Been sitting here considering what a lucky break we had travelling to Rwanda just before that massive ash cloud we’ve finally heard about. We’re not exactly in a News hotspot over here, in the back of beyond, so actually had word of it via a text message sent to one of the other volunteers working with us. What nightmare chaos. We, on the other hand, have just had an excellent first week back in the different, and far more pleasant, pandemonium that is Rwanda Aid. Only pandemonium because so many different things are going on with so many different people in so many different combinations on so many different fronts. Add to this jigsaw the extra pieces that many activities require transport and we have only two vehicles, and many meetings require translators of which there are also a limited number. Quite a puzzle indeed. But a good one. We had such a brilliant welcome from everyone here, and Francoise who cooks and cleans, had decked out our room with masses of flowers. Our visit was set off to a very positive and promising start.
Despite our first two days being the end of Genocide Memorial Week and therefore holiday, we’ve managed to squeeze in a typical full-on Rwanda list of activities and visits. At Murangi farm we caught up on new livestock, completed building repairs and embryo mud stoves. Andrew, another volunteer has really found his niche, madly experimenting with all kinds of variables to create the ‘perfect mud stove’! We had to admire his latest version with appropriate jaw dropping and marvel at the absence of cracks (so far..). These stoves are a much safer and more sustainable way of cooking compared to rickety pots balanced precariously on three stones over an open flame, which is the traditional way of cooking here. All the houses we build are fitted with a stove and chimney – another healthier option, avoiding vast – I could almost say ash clouds, how topical – of smoke filling the rooms.
We’ve also travelled the bumpy 2-3 hour trek (each way) to visit the building, very recently started, of the newest school project at Mwegera. Eight classrooms are currently being added to a very dilapidated existing site, plus new toilet blocks, and ultimately, major upgrading of the current buildings. It is in the most stunning location on top of a hill with incredible views out across mountainous countryside, looking towards Burundi and the Congo(?)It was a complete hive of activity with at least fifty or sixty people labouring away breaking up stones, levelling land, mixing concrete materials and who knows what else. Labour is certainly cheap here! Martyn was well pleased with the progress (phew!) and apart from the number of hours spent getting there and back each time, is looking forward to visiting weekly to keep a check.
Another visit took us back to Nkombo, the ‘famous’ island where the original ‘progressive houses’ designed by Rwanda Aid were built. It’s also the place where, ultimately, the innovative design for the new progressive houses resulting from Martyn’s Design Competition, are due to be built. Mind you there are a few ‘queries’ to iron out before building these on a larger scale can go ahead. He’s planning to build a prototype whilst we’re here this time, to ‘streamline’ the design, and will be helped by the winners of the competition who are coming out to join us for a week. How organised is that!
We visited the new nursery school that was started when we were last here – very impressive – and seemed to be accompanied by most of the school population as we walked. There are unbelievable numbers of children on this tiny island. It’s very worrying as there are no signs of the growth slowing down and food even now is frighteningly scarce. People are still of the mindset that more children mean more help on the land and care in later life, and they also have to account for a few losses as the infant mortality rate is scarily high.
We took some new metal roof sheets over to one of the original progressive houses to help an HIV+ widow who lives there with her seven children, as her roof had been leaking badly after being hit by a falling tree.
Finally we went to visit some of the families who have just moved into the most recently built progressive houses to find out how they were getting on. They are so delighted with their new homes, it’s a pleasure. All these families had been selected as the most needy of all, previously living in horrendous temporary houses made of branches, tarpaulins and tin. An amazing step up.
From Nkombo we moved on in another leaky wooden boat paddled across the water by singing oarsmen – at times including us on both counts – to Ishwa, a much smaller and less populated island next door. Mind you, it was still bursting with kids. We went to visit the site for a new health centre which we are building for them as previously they have had no access to health care at all on the island. Another idyllic location looking over glorious Lake Kivu. I keep thinking that if Rwanda were to become a tourist destination, the inhabitants of Nkombo and Ishwa would be priced out of their homes by rich locals and tourists out to set up holiday homes in the top spots. Bit like Wales – but without the sheep
Then of course we’ve managed to engineer a delightful walk by the lake topped off by a few cold Mutzigs at the Ladies Bar – best location in the entire world – that we discovered last visit and felt it only right to share with one of the current volunteers, Kath, living with us in Munezero House. Andrew, the other volunteer here had already been initiated and was very keen to repeat the experience. Both Kath and Andrew are lovely, great fun and so enthusiastic. We’re really lucky because life in the house is such a laugh with everybody mucking in.
Also managed a meal out! There, that’s posh. Goat and beef brochettes with chips and coleslaw – how African (although strangely, it is! - very local) at Hotel du Lac down on the lake right next to the Congo border crossing point. The only hotel with a pool in the area – and this time there was even water in it. Got to say I’m still not tempted. Having said that, Kath and Andrew are down there as I type, with Jonas and Camille, part of the local team. That’s the young for you. Not even the strangely murky green hue of suspiciously untreated water turns a single hair. I remember the days….
So, week two looms ahead with the promise of a thousand different activities. Sadly one of them is the start of English lessons but there you go. It’ll be fine! We’re also off for a proper visit to the disabled children’s village, Ngwino Nawe. We dropped in last week but very few were there, being holiday time. Even so we got a great welcome and a lot of hugs.
And who knows what else lies in store….
(PS Photos to follow - hopefully. Bit of a technical hitch just now and I think we could be home before we solve it.... Internet also being remarkably uncooperative. Sorry this is such a block with no colour relief.)
.JPG)
You should see our house!! Otherwise known as the first ‘pod’ of the winning house design from the Design Competition. The design is built of three identical pods which are the bedrooms and family room of the house. These are round and domed in structure with the earth bags gradually arcing in to form a roof as well. Very ingenious. There is also a shelter linking the three pods, with a mud stove and chimney in one outer corner, plus a composting toilet outside. This is the prototype we’re building as a test run to try to identify the problems and pitfalls before we go into building them on a bigger scale. So far we are almost at roof level of the first pod – 
remember Martyn hoped we’d build the whole of the first pod in the first day…. ! We’ve been flat out, with at least ten to twelve labourers – including an assortment of Martyn, me and the other volunteers – every day for two weeks so far. Very labour intensive – but oh so satisfying. Everyone has really got into it, Rwandan team, Rwandan labourers, us – plus anyone else we drag along to admire it. It’s such a different form of building construction that everyone is fascinated. The guys labouring have been fantastic. With a mixture of English, French, Swahili and Kinyarwandan we manage to get along just fine even with the more complicated techniques necessary to explain. They all seem to be as motivated and personally involved as we are. Brilliant. It’s been even better the last week because we’ve got two of the winning design team out here with us, helping everything along. Martyn and I went up to Kigali to collect them from the airport last weekend. They are two girls, Anokhee and Helen who both work for Arup, the engineering consultancy - and they’re great. I think, on the quiet, Martyn’s enjoyed having some people with proper technical knowledge to discuss some of the ideas with (such as the difference between a parabola and a catenary!) rather than us fairly clueless laymen – albeit super interested.
Helen and Anokhee have slotted straight into our happy household – so now it’s six to cook for each night. We’ve been so adventurous, all mucking in and creating some culinary masterpieces. Last night, for instance, we had fajitas – Munezero House style that is, using chappatis as the wraps – which we made from scratch I might add! Hey! Anokhee had tried making chappatis for us when she made a curry the other night, even though we only had ordinary white flour – but they were magnificent so the plan for fajitas was formed. Rather sadly, we heard the poor chicken squawk its last in the morning but I guess the reality check was necessary. We rustled together a few herbs and spices we found in the cupboard to make a marinade with lemon juice, knocked up some vegetable sides with aubergine, peppers, tomatoes etc. – and took advantage of the utterly luscious avocados here for the guacomole. We even had some grated cheese though we ran a bit aground on the sour cream search. (Mind you, if we’d waited till this morning the milk had turned nicely sour overnight. Yuk.) I can’t tell you how long the preparations took – though nicely helped along by a very civilised G & T – and finally we got to the cooking part. Imagine our joy when, after about ten minutes the gas ring spluttered and died. And it was seven thirty in the evening – on a Saturday. We could see Sunday morning banana pancakes disappearing into dust as well. We tried to rope in the help of our night guard, Faustin – who has no English at all (my lessons have sadly failed on this one, as have all the others’ too I must add) but with some signs and gestures it seemed he thought the place to refill the gas bottle would be closed. Andrew and Kath heroically offered to test the theory and at the last minute I remembered a possible back-up: Dr. Jane, not too far away, might just have a spare gas bottle. Phew! An hour later they returned triumphant. Dr. Jane had saved the day when the gas place was closed. What a relief. Our ‘Mexican’ feast was back on track. And what a feast it was. Bet you can’t wait to hear about the fishcakes…..
Last week I arranged another meeting for the Head teachers of the schools we help. Not so scary this time as I’d got more of a handle on the form. It was really nice to see them all, and they were all delighted to have the opportunity to meet again – and have a fab lunch courtesy of Francoise our cook/cleaner extraordinaire. We covered a fair few topics with all the heads sounding much more optimistic than the last time 
I saw them. The new teaching in English directive, which began this year, has not been as bad as they feared, and we worked out a few ways to solve some of their concerns – without the need for vast sums of money. And each one disappeared off home with a desktop computer we had reserved for them all, plus monitor, keyboard and mouse, strapped to the back of motorbike taxis, some of them about to travel several hours to their homes! This is indeed Africa.
Gad, our farm manger, is up in Kigali sourcing a ‘supercow’, I’m risking the dreaded Mother’s Union making me a skirt, Prince is running around the usual circuit of government Ministeries existing on a diet of frustration and despair and Martyn is working on the ‘ultimate’ earthbag. So basically, all’s right with the world! 
