Farewell, Rwanda

Today is a free day, our last one of the trip. Just back from my last Rwandan run this time 'round...it's certainly not called "Land of a Thousand Hills" for nothing! Apart from this (or perhaps, because of this depending on your perspective ;) it's a fabulously runner-friendly city. Wide sidewalks on main streets, warm weather but cool breeze, and not one cat-call (perhaps I'm losing it...I am long past 'marrying age' compared to my counterparts here!).

Signing off for now. I'll be sure to post final photos of the donor group's Murambi school when it is finished sometime in the next couple of months at the latest. Thanks for following along!

Day of the Girl in Rwanda

Happy Day of the Girl! Here is a statue of a woman and girl in main roundabout of Kigali. They symbolise the strength, resilience and compassion of Rwandan women and girls - qualities used everyday to help their families, communities and country advance. As our driver noted, "A woman is the mother of her nation."

Speaking of the power of women, meet Pauline - widowed with one child. She's the President of the Kiziguro Piggery Cooperative, established just four short months ago. When Plan introduced its small livestock program (funded through Plan Canada's Gifts of Hope catalogue) as an alternative to families who could not afford to keep a cow, this community decided that - rather than one pig per family model - they would set up a community co-op. Plan supplied the materials for the concrete shed (keeps pigs healthy from rain and overheating), the livestock training, basic medicines and of course the pigs (10 females, 1 male). Eleven families pooled their pigs and built one common shed for all to use. They take turns looking after the pigs, with many of the families' children leading the care. The co-op now acts as a demonstration piggery, inviting nearby pig farmers to visit and share in their skills and knowledge. With each of the 10 sows now pregnant, this project is ready to replicate its success at a super pace! Families will very soon be realizing the increased food security (household consumption) and disposable income (resale at market) these piglets will produce. Pauline said most pig profits they make will be used for education costs (books, uniforms etc.) and also family medical insurance. Keep up the inspiring work, Piggery President Pauline!

The co-op overwhelmed us all when they presented gifts for us to take with them as a remembrance of our visit. Handmade serving trays and baskets. The baskets symbolise a sacred partnership between giver and recipient, with the tightly fitting lid representing a firm relationship which respects any secrets or sharings within. What a touching present!

We next traveled to a newly constructed health centre which Plan funded. We learned about the most common patient ills (malaria, TB, intestinal parasites) and how the government supports both medicines as well as cost of medical visits based on a three-tier system according to family's means. Antiretrovirals (ARVs) to manage HIV is funded entirely by the government. Mothers are encouraged to deliver their babies in a facility such as this one, to decrease the incidences of infant/maternal deaths, and there is a fee if parents don't register their baby within 8 days of birth (birth registration is essential in ensuring all children have access to their rights, and to ensure the government is budgeting enough money to basic services such as health and education). Another amazing day full of insight into this incredible country.

More Plan program visits

Just back from a full day in the field. First we visited a community that is part of Plan's Promoting African Grassroots Economic Security (PAGES) project, which also comprises the donor group's school in Murambi. This future-school has yet to begin construction, so we met the community on the site where it will be built. We then visited a nearby school where most of the children who will attend the new school currently are. We learned from the Headmaster that classes are so full, and classrooms so few, that there is a double-shift to allow as many students an education as possible. Makes for a long day for the teachers, some of whom are still transitioning from teaching in French (the former official language of instruction) to English (mandated a few years ago).

Here the mayor of the area welcomes us back (we had met him last week at the donor group's Murambi school) and suggests that we consider a second home for all our visits :) He was very gracious.

In the afternoon we met a Village Savings and Loan Assn (VSLA). We sat in on their weekly mtg, to learn how they operate and how they are using their loans to ultimately increase opportunity for their families. This group was an extremely disciplined one - they set their own association rules and regulations, some of which include significant penalties for missing a meeting without a valid reason, being late for a meeting, or forgetting your association documents. This group was all business indeed!

Genocide Memorial

The Rwandan Genocide Memorial in Kigali is organised into three parts, ordered as follows: 1) before the genocide; 2) other genocides around the world; and 3) the child victims of Rwanda's 1994 genocide.

Within, a quote:
"This is about our past and our future;
our nightmares and our dreams;
our fear and our hope.
We begin where we end,
with the country that we love."

Photography inside the memorial is prohibited, but here are a couple of pics from the outdoor grounds.

During the annual mourning period (100 days to mark the duration of '94 genocide, beginning every April-June), a flame is kept burning here. The surrounding water represents life - the lives of those who survived amongst the terror and mass killings(symbolized by fire). The potholder statue is an elephant, as elephants 'never forget'.

Circling a Rwandan flagpost is the Children's Garden. The plantings are those of fruit trees, to represent that children are the fruit of life, we must help them to grow and protect them so that they may nourish the future.

It is noted inside that the militia were trained to execute 1,000 people every 20 minutes. The mass executions (often involving rape and torture) were extremely well planned and choreographed w the support -and, through inaction, endorsement- of those around the world in a position to help.

Below this children's garden are three tiers of mass graves, the final resting place for approximately a quarter of a million men, women and children.

Rebuilding Rwanda

In today's New Times, Rwanda's English daily newspaper. Further proof of why this donor group's school project is so important. Article reports that two students and one teacher nearly died last week, when they were trapped in crumbling school infrastructure. Apparently these incidents occur all too regularly, especially during the rainy season, and while the Min of Edn is concerned w the dilapidated state of many schools, they are also hesitant to close such dangerous schools down as this would mean denying children their right to an education. Thanks to this Cdn group of donors, the children of Murambi will not have to worry about such a dire situation.

An aside...further in the paper there was a lovely quote in regards to the upcoming senate elections in Rwanda: "Let us build a nation where every citizen has a place, where all can live in harmony and with dignity, and where we all have the opportunity to raise our children and realize our dreams."

Cruising Kigali

Yesterday we drove from Gisenyi, on the shores of Lake Kivu, back to Kigali where we checked out a local crafts market. Today we've been cruising the city on a city tour - we paid our respects at the nearby memorial for 10 UN Peacekeepers (Belgian) who were killed in the genocide while trying to protect the moderate (and solution-seeking) PM. We also visited the old colonial part of town, and the newly developed parts (the government is relocating thousands of people currently living in more traditional homes to the countryside, so that apartment buildings can be built to house urban dwellers more efficiently).

We learned about how Rwandans are grouped in "cells", with one cell comprised of about a block of people, or 10-15 families. Each cell has an elected leader who helps in the organization of civil activities. Every Rwandan is required to spend a few hours of the last Saturday of every month working for his/her community/country. If you're away that weekend, you make up the time or contribute a nominal fee to the cell's 'community fund' in your absence. And if you choose not to partake, there's a fee of 150,000 Rwa Francs (~$250US) which generally acts as incentive enough for people to pull their weight. Incredible organization for progress and development! Cells will gather to clean roads, garden parks, etc. The work is obvious as this country is spotless!

This afternoon we will visit The Genocide Memorial. It will, undoubtedly, be a powerful and poignant experience.

Gorilla Success!

Two-fold success...in that a) everyone made it to the top of the mountain! and b) we had a very lively experience with our gorilla family. We had it all - playful babies, lazy dining sessions, marauding silverbacks from other families trying to steal our silverback's ladies, an injured youth in the scrimmage...phewf, it was high drama in the Virungas! And we had some comedic moments as well, when our lead silverback bowled through a few of us - nothing hurt but pride :)
We're in Gisenyi now, a border town across from Goma in the Congo on Lake Kivu, the highest lake in all of Africa. We'll head back to Kigali tmw, with an afternoon at the market followed by two days in the field visiting Plan projects, and one day touring Kigali including the genocide museum. It's hard to believe we're halfway through - we still have so many interesting things to experience!