Week One in the PIH house

Our new room:

Unfortunately, SLEEP DEPREVIATION has been the theme of our first week in the Partner’s In Health (PIH) house.  Part of the problem is simply getting use to a new place.  Our bed felt uncomfortable for the first few nights and our room is crowded with our suitcases.  Michelle has felt anxious about constantly being on call as she adapts to her new role as the House Manager.  In the mornings we frequently hear people stirring in the house by 7am.  Once someone is up, she feels compelled to be present in order to meet guests and have a chance to introduce herself.

The other problems contributing to our sleepless nights are mosquitoes and heat.  In our previous house, there were screens on the windows so we could leave the windows open at night to take advantage of the cool air.  The windows in this house have no screens.  We decided to take a chance and sleep with the windows open but the tradeoff was worse.  We were devoured by mosquitoes all night!  Even with a mosquito net, we were eaten alive.  Our arms, legs, necks, and hands were covered in small red bites.  The next morning we woke to find at least 5 mosquitoes hanging out inside our net.  Quite the cozy family, huh?!  The itching and scratching is one thing, but that mosquito “buzzzzz” triggers an involuntary response to stay awake until the predator is killed.

After too many consecutive sleepless nights, Nate now sleeps with a flashlight under his pillow as his defense.  Our plan of attack is to stand up in our tent, in the middle of the night, once the soul piercing buzz begins and start our killing spree so we can fall back asleep.  At first it didn’t seem worth the effort.  But now we know we won’t get any sleep while our arch nemesis is near.  Isn’t it amazing how powerful our human instincts are?

The fun part of Michelle’s job as been meeting all the PIH staff.  In fact, in two days there will be a big house party in honor of two recent engagements.  Peter, the country director proposed to his girlfriend, Neo, back in Boston just two weeks ago and Gene proposed to his girlfriend, Sheida, on top of Mount Kilimanjaro earlier this month.  Staff from all PIH sites in Rwanda (Rwinkwavu, Kirehe, and Butaro) will come to Kigali for the celebration.  Now we get to meet everyone in one fell swoop.  The expected turn out is somewhere between 60 and 80 people!  We are in for a fun time. 

The not so fun part of Michelle’s job is trying to make improvements in the house without having much authority.  Her initial assessment of the house revealed many problems areas that need to be addressed. Admittedly we were surprised by the number of things broken or expired given the fact that the house is used on a regular basis.  For example, out of the five bathrooms, only two toilets are in working order, one sink leaks on the floor, and others are clogged and won’t drain properly.  Up until now there has been no trash service so the MO has been to throw everything in the broken fountain outside in the backyard.  There are walls crumbling down due to water damage.  Every room had 75% of the light bulbs burned out.  80% of the mosquito nets have holes and are dirty, not to mention some beds not having mosquito nets at all.  After our first week of sleepless nights, we know how unacceptable this is for the comfort of our guests.  There is also a shortage of towels and pillows which makes for an uncomfortable stay when the house is full.

On the one hand, these seem like easy fixes.  Being the optimist that Michelle is, she felt great about sending her report the first day with an execution plan in place for addressing the most urgent needs before the house is bursting with 80 people.  Little did she know the reality of having to rely on other people to execute solutions while working in an inefficient culture makes these tasks impossible to complete in one week.  It has been quite the emotional rollercoaster this week.  We are two days away from the party and the plumber who was “suppose” to be here on Tuesday still hasn’t shown up.  Even though Michelle is in charge of the house, she doesn’t have the freedom to pay for utilities with petty cash or the jurisdiction to call the service people to come fix things in the house.  The procedures in place require her to go through the chain of command in the office.  As of now, her bosses have been preoccupied with other things so their response time has been slow.

The other challenge Michelle is facing is figuring out boundaries between her home and her workplace.  Even though the job description said 10-15 hours of work a week, the reality is it is a 7 day a week job given her role of overseeing the house staff that work every day and being the go to person for the guests.  Funny how she finds herself in another job that has blurred boundaries.  Coincidence much?! 

All in all, she is still very excited about her job and is energized by all the possibilities for improvements.  PIH is doing some incredible things in the health sector of Rwanda and around the world.  It has been a treat to hear about these stories first hand and to get to know some wonderful people in the process.  We sense the comfort of being adopted into an established community but we do miss our friend Esron.  In a lot of ways, we feel like we are faced with the task of settling in all over again.  Once again, our common ground from the many moves we have made in the past 6 months has been each other.  For this we are grateful!

Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha

A trip to Burundi

As we approached our third month mark (April 12th), we knew we had to travel out of the country to renew our tourist visa for another 3 months.  Nate has been working on registering IEE with the government as an INGO (International Non-Government Organization) for the past month but it is quite a complicated process. Every time he visited the Immigration Office to submit his forms, they would surprise him with more document and signature requirements.  Once IEE is a registered INGO, we can apply for a work and dependent visa (for Michelle as a spouse) which is good for one year.  Until then, we are only “allowed” to stay in the country for 3 months at a time as tourists.  Guess that means we have to take a vacation every three months to "reset" our tourist Visas.  Not too shabby!

Meredith happened to be out of town during the week we needed to leave.  We were thrilled to have access to her car so we could drive ourselves over the border and not pay for public transportation.  It was a fun adventure with beautiful scenery.  After only an hour car ride, we arrived at the border!!

Welcome to Burundi!

 Here is a picture of the border

This is the road heading into Burundi

Burundi looks similar to Rwanda in that there are lots of farm lands, impoverish communities, and the people  dressed in the same clothing.  However, the subtleties in the homes were very charming!  We noticed large clay pots placed next to many doors of the homes lining the street.  One difference that stood out to us was the round homes with thatched roofs.  In Rwanda, most homes in rural areas are also made of mud or cement but are mainly built in a rectangle or square shape.  We are use to seeing tin roofs so the straw roofs caught our eyes.  Michelle tried to capture some of her favorites as we drove by.

 

Our original plan was to eat lunch in Burundi but after driving an hour into the country and not seeing any restaurants, our stomachs got the best of us so we turned around without stepping out of the car to explore.  We will have to come back another time!

One interesting side-note, on our way back to Rwanda, we ran into a military training camp doing a work out on the road.

Overall, it was a delightful drive (except for the distracting hunger pains) with beautiful scenery.  Since the hills were not very steep throughout the southern province, we vowed to do it again on our moto for a more au natural experience.  We can't wait!  It's like driving in "the hidden valley" from "The Land Before Time." Fantasy come to life, just beautiful.

Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha

Mourning the Victims of the Genocide

Today kids went back to school after a two week break to commemorate those who lost their lives during the Genocide 16 years ago.  April 7th marks the first day of the 100 days of horror.  We quickly learned that most ex-pats travel during this time as their work is usually shut down.  This time tends to be a somber atmosphere.  We had the chance to help out our friends, the Brostrom family, by house-sitting and taking care of their dog (Cassius) and cat (Cyeza).

Even though we don’t have a direct personal connection to the Genocide, we were curious about the mourning process for those left behind.  We can’t imagine experiencing such an atrocity in our own lives, but when you sit with others who are suffering, the pain is palpable.

We noticed our hearts feeling nervous on the morning on April 7th because we didn’t know what to expect.  People told us that the large gathering at the stadium last year was a traumatic experience due to the wailing and screaming of people in mourning.  We were nervous about experiencing such intense sadness.  It is almost as if people bottle up their sadness until this time of year when it explodes like a broken dam.  How would people feel about mzungus mourning with them?  What posture should we take?  Do we remain silent?  Do we ask questions to learn and to remember those lives that were stolen?  We landed on simply showing up and being present.  The most comfortable posture for us was one of a listener.

Our experience was not completely in line with the feedback we have heard about last year.  It was true that life was different on April 7th but the mourning wasn’t as disturbing as people described.  Kigali felt like a ghost town.  There was an eerie quietness, almost like the silence after a huge snow fall when all sound seems muted.  We noticed fewer women on the street, less meet and greet between pedestrians, many people carrying kerchiefs in their hands as they went to and fro, fewer vehicles on the road, all businesses shut down, closed doors and windows, and lots of purple and black clothing.  Purple is the color of mourning in Rwanda. 

The main event we participated in was called “A Walk to Remember.”  Here is a news article about the event in you are interested: http://allafrica.com/stories/201004080155.html  This was a movement all over East Africa to stand against genocide ideology.  People in the capitols of Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, and Uganda all walked in solidarity with people in Rwanda.  The walk in Kigali started at the Parliament building for its significance of being one of the first buildings attacked on April 7, 1994.  Today, you can still see the gun shots and grenade wounds on one side of the building so that no one forgets what happened.

 

President Paul Kagame made an appearance to address the crowd with some encouragement.  He directed his thoughts to the younger people reminding them that they are the future of Rwanda and the responsibility that comes with that position.  He encouraged them to dream big, to strive for higher education and to be agents of change.  He empowered everyone to stand together as unified Rwandans in hope for a brighter future.  It was a very powerful experience to join about 8,000 people from all different backgrounds (although mostly Rwandans) for a walk to the National Amahoro Stadium.  What is usually a very busy street connecting our neighborhood,  Kacyiru to the next sector called Remera, was closed for this event.  When we arrived at the stadium we formed a large circle around the field holding hands in unity.  There were many singers, both solo artists and choirs singing in Kinyarwanda.  We heard many readers perform poems and inspirational readings.  A group of children from Uganda read a list of names belonging to Tutsis who were murdered 16 years ago.  There was also a large bon fire blazing in the night.  We finished with a candlelight vigil accompanied with music that was a stunning sight. We expected a packed house but much to our surprise, it was only about 70% full.  Perhaps more people showed up after 7pm when we made our exit to attend to an anxious dog.

Overall, I think we can say we will never understand loss at this level.  Our perceptions, reflections and emotions still feel far away from the rawness of the Rwandan Genocide .  We struggle with feeling removed while our friends and neighbors are dealing with something very real, something central to their identities. While we may notice patterns, participate in activities or learn more from movies, our presence is all we have to contribute.

Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha

"Pasika Nziza!" –Happy Easter

We went to a new church called Christ Church in Rwanda (CCR) on Easter morning.  Admittedly we had high hopes given the significance of the holiday and the brief description of the church.  To say we were sorely disappointed is putting it lightly.  Nate said this was in the top 5 worst services he has been too, holiday or not.

CCR is a non-denominational church located in one of the wealthier neighborhoods of Kigali called Nyarutarama.  The large, beautiful building is smack dab in the middle of the Gaculiro Estates: large homes predominately occupied by westerners.  We were attracted to the non-denominational background along with the opportunity to attend an English service in order to engage more deeply in the worship service.

When we walked into the sanctuary people were singing a familiar song “Once Again,” which warmed our hearts.  We were pleased to see a diverse community of 200 people.  However, it didn’t take long for us to observe the lack of participation after the first song.  The proceeding songs were dramatically slow with lyrics that lived in the clouds rather than your heart.  If the music wasn’t enough, the “nod” (and that is being generous) to communion was the strangest invitation we have ever heard to celebrate the Eucharist.

To put it simply, they asked for those people in the congregation who take Jesus seriously to partake in communion.  At that point, the live music stopped and a Christian pop song on a CD from the states rang through the speakers.  People got up from their seats to form lines at the four different tables lining the perimeter of the room.  Once we got a view of the table, we discovered those classic, shiny, metal plate-bowl type containers that Michelle remembers from her childhood churches in VA. (Morck sisters, can I get a witness?!)  The first one held small, thin pieces of a pita bread as the “body of Christ.”  The second container sat adjacent to the bread representing the “blood of Christ” in mini, individual, plastic juice containers full of cranberry juice.  The most awkward part for us was taking the elements instead of receiving the elements with no confession and without so much as a glance to the Bible for the context of this special ritual.

After communion a man took the microphone to begin the sermon.  With no introduction, we assumed he was the senior pastor who seemed like a nice person but appeared very insecure.  He had typed up his thoughts and was clearly afraid to veer off script.  He prefaced his sermon by directing us to the half page bulletin that revealed the outline to his thoughts.  Then he proceeded to share his 7 lessons from the Resurrection:

1.      The Resurrection proves that Jesus is God’s Son. John 10:17-18
2.      It verifies the truth of Scripture. Psalms 16:10, 110:1
3.      Assures our own future resurrection. 1Thes. 4:13-18
4.      Is proof of a future judgment. Acts 17:31
5.      Is the basis for Christ’s heavenly priesthood. Heb. 7:23-28
6.      Gives the power for Christian living. Romans 6:4
7.      Assures our future inheritance. 1 Peter 1:3-5

He summed it all up with this statement: “This is the heart of the Gospel.  If you remove the resurrection, Christianity is destroyed.  The entire structure of the Christian faith rests on the foundation of the Resurrection.”  Then he concludes with the commission.  “We must not keep the resurrection to ourselves.  The basic message of Jesus from the resurrection is two-fold: ‘come and see’ followed by ‘go and tell.’

Is that really what Easter is all about?!  A long list of theological arguments for the justification of the Christian faith?!  Was Jesus’ life not radical enough to inspire followers despite the outcome?  YES we are grateful for forgiveness.  YES we are in awe of the mystery of the resurrection.  YES our lives have been changed by the pursuit of the divine.  And YES, Jesus is worth sharing with people who don’t otherwise know him.  But you can’t convince us that the significance of Easter is exemplified in the validation of a religion called Christianity.  That is like going to the movies, getting your ticket and a big ole’ bucket of popcorn with extra butter only to sit in the lobby…eating…popcorn…hmmm..mmm that is some good popcorn!

Unfortunately, the story is happening in the theater.  The art, the substance, the whole point of going to see a movie is getting lost in a story.  This Easter, we got to the theater.  We bought our ticket and popcorn only to be told there is no movie playing just some stale, old popcorn.

At the very least, anyone who considers themselves a spiritual leader should offer up some personal experience.  They don’t have to be an expert (even better if they aren’t) but a few thoughts on what the resurrection means to them this Easter would suffice.  Now, don’t get us wrong, we wouldn't do it perfectly either if given the chance.  In fact, Michelle has been in leadership positions on Easter Sunday many times and her nerves stole her confidence away in the blink of an eye.  We both have a lot to learn when it comes to effective leadership but our experience in the church has left us with strong opinions. Our desire is to take God seriously, but not take ourselves too seriously.  Where is the fun?!  It’s Easter for crying out loud, let’s CELEBRATE and throw a party!!!  If a dear friend of ours was brutally executed two days ago and is found alive today, you better believe we would be throwing the biggest party of the year.

This service had no aesthetic beauty and no heart.  All it offered was a theological summary of why we can feel good about ourselves choosing the correct religion.  There were a number of times when Michelle’s eyes weld up with tears out of her longing for the Trinity community back home.  For all the critiques she could make about Trinity’s services, there are subtle details she took for granted that make a huge difference in a worship environment.  Most importantly, this was the first Easter in five years that she wasn’t standing on the beach with a small group of close friends, celebrating the joy of Easter as the sun came up over the ocean.  Magical!  Oh how we long to be on that beach among friends.  Holidays just aren’t the same without celebrating with people we love.  We miss you friends and family!  If nothing else, today gave us a gift.  A gift of appreciation for the love we have received and don’t want to live without.  Above all, God is a mystery that we have grown to respect and trust.  Thank goodness for Jesus and the radical love he stands for.  May none of us ever go without that love.

 Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha.

My first job offer!

As of April 15th I (Michelle) will officially join the Partners In Health (PIH) team in Kigali as their House Manager.  This is a part-time position that provides free housing in exchange for approximately 15 hours of work per week.

My responsibilities include:

1. Overseeing all issues related to the PIH House
2. Supporting the General Administration Assistant (Liliane) with distribution of items needed at the house
3. Manage house staff (guards, cleaners, etc.)
4. Receive and provide administrative and logistical orientation to new coming PIH foreign staff or visitors
5. Manage online spread sheet for Kigali house sign-up
6. Responding to all queries of staff and visitors staying at the house
7. Help visitors at their departure time
8. Manage and support the internet service at the house
9. Ensure a welcoming and pleasant environment for all visitors and staff
10. Working with house staff to follow up and support all repairs to ensure everything is in good condition
11. Aid logistically in management of pick-up and drop-off of items left at the house

This is a great opportunity to save money on living costs and gain some valuable experience in “hotel management,” on a small scale of course.  There are 9 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms in the home, housing around 15 people at a time.  I have signed a 3 month contract as a pilot run to see how it works for both parties.  There hasn’t been a house manager at the PIH home before so this is unchartered territory for both of us.  I am excited to learn a lot about managing a bed & breakfast style home while maintaining a flexible work schedule.  You should see the beautiful house we get to live in!  It is the largest home I have set foot in while being in Rwanda but very sterile with bare walls and empty cabinets.  I couldn’t be more excited to transform the space into a hospitable environment.  The challenge will be establishing realistic goals when dreaming about the many improvements I would like to make.  There isn’t much of a budget so I will have to be creative.

Another reason I chose this job is to have an excuse to bump in to PIH people on a regular basis.  I am so impressed with the work they are doing and would love to get to know them on a personal level.  Please check out their website to read more about their values, mission and vision.  One of their distinctions has been their commitment to serving the people in Haiti.  After the earthquake hit, they have been pivotal in distributing aid to suffering people.  A quick shameless plug: If you are looking for ways to support people in some of the neediest places in the world, donate to PIH now.  You can be confident that your money is in great hands and will be put to good use!

Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha

cricket... cricket...

It has been almost a month since our last post, which is unfortunate.  Moving forward we hope to be more disciplined about documenting our experiences on a regular basis.  The month of March has been quite eventful for us...

Michelle has been focusing on her job search resulting in three interviews for very different positions working with NGOS and potentially the US Embassy.  It has been six years since she last participated in the game of job hunting so starting this process was quite intimidating.  The whole practice of selling yourself has never been Michelle’s forte and yet that is how the game is played.  It was a significant learning experience, getting in touch with her insecurities and discovering a confident voice despite the reality that she always has more to learn. 

Once people identify their shortcomings, and everyone has them, they can then embrace their full selves in a new way.  Very helpful for the interview process!  Seriously, when are you ever critiqued more on self-awareness and on your ability to articulate personal attributes than in the context of an interview?  Perhaps we all should adopt the practice of reflecting on personal strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments, and failures on a regular basis as if we are preparing for an interview.  There is something very satisfying about sewing a thread through the patches of life that make each person the quilt that they are.  Michelle is inspired to live boldly into who she is rather than living as she is not.  All the while being inspired to change as experience and circumstances allow.  Today, she celebrates her courage in overcoming paralyzing fears that have robbed her from internal freedom.

In addition to job interviews, we have been busy traveling to different parts of the country.  On March 6th we attended the First Inter-Institutional Conference on Teaching, Learning, and using English in Rwanda.  The conference took place in Gitarama at the Catholic University of Kabgayi (CUK).  Gitarama is the second-largest town in Rwanda and home to Rwanda’s first President Gregoire Kayibanda, whose tomb sits in the middle of town centre.  Meredith Pike-Baky (one of Nate’s colleagues at IEE) was one of the main organizers of the event.  It was an epic moment for the development of teaching English in Rwanda.  There were about 150 participants representing students, teachers, teacher-trainers, NGOS, and government sponsored programs.  Michelle initially joined the IEE team for the free ride to Gitarama so she could tour around.  However, once she heard the first speaker, her curiosity got the best of her and she ended up staying the whole day.  Nate took advantage of the networking opportunities and assisted in facilitating a small group discussion with students.  The whole conference was a HUGE success!  We were proud to be one of the sponsors for such a ground-breaking event.

The other trip we took outside of Kigali was to Mugongo to see the well known Imbabazi Orphange founded by Rosamond Carr.  Both of us read her book:  Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda, before traveling to Rwanda five years ago.  It was a very special experience to see her orphanage first hand.  We had a chance to meet some of the orphans since it was a Sunday afternoon and not a weekday when they would be in school.  They were very friendly and were busy preparing potatoes for dinner.  Our tour guide David was wonderfully hospitable, offering to show us the inside of Rosamond’s house and allowing us to use the bathroom in one of the guest houses before our journey back to Musanze.  For those who don’t know of Rosamond Carr I highly recommend her book because her story is inspiring.  She was a remarkable woman who devoted 54 years of her life to the people in Rwanda.  A highlight for us was walking through her elaborate gardens.  While we were there, we learned about an opportunity to support the orphanage by subscribing to a weekly bouquet service that delivers a flowers from her garden every week.  You can’t get much better than that!  It took all of 10 seconds to decide that we wanted to participate.  The flowers are delivered to Kigali at various pick up locations.  Lucky for us, one of the locations is the US Embassy, which is a 10 min walk from our house.
 
Other exciting developments in March were setting up internet at our house (finally!) and signing up for a year-long membership to the Nyaturama Sports Center.  Both have boosted our quality of life by 200%.  It has been such a treat to have unlimited internet access without having to leave home or spend money at expensive cafes.  Don’t get me wrong, this luxury doesn’t come cheap!  We spend around $200 a month for decent internet that comes and goes with our daily power outages.  It took us 2 months to emotionally jump on board.  Every frugal bone in our body was screaming “This is a terrible deal, don’t do it!”  Our monthly payments are twice the cost of Cablevision’s offer in the US for a product that is not even half as good.  BUT, c’est la vie!

The Nyaturama Sports Center is one of the 3 clubs in Kigali that provides athletic services including a pool, tennis courts, aerobics, and indoor gym.  We like that it is on the cheaper end and attracts more locals rather than mzungus (we finally learned how to spell this word).  The pool just opened two weeks ago.  We signed up that very same day and spent both Saturday and Sunday enjoying some poolside R & R.  Nate’s first dive off the diving board attracted a small group of Rwandan men who admired his form.  Little did we know, Nate would soon have a class of 5 amagabos (men in Kinyarwanda) learning how to dive.  It quickly became a community affair when each man’s first dive resulted in a magnificently painful belly flop.  All eyes were on the professional mzungu teacher as he critiqued and guided each attempt into actual dives.  Our lifeguard instincts couldn’t resist the idea for potential business opportunities in offering swim/dive lessons.   We’ll see if that takes off!

A fun discovery Michelle made this month was the Kicukiro market.  Kicukiro (kee-CHU-keero) is another neighborhood like Kacyiru (where we live) that borders farmlands.  Most farmers who travel to big markets in the city charge inflated prices for their produce because it is costing them more to sell at that location.  Not to mention the wealthier people live closest to the city centre.  Michelle loved this market because the people gave her great deals despite being mzungu and the quality of the food was fantastic!  She is excited to go back soon.

Lastly, a highlight of the month was definitely our first football game (aka: soccer for the Americans following along) at The Amahoro Stadium in Remera (another sector in Kigali-where Meredith lives).  It was a BIG game!  You will find the coverage of the game here.  Esron is a die-hard ADR fan, which is one of the Rwandan teams.  We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take him such an important game.  The Rwandan ADR team was up against the African champions, Mazembe, a Congolese team.  The Stadium was PACKED!  President Kagame even made an appearance to support his local team.  Nate and Esron were decked out in the ADR colors, black & white to display their loyalty.  What an experience!  We were packed in shoulder to shoulder with fans from both teams.  There was lots of trash talking to say the least.  If you bottled up the energy in the stadium, it would have fired a rocket to the moon!  Much to our disappointment, there were no refreshments available.  We realized how attached we are to cold beer and hot dogs at sporting events.  In Rwanda, most people don’t even eat three meals a day let alone snacks throughout the day.  It was a wakeup call on how much affluent communities eat in abundance just because they can.  Affluent or not, we still missed our cold beer during the 2 hour game.  Luckily, the game was so exciting that we were well distracted.  ADP took the win in the 88th minute of the game which is 2 minutes before the final whistle.  Esron was beside himself!!  His face was beaming so brightly that we wondered if we needed a flashlight during our 7 mile walk home in the dark.  We were grateful to share in that moment with him.

Thanks to all of you who follow our Ubuzima in Rwanda.  It doesn’t make up for the distance, dinners together and hugs but it helps us feel less alone.  We love you all!!

Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha.

A Breath of Fresh Air

There is nothing like a trip to a farm to lift our spirits!  Last Friday we drove out to visit our friend Amy, the girl from Georgia who was on our flight to Kigali.  Amy works at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) as the farm manager in a town called Ntunga (45-60 minutes outside of Kigali).  The name holds a beautiful meaning: "dry their tears" (Agahozo) and "live in peace" (Shalom).   This is a boarding school of sorts that targets orphaned children in Rwanda.  It is truly an inspiring place!  The founder Anne Heyman, a NYC resident, was moved by a Rwandan speaker talking about the affects of the genocide.  Her heart broke for the orphaned young people in Rwanda post the Genocide and for those who have lost their parents to the widespread assassin: HIV.  She compared the devastation to that of the Holocaust and was inspired by Israel’s action steps to move forward.  One of the ways Israel began rebuilding itself after such a tragedy was to develop youth villages with the goal of providing a community and education for orphans.  Anne felt moved to support the next generation in order to secure a brighter future for Rwanda in the same way.  The youth villages in Israel have been wildly successful in equipping the prosperity both intellectually and emotionally through the bonds of the community.  It is common for graduates to return to their village for employment or simply volunteer as a way to give back to their new found family.  Anne adopted the same model and is trying it out in Rwanda.  Check out a CBSNews article about this special place!

The Agahozo Shalom Youth Village hosts 250 students ranging in age from 14 years to 20 years old.  Each year, hundreds of applicants are recommended from all 30 districts in the country.  We met a variety of students coming from different economic backgrounds.  Some students are from the cities in Rwanda where there is more wealth while others are from the more rural parts having little to no money.  One of the best benefits of the youth village is that it is 100% free!  The students pay nothing to attend and are given housing, food, and a great education.  The director of the school is from Israel and lives on campus with his wife and two kids.  His wife is the doctor in residence and runs the medical facilities.  Both of his kids attend a private school in Kigali called The Greenhill Academy along with Paul Kagame’s kids.  They are a lovely family!    We encourage you to learn more about The Agahozo Shalom Youth Village at: http://www.agahozo-shalom.org/

When we drove up to the gate, we were taken aback by the beauty of the grounds and its prime location at the top of a hill.  The view is exquisite, spanning over neighboring valleys, lakes, and mountains.  Our efforts to capture such splendor failed miserably so you’ll have to close your eyes and picture it in your own mind.  The land is a beautiful mix of walking trails weaving in and out of modern buildings surrounded by flourishing farmland bursting with foliage.  Our lungs were soaking up the clean air like a dry sponge.  It was a refreshing change from the diesel exhaust that consumes the city air.

Our first point of business was to join Amy in the dining hall for a late lunch.  Most of the food prepared on campus comes directly from the produce grown on the farm.  Amy is working towards full sustainability where the profits from the farm will eventually cover the costs of running the village.  The reality is within reach given the resources available to them.  For instance, they are the only farm in the area that has an irrigation system in place to maintain production throughout the dry season of summer.  Last week Amy assisted in her first delivery of a baby calf.  Unfortunately one of the three calves did not make it but we were delighted to meet the other two babies that are getting stronger every day.  Right now they have five cows producing 22 liters of milk a day which will increase once the baby calves stop breast feeding.   In addition to cows, there are about 300 adolescent chickens that should begin laying eggs in about a month from now.  The goal is to have at least one egg a day for every person in the village.

After lunch, we had a chance to walk around the grounds to get the lay of the land.  Amy hasn’t measured the exact acreage of the farm but it is certainly in the hundreds.  When she first arrived, she felt under qualified for running a farm of this size.  Her experience has been in the context of camps or nature centers.  It can still be overwhelming for her at times, but she has done a great job embracing it with two hands.  We have no doubt that her passion will drive her forward to learn more while leaning into her role as the farm manager.  The farm is certainly in good hands!

The rest of our Friday afternoon was spent picking fresh passion fruit and mangoes for a tasty snack later in the evening.  Amy and Michelle went to the local market in Rubona to buy papaya, milk and eggs.  It was a fabulous 20 minute walk down a very typical African dirt road.  We quickly made friends with some kids walking home from school who enjoyed playing a game of running up behind us without us hearing them and then running away once we looked at them. The squeals made us smile and feel grateful for the energy of younger friends.   Rubona was a quaint town with one bar, a dozen shops and a small section for the open market.  It was a treat for Michelle to see where Amy enjoys shopping and meeting more local people.
Friday evening we participated in Shabbat at the house of one of Amy’s friends.  There was a small group of us (10-15 people) the majority being westerners who are volunteering at the village.  We enjoyed being part of the service and learning more about the Shabbat tradition.  We broke bread and said a few prayers together before hanging out and getting to know each other better.  There is a lot of symbolism that we were drawn to during the Shabbat.  There is something powerful about engaging in spiritual practices with friends.  It was an honor to be included!  Afterwards, we headed over to the big dining hall for the village-wide weekly meeting before dinner.  It is an hour long service that includes announcements from clubs and teachers, personal stories, and a message from Nir, the director.  We each had a student sitting next to us translating the messages.  Michelle’s translator was a 14 year old girl named Peace.  Her family is from Kigali but her parents were killed in the genocide so her older siblings are looking out for her now.  She was very kind and patient as Michelle tried out her limited Kinyarwanda skills.

After dinner, we called it a night by hanging out in Amy’s room.  Michelle and Amy tried to make cheese with the milk they bought at the market but unfortunately it turned out to be the wrong kind of milk.  We have quickly learned that they sell unpasteurized as well as pasteurized milk and we are still learning how to ask for the kind we want.  The fruit was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!  Seriously, to all the fruit lovers out there, nothing compares to vine or tree ripened fruit!!  Michelle was in heaven.  However, her bliss was short lived due to a bug she caught that night.  After a sleepless night, her sickness kept her glued to the bathroom for the following day.  It was wonderful to rest in the comforts of our own bed on Saturday afternoon.   Despite the unfortunate ending, we were grateful for the breath of fresh air and the refreshment to our souls.  God, thank you for friends, thank you for fresh fruit, thank you for breath taking views, thank you for clean air, thank you for land that nourishes our bodies and souls.

  Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha.

Venting Session from Michelle

Today has been one of those days…

Frustration is at war with optimism in the battlefield of my mind.  I wish I could say my positive spirit is pulling through but admittedly the irritations are getting the best of me.  The source of my discouragement comes from feeling helpless as we confront some bumps in the road.

Last Thursday our refrigerator broke which means all our food spoiled within 24 hours.  We called our landlord in the morning and she sent two men to come take a look and try their best to fix it.  I realize we haven’t really described our kitchen situation on this blog yet so more details to come, but for the moment, this fridge has been a source of concern since the beginning.  When we first opened it, it was literally covered in a black-gray film with an odor that could knock you off your feet.  We quickly realized that film was mold and immediately did our best to communicate our desire to clean it out before our first trip to the market.  We are trying to be sensitive to Esron’s lifestyle and not be the typical foreigners who come into a place and demand everything changes.  It is a hard balance with needing to be healthy and protect ourselves.  It took us about 2 hours to wipe out a modest size fridge (think glorified college dorm room size refrigerator) and it still wasn’t up to our standards.  Each shelf on the door is permanently attached, conveniently trapping the mold behind a paper thin space between its two plastic pieces.  It is a piece of work, let me tell you!

However, we made the best of our fridge situation and felt thankful that we had one at all.  When it decided to stop working, we expected to have a solution within a few days at the most.  We know Grease is a busy woman, running businesses in Kigali, but she seems on top of things and got the guys to come out the same day.  When they couldn’t fix it, they asked us for money in order to get the new parts they needed.  Nate politely told them to call Grease because the money isn’t our responsibility.  It seemed to all work out so they were scheduled to return Friday afternoon to finish the job.  Well, they didn’t show up!  We gave them until early evening before calling Grease.  Unfortunately, Grease’s cell phone appeared to be dead or not in service.  This lasted the WHOLE weekend.

This wouldn’t have been so stressful if we had enough money to simply cut our losses and enjoy some fine dining around Kigali.  Timing can be EVERYTHING!!  Now, it is one thing to not want to spend a lot of money, it is a whole other thing entirely to not actually have the cash in hand.  At this point we had not been able to transfer money over from our U.S. bank account and we had just found out that Nate’s paycheck won’t be deposited in our Rwandan bank account but instead in our bank back home.  So we were living off the cash we brought from the states and only had $30 left.  Our backup plan was to loan money from IEE or to get reimbursed for some IEE expenses covered up front.  The challenge being the money from IEE was also not in the bank on Friday so we would have to wait until Monday to access it.  That means we had to make our $30 last us through the weekend.  It was a stretch (especially since we wanted to go out for a Valentine’s day meal on Sunday) but we made it through with $2 to spare.  Not knowing what was going on with the refrigerator and being out of touch with the person responsible for the refrigerator was so hard for me.

Monday was a good day!  We were able to get some cash AND were able to connect with Grease.  She was in South Africa on a business trip and had no idea the guys didn’t show up to fix it.  She said she will call them and send us a message later in the afternoon.  We never heard from her and the guys never showed up.  Truth be told, we are secretly hoping she will just buy a new refrigerator since this is so old and is in such poor condition.  Why bother spending money on it?  Anyway, fast forward to today, THURSDAY, and no one has shown up to work on it, and we haven’t seen Grease either.  It isn’t easy living without the comfort of having a place to preserve food.  I have called her almost every day and no progress has been made as far as I can see.  I feel completely helpless in solving this issue.
Other outstanding issues I am trying to work out are establishing internet access at our home, setting up a working cell phone, and finding a job.  So many things feel connected to each other so today I am feeling overwhelmed with the lack of efficiency.  The job search has been difficult without the time to surf the web and we are feeling the need for a second income to pay for the internet access to begin with!  Then, when I return home after running around all day trying to make progress on things like these, all I want is a cold beer to soothe my soul and that isn’t possible right now.  These are the acute moments I miss the comforts of home and friends who will listen to me rant followed by some laughter as we shed some light on the situation.  All I can do is let go and be patient.  A hard lesson for a control-freak to learn. =)

Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha.

It has been 4 weeks…

…and Kigali felt like “home” this week for the first time. The time has flown by and yet it feels like we have been here longer than a month. We noticed a trend in our emotions over the course of the past month. The first two weeks were full of excitement as we took in an abundance of new information. We remember feeling exhausted from the added energy required for settling in a new place but our spirits energized and eager to learn. Our third week in Rwanda was more challenging. The inevitable complaints started creeping in and dominating our conversations rather than the previous optimism that carried us through our initial transition. The things we missed most about home started feeling more prominent and ultimately made us frustrated at the fact we don’t have access to those comforts anymore. The epitome of our frustration came to a head one night when Nate decided to splurge and buy a Snickers bar at a small shop on the side of the road. We felt that it was about time to relish in something familiar. He was so excited for this Snickers bar that he willingly delayed his gratification. He wanted to save it for after dinner as a special treat. Needless to say, he thought about it for the rest of the day. Once dinner was over and the time felt right, he eagerly opened the refrigerator where his indulgence awaited. As he pulled back the wrapper with giddy anticipation, his heart dropped once he saw that his beloved chocolate bar was so old that the chocolate had turned almost white. He immediately ran to show Michelle and all we could do was laugh, probably to avoid tears from the disappointment.

This past weekend we had a chance to travel outside of Kigali. Nate had a meeting Monday morning in Gisenyi (3.5 hours away-see map on top left of our page) so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to see more of Rwanda. Plus, we have been eager to see where our friend Cailey lived for 2 months this past fall. Gisenyi is on the west side of Rwanda, bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We have learned that it is viewed as a “vacation spot” in Rwanda due to is prime location on Lake Kivu (equivalent to one of the Great Lakes in the States).

Our travels began on Saturday morning when we boarded a 24 person bus at 9:30am. We quickly learned that you must show up early if you want good seats. We arrived at 9:26am and were lucky to get the last two seats next to each other in the very last row of the bus. Who knew that when it comes to bus transport, Rwandans actually arrive early?! Everything else has been quite the contrary. In fact, most appointments or timeframes are considered strong suggestions and rarely stick to the schedule. At first we thought it wasn’t going to be so bad since we at least had a window seat, only to find out that the last row is the only row next to windows that do not open. Normally this wouldn’t be so bad but in Africa, not having direct access to fresh air on a 3.5 hour bus ride without air conditioning while sitting shoulder to shoulder with your neighbor is torture! Oh, did we mention that Rwandans don’t even like the windows open! There was a French couple two rows ahead of us and when they opened the window during the drive, the Rwandans complained and told him to shut it. Our best guess is that they don’t like the wind. We, on the other hand, were so delighted every time he cracked the window, even for just a minute. Our prayer was to keep our stomachs intact as we traveled up and down, what seemed to be each of the thousand hills in Rwanda. We thought, both being prone to motion sickness, that would be the worst of it…little did we know how our ride would transpire.

Both of us remembered our previous trips to Rwanda when we traveled the same route to Musanze (Moo-saan-zay) formerly known as Ruhengeri. On the one hand it is one of the most stunning scenic roads you might ever see but your comfort level gets compromised as you wind around the edge of steep hillsides. The key is the driver and unfortunately they tend to have a heavy foot while disregarding the blind turns around the corner. For some reason, the bus drivers seem to think that everyone else will yield to them since they are so big. Real problems arise when that is met with a vehicle of equal size or larger. We had the unfortunate experience of facing this harsh reality.

Our driver was a crazy driver from the get go. He was practically running over pedestrians and motto taxis on our way out of Kigali. We shot a glance at each other that said, “Oh Boy! This should be interesting!” as we clutched the handle of the seat in front of us. It didn’t take long for Michelle to be completely tense as they flew down the side of the hills, tires screaming their protest at going 50mph around 180 degree turns. (Yes, going around corners so that you’re facing the same way you’ve just come from only a little further down the mountain.) At one point, another bus passed us which made us nervously laugh at what our competitive driver might do next. Sure enough there were 3 buses in a row, ours being in the middle. During one of the steep inclines up a hill, our driver tried to pass the bus in front of us. Keep in mind; this was the bus that had passed us earlier so our driver had some added motivation. Luckily he saw the oncoming truck up ahead (these are just 2 lane roads) and decided to wait. The bus behind us wasn’t so observant and decided to try to pass us and the bus in front of us. He got as far as being parallel to our bus when he noticed the truck barreling down the hill. Of course he freaked out because it was a stupid decision to make going uphill. So what does he do? What anyone else would do and swerve out of the way. The only problem was that we were right next to him, which ultimately made it look like he was trying to drive us off the road even though we knew his intentions weren’t malicious. Our driver slammed on the brakes to avoid being pushed over the edge and swerved to the right onto the patch of dirt that lined the right side of the road. To put this in perspective, the hills in Rwanda are actually more like small mountains and few roads have guard rails to keep cars from falling off the edge. This dirt patch appeared to be about 6ft wide before dropping off down the side of the hill. We could tell that it not only spooked out our driver but made him livid! He turned the music down and started screaming his head off at the other driver. This continued for almost the rest of our trip. Once we arrived at our destination we almost kissed the dirt ground in downtown Gisenyi.

During our walk to the lake, we saw a few upscale hotels that sit right on the water and are muzungu hot spots. We decided to treat ourselves to an early Valentine’s Day celebration and book a room for our first night at the Stipp Hotel because it had a swimming pool. After a ride like that, we needed some R &R by the pool. To be honest, it felt kind of strange being in such a fancy place in Rwanda. We were surrounded by mostly muzungus and felt like we were in some sort of resort. However, we enjoyed basking in some comforts that have become foreign to us.

Michelle’s highlights from our stay at the Stipp Hotel were the shower, continental breakfast, and gym. We have not had strong water pressure or steamy showers since we have been in Rwanda. Having both was quite the luxury! Sunday morning, we took advantage of our free continental breakfast. Now when we hear the words “continental breakfast included” we think of the cold Holiday Inn style breakfasts that are basically box cereal, stale bread or muffins, instant coffee, and yogurt or a banana if you’re lucky. THIS continental breakfast offered 5 types of fruit (passion fruit, papaya, pineapple, Japanese plums, and bananas), CHEESE (which is so expensive in Rwanda), omelets, toast, croissants, juice (which is also very expensive in Rwanda) and tea or coffee. Michelle was in heaven! After breakfast Michelle was able to squeeze in a run at the indoor gym before check out. It was pretty basic but most importantly it had a treadmill. This was also the first run she has had since being in Rwanda. After a breakfast of champions, a therapeutic run, and a refreshing shower she left Stipp hotel feeling like a new woman!

The favorite part of our trip to Gisenyi was visiting with Augustin and his family on Sunday afternoon. Augustin is the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kivu and oversees 20 schools including the Trinity Primary School in Bigogwe. This is the school that Trinity Church supports and where Cailey taught classes during the months of September and October of 2009. Nate and Savannah (Nate's IEE co-worker) set up a meeting with Augustin for Monday morning to talk about working together in hopes of improving the schools in his region.

Before we left the States, Cailey passed on some gifts for us to bring to Augustin and his family so we arranged to have some personal time with them before the business meeting on Monday. It was the most wonderful visit that lasted twice as long as we had planned. Claudine (his wife) was so hospitable and offered us sodas and African tea (Michelle’s favorite) upon our arrival. We quickly met three of their 11 kids. Bonnie (around 17 years old) came with Augustin to pick us up so we met her first followed by Giselle (about 18 years old) and then the infamous James (around 19 years old). Cailey, I made sure to give him a hug just from you. You have to check out the pictures we took as they opened their gifts. They were just overflowing with joy and laughter. I also took a video of each of them sending you a message. -Michelle

The first few hours we shared pictures and stories about Cailey and our families. Then Augustin was curious about IEE and how that fit in with Trinity School. Nate gave him the full picture on how everyone is connected. It was a great chance to see the thread woven into the fabric of so many people’s lives and knit together for a purpose. Augustin enjoyed hearing how Steve Paletta (the man who started IEE) is connected to Trinity Church and is even on the Trinity Council. Then how Savannah fits into the story through IEE and finally how we are connected to both IEE and Trinity Church. They were also thrilled to hear more about our affection for Cailey as we mentioned she was in our wedding along with Maddie and Aidan (her sister and brother).

After talking about IEE, Augustin took the opportunity to give us a snapshot of the schools in Rwanda and how they function. We learned that there are three different types of schools in Rwanda: public (supported by the government), private (supported by a person or group of people -most of the time abroad), and schools that are a partnership between the local church and the government. The schools in Augustin’s care are a combination of the latter two: public and partnership schools. That means that the Diocese oversees the needs of the schools and takes donations from other sponsors like Trinity Church. The resources are managed through the diocese. It also means the Government is responsible for the salaries of the teachers which frees up any one person or group of people from being responsible for the whole operation hence the partnership model. This is a great way for people to help support the schools rather than giving the money directly to the schools and not knowing if it would be managed well. Michelle was especially interested to know more about how Trinity Church supports Trinity Primary School from a funds perspective. It was encouraging to know that the church’s money is in good hands and will actually go to the people who need it most. Augustin displayed such passion and concern for the care of the schools. He was specifically concerned about the teachers’ quality of life as it connected to the students’ level of education. His dream is to see schools strive for excellence. Right now, he is very aware of the factors that are getting in the way of that goal.

The number one challenge in the education system as far as he is concerned, is teacher motivation. The teachers are paid around $70 a month which is just not sufficient to support a family. Naturally, they wouldn’t be excited to work their butts off, teaching in the morning and afternoon and planning lessons outside of school hours for such little pay. If we were all honest about it, none of us would be motivated to teach either unless we were getting some kind of appreciation outside of school. It is also common for teachers to try and balance a second job in order to put food on the table for their family. If the second job offers more money per hour, you better believe they are just waiting for the school day to be over to get to a better paying job. It is a sad situation because the government is doing the best they can. They just don’t have more funds to give out.

This dilemma really made us pause and think about IEE’s motivation to train teachers as a plan to improve the education. When faced with reality, we run the risk of insulting fully capable teachers who are well trained but could care less about the job because they don’t feel valued. Not to mention the idea of holding teacher training sessions on Saturday which ultimately gives them more work to do instead of being with their families after barely seeing them during the week. There isn’t an easy solution because the country’s economy isn’t in a strong place yet. It is growing but slowly. Rwanda is still a developing country and while it has solid leadership from Paul Kagame (the president) there are a lot of challenges especially in the wake of a catastrophe like the Genocide. The country is still rebuilding itself after such devastation. Michelle was especially concerned with trying to solve the problem of teacher motivation because in her mind, nothing can benefit them until that is addressed. Unfortunately, after hours of brainstorming we still had nothing. If this is bugging you like it bugged us, please send us an email with your thoughts. We recognize that solutions will come from the creativity of our minds while maximizing on the problem solving skills we all learned through our own education. We don’t mean to imply that the burden falls solely on us or that westerners will be the ones to come up with the answers, but we want to put it out there to our intelligent friends and families so more people are aware of the situation. Augustin is looking forward to many conversations with IEE about this dilemma because he believes that high quality education is the key to Rwanda’s future.

Given the location of Rwanda, exportation is not a reliable source of income to build their economy on since they are land locked. High trade tariffs prevent them from making a decent profit on any exports. Right now Rwanda’s biggest exports are Tea and Coffee which are doing well. But agricultural resources are not a reliable source of financial security in the long term because there are so many variables that can affect production. Tourism is slowly picking up in Rwanda, but it is not bringing in the money that this country needs right now. While outside funding can be helpful it is only a short term solution because the ultimate goal is sustainability. From a long term perspective the best commodity for Rwandans are their minds. Having the ability to start and maintain businesses in order to contribute to the local economy is crucial. This is only possible through education and is paramount for the prosperity of Rwanda.

It was easy for us to lose track of time when engrossed in conversations about Rwanda’s history and the reality of the education system. By 7:45pm Claudine insisted we stay for dinner. We had a delightful time laughing and using our limited knowledge of Kinyarwanda. We felt so grateful for all the things we learned from Agustin and for the hospitality of our new friends. Through it all, we were forced to get in touch with our own limitations and were left with a desire to pray for the teachers in Rwanda. It is a much bigger issue than our limited minds can tackle. Thank goodness God can see the whole picture and loves these people even more than we do.

Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha.

Kigali Hash House Harriers

Our first Saturday in Kigali marked a new beginning for us.  Meredith invited us to join her at a “hash” event around 3:30pm.  All we knew was that it is a group of people called “hashers” who get together every Saturday afternoon.  Now, I know what you’re thinking and it’s not what you think… You meet up with the other hashers at a bar where you begin to get to know each other and drink some liquid courage.  As the sun sets you walk down secluded paths to a large tent in the forest.  The tent is large enough to hold about 30 people and looks a little like a circus tent (very funny).   As you approach the tent you can see steam pouring from tent flaps and you soon realize the tent is very warm.  Picture a Rwandan sauna!   After taking off our clothes we settle inside the tent sitting on pillows and blankets.  Once everyone is seated in a circle around the large bonfire in the center of the space, the chanting begins.  “The hashing has begun! The hashing has begun.”  The chant stops once everyone has participated in the chant.  Next a topic is thrown out for discussion.  “If love is really selfless, than it ought to be free.”  After spending an hour in the tent, you begin to understand yourself and life a little better.  Things become a little clearer…like it should be clear to you reading this that a “hash” is nothing like what we’ve described.  Come’on people!! You know us!  We’re not like that!  Naked with 30 other people!  I’m even a little hurt you fell for this as long as you did.  ;-) … … All is forgiven. 

Back to the real story…

Hashing is actually a worldwide phenomenon.  Our best comparison to the Hash House Harrier group is that of a fraternity.  There are “rules” that the group respects.  For instance, using technology on a hash is strictly prohibited.  There are ceremonial traditions like introducing first timers or reprimanding “backsliders” (people who have missed more than 2 hashes in a row) but it is all in good fun.   Most of the time the group goes out to party after a Hash for more bonding time.  There is a $4 fee every time you show up but that covers unlimited drinks and food is always provided.  There is a treasurer and group leaders that run the “meetings.”  To be fully adopted into the Hash House Harriers, you must attend at least 10 hashes (which are hikes) and then you go through an adoption ceremony where you are given a hash name.  Once you are adopted in, you can show up to any Hash House around the world and have a common bond.  Basically, Hashers bond over socializing and hiking.  We really enjoyed meeting new people and sharing in a love for the outdoors.  If you would like to read more about the background of hashing, please check out the link: What is a Hasher? on the left side of our blog.

Our first hash was on the outskirts of Kigali.  We can’t remember the actual name of the area but we do remember that the word meant “the tree of the birds.”  It was an intense hike to the top one of the hills with a steep descent.  The view was indescribable and impossible to capture through a camera lens.  Most hashes last around 1 hour but the entire event, including the hash meeting, can last up to 4 hours or more depending on how long you want to socialize. 

The second hash took place in our neighborhood: Kacyiru.  Michelle went by herself since Nate’s ankle felt a little sore that morning.  This was an eventful hash because Michelle got to witness a “naming ceremony.”  Sandra (a woman from Germany) was the “hare” (which means she is the one who set the trail) and had completed her 10th hash.  It was a very different hash, being that the terrain was in the valley between two hills so was mostly flat and was in the middle of residential neighborhoods.  Michelle got to see a lot of Rwandan homes that were more lower class and an authentic street market.  It was also the first time Michelle witnessed goat intestine served as a dish.  So far we have been really sensitive to taking pictures of people because most adults in Rwanda aren’t comfortable with their picture being taken.  Once we have established ourselves as neighbors and not tourists, we will take more pictures.  We are trying to upload a Picasa album to our blog tonight so hopefully you can view some pictures we have taken so far.

 

Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha.

Esron: Our beloved inshuti (friend)

When we first met Esron on Thursday, Jan. 14th, we had an immediate affection for him.  His eyes were kind and his smile was warm with hospitality.  He was dressed in a collared shirt and nice pants when he greeted us at the gate to let us in.  He had just come from town and quickly showed us around the house while we waited for Grease (the landlord) to show up.  He laughed easily but sincerely and had a brightness to his spirit that we were drawn to.  Knowing he didn’t speak a word of English and hardly any French was a selling point for this home.  We know we will be more apt to learn Kinyarwanda if we are pushed to communicate our needs in a new language.

Friday the 15th was our first night with Esron.  When we arrived at 7:30pm, we saw that Grease had dropped off a packet of words and phrases translated in English, French, and Kinyarwanda to get us started. Shortly after getting our bags inside, Nate had a planned phone call with his co-worker, Savannah, to report back on how things were going.  Esron seemed just as eager to communicate with us as we were with him so Michelle and Esron spent about an hour going back and forth with words in the others’ language, explaining the meaning through charades.  It was quite fun but mentally exhausting.  After a long day of running around on little food, we were ready to call it a night and get some personal space.  Unfortunately we were at a loss for dinner so we ate our last two LaraBars from home and went to bed hungry.

A snapshot of his living quarters:
Esron sleeps in a very small bedroom on the right side of the kitchen in the detached building.  Basically, there is approximately a 5 ft space between the back of the house and a long cement rectangle building.  It feels like a narrow alley since the roof overlaps the two buildings, blocking out the sunlight.  The cement building is only about 4 ft in depth but its length is the width of the property.  The first room you come to is our modest kitchen including a small walk-in closet size pantry.  Next to the pantry is Esron’s bedroom, which makes our UCONN dorm rooms seem luxurious.  The only thing that fits in his room is a single, foam mattress.  He has about a 2 ft wide floor space next to his bed when you enter his room.  His clothes are scattered around the perimeter of his bed and the walls are covered with calendars and posters, which makes it feel very cozy and personable.  One day he showed Michelle a child’s baseball hat and a pair of worn kids shoes from under his bed.  He has 4 kids so we wondered if they were for him to hold on to as a way to feel closer to them or if he bought them to send his sons (who live in Kibuye).  Next to his bedroom is a larger room that is 2.5 the size of his bedroom.  The only two things in that room are a double bed and a large African drum.   Michelle tried to inquire about the use of the room and encouraged him to switch but she quickly learned that’s not how it works since he is the house-boy and his living quarters are set.   Finally, next to the empty bedroom there is a tiny bathroom that he uses. By tiny we mean 4 ft by 5 ft.  From the outside it is only a door.

The first morning in our new home was very memorable.  Michelle woke up early because she wasn’t sleeping well.  She kept herself busy by catching up in her journal entries for the week as she chose to “hide out” in one of the other bedrooms.  There is a door that separates the bedrooms and our bathroom from the dining area so it made it easy.  It took so much energy to communicate with Esron and she was too hungry and tired to endure such a task.  After about 3 hours, Michelle woke up Nate in desperation for food and familiar company.  When we made our way out from our hideaway, we were met with a wonderfully ironic surprise!  Esron had bought a few groceries for us and even set the dining table for two.  There was a full bunch of small bananas, a loaf of bread, margarine, and a thermos full of hot water for tea.  Needless to say, Michelle felt pretty silly and certainly humbled by the whole thing.  Esron was in the kitchen making lunch at the time and saw us through the window.  He immediately came in and greeted us with a BIG smile.  We could tell that it made him happy to extend such kindness.  Our hearts felt soft as we devoured a new kind of breakfast.

The next half of the morning makes us laugh every time we remember it.   Be forewarned, this story might include more information than you want to know.  Esron ended up joining us at the table while we ate.  Once we had some caloric energy to run on, we were able to engage more authentically in the communication process.  We chatted for about 45 minutes before the tea went into effect and Michelle quickly excused herself to the bathroom.  It ended up being a natural break in the conversation because Esron had to return to his cooking in the kitchen.  As Michelle focused on the task at hand, she had failed to remember their toilet paper dilemma from the night before.  We only found one roll of toilet paper that was at the end of its life.  We were determined to make the last few pieces last until we bought groceries at the insoko (market) the next day.  Of course we had planned on heading out to the market earlier in the day but it was almost 1pm at this point and now Michelle was s*** outta luck!! ;-)  In the span of 5 minutes, things turned chaotic.  The bell rang at the gate for Esron to let someone in.  Michelle was yelling to Nate from the bathroom that the toilet paper ran out which spun Nate in a second search around the house while simultaneously leafing through our minimal phrase books for the word toilet paper in Kinyarwanda.   He wasn’t having any luck and now Esron was preoccupied with a customer.   After 5 minutes of searching, Nate threw Michelle a second vocabulary source in hopes that both of us searching would release her from the captivity of the toilet sooner. We finally found the word we needed “urupapuro rw’isuku” (for those keeping track at home) and Nate rushed to tell Esron.  If you could have been a fly on the wall, you would understand why Esron responded the way he did.  He smiled and repeated the word back to Nate with the appropriate pronunciation.  You see, we have been doing this ALL morning so he probably thought Nate was simply sharing another word he learned in Kinyarwanda with him.  After a failed attempt at getting his point across, we went back to the books to find the verb: to need or at least the word “for” so he could say “Toilet paper for Michelle?” NEITHER of the books had those words in Kinyarwanda so we were stuck.   Then we looked for the word “now” so that Nate could try and get around the dynamic of reciting words back and forth by saying “toilet paper now” but no dice.   It turned out that Esron didn’t have any toilet paper in his bathroom either and he wasn’t in a position to go out and get some at the moment with a customer waiting on food. At this point, we were running out of options so Nate decided to take his chances at the mini mart across the street. Meanwhile, Michelle has been sitting on the toilet for a half an hour feeling helpless.  Nate walks into the mini mart and musters up his best Kinyarwanda as the 4 people in the shop stare and burst out laughing.   He smiled and was just grateful to receive the treasured roll of TP that the laughter didn’t bother him one bit. Much to Michelle’s delight, her liberator came through in the clutch.

During the next week, we spent a lot of time with Esron. We met his friend Pascal who works next door for an Indian family. Pascal can speak English fairly well so when he is around, we can ask more detailed questions about Kinyarwanda. We also learned about Esron’s family who live in Kibuye (key-boo-yea) which is a town on the western part of the country. It rests next to the largest lake in Rwanda called Lake Kivu (key-voo) and is suppose to be stunningly beautiful. He has a wife and 4 kids, 2 of which are twin boys. We don’t have the vocabulary yet to ask him if he misses them or when he saw them last, but we look forward to hearing more about his loved ones as our language skills develop.


From what we gather, Esron works for Grease in Kigali in order to support his family by sending money home to them. To put this in perspective, he makes the equivalent of $60 a month. That is only $2 a day! Can you imagine living off of $2 a day, let alone supporting a family of 6 on that salary?!! I know it might seem irrelevant since our economy back home seems so different compared to Rwanda, but Nate and I have already struggled to conserve money here with transportations costs being so high and food being moderate but not cheap. Plus the cost of not living with the people you love is more than I would ever want to bear. On top of that, I have never seen someone work so hard for such little pay. It is a different world for sure.


Grease pays him to look after the house and cook for her employees at the three shops she owns in Kigali. People come to pick up food on a daily basis so he is busy in the kitchen almost every morning. This has been particularly fun for Michelle as she spends most mornings watching him prepare meals and learning how to cook on an open fire. He is a wonderful cook but uses way too much oil for our taste. Part of our contract is to split the $60 with Grease since he offers cleaning, laundry, and grocery services to us in addition to maintaining the property.  As I mentioned before, we aren’t fully comfortable with him serving us to that extent and yet we want to support him in his job so we are trying to find the balance. So far, our MO is to learn alongside him.  That means we are cooking, cleaning, and washing with him rather than expect him to wait on us hand and foot. Our preference is a team dynamic rather than hands off service where he does all the work for us.  We are just taking it slow and will see how it goes.  People have told us that washing clothes takes all day since you hand wash everything in a bucket line and hang it out to dry in the sun.  When we start working more structured hours through our jobs, we might run into time conflicts where needing help with laundry might actually be necessary.

Some of our most endearing moments with Esron have been praying together before meals.  When we sit down to eat a meal together and he always bows his head and prays out loud.   We don’t know the full extent of what he is saying but we are picking up more and more as our ears become more attentive.  He truly has been a source of joy in our lives and we look forward to the memories to come.  My first prayer request since I have been here is for his health.  Sadly, Esron had to go to the Hospital 3 times this week because he contracted Malaria.  The first day he waited all day to get a blood test to assess what was wrong.  He had come down with flu like symptoms very quickly so he went to the doctor right away.  The second day he went back to the hospital to have a follow up visit after the blood work confirmed his malaria and to pick up his medication.  The poor guy was terribly weak and could not cook or do anything for the past 3 days. On Sunday he went back to the hospital after waking up with a strange rash on his back left shoulder.  We still don’t understand what it was from but out best guess is a reaction from one of the 3 pills he is taking.   Please pray for him to recover fully and quickly.  It is hard not being able to communicate our care and concern for him during this time.

On a brighter note, yesterday was Esron’s 29th Birthday! We have been really looking forward to his birthday since we found out this past Saturday. It has been exciting for us to have an excuse to celebrate one of our dearest Rwandan friends. Now, some creativity and gathering information was in order. There were no “Happy Birthday” phrases found in either of our two limited Kinyarwanda dictionaries and we haven’t been here long enough to know any Rwandan Birthday traditions.  We decided to do our best and celebrate the “American way.”

Luckily, he started feeling better yesterday morning as he felt well enough to cook his meals. We discovered that Birthdays in Rwanda aren’t a big deal but we wanted to pass on some TLC for Esron especially given the past few days.  We picked up a cake and candles while we were in town so we could sing to him.   We also bought him a Kinyarwanda-English dictionary as a gift.  Books are actually a rare thing in Rwanda.   We learned that there are only a handful of bookstores (including libraries) in the whole country!  Apparently Rwandans don’t read like we do so the book stores really cater to muzungus (white people).  When we got home, Esron was sleeping but woke up once he heard us walking around.  You could tell that he was rallying but as always, his great smile shone through.  We told him we had a surprise so we brought out the cake and sang.  He was absolutely delighted and immediately lit up with joy. After eating the very dry, almost bread-like cake (without icing might I add), Nate went to our room to wrap our gift in newspaper and bring it out.  It was a touching moment for us all.  Esron opened it with curiosity and then gasped.   He hugged Nate and cried in his shoulder for a few minutes as he repeatedly said “Thank you! Thank you. Blessing from God.” Or “Praise God!”   At least that is what our limited Kinyarwanda knowledge says. =)  We would both agree that in this case, the “giver” walked away with as much joy, if not more than the receiver. Our hearts were so moved as we shared in that vulnerable moment with him. It was a night we will never forget.

Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha.

Our First Week

 

Our first week in Rwanda has been a very exciting and exhausting experience.  We often find ourselves with information overload, which is wonderfully invigorating and of course overwhelming at the same time.  Each day has been so full that it feels like we have been here for 3 weeks already.  Yet it is still surreal at times.  During our first 48 hours, we would randomly look at each other and say “Can you believe we are actually HERE?!”  Even though our environment is drastically different, it is still hard to believe we are starting our Ubuzima in Rwanda.

When reflecting back on our first week in Kigali, three words come to mind: STARVATION, ENGAGEMENT, and GRATITUDE.  Most of you know that Michelle cannot go too long without food or adequate meals and when it comes to knowing where to eat, what to eat, or how to even ask for food, we are in the dark.  However, we bond over the excitement of learning new things.  Every day we have a choice to engage in the culture around us and though there are times we want to hide inside to avoid the attention of being a white person, we find ourselves taking the risk and putting ourselves out there.  Most importantly, our hearts are overflowing with gratitude despite the struggles and discomforts.  There is much to be thankful for in Kigali! 

When we first arrived in Kigali last Tuesday night, we immediately made connections to other folks in the airport.  Our travel companion and Nate’s co-worker, Meredith, lived in Rwanda last year and is one of the friendliest people we have met.  As soon as we landed, she started connecting us to other friends of hers in the airport and to new friends she met on our flight.  The first person we met was Stewart, the American Ambassador in Rwanda.  He was a very extroverted man that knew everyone of course.  Then we met a girl named Amy who is helping out at an orphanage and school outside of Kigali.  She is from Georgia (Maria, she went to school in Athens) and this is her first time to Rwanda.  We then met Sarah, as in Doctor Sarah from Partners In Health (PIH).  This was an especially fun connection for Michelle since she has heard all about Dr. Sarah from Grace King who traveled to Rwanda in November with her mom and brother.  Grace is one of our 6^th grade friends from fifty6 (at Trinity) and Grace’s mom Lesley worked with Michelle at Trinity Church.  She is on the Board for PIH and shared pictures with me from their trip in November.  After our introductions we met up with a driver named Banner, who drove us to our temporary home.  We were SO grateful for Banner because we quickly learned that there are hardly any street names or house numbers to tell taxi drivers where to go.  You are just supposed to direct them to your destination, which for us is basically impossible at this point.  Not to mention we were delirious from our lack of sleep during our travels.  Once we arrived at the house, we met Katie and Shanel who live there.  They were very kind and had our room all set up for us.  Our main challenge at their place was the slow internet connection and therefore we weren’t able to send emails.

The rest of the week was focused on some basic necessities for getting settled in Kigali such as finding a place to live, setting up our cell phones, getting an address at the Post Office, etc.  As you might imagine things are not as efficient in Rwanda as they are in The U.S.  There are no realtors to help you find a home to rent.  Meredith had been searching for homes for 3 weeks before she came to the states in December and hadn’t found anything close to our price-range that would be suitable.  But she starting asking anyone she talked to like taxi drivers, employees at hotels, or friendly people on the bus.  So your best bet is word of mouth and then you spend ALL day getting to different parts of the city only to arrive and then wait for the landlords to show up.  This is where Michelle’s starvation comes in!  We didn’t have any groceries so we sparingly ate bananas and bread from Katie’s house for breakfast and then would be out literally all afternoon meeting up with people and looking at houses for rent.  It was not unusual to sit down to eat a lunch of sorts until 3pm in the afternoon.  Plus, we would walk miles to save on taxi fares, which I kid you not, would be $6-$8 a ride (one way) to the next neighborhood in the city.  When you add up all the transportation costs in a day it easily gets to be $20 a day.  But we were at their mercy since we don’t know the bus system yet and we have to get around somehow in order to get things done.  The other challenge with getting food was not knowing where to go once we were hungry.  Everything is negotiated in Kigali and all prices are inflated for white people because it is assumed that you are rich so it is best to have a Rwandan friend negotiate for you.  However, when we are on our own that’s not possible and then we are stuck with not having the money (literally Rwandan Francs) to pay for the food.  This lasted for about 4 days until we went grocery shopping for the first time.  We can’t remember the last time we felt this hungry for an extended period of time.  It did however make some of the local food (i.e. Goat Brushette) taste amazing even though it was very chewy and a low quality meat.  It has been amazing to know the limits of our bodies though.  Now, we can confidently say we have a learned a lot about food (where to go, how much to spend, and what to get) so the coming weeks won’t be so painful.

The biggest highlight of our week was finding our home!  We met up with a man named Parfait at the Serena Hotel (we think it is the only five star hotel in Kigali) through Meredith’s connection.  His cousin has a house in Kacyiru (ka-cheer-oo) ready to rent that is furnished but a little higher than our price-range.  The location is PRIME being a 12 minute walk from the Ministry of Education (the office building Nate will be working in) and American Embassy.  Location is our biggest priority considering transportations costs are so high.  We want to be able to walk as much as we can.  Our neighborhood is very safe considering the Police Headquarters are just down the street and there is a little mart that sells fresh milk right across the street from our house.  It is a quaint home with 3 small bedrooms, 1 full bath, 1 half-bath, a dining area, and a detached kitchen.  There is also a gazebo in the front yard, which is so random but a nice touch.  One of the things we are most excited about our home is the guard or house-boy named Esron.  It is very common in Kigali for all the homes to have a man live on the property and manage the house.  This has definitely been a challenging dynamic for us as we never intended to have a “servant.”  We are trying to be open and have been eager to learn more about this part of the culture so that we know how to navigate the delicate line we feel is present.  We have learned that this is more of an opportunity for employment rather than a lower class system where he has fewer rights.  Esron only speaks Kinyarwanda and we of course are just learning so communication is rocky considering we interact with him all the time.  He is our go-to-guy for everything related to the house but our landlord, Grease speaks English very well which is comforting to know things are not lost in translation when signing a contract like a lease.  Most of our engagement has been with Esron as we are actively learning Kinyarwanda and teaching him English at the same time.  It has been really exciting to pick up the native language and to know we are helping Esron out too.  Knowing how to speak English for a Rwandan could be a major life change as it opens up doors to better employment.  We will write more about our friendship with Esron later as there is way too much to cover in this post.

Lastly, our gratitude is what has carried us through our first week.  We are grateful for the smell of the air, the warm weather, safe travels, friendships that we miss from back home, new friends that help show us the ways in our new world, provisions like housing and food, prayers before meals, the breathtaking Scenery, and each other.  Moving forward, our biggest sadness is being so far away from our family, friends, and community.  There is definitely something missing in our lives without that love and yet the pain from that absence reminds us we are blessed.

Imana ibarinde kandi ibahe umugisha.