sorry this is a bit dark - i should have lightened it up first - this is the school dinner in the school we went to. Basically there are two washing up bowls - the blue one and the green one ok - if you have got that - in the blue one is a big pile of yellow goo. In the green one behind is a big swishy swashy mixture of red slop. I shouted to Michael and said come and look at this i think it is school dinner. It was - but worse was to come.

A teacher from the school invited us to come and share dinner with them and guess what we got - of course - yellow goo and dark red slop - its what they eat every day for dinner from food aid. Phew how we should see how lucky we are...............

This is not a great shot of me but .... It shows the inside of all the shops in Rwanda. There are 3 or 4 supermarkets that I know of and the rest of the shops look like this. This one is in Kigali just down the road opposite the president's offices. It does have a fridge but I can't make out much else of what it is selling. There again if it does not have what you want the shop owner will send someone running off down the road to bring it back for you - the only trouble is that he will probably try to charge you twice the price he just paid for it in the shop down the road if you are not careful. This shop actually has a telly ontop of the fridge and also some pictures of jesus!

Hi this is me at Lake Kivu. I was really lucky because I was invited to go there with Piet the belgian eye doctor, Michael and some belgian friend s of Piet's. He drove us there and it was quite a drive - right round the mountain bends the whole way - I swear there was only 100 yards of straight road in 1and a half hours driving. But once there it wa absolutely stunning. Just so peaceful and beautiful. our hotel was on top of a hill, but we walked down the steep path and just sat by the lake. Piet swam and swam but the water was too dark for me. It was just bliss sitting there and watching the occasional boat - ie a hollowed out tree trunk with one paddle, swishing by. The boat driver (?right word) always paddled close to the shore to talk - in Kinyarwanda of course - and to look too. Just a world away from any care or worries - what a fantastic weekend. Piet is such a lovely generous bloke. He works so hard at the eye clinic too, often doing up to 20 operations a day

Well it seems like a long long time since i updated this but the good news is that i am finally working and I am enjoying it.

I have been back since February 7th - it has been reaaly hot since I got back and I have to take sun cream out everywhere I go. But I also have to take waterproofs as it still rains every single day almost. Then at night when the sun goes in it is cold - three blankets on the bed cold and a hot water bottle that I brought from home just in case!!!!

So what about the work I am finally doing. Well I have been into quite a few schools with Michael since I got back and basically the problem is the same for all primary teachers in Rwanda - they have to teach in English but they can't speak English. It makes no sense and they are really struggling.


So I have realised that one of the best and most helpful things I can do , and also one of the best use of my skills and experience is to go into the schools and into the classrooms and help them. This is not what VSO envisaged me doing but I know that it is helping the teachers and the children in schools. I may only touch a few lives in a small way but if it helps them in the smallest way I will be happy.

I realised though the other day that I am probably one of the most experienced primary school teachers they have in Rwanda - I was chatting with another lovely volunteer called Paula and giving her ideas for a maths workshop - but VSO have actually no idea what I am doing and certainly my skills and experience are not being used in the best and most organised way that they can be.

However I am not letting this bother me - the first few months of my placement were not very positive to say the least so I am going to go into schools which i love and make sure that the last few are enjoyable so that when i do come home I feel it has been a positive experience.

The journies to the schools are mammoth - one hour on the back of a motorbike up the dirt road one day. The children were so excited to see us because not many white people or perhaps no white people bother to venture that far.

On Monday I set off and found myself travelling through an enormous thunderstorm - the wipers on the bus could not even clear the windscreen and it rained like that for 2 hours non stop - so I had to shelter in a shop doorway with about 20 other rwandans until it slowed. Then I still had a hairy ride up a narrow track to the school.

I did a lesson on rectangles and then one in Y1 on counting to ten which involved me and the kids in lots of jumping about and silly walks. Think the teachers were pretty gobsmacked as the children are just used to repeating parrot fashion to try to learn everything. It was great fun and I know they enjoyed it.

Today I went into a school with no idea what I was doing and did a lesson on place value and another on writing numbers - all from the top of my head and just trying to make it a little more interesting than chalk and talk. Though white chalk and a blackboard was actually what i had to use as that is the only resource in the classroom. It makes your throat tickle with the chalk dust.

I am going back in there tomorrow and have other stuff lined up so at least i am doing some work and feeling it is useful. It is not something that needs doing long term however.

Also today went to fetch an african outfit from the tailors. I have had a skirt and top made with a very typical rwandan neckline of pleats and wide sleeves. I am really pleased with it and its all lined and fits really well - made from a picture and measuring me with a tape measure - for £6.00. Ihave bought some fabulous really african material for ross to have an open necked shirt made