Home leave

A final (short) blog post before I leave for the UK for a month’s holiday.  Going to Kigali on Friday and then fly to the UK on Saturday evening, via Brussels and hope to be back in Lewes around lunchtime on Sunday.

Having been here for 11 months and with this break ahead of me, I guess it should be time to reflect and write about my time here, what I have learnt, how much it has changed me and all that kind of stuff. However, I realise I need to come home to do all this so I can have some time and space to think about the last year and to also think about the year ahead.  I will be coming back out at the end of April, for at least one more year, but realise how quickly these 11 months have gone and how much more quickly the next year will go - there seems to be so much to do here and the needs are endless and quite overwhelming at times.

When I come back, I will be moving into a house next door to the one that I have been living in for the last year that belongs to Bishop Ken Barham. The new house, which will allow me to create a ‘home’ here in Rwanda, is between Bishop Ken’s and Bishop Nathan’s houses so I don’t expect too much bother from the neighbours!

Chez Muzungu is with the white roof in middle of picture between the two Bishops houses

The new house, ‘Chez Muzungu’, requires some work on it and last week builders have started to add on an outside terrace, put up new tiles the kitchen, bathroom and a shower room.  Then they will paint outside and inside, repair the windows, put in a rain-water harvesting system and it should be ready for me to move in apart from getting some furniture made and buying other items - although Ikea is my worst nightmare, the thought of having one here is now quite appealing.

Adding a terrace onto the end of the house

The shower room - the loo really is in that position!

Having had a week of what has felt like endless meetings, I went out on a boat onto Lake Kivu yesterday afternoon, with a few other people, to enjoy a couple of hours on the water to see some wonderful birdlife, fishermen in their boats as well as people and children who live on some of the outlying islands.  

People on Gihaya Island, Lake Kivu

It was great to see the area where I live but from out on the water and to get a sense of what it must be like for the fishermen, when they are out during the night and there is a huge storm – even yesterday the water was fairly choppy but then we discovered a lovely inlet where the water was calm and we cruised slowing along the shore watching the birdlife and waving to the children who ran following us.

Going shopping

Young boy on Nkombo Island

Gone fishing!

So, I now have a few days to get my head around coming home to the UK. I am leaving Rwanda for what is a difficult time for so many here as it is genocide memorial month and this year is the 20^th anniversary.  The heavy rains come too.  I will miss all the friends I have made here but look forward to coming back at the end of April but, equally, I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends back in the UK.