The weekend

Our last weekend in Bugarama is a chance to relax and socialize with friends. We had considered driving off to Nyungwe Forest but, in fact, it is good just to take our time without rushing off somewhere else. Our work in Muko and Kibangira is almost finished, bar various touching up and cleaning up to be done on Monday.

Our first invitation, on Friday night, was to dinner with our oldest friend in Bugarama, Wellars and his wife Chance. Wellars was teaching at Muko on our first visit to Bugarama and for a number of years was the coordinator of work at Muko. He is now Executive Secretary of Ryankana cell, one of the poorest areas in Bugarama. Earlier on in the week he took us up to the model village, a new development of houses on the hillside which is aiming to resettle people from the Bugarama valley in houses with good facilities for water and electricity. We are helping him to provide annual health insurance for 260 of the poorest people in his area. This costs just £3 per person but is out of the reach of these people.

Last year Wellars organized the HATW Christmas party here and is doing the same again this year – for 100 local children from single parent families. (Pictures from last year).

We worked for a few hours at Muko on Saturday morning followed by a late lunch with friends, Carpaphore, Samson, Esther and of course Thierry. We really enjoy people just popping in to where we live. There always seems to be plenty of food with Chantal’s meals to share and squeeze in extra guests.

Thierry has become the self-appointed official HATWJ photographer in Rwanda. He has always been very talented at photography and now that he has finished his national exams he is planning to get a job with a photo company in Kigali. The one thing missing was a camera. Dennis, however, was recently given a nice Sony which he handed over to Thierry as a surprise. In a few days he has already topped over 3,000 photos.

 

In the afternoon, some went off for another sight of the hippos. – all they saw this time was a snout above water – while others climbed Muko hill which overlooks the town. This is a restricted area as there is an army camp at the top but we were granted permission and were rewarded with fine views over the Rusizi river and into the Congo. This really is a stunningly beautiful country. The river with its strong current would be a great place for rafting or kayaking.

In the evening Emmanuel came by. Along with a number of other sponsored students he is now waiting for the results of his national exams. He hopes to go to university next year to study computer engineering. He will have to wait until February for the results and then until October for the course to start. There’s not much prospect of work in Bugarama, with plenty of other students also looking for work; however, Emmanuel has found a job painting at a new warehouse nearby  – he produced the certificate we gave him last year after volunteering with us, and got the job! It made my day (along with the latest win by West Ham, their third in a row).

We are missing Joel who went off for his teacher training course in Uganda immediately after Innocent’s wedding last weekend. Before he left he showed me the house he has been building for himself and family in Bugarama. This has meant long days, getting up early to prepare for the builders, teaching all day then more work on the building before dark. He has had a little financial help from Kenny, one of our previous volunteers. Joel has tremendous drive and I look forward to seeing where he will be in ten years time.

Sunday morning was back at ADEPR Church in Bugarama for a lively – and unusually short – service, just two hours. After lunch there was time for a swim just down the road in the Rusizi river before a tea-time party celebration with Callixte and some of the staff from Kibangira who wanted to express their gratitude for the work carried out there this year. The renovated classrooms and the newly painted block are looking really smart, a teaching environment they can be proud of. The next thing to improve is the school kitchen, currently a rough tin shack.

Finally, we have been invited to dinner by Georgine for Sunday evening. Georgine is head teacher of Muko School, which has an enormous school population of over 3,000 pupils from nursery age to university entrance. We have added a basketball/volleyball court this year and Dennis has instituted a challenge cup competition between the local schools. It was a delicious meal, with a chance to laugh over shared photos. Georgine and Epiphany, gave us each a bright red shirt, and a dress for Mish, tailor made for us in the local market.