This week's Education Conference

The last three days of this week were spent in Kigali at the Annual  Education conference for all volunteers and staff of VSO who are involved in the education Programme.


VSO has three main priorities in Rwanda, namely, Education, Disability and National Volunteering. The Education Programme is the largest. 


The best session of the conference was the one in which the students, teachers and headteachers and DEOs (District Education officers) were involved. They were asked to discuss and  draw pictures of what the education system is like now and what they want it to be like in the future - ie by 2020. I was working with a group of Primary School students and their perspectives were very interesting - on the whole they were happy with the schools as they are now and it was difficult for them to visualise a school of the future until we went and showed them what a computer can do - they had never seen one before. At the end of the session the students stood up in front of the whole conference and said what they wanted to see in the future. These comments ranged from 'clean schools, with concrete floors and roofs that don't leak' to 'running water, electricity and good quality teaching, more textbooks and computers in the classrooms.


In the afternoon we had a  panel of experts, including a member of the National Inspectorate and representatives of UNICEF - who are doing a brilliant job here in Rwanda (I am pleased to say this because I have supported UNICEF financially on a monthly basis for about 20 years now!!


I'm back in Gitarama and looking forward to Saturday night with some friends who are coming to our house to cook a meal - there are great advantages to being the only house in town with a proper cooker!!

Massive advertising hoardings

I'm including this photo to show you the size of the advertising hoardings here. Impressive? Yes, but not as impressive as the guys who shinny up to the top with no rope or safety harness to change the pictures every couple of months - rock climbers eat your heart out!!!!


Lots of love to everyone - hope the summer is going well. 


PS I'm told the Rainy Season will come to an end soon - I'll let you know when it does!!


Tx

A typical Saturday??

I pass this poster every day on my way to work

Ok,  so this is a typical Saturday when I’m not going away for the weekend.

Saturday morning, no work so I have a lie-in until maybe 7am at the latest – can’t seem to sleep any later than that , although I may go for a sleep later in the day eg early  afternoon. I get up, put the kettle on for a cuppa tea (very much like home really!) Whilst the kettle’s boiling I open the curtains and switch off the seciurity light and the front and back porch.

Take cuppa into bedroom and decide what to wear – Saturday morning, it’s usually my African wrap and a loose top. Go for a hot shower and fill up a bucket of hot water so that I can do my ‘smalls’ washing. I wash my own ‘smalls’ and my towel because I like them washed in warm rather than cold water. Also I think it’s not nice to ask someone else to hand wash your smalls! Your views on this are welcome!!

Get dressed in loose clothing, do my washing on the back porch , say  ‘Maramutse, Amakuru?’  to Jean Paul who is already working in the garden. Tidy up the kitchen from the night before, have some toast with peanut butter or Marmite. Put the kettle on for fresh Rwandan coffee. Sit on the back porch and maybe do some knitting or reading Ken’s Weekly Guardian  ( keep it coming!! Or let me know when you cancel it so that I can take out my own subscription – thank you x)

Mid morning I take myself and/ or April off to town to get some shopping . I usually call in at the dressmakers to see how she is getting on with my latest outfit. This week I called in to ask her to make the skirt longer - I got told off by a Rwandan lady for my skirt being too short (mid calf length) Hop on a moto to get my shopping home safely.

A loaded lorry stuck in the mud

A brick oven in the school grounds

 This Saturday I joined an African choir and it was great fun - didn't understand a word I was singing but we're going to have the best alto line up in Rwanda (all 4 of us!)We are now an International choir since I joined - ha ha!!

I've been exhausted this week and so spent most of the weekend resting. Judy and I spent three days in a northern sector visiting the last 5 schools up there. We start the training in two weeks. Three days almost continually on the back of a motorbike is physically tiring and communicating with teachers and headteachers when our languages are different is mentally challenging. Added to that we stay in the Priest's house whilst we are there so we have to make polite conversations all evening - actually it's quite good fun because they are such characters and it is quite  amusing watching Judith struggling to explain her 'off the cuff' comments which are intended to be lighthearted but turn out to be taken very seriously and need to be explained in great detail.

Washing hands after visiting the toilet

Many of the schools do not have electricity or water and so headteachers have to be very creative in thinking of ways to help children keep clean. The headteacher of this school had managed to install solar panels and sells the electricity to the local community so that they can charge their mobile phones. He also has a'Hairdressing salon' on site and 1/4 of the money raised goes to pay the hairdresser and 3/4 goes into school fund. The children usually have shaved heads for hygiene reasons, so it's an excellent idea!                                            

Play equipment for the Nursery children

I seem to have strayed from the topic of Saturdays, but never mind! I am coming to the end of my weekend and it's Sunday night so going to read a good book before bed time. I'm reading my fave book of all time - Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen - I  always read it to give me comfort and a laugh!!

Lots of love to everyone. Please don't forget to comment - I always check if anyone has written anything. Thank you for any prayers you may have offered for our safety on the motorbikes - please continue. Tricia xxxx

Shall I write about the weather or about my work???

The Centre of Operations

Ok, so I’ve been asked to write about what I do when I go out to schools on these trips. The answer is that it depends....

The latest trip is the first of several that we have planned to one of our remote sectors. As you know, I work at the District Office in Muhanga which is in the Southern Province. This is our ‘centre of operations’ and from here all the plans are made!! Sometimes the plans come to fruition and sometimes they don’t! But this week they did. I will try to give a brief outline of my work programme:

When I arrived I analysed the Examination results for the P6 children in all the schools in Muhanga District. From this analysis I was able to determine which of the 12 sectors needed support.  One of these sectors is the one we visited this week. We have planned a programme of visits and training which will last most of this term. There are 9 schools in the sector and this week we visited 4 of them, we will visit the other 5 next week. Our aim for these first visits is to gather information and to observe teaching so that we can work out what improvements need to be made, and what training we can offer. The next part of the programme is to deliver 6 days of training for every teacher in the sector. The teachers wanted us to do this on a subject by subject basis.  After the training days we will give the schools 4 weeks to try out some of the new strategies, then we will visit each school again to evaluate the impact of the training.

 So that’s the ‘work bit’, now the logistics!! The sector is a 2 hour moto ride from Gitarama and so we decided we would stay overnight whenever we could so that we would cut down on these arduous journeys. A friendly and helpful headteacher has found us accommodation with the Catholic priests in the area. So this week we carried out our first 4 visits, we had safe journeys and decent weather.

 

One of the schools we visited is particularly remote and the families are very poor. You will see from the photo that they haven’t got proper desks, the classrooms are very old and the floors are just hard packed earth. The children cannot get to school in the rain because the area is very mountainous and if they get wet they can’t get dry and will be more susceptible to illness. The nearest medical centre is a day’s walk away. They may only have one set of clothes (usually their school uniform) and if this gets wet they have nothing to change into. So there are many barriers to learning, but the teachers try very hard in difficult circumstances.

And so we continue, inspired by these dedicated teacher who get paid absolute peanuts – in fact if they got paid in nuts they would be better off!

Love Tricia

Roads in Rwanda

The roads in Rwanda are AMAZING.


There are several Principal Roads throughout the country that are tarmaced and are a credit to the engineering skills of the Chinese and the hard work of the Rwandan people.These roads connect the major towns to the capital city, Kigali. They also connect the country to neighbouring countries of Uganda,DRC, Tanzania and Burundi.


When you see the beautiful mountainous terrain in this country you can appreciate the difficulties of travel.

 Out of the towns, travel is more difficult. I had the great pleasure of being able to do a tour of Muhanga District in a 4x4 with my Director of Education. Our district stretches to the north of the country and there are some remote, out lying areas. 


There is a massive road building programme going on throughout the country. Most of the work is done by people power. Earth is moved away from the hillside to the other side of the road in order to widen the carriageway. In the rainy season the roads become incredibly muddy and the earth is loose and treacherous. 

Drains are dug along the whole length of the road to provide run off for the heavy rains. After this the drains are fortified with rocks held together with cement. The drains become a thing of beauty with their multi coloured lining. 


When the roads are finished the communication links for everyone, including education and health workers will be much improved and access to remote areas will be much easier.


 Until then, we persevere in all weathers!!


Judy and I will be making such a journey on Monday and Tuesday to visit four schools so think of us and pray that the rains hold off for another night.


Thank you, sending my love to you all. xxxxx

A typical Day in Rwanda??

Outfit for working in the office

I’ve been asked to write about a typical day in Rwanda, which is very difficult because often what you think is going to be a typical day turns out to be anything but!!

Here am I in my office work clothes. But when I go out to schools I look very different - dressed in trousers and smart top but covered from head to foot in waterproof gear and safety helmet.

Typically,  I get up with the sun at about 5.45am. I drag myself off my Rwanda Foam bed and escape via the mosquito net.( I like sleeping under my mosquito net , it’s like a cocoon or tent and makes me feel safe.) I go to the kitchen and put the kettle on for a cuppa – just like home really. Into the bathroom for cold stand up wash – if I’m feeling in need of luxury I add some of the water from the kettle into the bowl. We do have a hot shower but I only use it in the evenings and only once or twice a week. Perversely I prefer the refreshing cold wash. I know – it’s the puritan in me!

Breakfast and out of the house by 6.30, walk down to work along with lots of others, some of whom are becoming very familiar to me. Ladies off to cultivate their land, growing food for their families, children off to school always wanting to practice their English with me, young men in white wellingtons off to wherever they are off to, well dressed men and women off to the office. I pass the young girl looking after the turkeys (what’s the collective noun for a group of turkeys?) I pass the goats chewing anything they can reach, the noisy cow in the neighbours garden and the gaggle of moto drivers looking at me hopefully,  thinking I may, just this once,  ride on the back of their bike down to work. But no, I like my walk to work too much.

I arrive at the office for 7 and say my ‘Good Mornings’ to all and sundry. From then on I never know what is going to happen. I may plan things and be determined to carry them out, but more often than not something unexpected happens and the plans change.

So, on Judy’s first day at work I’d planned to take her to visit one  school. The trip involved a motor bike ride, the headteacher was expecting us, the drivers were booked. But the rain rained and the boss said ‘You must not go on motos today!’ So, instead we got to drive around the whole district in a 4x4, visiting lots of schools. We had a wonderful day, albeit a very long day – a drive of about 8 hours, with no food or water! We spent about one hour in a remote school, entertaining children with ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and....’ etc whilst the boss went off to supervise the girls' vaccinations against Rubella. 

So, having set out on a typical day it turned out to be yet another amazing experience in Rwanda.

But on a Fridays we are continuing a fine tradition, started by my predecessor. The clue is in the photo!!

Well, what another amazing week in Rwanda!

 I have just come to the end of my holiday period, culminating in the form of big black and white stripey animals, tall, long necked creatures and floating logs!!!

You guessed it – zebras, giraffes and crocodiles. We had an amazing visit to Akagera National Park in the north east of Rwanda where it borders with Tanzania. It’s like driving through the Lake District National Park, off road (totally different scenery) and instead of seeing sheep grazing you see Topi, Impala, Water Buffalo and Zebra. The zebra in particular are very beautiful up close – the markings are so distinct, I hadn’t realised what wonderfully interesting faces they have. They seem happy that you have come to see them in their natural home, perfectly content and not afraid. From a distance they look grey. 

I really wanted to see giraffe in their home environment and I was not disappointed. We searched around for a while and then our guide said ‘I see giraffe’ and we went off the track onto the grassy plain. YES there they were! Two giraffe quite a long distance away but with my binoculars I could see them clearly. The male was soooo tall and his bulk enormous, beautiful markings, so very exciting! 

 However, at this point we realised the vehicle was well and truly ‘stuck in the mud’, no amount of rocking backwards and forwards was going to get us out of that deep watery hole! During bouts of helping to push, I was thrilled because we were able stand on the grassy plain and for a few precious minutes we were part of the sounds and smells and sights of the Savannah. It took about 45minutes to free the wheels and off we went... 


We thought that was going to be our only sighting of the giraffe but the guys don’t give up easily and not far around the corner we came across them again – this time a family of three – male, female and baby. It was a wonderful sight, to see them feeding from the tops of trees.

We continued our drive down to the lake and pulled up about 50metres away. Our guide pointed out the ‘floating logs’ – three of them soo close to us! And then we spotted the enormous crocodile sunbathing on the rock with its great mouth open, displaying his set of teeth! He did not move a muscle, he was so still. We stood in awe. A baby appeared from the water and joined his family on the rock. We ate our picnic at this spot and one of the crocs must’ve decided he was hungry too because suddenly there was a great tail thrashing in the water and a duck disappeared!!

Thinking what an amazing day we’d had we began the long drive to the South gate, but the excitement wasn’t over yet. As we rounded a corner of the track the most enormous elephant stood in our way! I didn’t know a big vehicle like a Landcruiser could reverse so quickly! Because that is what you do! If you come across an elephant suddenly, do not stand and admire it, do not beep your horn and expect him to move, you are in his territory and he may not want you there, so get out of the way!!! We admired him from a safe distance, then took a circuitous route through the bush to continue on our way.

The guide said we had been very lucky to see so many beautiful animals, and I know that we were because those animals just roam around freely wherever they want and no-one can predict accurately where they will be from one day to the next. A wonderful end to wonderful holiday.

Keep safe everyone and enjoy the extra holidays. xxx

Surrounded by gifts on my birthday!!

 Hi everyone! 

Just an ordinary Friday night!!

Since the last time I wrote I appear to have entered a new decade!! I had a very special birthday this week and received sooo many best wishes, cards and parcels, I was almost overwhelmed. One of the best presents was the visit of my friend, Ann, who always planned to be here on my birthday- she actually made it and brought sooo many gifts with her that she only had a half a suitcase left for her own items!! So thank you to everyone who sent gifts, cards, hugs and kisses. I had a great time and was able to provide a lovely afternoon tea for new friends here in Rwanda. Ann brought a selection of cheeses from Sainsbury's and it was very much appreciated even though some of it was very ripe by the time it was eaten!


I also need to tell you that I spent the morning of my birthday in the hospital suffering with an intestinal infection - great treatment and with the help of anti-biotics I am on the mend - it is an inevitable part of living in Africa,and  I am so lucky to have access to excellent medical care.


This week I have spent most of the time in Kigali and only returned home today (Good Friday)But as you will see from the photo we spent Friday night in the way we have often spent Friday night at home - it involved a bottle of red wine (thank you Judith) and a large packet of Kettle Crisps - crushed black peppercorn - my favourite. But we had the added bonus of a box of chocolates from Ireland - thanks again Judith !!! As a result I am writing this blog in a slightly squiffy atmosphere so I hope to write again soon.


Happy Easter , everyone and don't eat too much choccy!!
Love Tricia

Returning Home – no, not that home

Lake Bunyonyi

I have just spent a week in Uganda and I must admit after a few days I was homesick for Rwanda!!! I enjoyed my trip and had many exciting experiences but it was quite comforting to realise that I felt I was missing my home n Gitarama.

I lived by the lake in the treetops for three days, in the African bush at risk of lions strolling by (none did) and with the wonderful community of people in the beautiful Rwenzori Mountains.

Living in the treetops

Inside the tent in the treetops

Lake Bunyonyi was a peaceful and pleasant retreat after a fairly demanding three months. You will see the tent in the treetops in which I slept most comfortably, waking to the sound of the birds, which allowed me to share their home for a few days. Along the lakeside the weaver birds were busy courting and building their nests. A highlight was kayaking in a dugout canoe across to the island for lunch.  

The inevitable puncture

From the lake we moved onto a safari drive, travelling over extremely bumpy roads and difficult terrain. Needless to say we got a puncture in the tyre – no trip on African roads is complete without one! 

Queen Elizabeth National Park

We stayed that night in Queen Elizabeth Park and were reminded that lions could stroll by at any time. Believe me this is not a comforting thought when you need to go to the toilet in the middle of the night!!

Surprised by hippos!

Those jaws are enormous!!

 The most exciting moment for me was walking along a river bank and hearing  very loud unidentifiable sounds from a very large animal.


 It was scary! 




We continued stealthily under cover of bushes with the snorting noises getting louder and louder.


As we came to the edge of the bushes, we saw them – a big family of hippos soaking up the water in the heat of the day. 


We watched in awe until eventually our guide said he thought we should leave because they were getting agitated. Not wanting to upset them further we made a silent retreat back into the bushes!

 I kept thinking it couldn’t get any better but it did! 

The Rwenzori Mountains

My favourite part of the trip was our visit to Rwenzori Mountains. 

This is a most beautiful part of Uganda and Mt Stanley is the third highest peak in Africa, after Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya. I would highly recommend this area for anyone who loves trekking - anything from a day's hike to a nine day trek is available.

Watching the sun set

We stayed in Kilembe at Rwenzori Backpackers – the write up in the Lonely Planet Guide doesn’t do it justice. In a later blog I will try to rectify that!! 

We had a guided hike up into the mountains, camped overnight and returned the next day.

Watching the sun rise

The money that we paid for this went towards funding community projects in the area. Kilembe has a copper mine which was closed down, removing the employment in the area. You can imagine the effects of this situation. Our guide was very entertaining and a great local character. 

Early morning breakfast

I‘m back home now and tomorrow I go to the airport to meet my friend from the UK who is coming to stay for two weeks. Can’t wait!  

Hope you enjoy the photos. 

Love to everyone Txxx

Sunday 3rd April Mothering Sunday in UK

Mothering not smothering! Motherhood is an amazing privilege and an awesome responsibility, but also a source of great joy and fulfilment. The girls and boys here are mothers from a very early age – they look after their siblings whilst mum is busy cultivating the land for food to eat and to sell. If younger children aren’t available to help with childcare the work goes on anyway. The babies are fastened to mum’s back with strong cloth that will not break. Babies are very peaceful because they are so physically close to their mothers, they are safe and secure. The children also carry the babies in this way. I  haven’t seen fathers doing this but I have seen very proud and loving fathers cuddling their young babies and children.

As one of my daughters will tell you the early years of a child’s life are very important . It is the time when attitudes,  values  and social habits are being formed, a time when the brain is actually developing in its own unique way, when it is learning to learn if you like. The education system here is only just beginning to realise the importance of the Nursery years and there are some teachers doing great things with few resources. However, most of the time the young children sit quietly not being stimulated, with a consequent effect on learning development. My job is to focus on Primary Education but there is a great need to focus on Pre Primary schooling. http://treasurelearning.co.uk/ 

I started my garden today – we have  a garden at the back of the house divided into 4 vegetable plots and I have asked for one of them. I am planting beans, broccoli and a variety of herbs . I have no idea what will grow but I’ll spread the seed and see what happens. I realised that the garden faces the same way as my garden at home – it gets shade in the morning and blazing sun in the afternoon – wonderful sunsets from the verandah too! – so a slightly different direction I think because my sunsets at home are more to the left!! I know... west!

On Saturday I was in the shopping precinct in Kigali and I could’ve been in any ‘bar’ in UK. Not because there were loads of white people – there weren’t – not because the beer was flowing – it wasn’t – then why? There was good natured socialising, there were soft drinks on the tables, there were lots of men all with one aim – enjoying the football match between West Ham and Manchester United. And boy! Did they enjoy it!!!! Every time there was a goal – and there were plenty – uproar – cheering, jumping up, thumping the air, clapping, big, big smiles. Fantastic! Meanwhile what were most of the women doing? Answer – shopping – see, just like home!

I am not a keen football fan but I wish I was. I can teach football skills but I have never supervised a match in my entire teaching career – well, not strictly true – I have supervised many matches but relied on the players to give me guidance on off side rules etc! I know!  What an admission – it gets worse – I used to run a chess club and we had some excellent players in our school. We won many matches and had champions who represented the North West. And all the while I pretended I could play very well – I can’t – I know the basics and I can teach the skills but my brain doesn’t work in the way that chess requires!! But this strategy has taught me that a good teacher needs to be able to facilitate and encourage, she doesn’t need to be expertly skilled at everything but she does need to be able to take pleasure in the skills of others.

Here in Rwanda the people have many many skills and I am looking forward to learning about them in the next two years.

April 7th in Rwanda marks the beginning of the time of mourning which lasts 100 days. This week is Memorial Week in which Rwandans gather together for 7 days of national mourning. I will be going to Uganda for a short holiday with some other volunteers. I decided to do this is as a sign of respect; it seems to me to be a time when Rwandans can have their country to themselves and grieve in their own way. I grieve with them in spirit but cannot ever know their pain. I am not afraid of being here, on the contrary I respect and admire the people for their courage.  Purple is the colour of mourning.

With much love to you all, don’t forget to comment! T xxxx

Come an' look at yer soffits luv.....

Climbing up the ladder to climb down the ladder into the water tank.

I went  to visit a UNICEF Child Friendly School – there are very few of these in the country and none in my district so I went with a colleague from a neighbouring district. The school was reached by climbing  an extremely steep hill , along a rutted packed-dry path. But if you could get there the school was then wheelchair friendly. There were some exciting innovations  ranging from simply lowering the blackboards so that children and wheelchair users could write on the boards to a ‘Special needs Room’ for children who needed to rest during the day. It had two beds and fresh drinking water.  

Whilst we were there we were invited to look in the water tank which was being repaired by a guy from ‘Engineers Without Borders’ It was reminiscent of being a headteacher and being told  by one of the building Inspectors to  ‘Come and look at yer soffits, luv’  (I dutifully went and looked) 

The Foreman inside the water tank

 I’ve had more interesting trips this week – but this time travelling on buses. The express bus services in Rwanda are extremely good and efficient, the main roads are tarmac and in good condition. But there is another form of bus travel  which, across Africa, is called ‘Matatus’. These amazing vehicles get crammed with people, livestock, grain,  plastic jerry cans, bowls, buckets, charcoal – you name it the matatus can carry it! They are often battered, dented  and rusty, but they transport vast numbers of people to the remotest places. There is a snag! The driver does not leave until the bus is full and sometimes you can sit on the bus for a very long time before it takes off. On Thursday I sat and waited  for one and a half hours along with three local ladies and some dried fish!! Eventually a guy got on and after sitting for a while said he was going to get the express bus did I want to join him – this was great news because I didn't know there was an express bus to my planned destination. As it was , I was correct,  it was a matatu masquerading as an express bus! I simply sat on a different bus until the driver decided it was time to go.

Visual aids made with bottle tops

Just a very quick story about a moto ride. My policy when riding on a ‘ihene’ or little goat bike is the same as when riding on a bus in Manchester  - ‘Please do not distract the driver’  But last night on the way home my moto driver was so keen to practice his English that he spent most of the journey with only one hand on the handlebars and facing backwards to talk to me! I did arrive home  safely however!

I hear that Spring has sprung in UK and that there has been lots of sunshine, people have been out gardening and new life has begun. Hooray!!!! Lots of love to everyone, enjoy the fresh air. T xxxxx

Thank you for all your support xxxx

I had a difficult time this week. I knew it had to come but it still surprised me!

I’ve been having such a happy time and beginning to feel that maybe I will be able to do something useful  here – using the skills I’ve gained over the years. When,  WHAM! Talk about Monday morning blues – I didn’t want to get up, I didn’t want to do the ‘Mwaramutse Walk’, I didn’t want to greet the children living close by and least of all I didn’t want to struggle with the communication anymore – in short I didn’t want to be here . I just wanted to go home to my lovely familiar life.

But one of the great things about being here is the support that you get from the Volunteer Community- all those other people who are in the same situation and have the same experiences. 

In addition I have WONDERFUL friends and family at home who communicate their love in lots of ways – through Facebook , e- mail messages and jokes that make me howl with laughter and blow away the tears. And most timely of all on the very day when I needed it most – not one but two parcels from home!!!! Lovely little extras like hand cream, sherbet dabs and chocolate options! A lovely picture postcard of the huge sycamore on Hadrians Wall is now on my (less) bare bedroom wall. Jelly Babies reformed as ‘Jellyatrics’ to celebrate 90 years of jelly babies. AND some knitting needles and wool to keep my creative juices flowing... SOOO thank you to all my wonderful friends – you’ll be pleased to know I am feeling much better and looking forward to a holiday next week.

Spring Equinox

Sending off the Equinox blessings

This weekend at home, the days are the same length as the nights and if I were at home I would celebrate this time of year with two very dear friends. This year I am celebrating in Africa! So I have set aside some time to think about the Equinox and what it might mean to me here in Africa - a very strange feeling!!

Thoughts:

It's very strange being in Rwanda at this time because there is no such thing as spring - or emerging from the cold, dark days of winter. The seasons are all the same here, and I miss the changing nature of the landscape that is home. Daylength is the same all year round. It's predictable. I wake up each morning with the sun shining through my window, I dress, have breakfast and go to work for 7am. when I leave work at 5pm, I come home, have tea and go to bed - sometimes by 7.30pm. The day is ended and it's pretty much the same for all my neighbours - but during the day - such activity! Everywhere, from dawn people (mainly women) are cultivating the land. Nearly  every patch of earth is required to feed this nation of  10 million people. Beans, cabbages, carrots, maize, casava and rice grow in all the strangest places. Goats, cows, chickens and turkeys roam the paths between the houses and on the way to work, outside the court of justice, next door to the District Office, in the grounds of the Rwanda Revenue Authority - everywhere the business of providing food for a hungry people!

Air:

 hot, humid, sticky - a storm is brewing, the warm wind blows and the rain begins – thunder rolls in from the distant heavens, lightening strikes again and again providing a magnificent light show in the darkened skies. The leaves of the banana trees are being bashed furiously by the wind, and the rain is lashing down on the roof, making it impossible to hear the conversation of friends.

Earth:

The red fertile hard packed earth turns wet and muddy, making it possible to pull up the carrots, to till over the land and to plant new seeds.

Fire:

The smell of charcoal stoves cooking the home grown food. Trees being chopped down to make the charcoal, smouldering heaps on the hillsides.

Water

Vital rainfall, loosening the earth, feeding the seeds. Water for drinking, children carrying water to families. Water flooding down roads and drains and mountain tracks, taking the land with it. Taking away the medium of sustenance.

Equinox

A balance.

A balance of need and want

A balance of wet and dry

A balance of heat and cold.

A balance within and without.

the time of year to re- balance our lives

to clean out the cobwebs

to refresh our souls

‘The key to who we are is our soul.’

'Praise to you who charms away my fears by never abandoning me on my path.

You hold back the branches for me and make my way clear.

You catch me when I stumble

and show me the wonders of your creation.

Praise to you.'

With lots of love and being with you in spirit and in my heart. And, as always, thanks to Tess for prompting my thoughts (Tess Ward ‘The Celtic Wheel’ O Books 2007)
Tricia xxxxxx 

The size of my open hand.

the size of my open hand

There are sooo many different types of butterflies and moths here – and such fantastic patterns and colours. I can’t take photos because  they flutter away  whenever I get near! However, there was one on the window of the verandah the other day and I managed to capture this image. You can’t really tell from the photo but it was about the size of my open hand.  I’m sure you’ll agree that if it was sitting on the bark of a tree you would not see it. It was beautiful! 

Last Friday afternoon,  I was sitting in the sunshine outside  ‘Inshuti  Best Place’ having a cold beer when, not one , but two beautiful butterflies appeared. They seemed to be attracted by the red on the sign for Primus beer and kept landing on our table.  I use this as an introduction to the fact that I am continuing a tradition begun by my predecessor, Ken, and by Michael who is still here in Muhanga.On Friday afternoon we can finish work  early  so that we have the opportunity to go to the local sports centre and indulge in some exercise. I reckon I do enough exercise and what I really need on a Friday afternoon is a cold beer and a catch up with friends. So as soon as work is finished  I walk across the road outside my office and enter the little bar – ‘Inshuti’ means friend.  I usually meet up with Michael but soon he will be going home so Jules and I have committed ourselves to continuing this noble tradition!

This week I have been visiting schools to observe teaching so that when Judy comes I will have an idea of what sort of training we need to be providing. There is a great website called ‘Mango Tree’ which has all sorts of ideas for making resources using locally available materials, like rice sacks and bottle tops. For all you teachers out there,  I think of it a bit like Sparkle Box is in the UK, only not so print heavy, which reminds me, I had a triumph this week when I finally managed to print out some documents using the office printer – YAY! Printers and photocopiers are notoriously unreliable but this one has a mind of its own. Apparently  I have an advantage because I speak English and so does the printer!

Another first this week is a beautiful handmade outfit which I have collected from the seamstress – she is totally amazing and can make anything you describe to her. The easiest thing is to give her an item of clothing to copy and some new material bought from Fabric Wonderland and she will make it up for you in a matter of days. So, Judy,  you don’t need to pack loads of clothes , just some favourites and you can have new ones made. When I collected my first outfit I took a drawing of a dress I would like made and some material.  She took measurements and  said it would be ‘no problem!’ So I’m looking forward to seeing the result.

Don't forget the Spring Equinox at weekend, when the day is the same length as the night. The dark winter is over and it's time to spring clean our lives!! Lots of Love, Txxxx