it’s not even weekend yet!

Art Day with Kibe

Market scene

Strolling down the street one day in Kigali I got talking to an artist and finding a kindred spirit I went back to his studio to look at his work. 


He works with other artists and they have students, so here you see a wide variety of styles.

Village Life

In Rwanda there are no opportunities for training in art, no art schools, hardly any art in ordinary schools and no possibility of buying art materials. 


Kibe is from DR Congo and has lived in Rwanda for about 10 years. His family still live in Bukavu (DRC) near the border with Rwanda.

Traditional village life

Intelligence

untitled

Another advantage of meeting Kibe is that he is able to supply me with canvas for my own painting - and to make a frame for me to stretch it on!!
He has to travel to Kampala to get his materials, so it works out very expensive for him.

The Hacienda was turned into an art gallery for the day and we had our very own Artist in Residence - (no , not me!)








We made rice and beans and invited friends round to view the paintings and to have a go at making a community picture.

We had a really fun day and want to do it again soon!  
hope you can have fun making art too... just do it! 
Go to http://www.facebook.com/artworkscoop
Love Tx

Easter Time in Rwanda

Judy, Tricia and Mary Odette

This year in Rwanda Easter time coincided with the Genocide Memorial week which begins on April 7th and continues for one week. It marks the start of the 100 days of mourning to remember the genocide of the Tutsi and moderate Hutus. These ethnic groups no longer exist in Rwanda because of the deliberate government policy to ban these titles and 'We are all Rwandans' is the common phrase. 




So, on Easter Sunday we invited friends over to the Hacienda to watch films and to eat a meal together. We were a mixed group, with some new people who haven't been to the house before. This is another time of year when there are volunteers coming and going. People who we have shared our lives with are finishing their placements and returning to their home country and new people are arriving to take their places. It is a time for mixed feelings because you want to make new friends feel welcome and yet you are also sad to lose those 'old' friends.  


We watched two films. The first was called 'Sometimes in April'and is about Rwanda and the second was called 'Magdalene' which was about the life of Jesus. Somehow they seemed to be linked but it is difficult for me to explain why.So it was a thoughtful evening and I think appropriate for this time of year.


I did not get a holiday at Easter because there is so much work to do at the moment. So the following morning I was on the bus to Kigali to do some work for VSO. As a volunteer you have your specific placement but also you are expected to get involved in the work that needs doing on a national level.My task was to work with the other volunteers who are doing the same job as me across the country (Education Leadership Advisors)and to review our work in the light of a new relationship with the Rwanda Education Board. We were based in Kigali for 5 days working on the new model and designing training modules.

Working life

As you can see from the photo some people really enjoy their work!!!


We managed to get a great deal achieved that week and it is wonderful working with a small team of professionals who are doing it because they care and not just because they have to.


One of the brilliant things about working for VSO is that you meet people who like minded and who just want to do something useful with their skills. Nobody comes here thinking they are going to change the world, they come just offering whatever they have for as long as they can- from 3 months to two years.


Once again, if anyone who is reading this blog is undecided about working for VSO I have no hesitation in encouraging you to make enquiries on the website www.vso.co.uk 


Lots of love to everyone and I hope you had a Happy and Blessed Easter, Tricia

Developments in the Village - YAY!!

Sun Rise over the bus park

The closest market

Walking the last 45 mins of the journey

I took the first bus out of Git and caught the last bus back to Git. I left at 6am and returned home at 8pm having been on a bus for 3 hours and a moto ride for 5 hours and walked for an hour and half!!! - but it was worth it to see how well the village is developing. I could only spare one day away from work so it had to be done.




Just to remind you- Gasundwe Village is in Nyamasheke District next to the beautiful Lake Kivu. It is far easier to get to the village by lake and it is my preferred mode of travel. The area is stunningly beautiful but the life is very hard. There is no paid employment here so the people live a subsistence living by growing crops to eat and coffee to sell and by fishing in the lake. There is no water in the village and of course no electricity for miles around. 


The nearest school is one hours walk away, the nearest clinic is about 3 hours walk away. This is not unusual here in Rwanda, but what is unusual is that my friend from Rochdale used to live here before he had to escape in the early nineties. Fortunately that time is over and some of the family have returned to their home village. The Project was started last August and you can find more information on: 
http://rochdale2rwanda.webs.com/

Home

rochdale2rwanda.webs.com

By the way, if you buy Rwandan coffee which says it comes from the shores of Lake Kivu you will be buying Mama's coffee! She sends it with the other coffee growers to the co-operative in the nearest market town.


Also if you look carefully at Photo 2 you will see a small white dot on the hillside - that is the shiny new roof of Mama's house which, when it is finished will be a guesthouse for people wanting to experience a different way of life for  while. 


The project is intended to improve health, living conditions, education and life chances for all the villagers in Gasundwe. This will have a 'knock on' effect on the rest of the area (Gihombo Sector)The school is a Nursery school  - up to age 6/7years and we hope to extend to P1 next year. The villagers themselves are the driving force for change.

Such fat faced children!!

When I came to visit in December these children were skinny little things with hollow cheekbones - now look at them- full healthy cheeks! It's amazing what eating food every day will do for your body. 


If you want more information on the project please leave a comment or e-mail me tricia.atherton@gmail.com or message me on Facebook

Have you ever seen such a happy teacher in the UK?

The villagers have so many more plans, dreams and visions for their community, it is inspiring to be with them and I thank God every day for their survival. 




During the next few weeks beginning on April 7th (Easter Saturday) the country will commemorate the Genocide of the Abatutsi so this is a specially difficult time of year for many families. The  families of the victims and the remaining families of the perpetrators all suffer.


This Easter time lease pray for these wonderful people and their amazing country. I will be thinking of all my friends and family at home and around the world. 


Love and blessings to you, Tricia

The most remote school so far...

The headteachers sets off on his way to work

err we'll wait here for you...

 This week we visited the most difficult to access school so far - even people from the District and Sector Office have not visited this one. All the local headteachers said 'ooohhh you're going to Jandari? It is very far, very far.' The headteacher was concerned that we would have to walk, and wasn't sure that we were capable of walking.

Where is the school?

Lets go then, warrior queens do it like this..

First thing in the morning we had a one and half hour moto journey from home to Kanyanza , dropped our stuff off at the priests house, changed moto drivers to our local guys who know the tracks very well and are brilliant drivers. We had a  further moto ride for an hour over very rough terrain - going over a rocky mountain pass. Then we had to leave the motos and walk the rest of the way.


At this point we were at the top of the mountain range where the headteacher met us to show us the way. The school is in the valley by the river where the people can draw water. There is no road or even track into this valley but there is a small lovely community living there. When the guys saaw where we were heading they changed their minds about coming with us!


But we Warrior Queens don't give up that easily- downhill all the way for about 45minutes is tough on the knees, hips and front muscles at the top of the legs. But we kept going and in any case it is a change from aching bums, backs and abs from being on the moto.

Down, down, down following the headteacher

Yay and there it is at last!

The school is next to the river

A beautiful walk and a lovely setting - but everyday? 


The school was built as a satellite school to another one which is at the top of this mountain. It was situated where the people live to encourage parents to send their children to school.

A lovely school community of only 250 children

I stand in awe and admiration for this wonderful country and its amazing people.


The people are so determined to help in the development of their country. education is highly prized and hard won. sadly it comes as a huge contrast to my experience in the last few years of teaching in the UK, where many students just weren't interested in learning.


And here are those beautiful children. They never have visitors in their valley and yet three visitors in one day!! Add to that, that two of them have a strange skin colour and straight hair and blue eyes. They sang and played games with us and were just delightful.  

A great staff Team 

The school building

This small team of teachers work really well together, each taking on extra duties. Everyone of them managed to get to the training that we carried out at the Sector base and they really valued it. They have had no training before.We were delighted to observe the lessons and see some of the ideas being used by teachers.




The school building is in good condition and this shot shows the school bell which is rung at the beginning and end of school and at breaktimes. A child uses a rock to bang on the wheel and the sound rings out around the valley. Remember that these teachers run a double shift system where one set of children come in the morning and a different set come in the afternoon. The teachers start work at 7am and finish at 5pm.

Parents meeting

On the day of our visit the headteacher had arranged a Parents Meeting to discuss attendance and arrangements for the school year. We could see people coming to the school from miles around - they were dotted about the hillside and along the river bank, coming to support their children and take an interest in an education that they never had themselves.




At the end of the day of course there was the walk back up the hill and by this time the sun was beginning to go down.We had the scarey prospect of riding the rough roads in the dark. The moto drivers were waiting for us and we hit the road, but he night was clear and a bright moon assisted us on our way. There were the two planets, Venus and Jupiter lighting up the sky for us. 


It was a long drive home to the priests house but I have to say I really enjoyed it and felt blessed that I was able to have such experiences and to get to know such an environment and the people who live in it everyday.


Love to you all. Tricia

music and culture in Rwanda

Now take a good look at this guy's homemade guitar and never never complain that your instrument just isn't good enough. This guy makes his living by singing on the streets!




There's another instrument that I can't remember the name of but if I can I will get a photo to show you - it seems to have maybe one string or two and is played with a piece of metal - anyway maybe I can find a piccy and more info....


This week I went to my first film evening in a proper Cultural Centre in Kigali (I took a couple of days off work )there were four short films by young Rwandan directors and they were all really interesting. One was about 'Mama' and the life she had of looking after her children after her husband was killed , another about a boy who was attracted to the bright lights of Kigali. My favourite was about two street musicians struggling to make a living.


Enjoy all the cultural activities on offer in the UK. For some reason I really want to read Will shakespeare's 'Much ado about Nothing' - what's that about?? So ifanyone has a copy they can send meI would appreciate it = I just love the banter between Benedick and Beatrice!!!


Lots and lots of love Miss you allxxxx 

A beautiful Wedding

 Last week one of our beautiful volunteers got married to a lovely Rwandan man. It was such a beautiful day and the ceremony  was wonderful.








We are dressed in Mushananas which is the traditional costume for celebrations.....




....and here is the lovely bride and groom.

There are three parts to a marriage ceremony in Rwanda. The first part is the Civil Ceremony which is held at the local (umurenge) office and is the legally binding part of the marriage. This was held in the morning. 


Later on, in the afternoon the traditional dowry ceremony was held. This is a beautiful event and very fascinating in its traditions. The (extended) family is very important in Rwandan society and both families have to agree on the conditions of the marriage. The bride's family has to be assured that the grooms family are going to welcome his new wife and love her as much as they do their own daughters. Then there are traditions connected with cows and the giving of gifts. The bride is protected by her 'princes' until the groom comes to claim his Queen and prove his love. The whole ceremony is colourful and exciting - with dancing and drumming. It was a wonderful day. 


The third part of the wedding ceremony is where the couple are married by God in the church wedding. This part of the marriage will take place in Brigid's home church in Ireland.


They are a lovely couple and we all wish them a long and happy married life together.

Collecting water

The Dry Season is almost at an end. Until this week it hadn't rained at all since John and Cat were here in December. 


In my last blog I wrote about the red dust covering the roads and surrounding vegetation. The dust got deeper and deeper until it was inches thick. Everything turns brown and it is very difficult to keep things clean. We are lucky, we have running water most of the time in our house but during the dry season the water goes off frequently and so when the water is available I have to fill up the jerry cans and the big water butt so that we have water for all our daily needs. 


In the countryside it is not so easy because as the water sources dry up the women and children have to walk further and further down the hill to collect water and carry it back to their homes. When water is scarce you have to prioritise - so water for drinking and cooking comes before water for washing clothes.

cleaning the dust off my shoes

Shoes and feet turn orange with the dust and have to be cleaned regularly - I clean my shoes everyday - my Dad would be proud of me!!


To some-one who comes from the UK the Dry season is wonderful but to the farmers here it is very worrying if the dry season goes on too long. So last week I joined them in praying for rain and on Saturday it rained for the first time. There was great rejoicing. I must say the  world felt refreshed afterwards, the air was cleaner. But the season changes slowly and so far we have had rain on 3 out of the 7 days. This will increase as the days go by. It means that the road conditions vary now - sometimes there are still piles of dust everywhere and sometimes the roads are slippery because the earth cannot soak up the sudden rain.


Next blog I will show you photos of roads in Rwanda - no motorways but excellent tarmac roads (A roads) in urban areas or from big town to big town, then B roads, C roads and totally unclassifiable roads!!


Your Spring will be coming soon I'm sure the daffodils will be showing through - don't forget to let me know when you spot those gorgeous spring flowers.


Lots of love to everyone
Tricia