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| Landing in Rwanda |
One of the few words of Kinyarwanda I have managed to pick
up so far! It is only my second day here and there is so much to say about
Rwanda, the organization the people…I don’t even know where to start. I guess
from the beginning would be easiest. I arrived safely at the airport in Kigali
on Monday morning, without too much difficulty or delay. Although it had not
actually been fully confirmed who would pick me up fortunately the director of
the school, Elie was there to meet me with his eldest son and driver. I
immediately felt welcome and very much enjoyed the 2-hour drive from Kigali to
Elie’s home in Musanze. Watching it go by out of the car window, I saw Rwanda
for the first time. The country is absolutely beautiful, and unlike anything I
have ever seen before. The city of Kigali was drier and hotter, but as we began
to climb up into the vast expanse of lush green mountains, the air became
cooler and damper. I was amazed actually at how green it all is, and I can see
why they call “the land of a thousand hills!” Outside of the city centre there
were hardly any cars, and walking seems to be the main mode of transportation.
I was very impressed by how much people seem to be able to carry on their heads,
and for women this was often in addition to a baby strapped to their backs in
cloth!
As we got closer I realized how exhausted I was from the
journey since I began to drift off, which I tried desperately to resist as
there was so much to see as we approached Musanze! Driving through dozens of
small villages, I wondered each time whether or not we had arrived in Musanze.
Of course I soon discovered Musanze is a much bigger town as Elie announced we
had arrived. The first thing I noticed is was that the town was buzzing with
people walking, selling things from , street stalls, small shops and markets
and bikes, lots of bikes, but again hardly
any cars. Many men, women and children walked along the roads, which huge loads
of wood, buckets, sticks and other materials.
Elie’s home is very spacious and his family is lovely. He
lives with his wife and four children (who are often at school in Uganda, but
are home for their break at the moment) When I arrived, his son showed me to my
room in the volunteer “wing”, which has a big comfy double bed (bigger than my
bed at home!) and the shared bathroom (Although there are no other visitors
staying here at the moment). After I had settled in, I was formally welcomed
with a huge family style meal, which was absolutely delicious! I was happy to
discover that they are also mostly vegetarian, and there are always vegetarian
options on the table so I don’t need to be difficult in making special
requests. They were quite surprised however that I cannot drink milk as fresh
milk seems to be a staple of the Rwandan diet and they drink huge mugs of it
with almost every meal (hot or cold)! During our dinner, I experienced my first
Rwandan torrential downpour and I am very glad I was inside! Although it was
difficult to ignore the sounds of crashing rain on the metal roof, no one even
seemed to notice except me! When I mentioned it, Elie said that in Rwanda when
it rains when a visitor arrives, it means they are bringing a blessing. (No
pressure then!) I think Elie could see how tired I was as he said I should
rest. After a hot shower (using a jug and basin!), I was able to take a long
and much-needed nap, while Elie and his wife Bernadette returned to work at the
school. I didn’t realize that when they returned around 9pm, we were to have
another (huge) delicious meal! I think I will have to get used to quite a
different schedule and pace of life, as well as taking smaller helpings!
I slept surprisingly well considering the noise of the rain
pouring down! On Tuesday Elie very kindly took me to see each of the FCYF sites
in his big van. It was obvious to see how important he is in the community, seeing
how many people he stopped to greet along the way and how happy they were to
see him. Our first stop was the nursery school, which provides private
education (in English) for 3-6 yr olds. It was adorable to see them all
greeting “teacher Elie” as he visited each classroom. He also introduced them
to me and they all chanted “Good Morning Teacher Marika” in unison, which felt
like way more respect than I deserve! Although I guess the children are
somewhat used to seeing foreign volunteers, I guess this is something that
never ceases to be a source of amazement…I am gradually getting used to be
stared, giggled and pointed by children wherever I go!
Our next stop was Wisdom Primary School. On the way over
however, there seemed to be a lot of school children walking in the opposite
direction of the school! Each time Elie pulled over and asked the children
where they were going and why they were not in school. Apparently many children
had come to school without their books and school materials and had been sent back
home or into town to buy them. Elie said it was an ongoing issue that parents
often send their kids to school without any materials as they cannot afford
them. However it is impossible for the school to provide these materials and it
is the students and their parents’ responsibility to ensure that they have
them. When we finally arrive at the school, things are quite chaotic as
children are coming and going in every direction and parents are still bringing
in children for enrolment as the new term only began on Monday. The Wisdom
Primary school provides education for primary classes of levels 1-6 (7-12 year
olds). It is considered one of the leading schools in the district and has
grown and developed considerably since it was started in 2010. Unlike most
Rwandan public schools, all classes are taught in English (French was the
National language in Rwanda until recently, so many schools still use this or
Kinyarwanda). The school also offers the option of boarding, which is extremely
helpful for children whose families cannot easily support them at home or who
live too far away. The school also supports several orphans whose education is
fully funded by FCYF. Unfortunately however the school has suffered a big blow
this year as a new Rwandan educational policy states that children under 11 are
no longer allowed to board full-time. This means that many of these children
(including the orphans) have not retuned this term or have had to be turned
away! I somewhat naively asked if it was not possible to appeal this decision,
but Elie says that people have very little say in Rwandan law. As children are
still enrolling it is still unclear how badly this will affect enrollment rates
and revenue of the school.
Despite the challenges, the school is still continuously expanding
and construction is taking place to build a new wing to the primary school,
which will hopefully open next year. Plans are also going ahead for a Wisdom
secondary school to begin next year!
We later went to see the center for deaf children and child-headed
households. Although most of the children had not yet arrived, I did meet a few
who were enthusiastic to meet me and came over to give me a hug. Unfortunately
I could only meet their enthusiasm with a smile and thumbs up signs (as this is
the extent of my sign language so far!) The teachers there told me not to worry
however and that the kids would teach me and I would soon be fluent (they learn
both Rwandan and English sign language)! One of only six in the country, the school
represents an important initiative in Rwanda towards the recognition of deaf
children’s right to education. Louis, the head teacher at the school tells me
that deaf children are often excluded as their families do not have the information,
time or resources to care for them. Ignorance and poverty often means that
these children are stigmatized or neglected. The deaf children’s school is part
of an effort to change this situation, proving that these children are just as
capable of learning and becoming contributing members of society as hearing
children. Louis told me that often the first reaction of the parents when they
come to pick up their children after their first term is to cry. It becomes
clear that their children can read and write and learn and slowly attitudes are
beginning to change. To me, this is really inspiring. Unfortunately only a
small fraction of deaf children actually have this kind of opportunity. Despite
the fact that there are many more deaf children in the community, the school
does not have the funding and resources to expand in order to accommodate them.
Elie later takes me into town as I need to exchange some
money. We first go to the bank to get an official exchange rate, he then takes
me to town where rates are apparently much better if you know where to go. We
stop off at a pharmacy and go and speak to “the Indian man”, who says he will accept
my $100 bill, which is issued after 2003, but not the other one. I think best
not to question him (since the rate is much better than the bank!), I hand over
the bill, take the Rwandan francs and leave. Outside I ask Elie, why one must
go to a pharmacy to exchange money. He responds “Welcome to Africa”…and I think
that just about sums it up! Things are quite different out here, but I’m just
going to have to get used to it J
More soon!
Marika xxx
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| View of a volcano near Elie's home in Musanze |
