I’d like to encourage you all to have an “African night” where you use no lights except flashlights, candles, or a kerosene lamp (if you have one). Don’t use electronics except a phone, radio, or computer (for about 2 hours or until the battery dies). I won’t ask you to unplug your fridge or anything. I’d recommend you read and write, possibly a letter for someone in Rwanda ; ). My address is BP 28 Nyamata, Rwanda, Africa. The whole water thing we can try another time if you want. Honestly though, amenities aren’t as difficult for me as the distance from my language, culture, and many people I care about. It gets dark here around 6 pm, so this would be more accurate to try in the fall when the sun goes down earlier. Although, I don’t have electricity or running water, I would guess more PCVs in Rwanda have electricity than those who don’t.
Running in Rwanda is, as many things are, an experience. I think people in my village think it’s somewhat strange, but I do it occasionally regardless. Sometimes as I’m running, people want to shake my hand, invite me to come sit down to eat or drink something, and bicyclists offer me a ride. I don’t think what I’m trying to do is fully understood.
The US Educational system has its critics, but I would like to compliment it on a couple practices. The US Public Educational system is inclusive; I grew up studying with people of many different ability levels so I’m more aware of people with special needs. The Rwandan Educational system is rarely inclusive, national exams can impact if and where students are able to continue studying. The US acknowledges that there are many different learning styles. Most likely related to the exclusivity in Rwandan schools, teaching does not cater to many different learning styles.
Although I talk about conservation, I’d like you to know that I think conservation is much easier in my environment. It makes it difficult to conserve when every time you flip a switch there is light or turn a faucet there is water. When water is scare, you think much more before using large quantities.
In order for me to drink my water, there are a few things I need to do. First, I try to only drink the water that comes from the spicket across the street. Peace Corps gave us all water filters, so I put the water in the filter and add a small amount of bleach, as recommended by our doctors. At the beginning the taste bothered me, but now I don’t really notice. American water is also treated with different chemicals.
I recently returned from my trip to the US. I was very grateful to see family and friends and to receive so much love. I really enjoyed seeing so many people that I care about. Thank you for taking the time to see me. When I returned to Rwanda, two of my friends, also PCVs, were waiting for me at the airport. It was great to be greeted by familiar faces. People in my village were welcoming, saying that they had missed me. A few days after returning, I had another Peace Corps conference in Kibuye, Rwanda. This conference was focused on HIV/AIDS and PCVs came with our counterparts, or Rwandan colleagues. It was my colleague’s first time seeing Lake Kivu, so on the last day we took a boat ride on the lake. The most interesting day of the conference, in my opinion, was the day we discussed Gender Based Violence. The conference came at a good time for me because I was able to be around many people I enjoy and hadn’t seen in months. Most of the PCVs traveled in Africa during the break, to South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania (Zanzibar), etc. Some had family and friends visit, so it was fun to hear their stories.
My third trimester started recently and in English we’ll be studying Vision 2020, which are Rwanda’s goals for development. Last trimester, we studied magazines, newspapers, and Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. My students were excited to use reading materials in class.
Please let me know if you have questions, so I can write about topics that interest you.
Hugs,
Allison
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