blog 6

Monday 13th October – The Derelict House
Today is the day to go and look at the house at Gisagara. Naturally we were late setting off and then no one knew who had the key and it was the usual messing about – well it was worth the wait for the astonishment value. The house was virtually derelict!!! How they could have thought we could live there I just do not know.
It had broken glass, rat droppings, no ceilings for starters and that was just inside.
Outside it was a worse story. There was a filthy tumbledown concrete building which was supposed to be the kitchen and bathroom. The “toilet” was even worse. You had to balance along a ledge about 6 inches wide at the edge of this building to get round to the back where there was some sort of room which almost had a hole in the ground. Half of the building was collapsing down the side of the hill with subsidence round the back
To his credit the district executive secretary was almost apologetic as he knew it was basically inhabitable. He then proceded to say what could be done to do it up – and its probably feasible but I have no idea how long it will take.
This was really the nail in the coffin for me as far as Gisagara was concerned. I e mailed Charlotte and told her there was no way I was going to work there. It was time to find me something else. I suggested the Shyogwe connection I had made with Michael but she said there was too much overlap with other districts.
Finally met the mayor – who suddenly seemed really interested in us and then we realised why. He wanted us to teach his district staff English as they have just had a directive from the government that all lessons in schools will be in English and all work at district level. Thats why they were so keen to find a house and do anything they could to keep us. Nothing to do with primary methodology whatsoever. It all begins to make sense.
Arranged another meeting with Charlotte in Kigali for Wednesday.......................................

Tuesday 14th October
GREAT EXCITMENT – AM GOING TO VISIT A SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Michael has very kindly let me accompany him on a visit to a school near Nyanze. I am quite excited as it is my first chance to see what actually goes on. In the event I am horrified............
Its easier to do it class by class
1. Just as we are visiting first class some glass comes flying out of a window behind us just missing us by a few seconds. The teacher has gone to the bank to sort out her salary and there is no cover for her so the kids are running riot. No one bats an eyelid
2. The first classroom is ok. Just a teacher and a blackboard and chalk and children in rows of desks. The same few children are answering all the questions and the others are letting them. I sit next to a boy of around 15. If children fail end of year exams in Rwanda they have to sit the whole year again.
3. IN Reception the children are also sitting at wooden benches looking at the blackboard. The youngest is 3. The “teacher” is a young boy of around 18 because the teacher has left. There are no toys no crayons no paper - nothing.
4. In the next three classrooms which are catch ups for those who missed school we meet the same teacher in each classroom. She is “teaching” three classes at once. They are copying out conjugations of French verbs but when we try to address them in French she tells us that they do not speak it?~?
5. The next classroom is dire. There are five sums on the board with addition and subtraction of hundreds tens and units. There are around 50 children. They have tried to do the sums and the teacher is walking round the room marking their books while they all wait and throwing them back in the most desultory fashion.
6. Out on the grass two classes are being covered by one teacher. There are around 100 children copying out words in Kinyarwanda. She is going round marking them with no interest whatsoever
Need I carry on............ There is no running water in the school and we didn’t even try to look at the toilet blocks.

When asked about her school development plan the headteacher rolled her eyes and said she would like two new classrooms. Wasn’t quite what we meant.

Michael and I asked a few more questions and left feeling every disheartened.

We walked along the track to meet another volunteer called Ken for lunch. I had been speaking to him at the party. He did have a very tough time in his place at the beginning and I sympathise with him and how difficult it was but now that I am in Nyanze I can compare the two situations and they are quite different. Here in Nyanze there is a house and an office and transport. In Gisagara there none of those - then there is a boss who is not committing himself either and says anything at all just t try to keep us happy. In addition the people who matter like the mayor and the executive secretary seem to be giving no support – Francois is way down in the pecking order in their eyes. And it all became very obvious why they wanted us when they asked for English lessons.

Everyone is beginning to see that the Gisagara placement is not ready for a methodology trainer. Even Ruairi agrees because we have both been together in this situation for the last month and we both know that it is a waste of time trying at the moment. Its a pity VSO did not get all this situation sussed before we got here to prevent us wasting all the time we have.

However over lunch Ken Michael and myself discuss the possibility again of me working in Shyogwe with Michael. It took Ken an awful long time to feel he was getting anywhere with what he is doing in Rwanda but it does seem to make sense to build on from what he has already successfully put in place. Work together and consolidate rather than all trying to do our own separate thing in isolation.

Will Try again with Charlotte tomorrow

Wednesday 15th October

Leave at 6.30 to catch bus for meeting at Programme Office.

Charlotte has nothing much more to offer than a new placement coming up in Butare but she has not even done the initial meeting yet and it will be January at least before I can get working. So I state my case again for the Shyogwe option. She listens and starts to see that it is a good idea. So she decides to make a few phone calls after all.. I talk to Mike Silvey (VSO) boss over coffee and tell him I have come up with an idea and he also agrees it is a good idea too. About two hours later Charlotte comes back and says that everyone she has asked has agreed that its a good idea and they want me to start asap. I HAVE A JOB AT LAST!!!!!!

But mostly due to the fact that I found it myself and not I have to say thanks to VSO. Cannot say I have been very impressed so far but at least I can start work next week. I have to move to live with Soraya and Hayley at Giterama on Friday until the house at Shyogwe is vacant at the end of November . That would be okay because they are both lovely and their house is big and has electricity – then I suddenly remember about the bloody puppy that lives there that bit me on Saturday night!!

Well there’s one thing about coming and doing stuff like VSO – you just learn to get on with things and puppy or no puppy it’s a good idea as it is very close to the Shyogwe village. My daughters will be laughing their socks off when they read this because they know how much i really don’t like dogs.

That evening Francois (Gisagara boss) finally turns up at the Faucon the third time he has said he would but at least an hour and a half late as usual. I have to explain that I am leaving to work elsewhere which isn’t easy but Ruairi is going to stick it out and see if he can make it work. I think he has a lot on his plate and I think he is very brave to take it on – in addition he is going to have to live in the house in Gisagara when it is done up but good luck to him. I still have my doubts about the whole place – but I do think that Ruairi has more chance of getting something done than I have as the district office can be built up first before they take on a methodology trainer next year.

Thursday 16th October

Go up to Kigeme to make rice sack resources with Amy – we have a great time and a good laugh as well as putting the world to rights – and VSO!!!!

The rice sacks are very basic resources for classroom walls – we draw things like alphabets and weather charts on to clean rice sacks. It sounds really basic but Ken was saying that it is the first sign that any changes can be see in classrooms now - teachers are at least putting them on the walls. The training that is being done with teachers includes these rice sacks and the fact that they are using them is some evidence of change, however small.

It seems that no matter how much training is given in methodology and how many model lessons volunteers give, there is no evidence of this happening in primary schools even now so at least the rice sacks are making one small difference.

Friday 17th October – Moving Day

Am packed and ready as promised by 12.30 pm. Of course it is hours later and dark by the time my cases are picked up and I am off to Giterama – arrive in the dark to a lovely welcome from Soraya. The puppy does seem to have calmed down a little. I bet i end up looking after him the next day and I do!

Unpacking and the market and the puppy - Saturday

Phew!!!!! Next day I can unpack at last - I put some furniture in the room and hang up some clothes. What a difference to the tiny room at the motel.

Soraya and I go to the market. Its necessary to barter but she turns out to be a demon at it! And she does it all in Kinywarwanda too which is very impressive but I tease her at the way she flutters her big brown eyes to get 500RWF off the mayonnaise. She’s amazing.

The food here is very limited in its variety. So its easier to list it

You can buy the following vegetables – and nothing else!!!!!!!!

· Green bean s
· Tomatoes
· Cucumber
· Carrots
· Cabbage
· Avocado
· Onions
· Cassava leaves
· Spinach
· Some nasty little aubergine things which are rank
· AND THAT IS IT
Fruit – you can buy

· Bananas
· Pineapple
· Passion fruit
· Tree tomatoes (disgusting)
· AND THAT IS IT
· Oh sorry sometimes mangoes
You can also buy sweet potatoes, ordinary potatoes, plantain, rice and beans

I have seen some garlic and sometimes even parsley and something that i think is some sort of coriander . You can also buy cassava flour to make this horrible bread stuff that looks like is hasn’t been cooked.
AND THAT IS YOUR LOT!!!!!
In Giterama you can buy all of these things but in the rural areas there are times when you can only buy maybe two of these things. So you live on cabbage and beans for a week if thats all there is. It depends on the crops.
You can buy more in the supermarkets in the towns but then you have to pay because they have been imported. An apple costs 300 RWF - which would make it around £10 in real terms for one apple. No ordinary Rwandan family can afford that. No VSO volunteer can afford them on a regular basis either. But you have to treat yourself now and again or you would go nuts.
At least now that I am living in a house with a kitchen I can make some things for myself and I buy a grater and make a lovely cabbage, carrot, cucumber and tomato salad which Soraya and I eat with boiled eggs and avocado. Its just yum to have some nice simple fresh food that I made myself. Such little things but they make a lot of difference to how you feel.
Soraya goes off to the party (I was invited but it is just so nice to be in the house with my things and I want to get sorted so I have sent apologies) And Hayley rings to say she wants to stay in Kigali as I knew she would so I have to look after the puppy. He is still trying to bite but i wack him on the nose a few times – he growls at me – but i just walk off. I would rather have a class full of 8 year olds any day!!!!! Have to wack him a few times before he gets the message and i just leave him to his own devices. He starts to go into Hayley’s room where he sleeps in a box. I think he is wondering where she is but he goes and gets himself in the box and I actually stroke him until he is settled and asleep Unbelievable but true.
During the afternoon I got my solar powered shower going. Its brilliant – i only left it out in the sun for about three hours and I have enough warm/almost hot water for a long shower. I had to wedge it in the window of the bathroom to get the pressure to work but then it was really efficient. Its wonderful - thank you Angela. Such thoughtful things make you very happy here!!!!!
Little things remind you of the lovely people back home. Sterilising wipes from Liz for example for the bathroom in the Ineze. It was yuk until I remembered I had them and Imodium also from liz. Notebooks from people to just write stuff down so I don’t forget all the varied experiences so far. Presents from the children in my class all of which I brought with me and have read/used/worn etc My little Zen player that they got me from work – I have used it so much and I didn’t even have time to load lots of music on before I came. Its great to listen to in bed at night. I’ve brought with me all of the gifts and cards i got before I left and its quite overwhelming just how much they remind you of home and of all the lovely people that gave them to you.
So thats where I am right now. Feeling a bit nervous in a strange house on my own. The children have been knocking on the door and ringing the bell but i used my best teacher voice to shout Hagarara which means stop and they did. I suppose we are being watched all the time – but you can get a bit neurotic about it. A man shouted muzungu at me from up a tree into the back yard where I was washing my clothes. You do this with soap and a scrubbing brush and cold water. I thought he had gone to a lot of trouble to gt a glimpse of me as he was very high up – but then I realised he was trying to get a bird’s eye view of the footie match Muzungu I might be but more important that football I am obviously not!

Shyogwe
Grab a moto up to Shyogwe on Sunday to see what its like and its a very pleasant spot. Not so hilly and dramatic as the area to the west of Giterama but very pretty nevertheless. As its a diocese you can see the difference in standards of housing all the way along the dirt road. The people seem very friendly and I get a look at the house where I will be living for the next year. Its next door to a dormitory containing a bible group who apparently start singing at every random opportunity, and a colony of bats roosting noisily in the trees nearby.
The house is small but comfortable and there is a domestique who cleans and cooks and washes clothes seven days a week for £15.00 per month. She brings hot water every morning for a shower which is a great luxury - by shower of course i mean bucket of water over the head! She only speaks Kinyarwanda though so I had better do some practising. I am sure I will be fine there, though Michael and I will have to come to some arrangements about where we eat breakfast and stuff because at the moment they eat in Cerys house every day which is where I will be eventually. It has electricity too – heaven.
The three of us walk back for some exercise and its only an hour back to the main road which is great. Civilisation is near at hand. It is surprising how very quickly being somewhere so different as this soon becomes the norm. You just accept that this is where you are here and now. Dirt roads, motos, tiny dark shops, things not available in shops, people walking everywhere many with things on their heads, people without shoes, beggars, people shouting muzungu at you, tiny children staring, markets. Everything around you is so different – the whole range of sights and sounds of an average town street – but yet everywhere you go people are just the same. Here in Rwanda people are so helpful. If you ask them where you can get something they will walk you to where you need to be and show you what to do as well as telling you what price you should be paying so you don’t get ripped off. There is definitely a muzungu price and a Rwandan price and you really have to stand your ground. More reason to learn some more Kinyarwanda.