Question

If we were awarded a gift of £5000 what would we spend it on?

First of all, how wonderful if we got such a gift!! Amazing. 

We have four ideas and I want to ask for your opinions.

We could spend the money on any of these projects, which do you think would be most useful?

Project 1.

At the moment our new Children's Centre building has a pit latrine, basically a hole in the ground. We are in partnership with a local group who would provide a 'toilet block' based on the African dry toilet system. This would not only improve toilet hygiene but also provide fertiliser for the crops.

Project 2.

The village is very remote and transport links with such services as the hospital, the Tarmac road and the nearest town are very difficult so the provision of a boat with an outboard motor, based in the village and owned by a cooperative would provide improved links and income for the cooperative

Project 3

One aspect of our project is aimed at sustainability through income generation. We have many ideas for job creation but we need money for training in various skills and finance for start up businesses

Project 4

The nearest hospital is a difficult journey of two and half hours away by boat and by foot. We want to be able to provide training and facilities for a health worker in the village.

What would you advise us to spend £5000 on?

I really want to know, so either comment on the blog or on Facebook. Thankyou so much.

Tricia xxxx

Saying goodbye to the village.... For now

On Thursday, I awoke with the sun as usual, knowing it was my last full day in the village for some considerable time and I heard the chattering of the women who meet every Thursday morning at 6am before they go off cultivating for the day. These are the women who have formed themselves into a Savings cooperative and they are my friends. I got dressed quickly and went to see them. We chatted and they danced for me, of course I joined in! The lady on the left of the picture with the red jacket is Stephanie, the leader of the group and a new member of the local NGO, Gihombo Forward. This group is now responsible for the use of the building and for promoting further development in the vicinity.

The lady immediately to the left of me in the photo above is one of the oldest ladies in the village and her family were given a gift of a sand water filtration pot which Silas will install for her. 

Thursday went by quickly with lots more activity and all too soon it was Friday morning and time to leave. I went to see the children at school, it was still very early but, already, there were some of the 85 morning children waiting for their protein porridge. The feeding programme is still a very important part of the project and will need to continue for a long time. We are still looking for an NGO who will come into partnership with GiFo in order to improve health promotion and health care. 

The hardest part of all was saying goodbye to Mama and the household and there were many tears. It is wonderful to me that even though we don't speak the same language we have the same spirit and the same heart of love within us all.

Many friends walked down to the lakeshore with us where the boat was waiting, we climbed in and had a lovely peaceful journey with water lapping gently against the wooden boat, blue skies, verdant green land, exotic birds and fish jumping in the lake. Just at that moment Gabriel received a message from his wife to say that she had gone into labour with her second child and her neighbours were taking her to hospital. As a treat and to get there as soon as possible we hired a taxi car to take us on the new tarmac road to Kibuye. We dropped Gabriel off at the hospital before continuing into town to the bus park. In the middle of the afternoon I received a message to say that his daughter had been born..... And here she is

This two month visit has seen some surprising things happening for the people of Gasundwe, some hardships and some miracles. We have shared the sadness of the funeral of a much loved papa and now the joy of the safe arrival of a new baby girl. It seems to me to be a fitting illustration of God's love and care, of God's concern and compassion for the poor. I feel privileged to be part of God's activity in this place.

Thankyou to everyone out there who has supported with money, love, prayer and by simply taking an interest in the lives of other human beings living in completely different circumstances to yourselves.

 

Be blessed. Tricia xxx

PS this is not the end! I will keep you updated from UK. And if you want me to come and talk to your group or just to share a drink with you and bring some photos that would be great.... And if you can provide cake , even better!

Here is one very happy teacher

Here is Gabriel, our main teacher, in the classroom that is almost ready for occupation. The floor in the other room was concreted on Thursday and will take a few days to set and to dry out.

Our teaching materials have been stored in six cupboards in one of the bedrooms in Mama's house for the last six months and this week we have been moving those materials to the new children's centre. This involved emptying the cupboards and then carrying them across to the Centre. There will be three in each classroom and we have another one for the teachers office. 

Getting the cupboards out of the bedroom, involved great discussions amongst the guys.

But five strong men eventually got the cupboards over to the children's centre.

The older children had great fun washing the materials and enjoyed the experience of playing with Lego which they have never seen before. I have a short video of them doing this but for some reason it won't upload. Never mind.

One of the lovely experiences for me is watching the adults attempting to complete a jigsaw for the first time in their lives. It is hard for me to describe to you what it is like for people who have never had access to pictures or printed images of any kind. We start off with a picture from a magazine ( brought in from the outside world), I cut it into three straight pieces, mix them up and they have to put it back together again. It is inspiring to see them working together to solve this new puzzle. Then I provide a floor puzzle comprising six pieces and again work together to solve it. It's such fun teaching here because everything is a new experience and people of all ages are inquisitive and keen to explore new things.

A fundamental principle of the project is that whenever possible we use locally available, sustainable resources but these materials were sold to us very cheaply from a nearby project which sadly had to close down. It was an offer too good to refuse, so Thankyou Victor for thinking of us. 

Now, Gabriel and Gaudance have the task of sorting out the materials into the six areas of learning as described in the new curriculum for nursery education in Rwanda. I won't be here to see the classrooms being set up using mats and creating corners of activity for the children, however I know they will do a brilliant job in the next few weeks and that next term the school will move into the new building.

Everybody is very excited and motivated by this development and there are people from far away coming to visit because they have heard that something special is happening in Gasundwe. We have had visits from local officials and representatives of nearby villages. We have been encouraging people to understand that this building does not belong to the church, it does not belong to one family in the village and it does not belong to the people in England who have provided the money. It belongs to the community and that they are responsible for it. This is a big challenge for them but there are potentially strong leaders emerging within the local population and I look forward to hearing how they will move things on in the next few months.

Best wishes

Tricia x

Look who's home .......

Anasthase is home and looking cool in his shades!

He has had a very big adventure for a little boy from this village. He and his mama arrived back from Kabgayi yesterday. He has had the operation on his eyes to remove some growths and then he had injections into the lower lids. His eyes are still a little swollen so he needs some protection from the strong sunlight.

He has to return at the end of this month so the doctor can make an assessment. If there are any problems between now and the date of his appointment he must be taken back straight away.

That's not easy when you have to get a boat and a long bus journey, so let's hope mama doesn't have to do that.

Tricia x

Learning a trade and creating their own jobs.

So, to continue the story of those sand filter pots - once those pots have been cemented and the cement has set, all the material inside the pot is removed. The photo below shows Silas removing that material.

The pot is then cleaned and put into place inside the house. It is very very heavy already but then it is filled with layers of stones of different sizes, and sand. All these materials have been washed and cleaned. A hose pipe is put across the top of these materials and a large round pot with a hole in the base is put on top of the construction. One end of the hose pipe comes out of the side of the large sand filter. Water is poured into the round pot on top and the filtration system begins. Displacement theory and  capillary action come into play and clean water eventually comes out of the hose pipe as you can see in the photo. (This is only the trial so the jerry can in this photo is not the one which will be used, that will be a brand new jerry can and used only for the collection of clean, cool drinking water.)

Silas and the other trainees will eventually be presented with a certificate to say that they have been trained in this skill. They already have orders for sand filter pots from as far away as the Sector office.

This next photo is Patrick who is being trained as a plumber. He had his first training when the pipeline was put in by our sister organisation in Canada and now he can do small jobs on that pipeline. Today we have piped water in the village but the service is unreliable and most days water is not available because demand further up the line is too high. Investigations are taking place as to how this can be remedied but we think it will be a costly enterprise and we will need help from a large NGO. However, today Patrick the plumber went out to the water source to practice his skills. 

He walked up and down the hills to the source so that he could turn off the supply in order to do some maintenance work. He got soaked to the skin and covered in mud. But it's all part of the days work and he came back shouldering his tools, barefooted and smiling!

It would be wonderful if we could provide proper training for Patrick who would then have a secure income for his wife and future family.

We still have challenges about the water supply but things are moving forward slowly, slowly in the right direction.

Thankyou for reading and for all your encouraging comments.

Tricia

Such hope, such joy, such expectation!

Well, what a day it was yesterday here in the village! 

It's been quite a whirlwind week with such progress on many aspects of the project.

The building is coming on in leaps and bounds now. One classroom is ready for occupation and the other will be ready at the end of this week. The rain water tank is fixed and plumbing is installed ( no water, but we have plumbing for when we do get water). We have a tap in the kitchen also and on Saturday Musafiri came to teach how to make the safer traditional stove from local materials. He will build a stove in the kitchen for us so that eventually Esperance will have access to water and cooking facilities without having to carry it from the spring. The outside of the building at the front has been painted and looks welcoming, clean and friendly.

The very first teaching event was held for 300 people from close by. It is so exciting to think that people here now have their very own building to use for their own ideas and projects. Today they had a lesson about the sand water filters from Jonah who is the civil engineer from our partner organisation in Uganda. He has been here training some young people on how to make these pots so that eventually every household can make its own clean water. They also had a big party today with food and dancing. Here is Fabien, our builder.

Gabriel, Gaudance and I are hoping that we can begin to set up one of the classrooms this week so that by the time I leave next weekend the children will be able to celebrate and enjoy their new space.

Lots of other developments are taking place in terms of empowering the community, contacting and enthusing local officials and pushing forward ideas for income generation, but that's for another blog post.

Celebrate with us all the hard work by so many people and give thanks to everyone who is making this happen. 

As always, these things need money so if you want to become a regular donor please click on the button above.

Lots of love and smiles, Tricia.

Anasthase

This week one of our little boys, Anasthase and his mama have gone to the Eye hospital in Kabgay, near Muhanga. I have known Anastase since he was a toddler and first attended our nursery school. He is of school age now but he has stayed in our nursery for an extra year until he can get help with his eyes and vision. Thanks to one of our good friends, Mark, he has been able to go for a medical inspection and operation at the hospital.

As you probably know, here in Rwanda it is possible to get health care at the hospitals but because families travel many miles to the hospital they have to pay for food and accommodation. This often prevents people being able to access health services. So we are very happy for Mark's support in providing the finance.

I visited mama and Anasthase on Wednesday and he was very happy and excited to be experiencing new things away from the village. He was full of energy, exploring his surroundings in a way I have not seen before. He had his operation yesterday and will stay for another week before returning to Gasundwe. He will probably need further treatment.

We are currently on the look out for a partner NGO who can help us with the many health issues here in the village, including education on sanitation, hygiene and nutrition. So if you have any suggestions or you know someone who may have contacts with people who can help please share this post and let's pray for another miracle!

Lots of love

Tricia x

Do you remember those moulds?

Update on the process of making sand filters for producing clean water.

Those moulds are stacked one on top of the other.

Now there is a hole running all the way through.

Silas and Mary are ensuring that the measurements are correct and the same width throughout.

The structure is covered with cement and then kept moist for several days. It should not dry out too quickly. 

Again, the long rains have caused some difficulties and more building materials have been washed away. However, we continue, undaunted.

By the way, banana leaves have a multitude of uses here, you would not believe!

Thanks for reading. Tricia x

We're at the mid point of our ten year project.

This is how the village project appears to me at the moment....

After five years of building links and foundations, we are halfway through the ten year plan and Gasundwe is ready to fly!  People are being empowered to take on responsibility for their own futures and it will happen.

We are at the stage of thinking seriously about income generation projects and linking with partners who can help with training, materials and start up grants.

Of course, we are still needing the regular monthly giving so that we can continue the education and feeding programme until the point at which the local people themselves will be able to sustain it. 

So much has happened in the last five years. Let's work together and make the next five as productive. 

If you are able to, please consider becoming a monthly donor or share any information you may have on possible partners for this next stage of our development.

Thanks

Tricia

And so it starts....

Our partner from Uganda, called Yona has arrived in Gasundwe and so the first training session for learning the skills of making Sand Filter Water Sanitation Pots has begun... 

Francois is getting the mud ready. 

Pieces of banana stalk are put in the centre of the moulds. There are a series of moulds of different sizes.

The wet mud is left out to dry overnight. 

I will let you know further developments......

Tricia

Making Teaching Materials

Everybody was busy in the village yesterday.

Gasundwe is always a hive of activity but yesterday there was no school because of local elections so we all helped out in making and using new teaching materials.

Even little Peace did his share:

Tricia

Entrepreneurship or Income generation to you.

Well! In addition to the building making rapid progress other brilliant things are happening as well. Today we had a visit from Musafiri who is the Field Officer for ACSD - African Community for Sustainable Development. This group works in Nyamasheke District and they help people living in the rural areas to learn new skills and eventually set up their own businesses. 

Many of our friends in Gasundwe are cultivators but their hard physical labour is not always profitable. So the possibility of learning a new trade and starting a business is very exciting and gives hope for a brighter future.

Once again this link came about because of my work with VSO. My colleague, Brigid, who was a volunteer in this district gave me the contact with ACSD and Alexis and I went to visit them last week. As you know things happen quickly in Rwanda. You can't let the grass grow under your feet. We need it for the cows! So today. Masifiri came to visit us and opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Thankyou Brigid.

Woah! What a storm....

The men and women have been working so hard on the building.

We have just come back from a meeting in our new (unfinished) classroom and what a good job we were inside. I have been in many storms here but this one was the most furious yet. 

It began with rain beating down on the tin roof and wind blowing though the window spaces. It got to the point where we couldn't hear the speaker so we sat quietly. Even the hammering from the workmen couldn't be heard over the rain and wind. It got worse and worse and rain was pouring off the massive roof. 

'Now, God is throwing heavy rocks at us, hailstones as big as golf balls and hard as rocks plummeting down from the heavens and bouncing on the roof. The noise was deafening, hurting my ears. The storm continues its furious outpouring for about twenty minutes. 

Then.... Suddenly, it stops and I can hear everyone chattering in closely huddled little groups. The sky cloud that fell down on us is clearing and it is getting light. I can see the other side of the inlet again.'

After the meeting we came out to see what damage had been done.

This wall was almost finished before the storm but during the storm all that cement had been washed down, running off the wall and into the earth. They had to start all over again.

The water collection tank had been dislodged from its foundations, such was the power of the storm. The only thing that stopped it rolling down the hill was the scaffolding pole that you can see sticking out.

So many challenges!

Tricia

Always happy

Here's a photo of Patrick who is always happy and enjoys making others happy.

Yesterday he was given the job of getting the mangoes down from the tree. At first he used a long stick with a hook on the end but that didn't suit him. They weren't falling down quickly enough so he climbed the tree and just shook all those mangoes down. It was raining mangoes at Mama's house!

He started playing the fool and his friends (not me, I am far too polite) started calling him a chimpanzee.

I hope the photo is good enough for you to see him.

Lovely Tante

Here is Tante dashing away with the smoothing iron! 

It's a hard physical life here in the rural areas of Rwanda but even so, hospitality is very important. This is my dear friend, Tante who has come to Gasundwe from her home in Gisenyi to help with cooking, washing, cleaning and all the other household tasks that are done for us by machines. She is so lovely and works so hard. I want to dedicate this blog post to her and to thank God for her love and friendship.

Tricia x

Encouragements

After a few days rest in Kibuye I returned to the village whilst Margo and Chris continued their exploration of nursery education in Rwanda. We want the school at Gasundwe to be run on principles established by the Rwandan government in partnership with VSO. Our friend and fellow volunteer Roos has helped to develop the guidelines and resources for this initiative. Her work was based on the work of previous volunteers and over the years the skills, knowledge and resources have grown and resulted in the situation as it is now. 

One big principle is that the system should be sustainable and where possible use should be made of locally available materials. So, in general, the importing of teaching materials from our rich countries is not helpful except to be used as models for people here to make using their own resources. 

I came back to Gasundwe on Tuesday having been asked to call at the police station on my way here. This is merely for security reasons. The police have an obligation to ensure the safety of visitors to their area. I showed my passport and visa and explained what I was doing here, and also the dates when I would be in this sector. The officer was very friendly and happy for me to be here. From now on I don't need to visit, I just need to telephone him when I leave and when I arrive.

Whilst I was at the sector office I went to visit the Executive Secretary to update him on our plans. I have met him several times before and it is an important part of the project to have personal links with the officials. My favourite link is with John Hakizimana who is the Sector Education Officer for Gihombo sector. When I worked with SEO s as a VSO volunteer I found them to be of very high calibre both intellectually and personally. Because they were out in the field they could see the very real challenges faced by the people and most of them had a sincere desire to change things for the better. John has given support in the past and he wants to bring other officials to visit Gasundwe so that they can see the problems for themselves. I asked if he could ensure that the person responsible for health and sanitation could come and I stressed that the main problem in the village is water. Sickness rates are high and the threat of cholera is ever present. I hope they will come soon.

It was a difficult day for me yesterday in Gasundwe, the old 'demons' came back to haunt me. 'What are you doing here? You have achieved nothing in five years, see these children are still walking around in rags, still dirty, still hungry. You are kidding yourself....' Added to that I was physically exhausted and had backache. Sometimes I forget I am getting older and that soon I won't be able to be as physical as this life here demands. I must admit I am also worn down by the constant demand for money. When I take a boat ride it seems I am expected to pay for everyone. I don't know why. I will have to ask Alexis about this when he comes today with Mama. Anyway, I had an early night and feel better this morning.

I woke up with the dawn as usual and heard lots of chattering outside. I realised it was Thursday and therefore it would be members of the Savings and Loan cooperative. I went to meet them.

It was very encouraging, and then appeared a string of guys carrying sacks of cement up the hill in preparation for making the concrete floor in the Children's Centre. It was a wonderful sight to me.

They go down to the shore where the cement has been delivered by boat, they fill their sacks, hoist the heavy sack on their head and climb the hill. Once here they empty the sack onto the pile inside the building. There were twenty sacks of cement and 8 guys to carry. They all stay together and just now I can see them outside the shop eating their breakfast do amandazi and water. They have completed that task for the day. They went up and down that hill three times each. Well done lads!

There are photos elsewhere on this blog which show the concrete floor being laid in the church building that we use for nursery school at the moment. (Thanks, Phil!) I think it was in 2011 or 12. There is also a lovely photo of young Jack Lofthouse lying on a plank of timber looking absolutely exhausted after helping with that dirty and back breaking task!! 

So, discouragement yesterday is followed by encouragement today.

Thankyou for all your thoughts, best wishes and prayers. As you can see I personally need your prayers as well as prayers for the work that is going on here. I am reminded of my frailty as a mere mortal every day but when I am here I know more fully the closeness and dependence on God that this life demands. 

In our developed world we complain when troubles come and sometimes we blame God ( even though most of the time most people never give their relationship with God a second thought). It is totally different here in this situation. Troubles breed faith and faith gives strength to overcome. There is a short little letter in the New Testament written by a man called James. It is worth reading in a modern version such as 'The Messenger'. 

Lots of love

Tricia

Second visit to the village. Part 3

After spending the day in the hustle and bustle of the market buying food, a grass mat and two new mattresses for the beds and looking at costs for the sand filter water pots we wandered back along the tarmac road to the place where Davide's boat was waiting for us. 

We had quite a surprise because the boat was already full of people and their new possessions. We couldn't imagine how we would all fit on the boat and indeed there was a kerfuffle when the security man said that some people must get off the boat to allow the people who had hired the boat to get on. What a 'carry on' there was, with people refusing to leave and me refusing to get on until they did. Without me they couldn't leave because I was paying for the hire of the boat. Eventually I said I would take all those people who were going to Gasundwe and everyone else must get off. Some folk disembarked and the others made space for us. We set off, but 'No' we had left someone behind and had to turn round. That mama got on and we set off again. We hadn't gone far when the engine cut out and we drifted for a while. This gave me the opportunity to survey the people and things that had been lumbered aboard. There were six people sitting quietly at the back of the boat whom I didn't recognise at all but I assumed they were from Gasundwe. On the floor of the boat there were several heavy metal windows and also long pieces of heavy timber. This man was building a house.

We started and stopped several times and at one point the engine was changed, and the spare was used. Oil was spurting out and mixing with petrol so Davide had his finger in that hole to stop that happening. It took a long time to get back to the lakeshore at Gasundwe. Many people and things got off the boat. However, the six quiet people at the back, their windows and timber remained.

It was obvious they did not live in Gasundwe and had told me a lie. I was unhappy about that because I very rarely experience dishonesty amongst Rwandans in Gasundwe. I indicated to them that I was not paying for the boat and that they owed Davide 5000francs. One man replied that they were very poor. My response was that if they could afford to buy metal windows and good timber they could afford to pay Davide for transport of those items.

We started the hike up the hill and I asked my friend if I had done the right thing. He said 'Yes, because they were trying to trick you.' I stopped fretting about it and enjoyed the homecoming. That night we had a wonderful feast.

It was great having Margo and Chris in the village because they are so friendly and sociable. Everyone wanted to be part of the action and to learn as much as they could from the abazungu, but I'm sure that Margo nd Chris learned so much from the locals about life in rural Rwanda, as well as history lessons and discussions about the possible future of the village. They stayed until Friday and then got the long, relaxing boat journey back to Kibuye with Jean Baptiste. 

I, meanwhile, had to take a moto journey of three hours to keep an appointment in Kibogora. I managed to get to Home St Jean before the boat and was drinking a cold beer when they arrived. 

That's the way to do it!

Lots of love

Tricia x

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

So much news! But one step at a time. Buhoro buhoro.

So many things have happened in the village this week it is difficult to decide where to start! But I hope you have also been reading Margo and Chris' blog because they have been posting every day. Click on the link and it should take you there.

Here is a photo of Peace. He is the little boy of Esperance and until recently he still cried every time he saw me but now we are best friends and when I say 'Hi, Peace' he smiles back at me. His two older brothers, Reponse and Zedan are in the village now because school term has started. During the holidays they were in Gisenyi with their father. This is not an unusual arrangement in Rwanda. Their big sister, Sandrine also came back to Gasundwe but within a few days she had packed her bag to go back to her Secondary School for three months. Again, this is the usual practice because secondary schools are so far apart that it is not possible to travel every day.

The challenge is that ALL the schools go back on the same day so the buses are crowded with students and their school bags, mattresses, plastic buckets and anything else they can carry which may help them for their new term. This is something I knew about but had forgotten, so when I tried to book bus tickets in the usual way, by phone, it was impossible and I had to go down to Nyabugogo and pay for the tickets before they would give us a seat. I paid for five tickets because we had lots of luggage. Three people were travelling and two big suitcases. Usually this system works for me. However, this time even though we had tickets fully paid we were unable to get a seat on the bus because there is a new regulation that students returning to school must be given priority. It is a good regulation but the consequences for us was that after two hours waiting in the madness that is the bus park with the heat of the sun beating down we decided to negotiate a taxi cab to take us to Kibuye. It all worked out in the end, it always does!

After spending the night at Home St Jean, the next day we had a lovely boat ride on Lake Kivu, arriving at the village in the early afternoon. Once again, as we pulled into the shore there were friends there to greet us and to help carry our bags up the hill. 

Two more of our trustees of Village Rwanda UK were visiting the village for the first time and I wondered how they would respond. It's always slightly worrying because that first walk up a fairly steep hill can be exhausting but it's all made so pleasant by the warm welcomes from all the neighbours as we pass by their houses. And then to arrive at last at Mama's house is such a relief!

There was food and water waiting for us and lovely clean beds made up, complete with mosquito nets for us to rest whenever we wanted. 

Usually there are three bedrooms that can be pressed into service for guests, however, one bedroom is currently out of use because it is crammed with six cupboards full of resources that we were able to purchase from an orphanage that was closing down. So another bed had been erected in the room which already has bunk beds in it, making it a little squashed but Margo and Chris were very happy with the arrangement. I was fortunate enough to have my usual room, but Gabriel and several other guests had to fix themselves up wherever they could find a space!

Back in Kigali to re-group!

  I have arrived back in Kigali after a promising start in the village and a journey by boat, moto and bus.

Gabriel and I left Gasundwe on Friday morning last week, we took Davide's boat to Mugonero and got the bus along the new tarmac road to Kibuye. 

That new road has already made such a difference to the travel times from the village. In the past this journey by road, on the back of a moto would have taken 2 and 1/2 hours, and even longer by bus, but now it takes about 50 minutes. This improved infrastructure opens up so many possibilities for the local population; trade with the towns and villages along the whole route from Kamembe to Kibuye, opportunities for developing tourist attractions, little gift shops etc. But you need to be an entrepreneur and have a little bit of capital. Here in

 Rwanda there is a great drive for people to create their own jobs and I can see that there will be many small businesses here soon. There already are some but I expect in a couple of years time there will be many more. One of the most popular subjects for study in the schools and universities is Entrepreneurship. The young people are so keen to learn and they work very hard. They deserve success.

Arriving at Kibuye we were greeted by Gabriel's wife, Christine and then I left them to go down to the lakeshore to get the 'big boat' to Gisenyi. I have wanted to travel on this boat for some time so it was a treat for me. Alexis and his family live in Gisenyi and I looked forward to seeing them and staying with them for a few days. This big boat is a great asset to locals wanting to travel for work or family reasons. I have been told that it was given to the people by the president and they are very proud of it. They also love their president very much because he is making so many improvements to their lives and the lives of their children. 

It was a beautiful journey and totally unmarred by the torrential rain. Elsewhere in this blog I have described a journey on the lake in one of the usual wooden boats - a totally different experience. This is a big metal boat with windows and comfortable seating, snacks available and a toilet. 

I arrived in Gisenyi during the heavy rain, and in Rwanda unless you have a car, or are on a bus, nothing moves. So Alexis was stuck at home and couldn't come to meet me for a while. That doesn't bother me, it just gives me more chance to chat to the locals and have them laugh at my kinyarwanda. I spent most of the time talking to a young boy aged about 12. He was carrying a clean plastic bucket with a lid and inside there were lots of amandazi, which is a heavy type of doughnut beloved by Rwandans. He wanted me to buy one but I'm not keen so I declined. The business part over he asked lots of questions and I tried my best to answer. 

Alexis arrived as the rain stopped and we got on a small matatu bus crammed with people and produce. Alexis has very long legs and is almost doubled up when he is sitting in one of these vehicles! That's a problem I don't have.

I was very warmly greeted by the family and treated like an honoured guest. 

The church service on Sunday was something to experience. Wonderful!! 

Their home is right on the border with DRC. The town on the other side of the border is known as Goma. You may have herd of it. If you have, it will be in connection with either volcanic activity, earthquakes or conflict. Well, I can tell you that for the vast majority of the time these things are irrelevant. The main aim of life is living, feeding and clothing your family and supporting your neighbours. People come and go across the border every day. They are friends and and neighbours to each other. At the church there were Rwandans and Congolese of all descriptions worshipping together. They have many problems but they also have great faith. In UK we have many things but we are short on faith. That's because we think we can control everything in our lives, and we can control many things, therefore we think we have no need of faith. What a loss!

A couple of days later I said farewell fo my friends and caught the bus to Musanze which is famous for volcanoes and gorillas. The volcanoes are truly a magnificent sight on a clear day. I stayed in Musanze for a couple more days and then returned to Kigali by coaster bus, a journey on tarmac of about 2and 1/2 hours.

Lovely shower and rest at Tom and Ritah's house now.

Lots of love

Tricia