All roads lead to Kigali

Two weeks ago, I left Cyangugu after two years to move to Kigali to live and work for the next six months. 

From Cyangugu local colour

To Kigali local colour

A sad time, as I said farewell to all my friends in Cyangugu and now a period of adjustment to a very different life in the city.  Getting used to walking on pavements, crossing the road at traffic lights and trying to stop the traffic on their zebra crossings are some of the challenges although adapting, very easily, to the growing coffee shop culture so often I find myself in one for a cappuccino or latte - not to mention a chocolate brownie or two!

I thought this may have been a reflective blog post as I come to the end of my two year mission in Cyangugu but realise I need time process and really think about my time there. Also, I don’t feel this is the end of my mission in Rwanda as I want to see what Kigali has in store for me as I experience life in the city and think about the future.

My visa expires at the end of October so I will need to come to a decision about what happens after that – returning to the UK to face a British winter doesn’t really grab me at the moment so will see what happens over the next few months. Fortunately, I am only a short distance from the Immigration Office so convenient for me to go and see them and ask about the possibility of extending my visa although the long and painful task of getting my visa in the first place still lingers in the back of mind.

Although, I have leant to deal with many things here, with patience and keeping my mouth shut, sadly, I still struggle dealing with the beaurocracy here and the paperwork, formalities and rubber stamping that goes with it!

Naturally, it felt very sad to say goodbye to all my friends in Cyangugu and, particularly, all the lovely staff at Peace Guest House - tears were shed, mainly mine! Two weeks before I left Jane, who works in the restaurant, said “General Manager, the staff are going to miss you – they have started crying already!” I miss the friendly smiles of welcome each morning when I used to arrive for work and how, after my long walk from the house, one of the guards walks up the drive to meet me with a huge beaming smile and taking my bags from me.  No matter what was going on, the staff gave everyone a warm welcome and their smiles so often lit up the place.

Goodbye General Manager!

I left without the Rwandan tradition of a farewell party which, as you guess, is one of many speeches and Fanta!  I said this could wait until later in the year, once my plans are clearer and as I will be going back to visit, at least once a month, it seemed strange to have a farewell party and then turn up again in a few weeks time.

There, there Wilson - I'm coming back soon!

Here in Kigali I am living and working at Solace Ministries, a partner of my church since 2007, when we started coming to Rwanda with teams.  Solace has an income generating guesthouse, where teams used to stay and still do, so I will be supporting them to make improvements although, having been here for two weeks and observing the ways things run, I see it runs very well.  In addition, I am going to support them to plan a series of events to celebrate their 20^th anniversary in September this year and I will continue to support Peace Guest House and the Diocese in some activities.

Solace Ministries was set-up after the genocide by Jean Gakwandi, himself a genocide survivor, who wanted to support widows and orphans by offering counselling and support.  Solace has grown, over the years, to offer a range of programmes including counselling, income generating acitivities, community based development, health, sponsorship and much more. Many of the staff who work here are themselves genocide survivors and it is good to be part of an active and healing ministry. Take a look at their website to find out more http://www.solacem.org/

It is in a good location with access to the city centre, a nice hotel next door with a swimming pool that I have started to use and as I only have to walk downstairs to work or into my office next to my bedroom, I need to keep fit.  I’ve started a running routine and have done a few early morning runs and a couple of night runs as these are the coolest times of the day – fortunately, the area around here is quite flat so I don’t have lots of hills to run up.

My walk to work!

Looking out of my office window I thought this was a good way to bring the washing in

Running last night along the main street near Solace which is home to the British, US and other country embassies as well as the President’s Office and government offices, I was able to run on well lit pavements.  However, in doubling back down what is a  very nice road in the day time, I realised how dark it was at night and discovered a few things:

1. ·         It’s not good to run at night without a torch
2. ·         Don’t try and run and look at the lights of the city even though they look very beautiful – someone described Kigali at night as a “blanket of stars” and I quite agree
3. ·       Not all motorbike riders have their headlights on
4. ·       The holes in the road and the rain water gullies are not as easy to see in the dark as they are during the day
5. ·       There are low hanging branches that come out of nowhere and smack you in the face – I did let out a rather loud expletive at one point when I discovered that one branch was covered in thorns
6. ·       Beware of young children who decide to run with you so you feel like the Pied Piper of Hamlyn - sometimes they are amusing and other times irritating (sorry kids)
7. ·       Don’t wear a black t-shirt and jogging pants at night

All part of the learning curve of being here and trying to keep fit.

Looking back at when my last post was which was February, I thought I’d just update you on my last few months in Cyangugu.

In the time I had been there, I met many people and some of these have had a big impact on my life.  In April, the lady with HIV/AIDS sadly died after a long and painful illness – having visited her almost each month for the last year, I was able to witness what a dreadful illness this is and to see how slowly her body turned into a living skeleton. In the last few weeks her bones became so brittle that they would break when her carers washed her.  There seemed nothing anything could do other than wait for her to die. I asked someone why she wasn’t given morphine but something they don’t to here so indeed it was a blessing when she, finally, passed away. A short time before, she had asked for the Archdeacon and Pastors to visit her to give her Holy Communion so I guess she knew the time was near.

She was given a lovely service followed by a burial under some trees, just outside town. Her simple wooden coffin seemed to be made for someone of about 6ft 5in and thinking of how small she was, at the end, they could have fitted three of her in there.  She was buried to the sound of the Rwandans singing which was lovely to hear – I mentioned, in an earlier post that Rwandans sing on every occasion.

Shortly afterwards, I met up with young mother who lost her baby last year. She is now going to school and looked happy and smiling.  It felt that some of these situations that I been involved in seemed to be coming to a conclusion as I too was concluding my time.

In complete contrast, as often it is the way here, I had to deal with a rather tricky situation at the guesthouse which I called the “The Mysterious Case of the Vanishing Chocolate”. Left by some guests in the refrigerator, in the kitchen, they were certain some had gone missing and sadly accused the staff of taking it. I think some may have been pointing the figure at the General Manager due to his lack of getting chocolate!  After much discussion and investigation it was difficult to prove that it had gone missing or, in fact, had been taken by staff but the situation calmed down and the guests left happy.  They were pleased that we took things seriously and at least tried to deal with it.

Sadly, from my many years of experience in the event business and working in the hotels it always seems to be the hotel staff that are accused when something goes missing when, 99% of the time it is the guests who have lost something or mislaid an item that turns up later at some point. Here in Rwanda, during the years I have been here, I have not known anything to be stolen from any guesthouse or hotel I have stayed in.

Whilst trying to diffuse the situation, I was visited by a lady whose son has been supported by an educational fund I have established that supports children to go to school – see more about this at the end of the blog. The lady, a widow with one son, brought me a gift as she had heard that I was shortly leaving - she started to cry and when she presented the gift she got down on her knees. The “Mysterious Case of the Vanishing Chocolate” paled into insignificance.

In April, Rwanda remembered the Genocide of 1994 – ‘Kwibuka 21’(Remember). There was a week of memorial events around the country starting on 7^th April and I was asked to attend a ceremony at a local genocide memorial site, near to the house that had been recently rebuilt. Around 200 people walked in silence and into the building that had the mass graves each lit with a single candle – after prayers and speeches, a small bunch of white flowers were put on each grave.

 

The 'new' Genocide Memorial in Cyangugu

We then walked to the local stadium where around 300 people gathered.  Being the only muzungu I was invited to sit with the VIPs so facing all the people.  A ‘national’ speech was read out, prepared by the Government and was being read to all the meetings taking place around the country, followed by testimonies, singing and further speeches before we tuned in to a rather crackly radio broadcast to hear the President’s speech.

Mention was made to the way the West took no notice of what was going on in Rwanda in the early days of April 1994 due, partly, to the UN failing to recognise that a genocide was taking place and also of the recent BBC documentary that has caused so much upset here Rwanda.  Thankfully, the mood was lightened by Gail, the three year old daughter of Jonas who lives with me, coming to sit on my lap and proceeding to remove her dress but, thankfully, nothing else!

I have often thought whether this national memorial week should still continue after 21 years but I felt, standing in the genocide memorial, that this was not about another country at war with Rwanda but the Rwandans at war with one other – neighbour against neighbour, friend against friend.  I still find it hard, as I am sure many others do, to understand how something like this could have happened in a country so beautiful with people so friendly.  Standing in the memorial, I can understand the necessity of this annual, national remembrance as a reminder, for so many, of what happened and the lessons that have been learnt.  Forgiveness and reconciliation has been such a big part of the work that has gone on here and still does.

Living as I have done with, amongst Rwandans, to me it is not important about what ethnic group they come from and something that I don’t think about.

At the moment, we are seeing and hearing the troubles that are going on in Burundi - strange to think the country is only a few hours away and worrying to know that ethnic tensions could start and some of these may spill over into Rwanda.  However, I am relieved to be in a country that is well organised, law abiding and where one feels safe walking (or running) around the streets at night – visitors here, for the first time, are often worried about the military and police presence they see on the streets but they are just part of the security measures here and I have never felt concerned or worried.

People do ask me what are the lessons I have learnt being here for two years. I guess in short, I have learnt the value of serving – putting other people’s interests before my own and trying to lead a life that is less about me. It’s allowed me to think about what is it I have that I can give to others and I’m not talking about money – I guess its allowed me to discover a more compassionate side of me that I sort of knew I had but back in the UK wasn’t allowed or couldn’t show it. Many people here say I have a kind heart and again that’s not about giving them money but trying to come alongside them in their struggles and pain and to find a way to help them.

I haven't talked a lot about my Christian faith on this blog but can say my faith has been deepened and strengthened by being here. It gives me a way to put my faith into words and action.  Living and working with people who show a deep faith and put their faith and trust in God, when they have so little, helps and strengthens me and at times when I am struggling or feeling tired.

On one of my walks around the back of Solace, I came past a bit of graffiti that someone has written on a piece of old corrugated iron “God loves you”. I was really struck by this and went back this morning to take a photo – it made me think about how we are like this piece of old corrugated iron, broken, bent, rusty, flawed and despite all this God still loves us.

Here, I’ve not had to worry about how much salary I need to earn (as I don’t earn one!), about my future career or ambition – it’s been good to have a break from all this although when I return to the UK at some point in the future I can see all this coming back into my life.

Not getting caught up in western consumerism is also something that I value and strangely how I get joy from just going to buy a ruler or a new toothbrush – as the housekeeping ladies decided to wash the two I had and they ended up with bristles in all directions.  I hope it was that and they hadn’t used them to clean my bathroom – decided a new toothbrush was a good idea.

Finally, a plug.  One of the things I have observed in my time here is how many families struggle to pay fees to send their children to school and to buy them uniforms and other items that they needed.  Through money that has been given to me by my church and other friends, I decided to start a fund that would support these families to get their children through primary and secondary education.  Also, I wanted to create a legacy of my time here and something that will continue when I do, finally, return to the UK. However, I know whatever happens, I will continue to come here so I can administer the fund from home or Rwanda with local support here.

Creating Opportunity Through Education

If you feel you would like to make a donation to the fund, just drop me an email to jonathan.lamb3@btinternet.com and I'll send you more details.

Thank you!