A new season

Like some of the DVD box sets of the USA series I bring with me from the U.K. (Mad Men – The Final Season, The Good Wife – Season 6 & House of Cards – Season 2), I returned to Rwanda two weeks ago for a start of what I see as another season – Season 5.

Returning to the UK at the end of September, it was lovely to experience some sunny autumn weather and trees turning to orange, yellow and red. People often ask me what is it I miss about the U.K. and I guess it is the seasons – here in Rwanda, we have the dry and wet seasons with year round temperate climate of between 25 degree to 30 degrees.  I left Kigali, at the end of September, as the four month hot, dry spell was coming to an end - even I began to pray for rain, with everything looking rather dry, brown and dusty but I have returned to a city that is now looking green, lush and colourful with many flowers out due to the heavy rains that started shortly after I left.

I explain to my Rwanda friends that the seasons for us, in the U.K., mean not just a change in weather but also change in what we wear, what we eat, our lifestyle and even our moods.

Lovely English autumnal colours

I was told that on August 15^th each year it rains in Rwanda due to it being Assumption Day – thanks to Google I discovered this means ‘the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her earthly life.’  Well, August 15^th dawned bright, sunny and not a cloud in sight until the afternoon when the wind blew up and then there was a torrential downpour followed by sunshine and that was the last drop of rain until October.  All rather spooky!

A rather spooky downpour of rain

I realise the transition between going home to the U.K. and then back to Rwanda all seems quite normal now.  The difference, perhaps, this time coming back to the U.K. was I felt more like an outsider looking in and during my ‘hi and bye’ visits to family and friends it seemed I just got a snapshot of what was going on in their lives – some happy moments and some not so happy as I witnessed a number of close and dear friends going through difficulties including serious illnesses.

I seemed to manage my 5 weeks back home a bit better than on previous visits.  The first two weeks I tried to take it easy, resting and having a few days away and then three weeks of visiting family, friends including those who had been to Rwanda. A talk about my work in Rwanda, one Sunday afternoon, drew around 50 people and from that interest for some to come out for the first time – it is great to see that there is still interest for people to come out here since we first started bringing teams from Southover Church in 2007.

Looking back at the end of Season 4, I realized I had a very busy time with a youth team from my church coming out for two weeks.  A busy but life-changing time for them with a short stay in Kigali followed by 10 days in Cyangugu and then 2 days of R&R at the Akagera Game Reserve.  Activities in Cyangugu included training Sunday school teachers in a church up in the hills above Kamembe; a visit to the nutritional feeding programme on Nkombo Island where the team helped to feed and play with around 300 excited children; taking part in a school debating society that we thought was just going to be with one class but the whole of the secondary school turned out; a football match with the same school who seemed quite surprised that we had two girls in the team – one in goal and another who scored a goal and we were pleased we won 3-1 although there was a rumour circulating they had played more gently against us than they would normally against an all boy team!

Some hungry mouths at the feeding programme

The highlight of the visit was building a house for a perpetrator of the genocide. Felicien  had just been released from prison after 20 years with no family or home to go to.  On the official handover of the house, he and the Executive Cell leader (cells are communities like small villages) both shared a powerful testimony of forgiveness and reconciliation that was such an important message for the youth team to hear and similar to many other messages that had come out of Rwanda since 1994.

Felicien (in the blue) with some of the youth team

Back to Kigali and after waving them all off, I then had two weeks to work with the Solace team to plan three ‘Solace20’ events celebrating 20 years of Solace Ministries.  Over 3 days, we hosted around 1,000 people – 600 to the first event for Solace beneficiaries followed two days later with a further event for 300 for government, local organisations, international partners and Solace staff and then the next evening a thanksgiving dinner for 150.

With my 20 years of event management experience, I thought I would be able to manage it all ok but I guess I should have factored in that here in Rwanda people don’t RSVP to any of the 300 invitations we sent out (3 responded!), the are likely to show up and bring someone (they did!), none of the events started on time (I should have known that by now!), the guests of honour/speakers arrived late (again I should have guessed that one!), all the programmes ran over time by around two hours (yes, I know!) and a few other last minute hitches liked discovering we didn’t have enough tables to seat everyone resulting in a last minute, late night dash to some house in Kigali to borrow some.  But, in the way it does here it all worked out in the end and everyone had a great time. The events were a wonderful testimony to the work of Solace over 20 years as well as all the support of all the staff that worked incredibly well.  Jean Gakwandi, the founder and executive director of Solace, refused to take any of the credit for his part since 1995 giving all the glory to God – he says “I am just a humble servant.”

Solace celebrates 20 years

Before leaving for the U.K., I made a quick visit to Cyangugu for a farewell party as my work there had ‘officially’ come to an end. I knew it was likely that I would have to listen to many speeches something I wasn’t particularly looking forward to – not easy to sit there when you have to listen to many people saying lots of nice things about you.  I had to bite my lips a few time to hold back the tears and try to be very Rwandan as they say here “men cry into their stomachs.”  It was, of course sad to say goodbye to all my friends there but I will be visiting from time to time. 

After the speeches it was time for photos with the General Manager

The next day, there was a baptism and another god son to add to my growing family here – Jean D’Amour was kitted out in a very sharp suit!

Sharp suited Jean D'Amour with mum, sister & god father

I was then back in Kigali for a visit to the Akagera Game Park with the staff from Solace as a thank you for all their hard work on the Solace20 events. It was lovely to see those staff, visiting Akagera for the first time, be so excited to see the animals and an added bonus was coming across a herd of around 30 elephants. Sadly, a visit to the park is out of reach for so many Rwandans.

Solace staff on safari

Now I am back for the start of Season 5, I will continue my work here at Solace to support Jean look at the future of Solace and how it operates in a country that was very different to 20 years ago. Support with strategy, a business plan and a focus on how to make Solace more sustainable and self - reliant through its income generating projects including the guesthouse, three conference centres and a recording studio – last week we had the Rwandan Military Brass Band here to record the National Anthem for the President.

I am also pleased to get a much better understanding of the work of Solace and the way it so compassionately reaches out to people – not just survivors of the genocide but to sufferers of HIV/AIDS and other hurting people.

On Friday we went to Kibuye, about a 3-hour drive from Kigali, to visit one of the Solace Communities – there are 60 around the country with a total of around 8,000 members.  Solace programmes operate through these communities and the plan on Friday was to give 2 cows and around 30 pigs to the community.  Our visit coincided with ‘Good Governance Day’ so a very large crowd had gathered not really to greet us but all the VIP visitors including the Governor of the Province, the Mayor, Head of the Military for Province, the Head of Police and all their security.

As part of the proceedings, Solace donated the cows and the pigs and, of course, a Rwanda gathering would not be complete without singing, dancing and speeches.  

Dancing for the visitors - think the banana beer helped!

A speech from one of the community members

Sadly, it started to rain and whilst we all had shelter under a tent, everyone else had to crowd under an available umbrella or something that would protect them from the downpour. The women use the African fabric they wear to protect them from the rain and the brightness of the materials brought so much colour to what turned out to be a rather damp day.

Taking shelter

Colourful fabrics

Driving to Kibuye, we hit some very heavy rain but on the way back the rain had stopped and we enjoyed some wonderful panoramic views of Lake Kivu, Nyungwe Forest and the many hills of Rwanda rolling into the distance and, as we had reached heights of around 8,000 feet, some wonderful views of low-lying clouds in the valley below us.  I was being a typical Muzungu and asking if the could stop the car every few minutes to take some photos to capture the beautiful scenery.

Views on the return journey

The troubles in Burundi are not that far away although here in Kigali life continues as normal with very little evidence that so much is going on other than what I read in the media.  Being so close to Rwanda it may put people coming here but this country continues to be safe and secure so I would encourage people not to be deterred. I keep up with news from home and the other tragic events that are going on in Europe and other parts of the world and Rwanda seems to be a safe place to be. People who come, for the first time, always seem slightly concerned about the strong military presence they see with armed soldiers and police around the city but I tell them there is nothing to worry about and they are there to provide a strong sense of security and safety.

I have to remind myself that it is Christmas in just over a month’s time as very little sign of it anywhere. I will spend it here in Kigali and pleased to have seen that the Anglican cathedral will have a service of carols so, hopefully, this will get me in the Christmas spirit! Yesterday, I found myself at a craft fair at the Hotel des Milles Collines (the famous Hotel Rwanda) which seemed to have the largest gathering of ‘Bazungu’ I have seen in Rwanda busy doing their Christmas shopping.

Last week, I received the good news that my visa has been extended for another two years.  I was unable to renew it before I came back to the U.K. and it expired when I was home but had been assured by my ‘friends’ in Immigration that it would not be a problem to extend it when I returned.  Thankfully, this time it was all fairly problem free so everyone here is very pleased that they have me for a bit longer.