Hello!

WOW! So sorry it has been quite a while since I have last posted a blog! I guess I did not realize, and now that time is winding down, I feel less inclined to spend time on the internet! So again I apologize but I will try to update this as to what I have done since my last blog post.


First of all the last weekend in February, I went to the old capital Butare, which is about a two and a half hour bus ride from Kigali. It is important to note that the last Saturday of each month in Rwanda is called Umuganda where the people don’t work, businesses and buses and everything shuts down and everyone needs to do some sort of community service or what not. We were somewhat poor at partaking, as we did not know exactly how it worked, but found out that we will have a location we can go and work at the last Saturday in March! (I am excited!) Anywho, after Umuganda we (Cat, Vanessa, Alex and I) caught the first bus to Butare, where we spent the afternoon walking around the National University of Rwanda. It was absolutely stunning. There are so many trees and forests with benches dispersed among them for studying or talking to friends. Cat and I busted out my Frisbee and tried to get some of the students to play but they weren’t very interested. We also witnessed a University volleyball match, a choir concert and a futball game. It was really fun (personally I wish the U of MN could landscape like the National University of Rwanda it was beautiful!). The next morning we went to the National Museum of Rwanda, which was pretty interesting, but not quite as exciting as I expected (granted the dork inside of me, was extremely excited for a museum, it’s understandable that it wasn’t quite as exciting as I had hoped for). But it was still pretty nice, lots of tools and traditional information. The way to prepare/make banana beer, ooh and a model of a king’s hut which we could go inside of, definitely laid down on the bed (not sure if we were supposed to), but I did haha, it wasn’t half bad. Then before heading back to Kigali we traveled to Gikongoro, to visit a genocide memorial there, Murambi. In order to get to this memorial, I rode my first Moto-Taxi (motorcycle-taxi)! I was quite nervous at first, but it wasn’t too bad, I think it was worse to take it outside of Kigali for the first time, because I had no clue where I was going and had to rely on my moto-driver to take me where I was going. At this memorial, Murambi, they have bodies that have been preserved with lime. It was room after room of dead preserved bodies, 1,800 total on display. This is definitely a sight and smell that I will never forget, it was quite horrifying. I guess that’s all I have to write about it the whole experience at Murambi was quite unsettling and eerie.

Tuesday- March 22nd-
This morning we had our first negative bus experience, the man who collects the money from the buses ran off with Cat’s change and another girl's (Tony who is from Kigali and with whom we are now friends). It was quite an ordeal, we were surrounded by about 20 people but eventually things were sorted out and the four of us (Cat Vanessa Tony and I) went off. I guess it was no big deal especially since we made a nice friend from it. Then later, my teacher, Jeanne gave me a book of hers to help her with (since it is written in English and she is still learning it’s called Introducing English as an Additiona Language to Young Children) which is sweet. So a project I am working on still to this day is working with the teachers on teaching techniques and their English. I really hope this can be one of the ways I can help…. There are definite improvements that need to be made as far as teaching goes. Also today, we taught some more camp games “Bunny Bunny” and Wah game for you camp people that are following! It was great they LOVE bunny bunny. Also, they taught me a couple of games so it was great! I will bring them home (especially the new name game ☺).

Wednesday March 3rd.
Had a really hard discussion with a Rwandan, who was set on coming to America to work. He was so intent that he was talking about selling all that he had here to get enough money to come to America where he could work and eventually come back to Rwanda to support his community. It was really hard to explain to him that it would not be a guarantee to find a job in America and his idea was not a great one. We talked for over an hour and a half. I found out he is really interested in helping the community he lives in. Where he lives there is a high HIV positive population, and he wants to help support them with things such as income generating projects. He had just come back from Kampala from a conference with an organization that does work similar to this. I told him to keep in contact with these people, find out where they get their support from, and also to see if he can work with organizations in Kigali. It was a long conversation but in the end I think it went alright.

Saturday March 6th
This morning I went on a school visit. I was invited to go visit Jean and Léon to of the deaf /mute boys from Gisimba. They go to a school for the deaf and the mute, and it was visitor’s day. I ended up going by myself and was a bit concerned they wouldn’t know/ wouldn’t be excited that I was there. BUT it was absolutely AMAZING!!! One of the neatest things I have done so far. It ended up being a program thing and there was traditional drumming and dancing. SO good. Also Jean and Léon were very happy to see me. Jean was looking and thumbs-uping towards me most of the day. So good. I think I have realized some of my favorite conversations in this country are the ones where nothing/ or little is said, usually they consist of lots of smiling and enthusiasm towards the person you are communicating with. Wonderful something I want to emulate when I am home… Then I met Cat and Vanessa in town where we found Tony, I tried the most amazing African coffee ☺ yummmm and then the four of us went shopping. Tony took us where she goes clothes shopping, and it was crazy what we thought was always a teeny tiny little shop opened up into this huge shopping center inside of a building. Bonkers!

Sunday March 7th
Went to a church I was invited to by the pastor. It was out in the middle of, well somewhere I had never been before. It was a congregation of around 100. The service was interesting the singing was beautiful some of the other volunteers and I definitely teared up some.. the church’s 12 member choir was probably the best church choir I have ever heard and I am so happy Vanessa was able to record some of their singing so ☺ YIPEEE! Later this afternoon, I found out about an ultimate Frisbee game in town ☺ YAY! So of course I hopped on the bus, and got a little lost… okay very lost with another volunteer and eventually found the place. It was so nice to run around and play Frisbee at that matter. Apparently they play each Sunday so hopefully I will go at least once more!

Monday March 8th
Today was a public holiday in Rwanda, “Women’s Day”. There is no school or anything, so us girls slept in some before heading into Gisimba. It was a pretty good day we even danced and drummed with the kids at Gisimba which was quite fun. There was also a goodbye ceremony for Tsufit (one of the volunteers that has been here since I have arrived, longer in fact)! ( I miss her so much already!) I was tearing up some to see her go.


Wednesday/Thursday March 9-10
I went on another and my last national park visit. Drew who leaves tomorrow, wanted to do a good hike before we left so after doing some research, Vanessa, Cat, Drew and I headed to Gisakura on the end of Nyungwe forest. Nyungwe is the rainforest that is in the sountheast of Rwanda. It ended up being a five and a half almost six hour bus ride (SO long). We got there Wednesday late afternoon. BEAUTIFUL, we found our hotel and had dinner and relaxed and walked around some. The next morning we did our big hike, it was between four and five hours. It started with a hike through the tea plantations, then led down 59 steps (I counted on the way out of the forest when we had to climb them…) The forest was amazing it smelt wonderful and was very loud with insects and lots of different bird noises. Moss and crazy trees all over the place. The hike ended with a climb right under a huge waterfall. It was really beautiful and strong. I took lots of pictures, it was definitely the largest waterfall I had ever seen. After spending some nice time there, we headed back out, trying desperately to see a monkey (Nyungwe is supposed to hold 20-25% of all Africa’s monkeys) but alas, we were unlucky. Then once we got back to the guesthouse and were eating lunch waiting for the bus, these golden monkeys came out of the trees and one of them was quite interested in the fact that we were eating. He kept getting closer and finally we decided to go elsewhere. It was pretty crazy and a great way to end our trip! I think that’s all for now! I’m sorry again that I have been poor at writing and emailing like I said, I am getting sad to return because it means I have to leave here… ☹ I am going to miss the people here but it helps some to know I have such wonderful people to come home too also.