Actually I still kind of don't but have just spent an hour or so reading friends' blogs and I seemed to enjoy that. So on the off chance that others enjoy reading this blog, I better finish what I started, as they say. I'll note that most of the other blogs were on WordPress and very easy to comment on. Maybe I really should have gone that way too. Oh well. On with the comment clumsy Google show...
I have been mulling over a post about my short trip to Gisenyi before I left Rwanda. It's a small rural city in the west of Rwanda. It boarders the pretty spectacular Lake Kivu and in that sense was more or less a "retreat" for me. My primary goal for visiting was to pick up the necklaces that I was asked by a former volunteer to bring back to NZ. They are made by a collective of women with HIV/Aids and we had an order for 150 of them. More on that later.
Right from the get go, I felt bad about the trip as I had to leave quite early in the morning (it's about a 3 hour bus ride from Kigali) and I was fairly confident of making the trip by myself but Amani insisted he take me to the bus stop which meant he had to rush to get things ready for the other volunteers' breakfast. In the end I was very grateful for his assistance as there were numerous bus operations and I probably would have wasted too much time trying to find the correct one. After buying a ticket I had to wait about half an hour for the bus to leave which meant hanging around in the massive bus depot/station. Unfortunately it's also a place were many many beggars try their luck. But not just any beggars either, poor people who are living with just unbelievable disabilities and deformities. People who clearly have no hope of working or living any sort of normal life and no-doubt deserving of support. They all take turns walking/waddling around sticking their hands (or whatever money collecting limb they have) in your face. Even once on the bus they knock on the windows and hope for you to stick money out the window. I had no idea what to do. Sometime earlier before I even arrived in Rwanda I had sort of made a decision to not give [too much] money to beggars full-stop as I wanted to try and invest my time and resources to my volunteer work. In the city there really weren't that many beggars anyway, maybe even comparable to Wellington. So I refused the requests from these people at the bus station. Sitting there for half an hour really was too long and I began to serious question my position and why I wouldn't give up some of my money - after all it's not like I'd miss it. My thoughts and arguments with myself kept going round and round in circles. I tried to drown out my guilty feelings by sticking on my headphones to listen to my iPod, stupidly rubbing it in their faces how well off I was which didn't help my unease. Don't get me wrong, I never felt threatened by these people as they all took rejections graciously. I just felt wrecked with guilt and selfishness. The thing is that I wouldn't have been able to give to everyone that was begging and on what grounds do you choose who to support over someone else? I don't know if I was really being fair or not. I did spot a few others (locals) give loose change to a few of them so I guess they get by.
The three hour bus ride through some pretty awesome scenery made me feel a bit better and when I arrived in Gisenyi I was welcomed warmly by my hosts their. I thought we'd go straight to the collective but I was forced to have some lunch first as they were worried that it was so long since I last ate. It was a 15 minute bus ride then a half an hour walk to get to the medical centre the collective met at. The walk was through a very rural community and EVERY little (and some not so little) kid yelled out "Muzungu! Muzungu!" as they saw me coming, some rushing to give me hug or high-five. I felt like a rock star! It was a beautiful area too but I'm fairly crap at remembering to take photos at times like that so you'll just have to imagine it.
Once we arrived it was a fairly awkward hour or so of sitting around watching them finish of the last few necklaces. None of them speak English so I was only picking up on little bits here and there as the translator who accompanied me shared what was being said. After a while the translator was becoming quite impatient and she was trying to hurrying them up to get the order finished. Once things were counted out I produced the envelope that had the money for the necklaces, some US$1,250. They were amazed that I had the money there and then and that I also had a bit more as an extra donation but the translator didn't really understand donation until I said gift. Once she communicated that the 12 or so women who were there instantly broke out in to song and dance! It was incredible to see their joy and gratefulness. Memories of my morning disappointing people melted away by their warmth. Celebrations lasted about an hour and a half more prolonged by me not thinking to take photos initially then also not realising that my camera could take video too (I only just bought it on the way to the airport flying out of NZ!). Oh also it rained for a little while which kept us indoors. It was great. When I finally got to leave with the boxes of goodies and begin the walk back through the neighbourhood the women followed in more song and dance until I had to simply say thanks but that's enough! I felt like Princess Diana. Further reinforced by the motorcycle ride home (the bus was too full and we couldn't be bothered waiting any longer) which the driver took corners awfully fast. I was keeping my eyes pealed for a Mercedes, just in case.
The next day I went for a walk to the lake and around to the border of the Congo. In fact the road I stepped foot on right near the border technically wasn't Rwandan soil apparently. Not sure I can really tick another country off with that though. Gisenyi was awesome and definitely the place to come for a holiday trip. The gorilla treks etc are mostly based there too. I didn't have time to visit the government orphanage nearby as I had hoped, despite constant badgering to "stay just one or two more nights"! But I simply couldn't and so it was back on the bus to Kigali, goods in tow. A storm was brewing and the heavens opened up about a block away from guest house on my walk from the bus stop so I arrived back to Amani telling me I "look wet". Always one for the obvious.
Ok well that's that one off my chest. Although I've been back in NZ for a week I'm sure I'll rustle up some more posts from my time in Rwanda and also, more importantly, my plans to support and continue the connections I made with Gisimba. So keep watching. I might even figure out how to put a pic or two up too. But not right now.
I have been mulling over a post about my short trip to Gisenyi before I left Rwanda. It's a small rural city in the west of Rwanda. It boarders the pretty spectacular Lake Kivu and in that sense was more or less a "retreat" for me. My primary goal for visiting was to pick up the necklaces that I was asked by a former volunteer to bring back to NZ. They are made by a collective of women with HIV/Aids and we had an order for 150 of them. More on that later.
Right from the get go, I felt bad about the trip as I had to leave quite early in the morning (it's about a 3 hour bus ride from Kigali) and I was fairly confident of making the trip by myself but Amani insisted he take me to the bus stop which meant he had to rush to get things ready for the other volunteers' breakfast. In the end I was very grateful for his assistance as there were numerous bus operations and I probably would have wasted too much time trying to find the correct one. After buying a ticket I had to wait about half an hour for the bus to leave which meant hanging around in the massive bus depot/station. Unfortunately it's also a place were many many beggars try their luck. But not just any beggars either, poor people who are living with just unbelievable disabilities and deformities. People who clearly have no hope of working or living any sort of normal life and no-doubt deserving of support. They all take turns walking/waddling around sticking their hands (or whatever money collecting limb they have) in your face. Even once on the bus they knock on the windows and hope for you to stick money out the window. I had no idea what to do. Sometime earlier before I even arrived in Rwanda I had sort of made a decision to not give [too much] money to beggars full-stop as I wanted to try and invest my time and resources to my volunteer work. In the city there really weren't that many beggars anyway, maybe even comparable to Wellington. So I refused the requests from these people at the bus station. Sitting there for half an hour really was too long and I began to serious question my position and why I wouldn't give up some of my money - after all it's not like I'd miss it. My thoughts and arguments with myself kept going round and round in circles. I tried to drown out my guilty feelings by sticking on my headphones to listen to my iPod, stupidly rubbing it in their faces how well off I was which didn't help my unease. Don't get me wrong, I never felt threatened by these people as they all took rejections graciously. I just felt wrecked with guilt and selfishness. The thing is that I wouldn't have been able to give to everyone that was begging and on what grounds do you choose who to support over someone else? I don't know if I was really being fair or not. I did spot a few others (locals) give loose change to a few of them so I guess they get by.
The three hour bus ride through some pretty awesome scenery made me feel a bit better and when I arrived in Gisenyi I was welcomed warmly by my hosts their. I thought we'd go straight to the collective but I was forced to have some lunch first as they were worried that it was so long since I last ate. It was a 15 minute bus ride then a half an hour walk to get to the medical centre the collective met at. The walk was through a very rural community and EVERY little (and some not so little) kid yelled out "Muzungu! Muzungu!" as they saw me coming, some rushing to give me hug or high-five. I felt like a rock star! It was a beautiful area too but I'm fairly crap at remembering to take photos at times like that so you'll just have to imagine it.
Once we arrived it was a fairly awkward hour or so of sitting around watching them finish of the last few necklaces. None of them speak English so I was only picking up on little bits here and there as the translator who accompanied me shared what was being said. After a while the translator was becoming quite impatient and she was trying to hurrying them up to get the order finished. Once things were counted out I produced the envelope that had the money for the necklaces, some US$1,250. They were amazed that I had the money there and then and that I also had a bit more as an extra donation but the translator didn't really understand donation until I said gift. Once she communicated that the 12 or so women who were there instantly broke out in to song and dance! It was incredible to see their joy and gratefulness. Memories of my morning disappointing people melted away by their warmth. Celebrations lasted about an hour and a half more prolonged by me not thinking to take photos initially then also not realising that my camera could take video too (I only just bought it on the way to the airport flying out of NZ!). Oh also it rained for a little while which kept us indoors. It was great. When I finally got to leave with the boxes of goodies and begin the walk back through the neighbourhood the women followed in more song and dance until I had to simply say thanks but that's enough! I felt like Princess Diana. Further reinforced by the motorcycle ride home (the bus was too full and we couldn't be bothered waiting any longer) which the driver took corners awfully fast. I was keeping my eyes pealed for a Mercedes, just in case.
The next day I went for a walk to the lake and around to the border of the Congo. In fact the road I stepped foot on right near the border technically wasn't Rwandan soil apparently. Not sure I can really tick another country off with that though. Gisenyi was awesome and definitely the place to come for a holiday trip. The gorilla treks etc are mostly based there too. I didn't have time to visit the government orphanage nearby as I had hoped, despite constant badgering to "stay just one or two more nights"! But I simply couldn't and so it was back on the bus to Kigali, goods in tow. A storm was brewing and the heavens opened up about a block away from guest house on my walk from the bus stop so I arrived back to Amani telling me I "look wet". Always one for the obvious.
Ok well that's that one off my chest. Although I've been back in NZ for a week I'm sure I'll rustle up some more posts from my time in Rwanda and also, more importantly, my plans to support and continue the connections I made with Gisimba. So keep watching. I might even figure out how to put a pic or two up too. But not right now.
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