EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

LAKE SAKE, MUGESERA DISTRICT

BOYS WITH MUSHROOMS AND WATER FROM THE LAKE

EUPHRASIE

EUPHRASIE'S HOUSE

TWO KINDS OF KIDS

Yesterday was a memorable day.  My student, Jean Claude,  invited me to his village to visit his mother.  It was Saturday and exams are finished so he was free to go, once he got written permission to leave the school for the day.  We met at 7a.m. and hung around under the jacarandas waiting - until noon! - for a matatu (shared minibus) to pass by going our way.  Have I mentioned that transport here is a bit random and patience is required when trying to go anywhere?
We traveled westward on a very bumpy but also very scenic road, past tiny villages and lush valleys of rice paddies, to the small town of Sake.  There we hopped on bicycle taxis and rattled downhill for several kilometres (with me imploring "bohoro bohoro" - slower please!) to the lake, also called Sake.  A small wooden boat was just leaving so we hopped in and were soon on the other shore.  The further we got from the town the greater the sensation caused by the presence of a mzungu (me). 
From the boat landing we walked about a half hour on a quiet pathway through banana plantations and past mud brick or wattle and daub houses.  No one there has electricity and they all carry their water from the lake.  Jean Claude was greeted by everyone and news that there was a white lady with him traveled fast.  Soon people were peeking out from behind banana fronds, from front doors, or just openly standing by the roadside staring.  We were met at one point by Jean Claude's brother-in-law Isaiah who accompanied us to J.C.'s mom's house, a small, tidy  three-room building with tiny glass-less windows, built of mud brick with a corrugated iron roof.    
There we were greeted very warmly by JC's mom, Euphrasie. She is a widow who makes her living cultivating her land with ground nuts, beans and bananas.  She also has a couple of goats, one with a lovely newborn kid.  The mud floor of the tiny house and yard outside had been swept spotless and she had set out her best plastic bowls for us.  She even provided forks, as everyone knows mzungus need forks.  Gradually the yard filled up with curious kids and a few adults, and several relatives came in and sat on a mat on the floor.   Euphrasie served us first lovely ripe bananas and then two large fish, which we demolished... without benefit of forks. This was obviously a special treat and she clearly went out of her way to get the fish and prepare them in our honour. 
The head man of the village appeared and an explanation for my presence was given….standard operating procedure.  He gave a brief speech welcoming me and then left. 
After lunch Euphrasie gave me a tour of her property.  Behind the relatively new house where we had eaten is an older one.  Its small rooms are dark and dingy, used mainly to store produce and tools.  It is typical of the houses around the countryside here. In one corner is a small hearth for cooking with wood or charcoal. 
Here's what I was thinking...
The impression conveyed by the media to the rest of the world seems mainly to focus on the progress of development in Rwanda which, though undeniable,  is mostly evident in and around Kigali.  Life in rural areas goes on pretty much as it always has and people there remain for the most part untouched by the affluence evident in the capital.  I go fairly often to Kigali and am always struck by the contrast of the two vastly different worlds that seem to exist between there and the villages.
Anyway... 
By mid afternoon the sky was darkening so we figured we'd best be on our way.  How can I describe it?  Isaiah, JC, Euphrasie and I walked through the village, Euphrasie holding my hand, followed by at least 30 kids.  This I expect will either raise the family's status in the village, or cause envy.  Probably both.  But there was a strong sense of genuine warmth and friendship among us. After fond farewells  we barely made it to the lakeside, still followed by most of the kids, before a magnificent thunderstorm and downpour.  After it passed and the boat was bailed we headed across, then walked as fast as we could up to Sake where we realized it was probably too late in the day to expect transport.  So, we started walking.  Eventually a pickup came along and we rode in the back to a point somewhat closer to Zaza, then started walking again, but were soon picked up by a big old Toyota ambulance with around 14 people stuffed in the back…only one, a young woman, seeming to be in actual need of an ambulance, though the dreadful road conditions made me wonder if we all wouldn't need medical attention before long.  We were dropped off,  walked the last couple of kilometres and got to Zaza just as darkness fell.  Thunk.  Just like that.  One minute it's day, next minute it's night.  

*JC is the student who is only continuing at school through the generosity of some of my friends in Canada.  There is no way his mother can afford his school fees and despite a lot of effort to get help from various quarters he has been unable to find a sponsor.  But, he is first in his class and was recently designated "assistant head boy".   What I experienced yesterday in his village was really for you, and needs to be shared with everyone who has contributed.  I feel incapable of fully conveying the sincerity, warmth  and depth of gratitude that was expressed yesterday but hope I've managed to give you a sense of it.   It was a deeply moving experience, as well as an awful lot of fun. 
And, by the way, he will be needing help with school fees in the coming school year which begins in January, in case anyone reading this would like to contribute.  Let me know.
The foregoing was written two weeks ago. At the moment I'm in Kigali working with the other ten volunteers who are posted at teacher training colleges.  (My roomie says I should definitely mention the lovely comfy beds at out guesthouse. We think they gave us the presidental suite by mistake) We're working intensively all of this week to re-write a guide for our jobs which we hope will help ensure the sustainability of our work when our placements end. 
Next week I'll be on a bus to Nairobi  (24 hours of traveling pleasure :-) and then on a flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a few weeks' walkabout….actually, more like busabout.  Think I'll check out some of the ancient rock hewn churches and maybe do some hiking here and there, and then possibly head to Uganda for Christmas with friends from my visit there in August.  So, cheerio and all the best to friends far and near.  I think of you all often and would be delighted to see you in Rwanda.  Murabeho for now