Rwandan Ramblings

Since I last wrote up this blog I have been on 2 more school trips.The first to Nyanza to visit the traditional great grass hut lived in by the last King(Mwami's) grandfather - quite spectacular screens and woven ceiling - I'm pleased with the pics I took which I'll bring home. We also saw the modern house built for him by the Belgians - the best things here were the fireplaces. Then a visit to the milk factory where one of the teachers had a brother in law working - half an hour of the usual hanging about and I was initially told that photoraphy was interdit but I remonstrated and said that we had our own perfectly satisfactory pasturising plants in UK and that photos were for educational purposes only. The children were a bit bemused by all the pipes but delighted with the free yoghurt that was dispensed.

After a melange at a local restaurant, we went to the palace built by the King for himself which was quite a fine building in a wonderful position and........ it was full of pictures!!! I was so excited I neally cried - ART and some of it was good - all Rwandan artists with some predictable subjects - Reconciliation, Resurrection Genocide- but the children were fascinated and really looked at all the pieces with amazement. there were sculptures too.

The second trip was a big bus with 4 classes plus teachers all the way to Kibuye - too far and not that great to my way of thinking - I became very fed up with being ignored except when it came to paying or taking photographs!! but I think the teachers loved it and we did go in a boat  round some of the islands which was pretty exciting for everyone.

A real Rwandan moment on the way - we stopped to vist a Genocide memorial - where an entire congregation of people taking refuge in a large church had been buried alive by bulldozers knocking the church down. Everyone got out of the bus and went to walk about in sombre mood and lost in personal reflection. The children totally unsupervised got bored and returned to the bus where they let off the fire extinguisher - clouds of billowing dust and some very shaken pupils greeted the anxious teachers and a poor traumatised woman who had rushed at me with little cries of delight and many kisses - she wanted to come with us and looked utterly crushed as we drove off. At Kibuye some of the teachers swam while the wretched children wilted in the sun and complained of hunger as their teachers disported themselves with shouts to me of "photo photo"

I went to Kigali yesterday for a big joint birthday party given by at least 3 vols - masses of food - lashings of drink and dancing. It was great to see nearly all the vols old and new - I made vague plans to meet up with Inga in Wales over the new year - how strange.

Work wise - the cooking goes on and I've just started doing a bit of English with the older girls - they are so excited and seem to be catching on really well - I should have started months ago - in fact I'm now beginning to see all the things I should have done and all the things I should not have done and to be quite cross with myself.

It has been fun getting to know the new vols and to making a few plans with Ruth who is to work on the Sign Language project and is based at the secondary school where the deaf pupils go if they pass the vital exam at the end of Primary. they love her as she is young - about the same age as some of them and pretty and very engaging and is learning Rwandan Sign very fast.

Last Sunday we took a picnic and a bottle of wine to share with Maggie, a new vol who has a huge house just by the prison in Gikongoro. A perfect place for the next party!!

In just over 8 weeks I'll be back and I am really looking forward to seeing everyone, having some roast beef and all the trimmings and eating a choc bar! And having a few glasses of decent wine!