Football, Banks, Retreat & Ice

You can see from the heading, I’ve had quite a varied week!  Started off, last Sunday, with a football match (watching, not playing and the first since seeing Arsenal v Fulham in the old Highbury stadium) between the Diocese Youth Team and the Rusizi District Team.

I was told kick-off was at 3pm but being Rwanda I knew it would start later so arrived around 3.30pm when they were still discussing tactics, warming up and the match started just before 4pm.  I forgot that ‘youth’ in Rwanda is anything from 14yrs to 34yrs so couldn’t quite understand why the teams were made up of very large chaps. I asked someone what happens when the youth get to 35 – are they young men or middle aged?  No, old. Made me feel positively ancient.

It was a good match and just when it looked as if it was going to end in a no score draw when the youngest and smallest player from the Rusizi District Team scored in the last minute – think he was so small that no one saw him sneak up and kick the ball into the goal.

Winning team photo

I should be getting used to this by now as after the match, I thought I could just sneak off but I was asked to go and have a Fanta with the players.  They had played for 90 minutes with no water and I was treated as the guest of honour, given a drink before all the others and was asked, as is the Rwandese custom, to make a speech. There wasn’t a Biblical passage about football that came to mind but a few mentions of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal got them happy and then I remembered the “it’s not the winning but taking part that counts” quotation so ended on that but not sure how it came out in translation.

In the week, I needed to go and get some money exchanged in Kamembe Town. There has been a huge growth in banks in the town and across Rwanda and people are being encouraged to join ‘Savings & Credit’ programmes to teach them to become more self-reliant. They set-up small community savings groups and, each member in the group has to save some money each week – we are talking, in many cases, amounts of RWF100 (10 pence) which may be 10% of their weekly income (you can work this out to get an idea of their income) – and then they bank the collective savings of the group.  This gets them into the habit of saving and also gives them confidence to go into a bank and pay money into the account.  Small banks are opening up in the rural villages and there are even mobile banking services. 

I went into a bank, as have got to know a couple of staff there, who are keen I open up a bank account with them (which I need to do). A new airport style security check has been installed at the entrance but, most people walk around the gap next to it or, when you do walk through it, as I did and it bleeps, no one bothers to check you!  I was shown into the office, of one of the staff I had met, and although there was another customer in there, they just sat me down and talked to me and completely ignored the other person!  It’s things like this that make me smile as you just wouldn’t see this at home. The office was air-conditioned, the first I had come across in my time here, so I could have spent the afternoon there.  Did have a very interesting chat about banking in Rwanda – some good interest rates on deposits here!

On Thursday, I had a day-away with The Bishop (TB).  He wanted to go on a ‘retreat’ for a day so we escaped and drove to a five star lodge hotel located in a tea forest on the edge of the Nyungwe National Park – hope none of the staff from the Diocese are reading this as we could be in trouble! TB said he wanted a day with no phones, email or work stuff but when I arrived at his house, with my swimming trunks, sun tan lotion and sun glasses, he had packed-up his briefcase full of papers, phone and his iPad ready to go. I just smiled!

Passed this wedding procession on way to lodge

The NYP is acclaimed for its biodiversity and for being one of the most endemic species-rich areas in all of Africa and is one of the most important conservation sites.  It covers 1020km2 and boasts a diverse ecosystem from rainforest, bamboo, grassland, and swamps.  It protects one of the region’s largest and oldest remaining patches of montane rainforest and is home to 300 species of birds, 13 primates and location for one of the sources of both the Nile and Congo rivers. Takes almost two hours to drive through the forest to get from Kigali – Kamembe but it is spectacular.

The lodge is set in a tea plantation with the forest as an amazing backdrop and very peaceful – there were even some monkeys up in the trees and on the roof of one of the bedrooms. Temperatures in the park are cooler than those in Kamembe and we experienced the first rain in seven weeks.  So, no swimming but just a relaxing day, chatting with TB, trying to get him off his phone and stop checking his email and enjoying the beautiful surroundings and being transported into a world of luxury although a stark reminder of the rich and poor divide that is developing here. Even the men’s urinals, in the gents, were filled with large pieces of ice – never seen this before!  The contrast between this and a pit latrine couldn’t be more different.

The Lodge in tea plantation & forest behind

Then it was back, I suppose, to the real world of Kamembe where they’ve been painting the town red.  Must have had a consignment of red paint delivered as suddenly the buildings are turning red– not quite the Farrow & Ball shades I’ve been used to in Lewes High Street but it kind of works here! 

Painting the town red!

Tomorrow I’m going, with TB, to Kanzu - one of the remotest of the Diocese of Cyangugu’s 15 parishes and have just been told it takes four hours to drive there. TB has asked me to preach and also to preach in two more remote parishes on the next two Sundays. Many of the churches are in very remote places and difficult to access so if some pastors need to come to Kamembe, for a meeting, it can take them seven hours to get here! One thing I notice about being here is that people don’t complain – despite the hardships, challenges, distances they just get on with it.  Not like me, as I often moan to myself about the heat, the hills, the dust, and the potholes so I have much to learn from these resilient people.

I think TB wants to turn me into a ‘Preacher Man’. I’m also now known as ‘Musungu Man’ by some of the children I pass each day walking to and from the guest house – meaning ‘White Man Man’ – bit like ‘White Man Van’ but without the van!

Just back from town, where I managed to leave my printed sermon, that I just had just walked all the way down to the guest house to print out, in Alimentation OK where I buy groceries (and now Mars Bars!) but one of the shop assistants ran after me up the high street. Being the only musungu don’t think he had a problem finding me and I was much relieved as couldn’t have faced going back to the guest house although it would have given me something to moan about.

Walking up the hill, to the house, about 50 soldiers with rifles passed me in single file. I think each one of them ‘eye-balled’ me but didn’t respond to my friendly ‘wiriwe’ (good afternoon) or a smile.  They were Rwandan military so at least we haven’t been invaded.

Off to Kigali on Monday, to meet a group coming over from the UK who are working here for three-weeks. Hoping to have time to get to one of the city’s new coffee shops for a cappuccino and a chocolate croissant or two!

Another week goes by

I wondered when I came to Rwanda whether time would go any slower here than in the UK. It doesn't seem to. I've been here almost 7 weeks now and the weeks seem to be flying past - one minute it's Monday and then it's Friday. I think all the days here seem to be the same so don't, except for Saturday and Sunday when I have a different routine, really know what day it is.

This week, I did have a break from my weekly routine when I went to Nkombo Island, my first visit there since coming to Rwanda in 2006. Located a 30 minute drive from Kamembe, along some pretty rough terrain and then a short boat crossing across the water, Nkombo Island has around 20,000 inhabitants and is one of the poorest places in the area.  The soil is infested with insects that eat most of the crops making it very difficult for people, who are reliant on what they can grow to feed and sustain themselves.

Boat to Nkombo - takes more than passengers!

The Mothers' Union of Cyangugu Diocese, set-up a Nutritional  Clinic on the island for malnourished children and have a twice-weekly feeding programme for 320 children.  On the day I visited, around 70 children came to the clinic where they were given a porridge like drink, watery in consistence, made out of flour, a formula with nutrients/proteins and sugar. 

Drinks ready to serve

All the children sat there, patiently waiting whilst the drink was prepared, poured into cups and then distributed amongst them all - there was no squabbling or grabbing the mugs and whilst some consumed the drink quickly others needed a little help.

Happy children!

Walking back to the boat, we were followed by many of the children desperate to hold your hands or, in my case, each finger and thumb!

Fingers, thumbs & man boobs!

Being here in Rwanda is enriching with experiences. However, I am having all my buttons pushed - patience, understanding, perseverance, compassion and many more!  I am having goods day and bad days. It can feel, on some days, a hard place to be - Kamembe is a busy border town and I often have to steel myself to go in and do some shopping. It's busy, noisy with traffic and music blaring out of the shops, lots of bikes, lorries, people and a road that is crumbling at the edges so you have to be really careful not to trip or slip. On the other hand, you have the beauty of the lake, the scenery and the people.

Some local colour to brighten the day

Sometimes the walk to and from the guesthouse feels hard - its hot and dry at the moment so very dusty and there are days I just can't face another walk up a steep slope. Still greeted everywhere by children with cry of musungu but have given up trying to teach them the difference between Good Morning and Good Afternoon. Many have started mimicking my English accent (some say it's a bit posh!) which is rather funny.

I learnt this week that there's "gold in them hills" - apparently Rwanda has gold which was news to be so thinking I may give us this mission lark and head for them hills!  I met a chap in the guesthouse, the other day, who is over here setting up a coffee business to export Rwandan coffee to Canada (I also learnt that the Rusizi area I am in is the best coffee growing area in Rwanda) and he is mining/digging (or whatever the word is) is for gold - I should have suggested he call his coffee brand Gold Blend! He had wrapped, in a RWF1000 note, some gold in its raw form - small chippings and bit of powder and strangely gold/yellowy in colour which I guess makes it very easy to see when it comes out of the ground.  He dropped some of it on the table cloth, by accident, and brushed it on the floor saying there goes US$20.00 worth - if only the guesthouse staff knew, when brushing away the crumbs from the floor, they were brushing away gold!

And, for those not on Facebook. I had my first bar of chocolate in seven weeks when I discovered Mars Bars in a shop in town. Got it home, opened it with some trepidation in case it was dry and hard but relieved to say it wasn't. Even sniffed it to get the smell of chocolate and caramel and then ate it enjoying every mouthful - the simple pleasures of life!

Wedding Bells

No, not mine! Invited to my first Rwandese wedding this afternoon.  Had to get 'suited and booted' in temperatures of around 80 degrees F - sorry to rub it in as I know the weather is not great at home but we are into the hot, dry season here.

For those of you who have been to Rwanda, and know Bertha, her brother Alphonse was marrying Sylvia. Today was the formal wedding ceremony, in the cathedral, where the bride wore white and the groom wore a suit with very long sleeves!  

Sylvia

Bride, groom, friends & family

Great hat!

Some great shirts and ties on display

Lovely 'old' faces!

A musungu gatecrasher!

The reception, in a local hotel in town, was not really what we have in the UK.  All the guests sit in rows, facing the bride and groom who are on a raised stage in the middle of the room with family and VIP's seated on tables at the front. I found myself on the VIP table, I think as I was with Bishop Nathan's wife, Esther and her son Joshua and they did treat me as guest of honour even though the bride and groom probably had no idea who this musungu was. Couldn't leave without being asked to make a speech saying who I was - getting used to this now as the Rwandans do like their visitors to say something.

Lots of speeches, cake cutting, presentation of gifts and toasting the bride and groom in Fanta!

The wedding cakes with bananas, tree tomatoes & passion fruit

I have been interested to see if time goes any slower being here but finding the weeks going quickly as they do at home.  Now into a heavy workload, finding myself walking to my office, at the guesthouse, deep in thought about the day ahead and have to remind myself I am walking past some stunning scenery so often just stop and look at the lake and the views across to the DRC. I think people are getting used to the musungu walking to and from work and they still laugh when I greet them in Kinyarwandan.  I'm starting myself now to refer to white people as musungus and even have to stop myself, if I see one, from shouting out "musungu!".

My work remit seems to be growing by the day - on Wednesday, I started the day looking around Murangi Farm, owned by the Diocese, hoping Bishop Nathan wasn't going to ask me to get involved with the management of it as smelly pigs and pregnant cows aren't really my thing!  It was then back to the guesthouse for a meeting about a Craft Shop (more my thing!) we are going to open up, then a meeting about a savings and credit scheme that is training people to save small amounts of money, then I had to write job descriptions for all the staff and then a meeting with Bishop Nathan to discuss the business plan for the guesthouse so certainly a day of variety!

I'm learning a lot about myself in that I like order, structure, planning, clarity, organisation so you can probably get I am finding it a bit of challenge!  I've also learnt not to keep the Blue Band in the fridge as it comes out rock hard and it's OK to leave it in the cupboard!

Modeste, the security guard, continues to do my washing for me but I am finding that some of my large polo shirts are coming back extra-large and with strange shapes in the shoulders where he has hung them on some quirky hangers!  However, it's lovely leaving a pile of dirty washing out in the morning and coming home to find them all clean and ironed.  I'm now on the look out for someone who can do a bit of shopping and cooking for me so I'll be well looked after.

P.S. Sorry blog is so long with images but can't get it to format so I can get them next to one another but will work on it.  Thought you'd like to see the images anyway

First working week

Sitting here reflecting on my first 'working week' here in Rwanda.  I started on Monday at Peace Guest House, owned by the Diocese as an income generating project for the church here in Cyangugu. By Wednesday, I had an office with a desk and a chair after I had to commandeer these from the Diocesan Office but at least I have somewhere to sit and work with my colleague, Boniface.

Here are a couple of pictures - first of our office and some of the lovely guest house staff - Alpha (Receptionist), Boniface (Project Manager) and Sirryl (Housekeeping).

Our office - I have the Executive chair!

Happy staff!

I am working on a business plan to support the guest house get more business as well as be more effective in their sales and marketing.  It's in the most fabulous location, overlooking Lake Kivu and offers huge potential to be a great place to stay.  Next week, I'm starting on doing the same for the Clinic and also looking to set up a micro-finance scheme, as well as other things, so will have plenty to do.

It all works very differently here, at a much slower pace and taking some getting used to but enjoying the challenge. Felt exhausted last night but have decided to keep Saturday's free to do things around the house, catch-up on emails, shop and all those sort of normal Saturday things!  However, housework today ended up by me directing Modeste, one of the guards, who I asked (or really pointed at a brush and made sweeping motions as that's the only way I can communicate with him, at the moment!) if he could come into the house to do a bit of sweeping. Next thing I knew, he had come in, taken most of the furniture outside, swept all the floors and then washed them all - he then took all the sheets, that I had taken off the bed and proceeded to wash them as well.

It's quite strange, when you're not used to having servants (!), to have all this done for you but they seem quite happy to do it.  I did, however, change the bed and getting used to having sheets and blankets and not a duvet that we have all so got used to having. Modeste will also do the ironing and, as the guards now know there is an iron in the house, I came back this evening to find one of the other guards sitting outside, with the ironing board up and with a pile of his clothes that he'd brought round to iron so he's now outside ironing!

Shopping in town this afternoon. As those from Lewes can see, it's quite different from our town and not a Flint, Wickle or a Tom Homewood in sight! 

Saturday afternoon shoppers in Kamembe

Found a couple of small supermarkets where I can get Blue Band spread (that's a name from the past), UHT milk, yoghurts, bread and stuff like that.  Did buy some fermented milk thinking it was going to be like pasteurised milk but it tasted pretty awful so that had to go down the sink!  Was tempted to buy a Mars bar but not had chocolate, biscuits, crisps for almost 5 weeks now so resisted.  Did stand on some scales that are in the house and, if they are correct, it looks as if I could have lost a stone in weight although, regrettably, not from around my stomach!

Walking back up the house, from the shops, I was carrying a bag of shopping (my 'Lewes, Fine all the year round' bag) and a 5kg bag of rice I'd bought Modeste, as a thank you for the work he had done for me, thinking it was all very hard with the steep climb and heat when I saw the women, in photo below, walking up carrying these huge, heavy loads on their backs with straps around their heads so really I had nothing to complain about other than a bit of sweat!

Haven't quite mastered the art of carrying shopping Rwandese style but working on it!

Then it was back to the house, shorts and kettle on for a nice cup of Rwandan tea on the terrace enjoying the view!

My walk to work

Started work this Monday (will tell more about this in the next post at end of week) and enjoying my 30 minute stroll each morning. The house I'm living in is at the top of Mont Cyangugu and my work is based at Peace Guest House, located on Lake Kivu.

Overlooking fields

If you click on the images, you can see them full size to get a better picture. I realised in the last post, I suddenly moved in my narrative from talking about a girl being raped to what I had for breakfast so hope I didn't sound insensitive!

The first uphill climb of the morning!

Houses

Some of the locals

View across houses with Lake Kivu in background

Time to catch breath and enjoy the view of the DRC

Arrival at Peace Guest House

Saturday

Here are some photos reflecting my Saturday (Kuwa Gatandatu) in Cyangugu.

This is Leocardie with her granddaughter Daniele in their house located not far from where I am staying.  Leocardie has 4 children and I joined her, Christian her eldest son and Daniele for breakfast this morning.  Leocardie is a good friend of another Daniele who spent 3 months this year and last in Cyangugu teaching.  Leocardie's eldest daughter was raped when she was in the DRC and gave birth to Daniele. Breakfast consisted of fish from the lake (similar to whitebait), Irish potatoes (chips), fruit and tea - not my normal Bran Flakes and toast but still delicious!  Christian speaks excellent English so made the whole visit so much easier.

I then went on an unscheduled walk taking me past the prison and down to the lake passing a group of prisoners. The picture below is of the border bridge from Rwanda to the DRC so you can see how close we are. Further along the lake is where the local fishermen bring in their catch and pictures show the crowd of people buying and also drying the fish. I passed lots of people carrying and pushing extremely heavy loads that they were taken into the DRC.

Rwanda/DRC Border Bridge

Prisoners going back to the prison

Going to the DRC

Buying fish

Drying fish

Finally, back to the house to a view of rain falling in the distance over the DRC. Got to cut this short as just lost power - not sure if a power cut or meter needs topping up - and battery on laptop about to run out!

Rain over Lake Kivu