Garnet's Life Adventures

more detailed update from Kigali, Rwanda

We've been based out of the Iris Guest House in Kigali, but take day trips other places, I think earlier that I mentioned I'd been to Huye, in the south to see some ihene (goats), well if you're looking on a map & can't find it, that is because it use to be called, Butare .

On Sunday we went to Bujumbura, Burundi, which on on a lake which is supposedly the longest in the world along with the deepest, but then again every river I pass is the start of the Nile, so I'm not sure how true those facts are! Bujumbura is what I imagine Kigali was like about 20 years ago. Even the street on the way to the presidents office is filthy - it's definitely a full time job for about 20 people for the next few years to say the least. The people don't seem to be as motivated or friendly as they are in Rwanda. There were soldiers on almost every corner with large guns & on the other corners where the local police with equally as large guns. It has made me reassured that my decision to not join the peace corps was the correct one. I was speaking with Rita (who works for World Relief in Bujumbura) and & her coworker Eric who both said I could easily teach science at university in Rwanda because as of next year everything will be taught in English with French & Kinyarwanda being taught as electives ("on the side") and Kigali is such a great city - I cannot say enough about how wonderful the people of Rwanda are. I have never been more welcome into strangers houses than I have been here - it's as if I'm walking into A&J's or K&PJ's house after having been away for a few months - utterly amazing to me.

For example, in order to stay a week longer, when there were no seats left, Emmanuel went yesterday whilst I was in Burundi & sorted it all out with his friend who works at Kenya Airways, because he really wants me to come with him tomorrow to the north to see the ihene child headed household cooperatives. Emmanual is one of the four founding members of ASSIST Rwanda and it has grown & grown - he's wonderful with the kids and has a great business sense (according to Vicky, who is def an expert on that).

Burundi is not a place I'd recommend - we heard a grenade go off during dinner time - and there were 10,000 rebels hidden in the mountains until about 2 months ago - you still can't be out at night time, as it's too dangerous. I'm glad we got to go, but not planning on returning any time soon, plus the plane was one of those small DASH-8s with little propellers which I'm not a fan of & on our way home we went through a storm & I even saw lightening outside the plane - SCARY!!!!!!!!!!

Today I've been busy typing up some reports for Itafari.

For a more detailed update about our trip, check out Vicky's Itafari blog.

Labels: itafari, rwanda

posted by Sara @ 5:20 pm