We had a very early start and left the guest house at 7am to travel to a refugee camp on the Congolese border with Rwanda. On the way here, we visited a Deaconess community. This was an opportunity for Annie to meet with other Deacons from different denominations. We were shown around the site which included, accommodation, eating areas, and gardens. We stayed here for about an hour and then moved on to go to the refugee camp. There were 18,000 refugees here. This was one camp out of three. We were welcomed in to the Methodist church in the camp with singing and dancing. After some introductions to the congregation, we were invited to sing for them. We sang two Kinyawanda songs which they enjoyed. After this, we taught them an English song, Hallelujah Praise ye the Lord. Which they were thoroughly pleased about as they saw it as us all being one group of brothers and sisters. They thanked us for the roof which we had raised money for and we were then shown around part of the camp. As we got out of the bus, hundreds of children came to greet us. They were eager to hold our hands, touch us and shout “MUZUNGU”. We were shocked at the conditions of their living, sewage running down the streets. The children had sores, their hair was orange. These were the worst conditions we had seen children in. There was only a primary school which the leaders in the camp were most concerned about. Some of these people had lived here for 15 years and we were told the people were “Existing not living”. Everywhere we have visited there has been a sense of hope and a plan to improve but here, there was nothing. There was no hope and no plan. The population was increasing, not because of new refugees entering but because of the amount of children being born here. This is all they know and this new life will have to stay living in a refugee camp and they know nothing different. Their source of food comes from the United Nations World Food Program. If this didn't arrive, they didn't eat. It arrives regularly by truck. However if there is a reason why it cannot come, such as during the rainy season or the roads are closed, then food cannot be delivered. This means the camp does not eat. This shows how they depend and rely on others completely. Their homes were nothing more than mud bricks with the UNWFP polythene roof. We had a meeting with the leaders of the camp and they told us how they needed a plan to improve the camp. The problem is the publicity of the camp. As nothing changes in it, the news are NOT willing to cover the issue. The second problem is, where to start. There is so much that needs doing. The main thing they were then worried about was the education in the camp. They would need funding to increase the scholarships as the level of education in the camp only goes up to Primary level.
Once we had this meeting, we got back into the bus and started the 4 hour journey back to the guest house.
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Day 16
This morning was our last day at our church holiday club. We made up our own group chants then we performed them in front of each other to see how good and loud we could do them. The children enjoyed this in particular as they learnt to speak some English. We made jointed people, snap on bracelets, team projects and champions challenge. At the end of the session we awarded the children with medals for their hard work.
This afternoon we visited two HIV/AIDS groups. This was very moving as we got to hear some of their personal testimonies about how they got infected and found out about their condition. We heard how one man plucked up the courage to take the test after 4 years of contemplating to find out he was HIV positive. He described how low and alone he felt, which is a common factor for those people suffering with HIV/AIDS. He was told to find his local group where other people with the infection were and to know how to live and cope with the condition. He has since, married a woman who is also HIV positive and they decided to have a child. When it is at the foetal stage, medication can be administered to protect the child from the disease. Their child is HIV negative! They are not having any more children and they count their blessings for the healthy child they have. They showed us a number of group leaders and explained how they would treat the ill members at their homes by feeding, washing, and general hygiene before they got to the stage where they were terminally ill and had to be administered to hospitals. The group pray for all the sick everyday to give them strength. Two women in particular were pointed out as they looked skin and bone and the skin on their faces had sunken in due to the lack of food and malnutrition for the medication they were receiving. Once we had seen and heard about this we, as a group decided the right thing to do was to give up our lunch for the next day and give the money to them so they could have a good meal or put it towards something that is needed.
The second group we visited was similar to the first one. However this one was in a health centre for the ill suffering with HIV/AIDS. As we arrived, we could hear singing and joy coming from inside the centre. We were welcomed by a group of women and children praising their thanks to us for visiting. The leader of the group explained the purpose and nature of the group. We heard life experiences from the people at the group. In particular one women who contracted HIV in 1994. She was raped during the genocide and infected. She was extremely traumatised by this experience and thought every man was an animal and didn't trust anyone she met. Since she joined this group, her spirits have been lifted and she is now able to live her life with the condition she has. She told us she went from being 40kg to now being 67kg due to the support she receives.
Both groups have been helped by PHARP and also by the support of the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury districts. We have sent them sewing and knitting machines. This allows them to make a living out of clothes, toys and jewellery that they produce. We plan to raise more money to send more machines to them so that they have the opportunity to further increase their income so they can afford food, medicine and support for their families after they die.
This afternoon we visited two HIV/AIDS groups. This was very moving as we got to hear some of their personal testimonies about how they got infected and found out about their condition. We heard how one man plucked up the courage to take the test after 4 years of contemplating to find out he was HIV positive. He described how low and alone he felt, which is a common factor for those people suffering with HIV/AIDS. He was told to find his local group where other people with the infection were and to know how to live and cope with the condition. He has since, married a woman who is also HIV positive and they decided to have a child. When it is at the foetal stage, medication can be administered to protect the child from the disease. Their child is HIV negative! They are not having any more children and they count their blessings for the healthy child they have. They showed us a number of group leaders and explained how they would treat the ill members at their homes by feeding, washing, and general hygiene before they got to the stage where they were terminally ill and had to be administered to hospitals. The group pray for all the sick everyday to give them strength. Two women in particular were pointed out as they looked skin and bone and the skin on their faces had sunken in due to the lack of food and malnutrition for the medication they were receiving. Once we had seen and heard about this we, as a group decided the right thing to do was to give up our lunch for the next day and give the money to them so they could have a good meal or put it towards something that is needed.
The second group we visited was similar to the first one. However this one was in a health centre for the ill suffering with HIV/AIDS. As we arrived, we could hear singing and joy coming from inside the centre. We were welcomed by a group of women and children praising their thanks to us for visiting. The leader of the group explained the purpose and nature of the group. We heard life experiences from the people at the group. In particular one women who contracted HIV in 1994. She was raped during the genocide and infected. She was extremely traumatised by this experience and thought every man was an animal and didn't trust anyone she met. Since she joined this group, her spirits have been lifted and she is now able to live her life with the condition she has. She told us she went from being 40kg to now being 67kg due to the support she receives.
Both groups have been helped by PHARP and also by the support of the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury districts. We have sent them sewing and knitting machines. This allows them to make a living out of clothes, toys and jewellery that they produce. We plan to raise more money to send more machines to them so that they have the opportunity to further increase their income so they can afford food, medicine and support for their families after they die.
Day 15
We attended a service at Bishop Samuels church. It proceeded for 4hours and included interpreted dance, four choirs and testimonies. We sang 4songs , which they enjoyed. We were invited for refreshments after the service with the choir which was nice to get to know them more personally. On the afternoon we welcomed a free afternoon. It was nice to relax and have some time to ourselves.
Day 14
Our second day of the holiday club. However, today word seemed to have got out so there were more children wanting to join in. We sang songs including an English one they had learnt the day before. They then enjoyed a number of crafts and sports which were similar to previous holiday clubs that we had done. They all enjoyed working with us and using different resources that they had never used before. We went to the simba cafe for lunch. On the afternoon we had some much needed retail therapy. We visited a craft market where most of the group bought African sculptures, wall hangings and jewellery.
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Day 13
After a comfortable night's sleep indoors instead of tents, we woke up to go to a mentally handicapped school where we were able to see how the people in Rwanda with special needs were taught. They graded them in their severity from groups A to C. The first thing that we noticed when we arrived was that the environment looked like a “death trap”, unconventional to the schools in England. As we walked through the classes they demonstrated different activities which varied on their abilities. We were told that in Rwanda, mentally handicapped children are sometimes hidden away by their parents because they feel they are not always accepted into society, some parents send them to school as they are too much for the parents to handle. We were told that some parent over medicated the children to make them easier to handle. We were shown some of the children that were unable to walk, talk, know their name and used to excrete on the floors when they first came to the school. However, they are now able to control themselves, can stand, understand their own name which is a massive achievement considering the conditions. Considering their surroundings the children looked really happy where they are. The teachers need praise for the miracles they have preformed with such a limit on resources and in a society that is not accepting. Comparing this to England, this shows exactly how less economically developed this country is. There was very little equipment to stimulate the children. They did not have multi sensory equipment as we do, they had dirt and rocks as flooring, not soft padded floors, the classrooms were boring and not very stimulating, broken desks exposing nails and splinter wood and sharp edges were used, just 4 walls. This illustrates how they struggle with everyday tasks with the children.
This afternoon we did a holiday club for the children of the church. Members of the youth team were split in to different colours so that each child coming to the club could identify what team they were in. There were a range of activities including, friendship bracelets, teams flags, badges, caps and parachute games. As the groups were smaller, we were able to get to know each one of the children better than in the previous club. They seemed to enjoy using the materials to decorate their caps, flags, badges and bracelets in their team colour and use new resources that they do not normally use. We noticed that, as this is more of an urban area, the children were able to speak and understand more English words than at the rural clubs where there children could speak barely any English making the activities easier to explain and work better.
This afternoon we did a holiday club for the children of the church. Members of the youth team were split in to different colours so that each child coming to the club could identify what team they were in. There were a range of activities including, friendship bracelets, teams flags, badges, caps and parachute games. As the groups were smaller, we were able to get to know each one of the children better than in the previous club. They seemed to enjoy using the materials to decorate their caps, flags, badges and bracelets in their team colour and use new resources that they do not normally use. We noticed that, as this is more of an urban area, the children were able to speak and understand more English words than at the rural clubs where there children could speak barely any English making the activities easier to explain and work better.
Day 12
Today has been our long 8hr journey back from Kibagora to Kigali.We stopped off at Butare for lunch. Chinese which was a welcome change! Arrived back at the guest house at 5.30pm with no problems.
Day 11
We all set out at 8am in two cars with Bishop Samuel and Pastor Irrazmas. After an hour and a half drive on very unstable dirt tracks we arrived at the first church in Nyabinaga. The whole village greeted us with song and welcomed us humbly. There was a large choir that sang a few songs before speeches were made by several important figures of the community and Free Methodist Church in Rwanda. After speeches had been made, John introduced the whole group and we all sang two songs in Kinyawandan which they all found amusing. We continued to the local primary school which is twinned with Elmore Green. All of the children lined up while singing a song in English, as well as presenting us with pictures of Elmore Green. Two of the children put petals down on the ground in front of us as we walked down the steep path. The children had obviously put in a lot of effort to learn different phrases in English as some of them welcomed us with speeches. There was an exchanging of gifts between the group and the school. We gave them some exercise books while Elmore Green had given, along with a cash donation for the school. In return they presented us with some handmade gifts for their twin school, some doves made out of wood with inscribed bible verses and a few hand drawn pictures. After being shown around the classrooms of the school and their school rabbits, we set off again to visit the local health centre. The health centre was described as one of the better ones of the area, however we were still all shocked by the difference between Rwanda and England. As in Kibogora hospital we were taken around the different wards including the maternity unit and men/women wards. The health centres are more like cottage hospitals in England as wards are available to treat patients who are not seriously ill. To our surprise we were given lunch and there was another opportunity to meet members of the community and staff of the health centres. We were given more gifts to represent our friendship with Rwanda including some wood carvings. Due to the state of the hospital, Yvonne decided to use some of the money that the people of St John's in Bloxwich had given her to buy bed sheets for the wards. They were very grateful for this gift and it was obvious that it would be greatly appreciated. Our final destination was Gitsimbwe school, which was where Bishop Samuel taught for nine years before the genocide. We were told of how nine out of the fourteen teachers at the school had been killed in the genocide, with many of the children and teachers being locked in a room and set alight. It was estimated that approximately 5000 people died at the site of this school. As with the previous school we were greeted by singing and dancing. Unlike the last school, this school also encompassed a secondary department which is gradually developing. More speeches were made, and we were also given a tour of this school. A meal was also provided for us which ensured that we were all very full for our long journey home.
Day 10
We were split in to 2 groups. The first group arrived at the hospital to do occupational therapy with the children. We were given books, pencils, and puzzles to occupy them but we soon realised that this was too simple and completed them quickly. So, we decided that we would sing some English songs with actions. We then sung the songs that we had learnt in Kinyawanda to them and they wanted to show us what they knew. It started as a small group but after 2 eventful hours of singing later we had attracted a larger congregation of patients, which felt like the whole hospital. The first group then walked back to the mission station 5 minutes away where we sat waiting for the second group to bring lunch. We all enjoyed sitting on the grass in the sun and relaxing for some time before the second group had to do their occupational therapy at 3. The rest of us carried on to the second day of our holiday group. Again, we split in to groups of 15 children and occupied them with more fulfilling activities such as colouring, painting, bible reading, and parachute games. At the end of the session, they were very hyper and happy that they had had the opportunity to come to the club and play.
Day 9
After an early start the group was split into two and the first 8 made their way to Kibogora Hospital. Due to the lack of transport the group were required to walk part of the way there. Once there, the first group were greeted by a nurse by the name of Julie who is a missionary that has been living and working in Rwanda for 3 years. On the tour we were able to see all sections of the hospital such as the maternity ward, physiotherapy unit, isolation unit. Also, the womens and mens ward which covered most problems from minor to major. It was interesting to see the diversity of the conditions of their hospital compared to ours in England. Each room was small, beds were pushed together and three to four patients were squashed onto two beds. We were told that this particular hospital in Kigali is very well supplied, medicine and materials are quite advanced compared to others in the area. We noticed with each patient that there were a number of family members around them and we learnt that whenever someone does get admitted to hospital a family member must come and stay with them to look after their every day needs such as changing their bed, bed pans and general personal hygiene for them. At 3 on the afternoon we all did a holiday club for 73 children. They welcomed us by singing a few Kinyawanda songs and then taught them two English songs, one of which was head, shoulders, knees and toes. We split up into groups having 12 children each. We organised a number of different activities for them such as making friendship bracelets, prayer bracelets, jointed people and decorating notebooks. They thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and found it particularly exciting when we took pictures of them. After a long we were on our last journey back to the campsite but we had a puncture on the jeep about 3 miles away. It had just started to get dark so our walk back wasn't too enjoyable but we all made it back in one piece.
Monday, 19 July 2010
Day 8
We were invited to attend a church service at Shara Peninsular which meant that we had to catch a boat across the river to their village. The boat was meant to arrive at 8am but after an hour of waiting it finally came. It took 15minutes to reach the village and the locals greeted us with singing and dancing as we got off our boat. After a steep walk up the hillside we were welcomed into their church. There was a large number of people attending and we were struck by the party atmosphere that was present in there. During the service there was a exchanging of gifts between Yvonne and a lady who was helped before when the previous group visited. Yvonne also presented the church with a cheque so that they could rebuild their church. They were proudly showing off their plans for this which starts next week. As a sign of appreciation the members of the church provided the group with a buffet lunch which was very unexpected. We were shown around their village and plenty of pictures were taken. We then returned to our accommodation for a much needed shower and rest.
Day 7
Another early start as we leave Kigali to go to Kibogora but despite making good time Johns jeep had a flat tyre. Thanks to some very friendly locals they helped us change the tyre and when we reached the nearest village we got it repaired. They must have found us an attraction as our vehicles were constantly surrounded by them. We arrived at our camp site at 5:30 where we inspected our bungalow and our minimal facilities! There is no electricity, our toilets which are holes are a short walk away and only cold running water. However, all of this is compensated for by the amazing view over Lake Kivu. For the majority of us there was no space in the bungalow so we started to set up camp but this proved a challenge in the dark. After our homemade Lasagne we were ready to go to bed. For those of us who were sleeping outside the night turned out to be quite eventful. We were all hearing strange noises and convinced ourselves that there was someone in the bushes so we headed inside with our sleeping bags welcoming the floor. In reality it turned out that it was the monkeys in the trees. However, our excuse is the fact that we were unfamiliar with our surroundings!
Day 6
We had an early start this morning because we were attending a methodist church conference in Kigali. This takes place every six years, its to discuss and make decisions about methodist churches and this year Bishop Samuel was re-elected his status of head bishop. We were asked to sing a few songs, which they enjoyed. Although the conference lasts three days we only attended the first morning. On the afternoon we were preparing for our next destination so we went into the centre of Kigali to do our food shopping. For our evening meal we were invited to go to Julians house. She is one of the main organizers of PHARP and has been with us throughout the week. We met her family and some friends while enjoying a buffet.
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Day 5
We returned to PHARP in the morning to allow people to finish shopping and to watch the women work on their sewing machines. While they were working we sang to them and they said they wished to learn an English song. So, we taught them a short chorus, praise yee the lord. After we left PHARP we went for lunch in Kigali. After leaving the restaurant we went to two Genocide memorials. The first one we visited was at Nyamata. We all feel that coming here was very emotional and is too hard to explain in words, but we will try. We drove up a long dusty dirt track to the building which was yards from a local junior school. The gates surrounding the site were draped in purple and white material. The purple represents mourning and white is a representation of peace and hope.
The area was much more basic than the Kigali museum that we previously visited, which made the experience ever more real. The memorial at Nyamata was a Roman Catholic Church where thousands of people went to seek refuge during the genocide, thinking it was safe. As we walked towards the building the first thing that stuck us were the sheer number of bullet holes that were in the shelter above the entrance. On entering we could see how the perpetrators had forced their way into the building. The remains of the two large steel gates still stood from the damage of the grenades, also leaving a crater in the floor. Inside the church lay masses of the victims clothes as they had fallen and blood stains still remained on them. 45,000 innocent victims. At the alter they displayed some of the weapons used. All over the ceiling were bullet and shrapnel holes. In the basement of the church there was display of victims remains and their possessions. One lady in particular whose coffin lay at rest here was brutally raped and killed by the insertion of a spear through the length of her body. She still remains like this today. There were a number of mass graves outside, one of which we went down to see. Bodies that had been identified were placed in coffins, while others bones were on display, most of which were incomplete. An Italian missionary was also burried in the site in a separate grave. She was killed before the start of the genocide in 1992 because she attempted to alert the media in the rest of the world of what was about to happen. The government saw her as a threat and so shot her on her doorstep.
The second memorial at Ntarama was also in a Roman Catholic Church. 5,000 died here. From the outside we could see where grenades were used as a mode of entry into the building and to smash the walls. Like the last church there were endless amounts of clothes piled up alongside bones and skulls. Surrounding this there were two other buildings which were used as torture rooms for children, babies and foetuses. In the sunday school building there was a large bloodstain on the wall where they were smashed against the wall. In the kitchens they tortured the children before burning them by setting mattresses on fire then throwing them in alive. They have removed the larger bones but left the smaller ones as there were too many. As you look around it looks like debris, however as we looked we realised it was hair, teeth and belongings.
After visiting these two memorials we all felt emotionally drained as it had an effect on every one of us. As we drove home the red sandy tracks were a constant reminder of the blood that was spilt. Everyone felt they needed some time to reflect on what they had seen as the sights were so horrific.
The area was much more basic than the Kigali museum that we previously visited, which made the experience ever more real. The memorial at Nyamata was a Roman Catholic Church where thousands of people went to seek refuge during the genocide, thinking it was safe. As we walked towards the building the first thing that stuck us were the sheer number of bullet holes that were in the shelter above the entrance. On entering we could see how the perpetrators had forced their way into the building. The remains of the two large steel gates still stood from the damage of the grenades, also leaving a crater in the floor. Inside the church lay masses of the victims clothes as they had fallen and blood stains still remained on them. 45,000 innocent victims. At the alter they displayed some of the weapons used. All over the ceiling were bullet and shrapnel holes. In the basement of the church there was display of victims remains and their possessions. One lady in particular whose coffin lay at rest here was brutally raped and killed by the insertion of a spear through the length of her body. She still remains like this today. There were a number of mass graves outside, one of which we went down to see. Bodies that had been identified were placed in coffins, while others bones were on display, most of which were incomplete. An Italian missionary was also burried in the site in a separate grave. She was killed before the start of the genocide in 1992 because she attempted to alert the media in the rest of the world of what was about to happen. The government saw her as a threat and so shot her on her doorstep.
The second memorial at Ntarama was also in a Roman Catholic Church. 5,000 died here. From the outside we could see where grenades were used as a mode of entry into the building and to smash the walls. Like the last church there were endless amounts of clothes piled up alongside bones and skulls. Surrounding this there were two other buildings which were used as torture rooms for children, babies and foetuses. In the sunday school building there was a large bloodstain on the wall where they were smashed against the wall. In the kitchens they tortured the children before burning them by setting mattresses on fire then throwing them in alive. They have removed the larger bones but left the smaller ones as there were too many. As you look around it looks like debris, however as we looked we realised it was hair, teeth and belongings.
After visiting these two memorials we all felt emotionally drained as it had an effect on every one of us. As we drove home the red sandy tracks were a constant reminder of the blood that was spilt. Everyone felt they needed some time to reflect on what they had seen as the sights were so horrific.
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Day 4
Day 4
We started the day with a visit to PHARP to see the work that were doing with the women. They welcomed us with singing and dancing, which we were all encouraged to join in. The women were particularly impressed with our attempts to sing some Kinyawandan songs which we had previously learnt. After sharing in prayer we were invited to look at some of the different items that the women had made. There was an array of items ranging from table mats to hand crafted giraffes. Some members of the group decided to get items of clothing made for them from the batique material that the women had made. All of the products were hand made and we all found them very impressive. Next we went to a restaurant for lunch where there was buffet on offer with a wide variety of rwandan foods which we all enjoyed.
In the afternoon we travelled back to the youth group, which we visited yesterday so that we could join in with a game of football. The teams were split into men and women, two matches were played. Unfortunately despite a valiant effort the women lost 1-0, however the men managed to secure a draw 0-0. As a group we were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people from the community that turned up to watch the match. The men's match seemed to be more serious with a line up at the beginning for the two teams to shake hands, where they also received pineapples. This match was also an opportunity for us to mix with the local people and to begin to understand the contrast between England and Rwanda. The children were fascinated by us as a group and were very grateful when we gave them our water-bottles. We also managed to take many photos with the locals, where the mothers in particular enjoyed seeing the pictures of their children and babies. When it was time to leave, the children didn't want us to go and decided to run after our mini-bus. Many of us were very touched by the whole experience, and were very sad to leave. We returned to the guest house to have a much needed shower and some food.
We started the day with a visit to PHARP to see the work that were doing with the women. They welcomed us with singing and dancing, which we were all encouraged to join in. The women were particularly impressed with our attempts to sing some Kinyawandan songs which we had previously learnt. After sharing in prayer we were invited to look at some of the different items that the women had made. There was an array of items ranging from table mats to hand crafted giraffes. Some members of the group decided to get items of clothing made for them from the batique material that the women had made. All of the products were hand made and we all found them very impressive. Next we went to a restaurant for lunch where there was buffet on offer with a wide variety of rwandan foods which we all enjoyed.
In the afternoon we travelled back to the youth group, which we visited yesterday so that we could join in with a game of football. The teams were split into men and women, two matches were played. Unfortunately despite a valiant effort the women lost 1-0, however the men managed to secure a draw 0-0. As a group we were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people from the community that turned up to watch the match. The men's match seemed to be more serious with a line up at the beginning for the two teams to shake hands, where they also received pineapples. This match was also an opportunity for us to mix with the local people and to begin to understand the contrast between England and Rwanda. The children were fascinated by us as a group and were very grateful when we gave them our water-bottles. We also managed to take many photos with the locals, where the mothers in particular enjoyed seeing the pictures of their children and babies. When it was time to leave, the children didn't want us to go and decided to run after our mini-bus. Many of us were very touched by the whole experience, and were very sad to leave. We returned to the guest house to have a much needed shower and some food.
Day 3
Day 3
After a good night's sleep, we all awoke for breakfast and piled into the mini buses and went on a long drive to a youth group building in the rural part of Rwanda. Bouncing along narrow dirt tracks and Rachel banging her head on the roof from time to time, we finally arrived. We were welcomed to their village in their personal way by singing and dancing!This gave us an amazing sense of love from the locals. We were privileged to find that they actually took time out of their daily jobs and routines just to welcome us. We were shown around the grounds of the building that we helped to fund, being told about what the building was going to be used for, such as youth clubs, worship and weddings. One of the Pastors walked us around outside showing us the local trees and plants and the boundaries of their land.
They gathered us together into the building to sing a number of songs, which we were pulled into their group to dance along with them. This was a good way of getting us all to mix together and encourage interaction as a community. A number of speeches were made by the committee of the youth group explaining how peace work has made such an impact on their village and to thank us for visiting them. They expressed how they found it hard to believe that people from another country would help them and thanked us for our contributions towards their new building. John showed our gratitude to the locals of our welcome and how happy we were to be there. We gave out our gifts that we had brought for them. Crosses on rope necklaces from the Holy Land with personal messages attached. Also, football kits. Its was lovely to see the children's delight on their faces when they saw what they had got.
We then helped to move sand from outside the building to the area of which they were working inside. This was to make concrete for the walls of the building. Many times Lucy and Alistair (who were in competition to carry the heaviest bag) walked into the low scaffolding which the locals found hilarious. The locals found it amusing to see how the westerners worked, our weakness and lack of speed compared to their rate of work!
We then drove to the trade union centre, which is a shopping centre. In here we realised the difference between the rural areas and the more Americanized parts of Rwanda. Many of us visited the coffee shop that Yvonne has raved about and enjoyed, cakes, chips, coffee, hot chocolate and burgers!
After a good night's sleep, we all awoke for breakfast and piled into the mini buses and went on a long drive to a youth group building in the rural part of Rwanda. Bouncing along narrow dirt tracks and Rachel banging her head on the roof from time to time, we finally arrived. We were welcomed to their village in their personal way by singing and dancing!This gave us an amazing sense of love from the locals. We were privileged to find that they actually took time out of their daily jobs and routines just to welcome us. We were shown around the grounds of the building that we helped to fund, being told about what the building was going to be used for, such as youth clubs, worship and weddings. One of the Pastors walked us around outside showing us the local trees and plants and the boundaries of their land.
They gathered us together into the building to sing a number of songs, which we were pulled into their group to dance along with them. This was a good way of getting us all to mix together and encourage interaction as a community. A number of speeches were made by the committee of the youth group explaining how peace work has made such an impact on their village and to thank us for visiting them. They expressed how they found it hard to believe that people from another country would help them and thanked us for our contributions towards their new building. John showed our gratitude to the locals of our welcome and how happy we were to be there. We gave out our gifts that we had brought for them. Crosses on rope necklaces from the Holy Land with personal messages attached. Also, football kits. Its was lovely to see the children's delight on their faces when they saw what they had got.
We then helped to move sand from outside the building to the area of which they were working inside. This was to make concrete for the walls of the building. Many times Lucy and Alistair (who were in competition to carry the heaviest bag) walked into the low scaffolding which the locals found hilarious. The locals found it amusing to see how the westerners worked, our weakness and lack of speed compared to their rate of work!
We then drove to the trade union centre, which is a shopping centre. In here we realised the difference between the rural areas and the more Americanized parts of Rwanda. Many of us visited the coffee shop that Yvonne has raved about and enjoyed, cakes, chips, coffee, hot chocolate and burgers!
Monday, 12 July 2010
Rwanda Day 2
Day 2
After no missed alarms we awoke for breakfast. We were given a brief history on the different aspects of Rwanda living. We were then taken on a tour around Kigali. We got to see the contrast of of how they live, looking at the rich to the poor. We noticed the development taking place of high rise buildings in down town Kigali. All the kids were happy to wave as we went past and shouted Muzungu! (Westerner)
We stopped at Caribu for a buffet lunch for a variety of local delicacies. Including, sweet potato, rice, peas, green banana, beef and deep fried cauliflower.
Once our stomachs were full we went to one of the many genocide memorial centres,which was situated in the district of Gisozi. It was opened in 2004 to mark the 10th anniversary of the genocide. Its hard to describe the emotional feelings that are felt while walking around the gardens and inside the centre. We were taken on the journey through the history of Rwanda dating the events before, during and after the genocide. There were personal testimonies and pictures from the survivors about their own accounts of what happened and why. There was a display encasing the remains of the victims, some showing the damaged bones of a tortured death. Also, recovered clothes, used weapons and chains that had been used to bind a couple who were buried alive. In the gardens there were a number off mass graves that are left unsealed as remains are still being discovered around Rwanda. In remembrance of the fallen they have paid tribute by planting a number of trees to represent different meanings. Such as, Cacti for self protection, roses for beauty and acacia tree for shade. They placed elephant figures to represent the memory and never forgetting the ones that have been lost. Although a lot of the remains cannot be identified, for those that were a wall of names have been erected in their honour. They are conscious that many more names are yet to be added, so space has been left. The one thing that struck us was that most names were the same showing large numbers of families that were cruely wiped out.
After returning back to the guest house we reflected on our day together in groups of 4 to discuss how we felt and talk openly about our experience.
After no missed alarms we awoke for breakfast. We were given a brief history on the different aspects of Rwanda living. We were then taken on a tour around Kigali. We got to see the contrast of of how they live, looking at the rich to the poor. We noticed the development taking place of high rise buildings in down town Kigali. All the kids were happy to wave as we went past and shouted Muzungu! (Westerner)
We stopped at Caribu for a buffet lunch for a variety of local delicacies. Including, sweet potato, rice, peas, green banana, beef and deep fried cauliflower.
Once our stomachs were full we went to one of the many genocide memorial centres,which was situated in the district of Gisozi. It was opened in 2004 to mark the 10th anniversary of the genocide. Its hard to describe the emotional feelings that are felt while walking around the gardens and inside the centre. We were taken on the journey through the history of Rwanda dating the events before, during and after the genocide. There were personal testimonies and pictures from the survivors about their own accounts of what happened and why. There was a display encasing the remains of the victims, some showing the damaged bones of a tortured death. Also, recovered clothes, used weapons and chains that had been used to bind a couple who were buried alive. In the gardens there were a number off mass graves that are left unsealed as remains are still being discovered around Rwanda. In remembrance of the fallen they have paid tribute by planting a number of trees to represent different meanings. Such as, Cacti for self protection, roses for beauty and acacia tree for shade. They placed elephant figures to represent the memory and never forgetting the ones that have been lost. Although a lot of the remains cannot be identified, for those that were a wall of names have been erected in their honour. They are conscious that many more names are yet to be added, so space has been left. The one thing that struck us was that most names were the same showing large numbers of families that were cruely wiped out.
After returning back to the guest house we reflected on our day together in groups of 4 to discuss how we felt and talk openly about our experience.
Rwanda day 2
Day 1
4 hours sleep later and 3 missed alarms, “here's Johnny” came banging at the door telling us we were late for breakfast! Malaria pills taken we hopped into the mini bus and traveled to a church in Kigali. Having reserved seating at the front of the church, we were invited to take part in the service, singing and dancing along with them! They had 2 large choirs singing in Kinyawanda with live musicians. The songs and prayers were translated for us by Anastace. The church leaders welcomed new members to their church and there was a blessing of new born babies.
After our 3 hours service we had the chance to meet the local people who were friendly and welcoming. The children were wanting pictures with us, our water bottles and one took a fancy to Ruth, one of our group members, holding hands with her in our prayer. We then got invited to share in communion where we participated and received bread and wine.
We returned to the guest house to sort out our suitcases and the missing ones had been collected! A relief for those who had no clothes! We had chance to shower, relax and catch up on sleep before we were went to dinner! 3 courses! Soup for starters, beef, chips and spaghetti for main and a very juicy pineapple for pudding!
NIGHT
4 hours sleep later and 3 missed alarms, “here's Johnny” came banging at the door telling us we were late for breakfast! Malaria pills taken we hopped into the mini bus and traveled to a church in Kigali. Having reserved seating at the front of the church, we were invited to take part in the service, singing and dancing along with them! They had 2 large choirs singing in Kinyawanda with live musicians. The songs and prayers were translated for us by Anastace. The church leaders welcomed new members to their church and there was a blessing of new born babies.
After our 3 hours service we had the chance to meet the local people who were friendly and welcoming. The children were wanting pictures with us, our water bottles and one took a fancy to Ruth, one of our group members, holding hands with her in our prayer. We then got invited to share in communion where we participated and received bread and wine.
We returned to the guest house to sort out our suitcases and the missing ones had been collected! A relief for those who had no clothes! We had chance to shower, relax and catch up on sleep before we were went to dinner! 3 courses! Soup for starters, beef, chips and spaghetti for main and a very juicy pineapple for pudding!
NIGHT
Rwanda journey
After our 24 hour journey we arrived in Kigali to discover that we had 7 suitcases missing between the group. Julienne and Bishop Samuel came to greet us with open arms. We piled our bags into rather squashed mini buses and tried to squeeze in together.
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