Komera!

…Which means strength in Kinyarwanda and is a common greeting.  Children normally greet me by yelling Komera Allisoni (or Arisoni) multiple times. 

A brief history on Peace Corps and Peace Corps Rwanda: Peace Corps has been present in 139 countries.  In order for there to be PCVs in a country, it has to be considered safe and the country’s government has to have an interest in having volunteers.  Rwanda was open from 1975-1993, then the program was closed because of the 1994 genocide, and recently re-opened with the first volunteers coming in February 2009.  Since re-opening, PC Rwanda has had five groups:  the first health group, first education group, second health group, second education group, and now the third health group.  I am part of the second education group (the largest group with over 60 volunteers).  The first health group recently finished their 27 months of service in late March 2011 and the third health group just arrived in May and are currently in training.  There are around 150 volunteers serving in Rwanda currently.  As far as Peace Corps goes, Rwanda is a new country.  While that means that few people in Rwanda understand or know what Peace Corps is, I think it is a good opportunity.  For example, I am the first Peace Corps Volunteer in my community which means I get to set the standard for myself instead of following someone else’s footsteps. I don’t have to hear, “Well, the last volunteer did this.”  Some volunteers get tired with having to explain why we are here and what we are doing. I’ve decided to show rather than tell in most cases.  So instead of having a conversation about how I’m here to learn about their culture and teach them about mine, hopefully people will observe that we are exchanging culture and knowledge.

Within our health and education groups, we have some transfer volunteers, meaning that they have served in other countries.  In Rwanda we have a few transfers from Mauritania and Niger.  I’d like to recognize the strength and dedication it must take to go through training in one country, try to learn a new language, and make new friendships, only to have to start much of this process again because of safety concerns in the previous place. 

Most Peace Corps Volunteers serve alone, so in most communities we are the only American or the only foreigner.  There are a few exceptions to this in Rwanda, most being married couples.  Sometimes I think about how it would be nice to serve with someone else.  When there are two people, you can encourage, support, and motivate one another. 

Some fun facts about Rwanda: Rwanda has one of the highest percentages of female representation in the government of any country. Pretty cool, right?  Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa, which leads to space concerns. They are trying to encourage family planning due to this concern.  Kinyarwanda is one of the most natively spoken languages in Africa.  This is due to the fact that some countries have many languages, where as almost everyone in Rwanda speaks Kinyarwanda (as well as French, English, Swahili, etc. in many cases). 

Too often, developing countries put developed countries on a pedestal.  I frequently have conversations with people who believe that everyone is rich in America and everything is perfect. I am trying to dispel these myths.  In my opinion, not all development is necessarily for the best.  Another PCV likes to refer to the song that says, “Pave paradise and put up a parking light.”  I was really happy the other day to hear Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame say that money is not the solution to their problems. So often, people see money as the only solution, when there are other creative solutions.  Some Rwandans I know attended a conference about being green recently.  It kind of made me chuckle because a community without running water and electricity already has ideas about water conservation, solar energy, etc.  Misusing resources is not really an option. As the dry season begins, I’m trying to be more creative with my water usage.  For example, the water I used to wash my hands can later be used to wash the floors. 

The dry season has begun and it will be the first of my life.  Funny how in Wisconsin on Lake Superior we don’t have a dry season. Although, we also do understand the importance of water for our crops and how valuable clean water is as a natural resource from living near such a large body of freshwater.  Recently, there wasn’t running water in my community for 4 or 5 days.  The water was turned on one night, so people were fetching water about 3:00 in the morning. 

I don’t think I ever fully appreciated buckets before I came to Rwanda. Since appliances are very rare, a bucket in Africa can serve as a pseudo sink, washing machine, shower, etc.  Buckets are very helpful and they add color to the outside of my house. 

Live to eat or eat to live?  In the US, I would have probably answered live to eat. I love food and I love eating with others.  Rwanda has much less of a food culture than I had hoped for, but with poverty and food scarcity issues it makes sense.  For example, like Japan, it is not good to eat in public maybe because others might be hungry. One day in my staff room teachers were having an informal debate.  The hypothetical situation was that your family did not have enough food for the entire family.  Who would eat first the children or the father?  My opinion was the children since they are still developing and being well nourished is important for their growth.  I do not think that would be a topic of conversation during an American lunch hour. 

I’d like to talk about school and school culture.  All students in Rwanda wear school uniforms. I wish I had grown up wearing school uniforms.  Although youth still can tell who has more money and kids can always find something to pick on each other for, I think uniforms reduce some of these problems.  Rwandan culture likes and respects hierarchy.  Even within my classrooms, there is a hierarchy and each class has a class chief who helps with some discipline issues and is the leader in the classroom.  I have not seen substitute teachers in Rwanda.  Instead, teachers normally leave notes for students to take and I’m very impressed when I walk past a quiet room that has no teachers. I think students in the US would not stay quietly on task without a teacher. Students barely respect substitute teachers and try to take advantage of them. Good behavior is highly valued and bad behavior is not ignored.  Punishments vary from kicking students out of class, making students do physical labor like cut grass, reducing their grade for behavior, suspending students and making them return with a parent for a meeting, and occasionally corporal punishment (although I think officially it is not allowed).  I personally do not agree with corporal punishment at school and have witnessed it happening.  Most of the teachers at my school teach with only chalk and a chalkboard.  We are acquiring some textbooks for the school, but most students treat their notebooks like a textbook. They keep very neat notes and like to change pen colors for titles and underlining.  Students at my school are boarding and non-boarding students. 

I’ve noticed some similarities between schools in Argentina and schools in Rwanda.  Teachers move from class to class and students do not move, there is a school assembly in the mornings, high school are normally specialized (my school is MEG: Mathematics, Economics, and Geography), schools have more liberty to talk about God, students wear uniforms, etc.  There is no passing period between classes in Rwanda. One class ends and the next should theoretically begin. 

I’m enjoying certain things about teaching. I love when interested students ask questions and I enjoy seeing a look of understanding or interest in a student’s eyes, rather than a blank stare of indifference or confusion.  I try to keep a good energy level in my classes so students are encouraged to learn. 

I’m sorry about the delay on this blog! Hope you are enjoying summer or winter if you are in the southern hemisphere! 

Take and give care,

Allison(i)

Bite?

Which means what's up in Kinyarwanda, not what you want fish to do to a hook. I recently celebrated my 6^th month in Rwanda which I think is an accomplishment.  Half a year! I’m sorry that my ideas aren’t always connected since I try to cover a variety of topics. 

Development in Rwanda is happening at a rapid rate. Roads are improving, new building are being built; the infrastructure is quickly improving.  But as someone pointed out to me, although infrastructure can change quickly, development in the realm of education and medicine takes much more time. 

There are some specific challenges that PCVs face in Rwanda and in the schools.  When getting to know someone, it is natural to want to ask questions to learn more about them.  In Rwanda sometimes I am hesitant to ask certain questions because of the underlying questions or the answers I might receive.  For example, questions about family may lead to hearing that the person lost their parents or siblings. A question like where are your from may result in learning that the person has lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, or Burundi because they sought refuge in nearby countries.  Like I said, things are changing quickly in Rwanda.  Up until a few years ago, Rwandan students studied all subjects in French. Recently because English is a global language and Rwanda is part of the East African Community which uses English, English was adopted as the new system. More specifically, recently means this is the second year English is being used for most students and the first year for Senior 4 and Senior 6.  This has led to challenges for both teachers and students.  Teachers who completed all of their studies in French are now required to teach in English regardless of their ability level.  Students must complete National Exams in English and some struggle because of the language barrier.  I think now is an important time for PCVs to be in the Rwandan schools in order to help with this transition.  Class sizes are also challenging, but I know this issue is not Rwanda specific.  My class sizes vary from about 40-60 students. I want to learn all of my students’ names, but I find it difficult with the amount of students I teach.  Sometimes the amount of students in my classes reminds me of a small college lecture hall. 

Before I came to Rwanda, I heard that people dressed conservatively. I thought that my sources may have exaggerated, but it turns out they did not.  Women mainly wear skirts or dresses past the knees.  I find myself being shocked when I see someone’s knees now.  Rwandans are well dressed.  In the US dress is viewed as a form of self-expression, but here the way someone dresses reflects the respect they have for others.  I try to dress well here to respect Rwandan culture.  Around my house sometimes I wear shorts, but throw on a wrap around skirt if there is a knock on my door. 

I have noticed that as I’m learning more Kinyarwanda, the number of people telling me I should marry a Rwandan has increased. I don’t entirely understand the logic.  If I speak Icelandic, must I marry someone from Iceland?  People have also been telling me I’m Rwandan when I speak Kinyarwanda. Surprisingly my nationality has not changed, I’m just taking an interest in a new culture and language.  Regardless, it is encouraging sometimes to hear I’m Rwandan. 

I came upon an interesting quote in a book I read while here in Rwanda.  “They’re disciplined and they’re straight and they have an impossible task.  It’s as if Jews who survived the Holocaust formed a government after the war, not in Israel but in Germany.  And then they had to figure out how to arrest and prosecute the Nazis in their midst.” Reading a quote like this reminds me of how much Rwanda has accomplished in less than two decades despite their painful history. 

For the most part I’m doing well here in Rwanda, but there are several things I need to attribute this to.  1. A sense of humor.  Being able to laugh has been very helpful.  2. My cell phone. It has a flashlight, an alarm clock (which I haven’t needed as much as in the US), and allows me to be able to communicate with other volunteers and my family.  Texting about funny circumstances or frustrations is a good release.  3. My journal.  I have been journaling most days here and I think it helps me to process the day.

4. Flexibility. Things don’t always happen the way I may want. For example, when traveling occasionally it takes longer because of rain, unforeseen circumstances, etc. I just try to think of it as an adventure because otherwise it’s too easy to get frustrated. 

5. The internet.  Although it is slow and not as reliable, I appreciate having internet access.  6. Supportive friends and family and other PCVs.  Thank you. I am blessed to have supportive and encouraging people in my life. 

One of my favorite things about travel is putting a face to a country.  Before coming to Rwanda, the continent of Africa was almost entirely faceless to me (as it is for many).  I still don’t know many people outside of Rwanda, but as time passes I am gaining connections to different places.  I think it’s very valuable that in the future if I hear news about Uganda, I will think of my two Ugandan co-workers and their well-being.  I think interconnectedness can make for a more caring world.

If you would like to learn more about Rwanda, I would recommend watching the movie Sometimes in April.  It is a sad movie, but most think it is much more accurate than Hotel Rwanda.   A book that would be good to read is Land of a Thousand Hills. It is about a woman who lives in Rwanda for many years. I enjoyed that the book only speaks for a little about the genocide and mainly focuses on other aspects of her life in Africa. If you do read this book, I urge you to be wary of the historical accuracy of some of her accounts. I did not always like the way she described the genocide. 

For those of you who have the opportunity to learn a language through immersion, I have a few strategies that have made it easier for me.  Treat everyone as your teacher.  Whether it be my moto driver, a bus driver, a fellow bus passenger, a child, I try to speak with them and ask questions when I do not understand.  Learning a language requires humility, especially when you realize you are linguistically limited to the age of a 3 year old.  Being outgoing has helped me in my effort to learn Kinyarwanda.  Learning involves taking risks and making mistakes.  My funniest blunder being me asking at what I thought was a doughnut store (they’re not actually doughnuts, but they are somewhat similar) for what I thought was the word for doughnuts.  Instead I asked for socks and was confused when they said they didn’t have them.  Patience also seems key.  I have to be patient with myself as well as the people I’m trying to talk with. I think learning a language through immersion is the easiest way, but I understand not everyone gets the opportunity. 

April is Genocide Memorial Month, the week of April 7^th being the most important part.  The 1994 Genocide began on April 7^th, so that is the significance of the day.  Most villages had daily meetings remembering what happened. I attended a few meetings, but found it challenging since I’m not able to understand what’s being said and I’m unable to comfort those suffering. One of my closest friends was crying during the first meeting and there wasn’t very much I could do or say.  It’s difficult to comprehend because I have not experienced anything like it.  I also went to another Genocide Memorial during the week.  This one is located in Nyamata (which is a 20-30 motorcycle ride away).  It is a church where 10,000 people sought refuge and were killed.  The pews where people should be sitting are covered with the victims’ clothing.  Overall, Rwanda was much more quiet and serious throughout the week and I had to consciously keep my radio at a low volume. 

Those who know me, will be surprised to hear that my sleeping schedule is changing here in Rwanda.  I normally go to bed between 9-10 pm and wake up around 6 am.  Maybe you could say I’m becoming more of a morning person. Craziness. 

Eating without electricity is like a race I don’t always win. I don’t like throwing away food, but some things go bad quickly. Eating is also somewhat dangerous in Rwanda.  I sometimes bite down on a surprise rock in my rice or beans.  Not the most pleasant, but I guess it makes eating little bit like a sport. 

I just returned from my In-Service Training (IST) Confernce in Kibuye.  It was the most beautiful place I’ve visited in Rwanda.  Kibuye is located on the shores of Lake Kivu, the largest lake in Rwanda that separates Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. You can see the Congo in the distance and on clear nights you can see a volcano glowing.  We saw some colorful sunsets, lightning shows, and the moon was also bright while we were there.  I find nature very refreshing so it was good for me to be in such a lovely place.  We also had really delicious food.  Everyday we had sessions from about 8 am- 5:30 pm.  We talked about our successes, challenges, teaching strategies, secondary projects, how we are taking care of ourselves, etc.  It was really nice to see other volunteers, share stories, and enjoy each other’s company. 

Break was enjoyable and went by very quickly.  Between visits with other volunteers, IST, Genocide Memorial Week, and so on the vacation is almost over.  I start my second trimester on Monday.  Back to school! 

Sending lots of love your way! 

I'm Singing in the Rain...

Hola! I’m surprised another month has gone by! Fun fact: in Kinyarwanda the word for month and moon are the same. That makes sense, unlike the hours of the day which still cause me trouble.  You must start counting at 7:00 am which is considered 1, 8 is 2, 9 is 3, etc.  Also the words have for time have been borrowed from Swahili which adds an extra challenge.  So, I can’t just look at the time and see a 3 and say, “It’s 3” because you actually say it’s 9. 

I’ve posted a couple pictures on facebook. For those of you who don’t have facebook, I hope this link works for you: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2917635&id=8648255&l=5d477fcd55

I thought I could describe my house for you all.  My favorite part of my house is that I have a gate surrounding it.  Being a foreigner, I tend to get stared at quite a bit, so it’s nice to have a private space.  Granted, children do occasionally get curious and peak under the doors of my gate or bang on the doors, but for the most part they behave.  They are especially curious if I have visitors at my house.  My house is made up of three rooms: my bedroom, my living room, and a spare room.  My bedroom has my bed (surprise) with a green mosquito net, a blue chest that Peace Corps gave to us, and a bookshelf I had made for my things.  My living room has a coffee table and seating for six: three individual chairs and one larger chair that seats three.  I didn’t realize at the time that seating for six might be somewhat excessive, but I guess I’m ready to entertain if (and when, hopefully) you come to visit.  My extra room was potentially going to be for a roommate, but now I think I will continue using it for storage.  I keep some pots, dishes, and other odds and ends there.  When I first saw the house, it was all gray. Thankfully they’ve painted it since then which adds a good touch. My living room is a light yellow, my bedroom is white, my spare room is a calm red, and the doors and window trims are a bright blue.  Within my gate there is another building, I’m not sure what I should call it.  There are four small rooms: two for storage (where I have my charcoal and charcoal stove), my shower which is a room with a drain, and my latrine aka squat toilet. I’m pretty sure in my village, I have one of the nicest houses because only a few houses have gates. 

I have a name in Kinyarwanda! It was given to me by my closest friends in the village (the family with two adorable children).  They were choosing between two names: Umutoni (which means beloved) or Inyenyeri (which means star). I love stars and I love the word for stars in Kinyarwanda.  Hint: the ny combination sounds like the Spanish ñ.  A couple days later, I was riding in a bus from Nyamata to Kigali and getting proposed to.  I just take it as a joke and comment that I want 100 cows, since there is still a dowry in Rwanda and cows are very important. One hundred cows is an unreasonably high dowry, so it’s a safe number and causes some laughs.  So some people on the bus, who I’ve never met before, say your name is Umutoni. That made the decision easy- my friends and some strangers who I hadn’t told my new name to thought that Umutoni was fitting for me.  Most people still call me Allison (pronounced Arisoni), but Rwandans are happy to hear I have a Kinyarwanda name. 

I’m a leader in the Black is Beautiful Movement, Rwandan Chapter.  Unexpected, yes?  I understand that in the US people receive skewed standards of beauty from the media: TV, movies, magazines, the internet, etc. It surprised me, however, that in my village where there is not access to TV, magazines, internet (unless you have a modem), they also have some strange standards of beauty.  It saddens me when a mother of a 6 month old baby says to me, “your hair is beautiful, my baby’s hair is not” or “your skin is beautiful, my baby’s skin is not.” Since many people here believe in God, I try to respond saying, “We are all children of God, right?” Well if we are all children of God, he loves us and created us all to be beautiful.  Sometimes I say my skin is milk and their skin is chocolate, but that analogy doesn’t work as well since chocolate is more expensive and not everyone likes or eats it.  I wonder where these inaccurate messages of what’s hot and what’s not are coming from and arriving to the Rwandan countryside. 

It’s currently the rainy season in Rwanda.  I kind of miss having four seasons, now I only have two: rainy or dry.  It hasn’t been raining everyday, but maybe that is yet to come.  The sound of rain really does amplify when you only have a tin roof, like at my house and at school. It makes it challenging to teach if it’s raining hard because listening and speaking activities are not feasible.  Something I like about the rain is that it cools things down and makes it possible for me to sleep with a blanket or wear socks!

I had a difficult week in the middle of Febraury.  I found out that my grandma was not doing well and then my cell phone was stolen which made it difficult for my family to contact me. My grandma passed away and although it was hard for me to be so far away from family, I had peace knowing that she had lived a good life.  My grandmother had really severe Alzheimer’s and had lost to ability to speak. Her quality of life was really poor at the end and as my mom reminded me, we had said goodbye quite a while ago.  I did feel blessed with the love I received from Rwandans, PCVs, and people back home. My Rwandan co-workers did not want me to be alone very much, so they kept me company.  That same week, I found out that the only other English teacher at school was leaving to continue his studies. I was sad because I enjoyed working with him. It has increased my workload somewhat because they haven’t hired a new teacher yet.  Another teacher and I have been sharing the hours.  Hopefully they will hire a new teacher before next trimester. It was a difficult week, but I hung in there and tried to remind myself that most things happen for a reason. (Or at least that is my belief in most cases.)

I’ve almost completed my first trimester at school which is hard to believe, maybe because we started a week late for Senior 3 and 5 and a month late for Senior 4.  There were also days off for elections, Women’s Day, and Hero’s Day.  Regardless, I’m looking forward to the break. The break lasts for 3 weeks. April is Genocide Memorial Month because the genocide started in April and lasted 100 days. There will be events in my community and I also think it is important to visit some of the nearby genocide memorials.  During break, I will also have In-Service-Training with my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers. I haven’t seen most of my training class since the beginning of January, so it will be great to see each other and share stories.  We also had a language training scheduled in April that has been canceled; I hope it gets rescheduled because I would enjoy studying more Kinyarwanda. Although I’m looking forward to break, I’m not as excited for testing and grading, but I guess that’s part of being a teacher. 

If any of my teaching friends have ideas of successful lesson plans for English as a foreign language, I would greatly appreciate the input.  I have the challenge of teaching a computers course without computers (since we do not have electricity or computers).  My students ask for practical or application based activities which are difficult to give them without computers.  I’ve had them make paper keyboards but they seemed to think that was funny. 

Happy spring to all of you in the US! My family tapped trees last weekend for making maple syrup, so you know that the seasons are changing.  

Take care! 

Amakuru?

... which is news in Kinyarwanda, also used to ask someone how they are. Ciao abantu (people in Kinyarwanda)! I’ve been in my village for over a month now and would like to share some of my observations and experiences with you. 

Some cultural differences that I struggle with:  Traditionally whistling is only done by men.  Unfortunately, I love to whistle but I’ve been trying to stop myself.  Snapping is mainly done for babies and animals.  I also enjoy snapping.  In Rwanda, I am still a girl because there are not separate words for woman and wife.  So marital status determines whether or not you are a girl, not age or maturity like in the US.  I have tried, with my limited Kinyarwanda, to explain that in the US I am not a girl. Rwandan culture respects women who are married and have children, so it impacts the amount of respect I receive.  The word for friend is basically boyfriend/girlfriend, so I have to explain myself when I use it.  I like the word friend in English, but in Kinyarwanda I cannot overuse it.  I normally call people co-workers instead of friends to avoid confusion.  I have not found a word in Kinyarwanda for please, so I just say thank you more often. Additionally, some people in Rwanda consider getting fat to be a good thing, so it is not rude to comment that a person is fatter. Unfortunately, several people have told me lately that I am getting bigger (I shouldn't be getting fat in Africa, right? It must be all of the starches and oil.) It's not fun to hear.  I try to explain that in my culture it is rude to comment on a female’s weight.

I’ve been thinking, you become more aware of your impact on the world and how much you use without running water, electricity, garbage removal, etc.  I get my water from across the street and pay 20 RWF for each jerry can (a big jug).  I pour my water into a bucket for my shower and I highly doubt my showers in the States only required one bucket. I normally charge my computer twice a week, meaning I have about 8 hours of battery time. As a college students, there were definitely days when I was on my computer the whole day- studying, responding to emails, messages, etc.  Every time I go online, I have to use a USB modem to connect to the internet. It charges for the amount of data I send and receive, but fortunately there is a “free” (I doubt it) facebook website so I have been able to keep the cost down.  I do not think there is a national garbage removal system, people just burn or bury their trash.  It makes me more aware of the garbage I am creating, which has been reduced since Rwandans are not as package crazy as we are in the US. There is a national ban on plastic bags which has been nice to see.  Instead of having a light at night or a stove/ microwave to cook with, I have a kerosene lamp, kerosene stove, and charcoal stove.  I also recently purchased a charcoal iron, when you do not have electricity charcoal is the way to try to still look professional.  I have been buying my kerosene in Nyamata, which is about a 30 minute motorcycle ride away because it is cheaper there than it is in my village.  If I run out of kerosene, I have some candles to provide some light.  I’m adjusting to my house and my village and I’m even finding myself appreciating things I did not think I would. 

Every time I want to leave my village I have to take a motorcycle taxi (I’m not allowed to take a bicycle taxi and there are no buses that leave my village.) I have to pay 4,000 Rwandan Francs round trip (the conversion is about 600 RWF=1 dollar).  It adds up.  Due to the price and everyone in my village noticing my departure and arrival on the motorcycle, my mobility is limited.  As far as the goals of the Peace Corps goes, that is a good thing because this experience is not about travel.  Rather it is about staying in one place, getting to know that place, and attempting to become a neighbor instead of a guest.  Sometimes I hear people referring to me as a guest, I hope with time they realize I cannot be a guest for 2 years (in the US that would be overstaying your welcome, right?).

Some of the best things I have been doing in my village (Kabukuba- think Cuba, said with a Spanish accent) have been taking walks, attending churches, and attending choir at school.  Sometimes I take 2 hour walks which mean I get to see more of the area and meet new people along the way. Once a person walked with me for a while and another invited me to sit in her yard with her.  I’m trying to make a habit out of exploring the area.  Attending church here is important because it helps me to be visible, meet people, and because about 95% of Rwandans are religious. My Christian background makes me more relatable and where someone goes to church is a frequent topic of conversation. One Tuesday, I heard singing after school which caught my attention (as music does). Since then, I have been trying to sing with students on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school.  The choir is a small group of Adventist students that gather to sing. They do not have an adult director, but they sound great. Singing helps keep me happy, learn the language, and get to know some students.  I also started playing soccer with some of the students last week.  It is challenging because of the higher elevation, heat, and because I am one of two girls, but I think it is good for me to run around. 

I don’t think I have described umuganda to you all.  The last Saturday of the month, Rwandans gather in the morning to cut grass, improve ditches, work on school property, etc.  I’ve heard sometimes the umuganda projects might be building a house or a school.  I guess it is a law that everyone does umuganda (which means pillar in Kinyarwanda), but I have not witnessed it being enforced.  Supposedly there is a fine you should pay if you do not do umuganda and some rich people choose to pay instead of participating. I’ve wondered how well umuganda would work in the US, I could see the majority of people not taking part or not wanting to.  Maybe I am being pessimistic. When I was in Nyanza, there were never enough tools, so I normally picked up garbage.  We’ve only had one umuganda since I’ve been in Kabukuba.  I used a cupa cupe to cut grass. It is a tool with a sharp edge on the bottom.  For many people, umuganda that day was watching me do umuganda.

All in all, I would say I’m adjusting to life in Kabukuba.  Weeks have been going by quickly and I have a few friends.  My closest friends are a wonderful family: a mother and father who have a 3-year-old girl and a month old girl.  They are very positive people and like me, love to laugh.  I’m happy to have had met them and happy that they have been so welcoming to me. 

Murakoze! Thank you for reading! I’m heading off to bed in a little, so good night!  Sweet dreams! 

Amahoro!

.. Meaning peace in Kinyrwanda or the house that I lived in during training.  

Greetings from Rwanda!! I’m sorry that it has been a while since I last blogged. 

I had an enjoyable Christmas with the other PCTs.  On Christmas Eve, we did a white elephant gift exchange and I received a sweet Obama plastic shopping bag with Obama’s smiling face, the White House, an American flag, and the phrase “Yes We Can.”  It was one of several Obama gifts, including some hats with his name.  After the white elephant, we had a talent show, dance, and dinner.  I sang “You and I” by Ingrid Michaelson with 2 friends, one who was playing the ukulele.  My house also sang “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” for kicks and giggles. 

I also had a nice birthday.  It was fun to have had the chance to celebrate in another country.  The highlight of my day was gathering with 4 other Peace Corps Volunteers and one Fulbright Scholar for lunch. Later on, I had dinner with a kind Rwandan family. 

In December I remember thinking…nothing like the smell of freshly machete-cut grass!  (I have not seen a lawn-mower since I’ve been in Rwanda, instead people cut grass with machetes.) I have to admit that at first it was a little bit jarring to see, but now it is becoming more normal to me. 

Living in a post conflict country was probably the thing that concerned me most before coming to Rwanda.  So far, it has not been as challenging for me as I thought it would be.  This could be due to the fact that my interaction with Rwandans is more limited during PST (pre-service training). Once I have developed more close relationships with Rwandans, I am sure I will hear more personal stories.  Something that has helped me living in this context has been the resilience of the Rwandan people.  For the most part society is keeping its focus on the future instead of dwelling in the past.  Since they have the strength to stay optimistic, I am trying to the same. 

Our training did not have very much focus on the genocide, but rather on the language (Kinyarwanda) and technical training for our teaching positions.  We have gone to two Genocide Memorials since we have been here.  Shortly after arriving, we went to the memorial in Kigali where 250,000 people are buried.  Later on during training, we went to the Murambi Genocide Memorial in the Southern province which was a much more difficult experience.  Many Tutsis fled to this former school during the genocide because they were told they would be safe there.  Unfortunately that was not the case and around 45,000 Tutsis were murdered.  The Murambi Memorial was much more challenging for me because there are around 20 rooms with bodies on display.  These bodies were found in a mass grave and preserved with lime.

Rwanda is a beautiful country and it saddens me that it is only known because of its painful history.  Rwandans affectionately call it the Land of a Thousand Hills.  Nyanza, where I lived for training, definitely has beautiful rolling hills.  It is impressive to see the way the hills are terraced for agriculture.  The north of Rwanda has volcanoes and gorillas, which I am hoping to see before I leave.  Rwanda is fertile and grows delicious pineapples, bananas, and avocados. I fear that I will not be satisfied with these foods once I get home because they are much more flavorful here.  The main exports of Rwanda are coffee and tea.  Another fun fact about Rwanda is that it is in the Great Lakes region of Africa, which makes me feel more at home knowing that a lake cannot be too far away.  Obviously these lakes aren’t quite as great as Lake Superior, but I will be continually disappointed throughout my life if Lake Superior is my golden standard. 

An update about my life…  The end of training was by far the busiest with intensive language (4-5 hours a day), teaching, and lesson planning.  It was also very helpful, as it gave me the opportunity to try teaching in a Rwandan classroom.  I am feeling more comfortable with language as well. It is still a challenge but Rwandans are encouraging and are even impressed when I can say good morning or good afternoon.

Once training was concluded, we traveled as a group to Kigali and participated in a swearing in ceremony on January 3^rd.  It was held at the US Ambassador’s residence, which was beautiful.  There were speeches given in English, French, Kinyarwanda, and music for the occasion.  We were served delicious American food afterwards. 

I moved to my village the day after.  My house was not ready when I arrived, so I stayed with the couple that I had stayed with during site visit.  I recently moved into my house, so I am still getting settled.  My favorite things in my house right are my kerosene lamp and my radio.  I can even listen to Voice of America (thank you Douglas) and BBC!  It has been quite a bit adjustment going from living with around 70 Americans to being the only American in a village, but as they say in Kinyarwanda “buhoro buhoro” which means little by little. 

Last week school technically started, but rather than teaching teachers gave supplemental exams for students that had not passed before.  Classes are starting this week, but all of the students have not yet

arrived.  My S4 students (10^th graders) might not come until February because they have not received the results for their exams to know whether or not they have passed.  Regardless, I have been enjoying getting to know the other teachers at school and answering their questions. 

Something that makes me smile is that some children are learning my name throughout my village.  “Umuzungu” is the Kinyarwanda word for white person and I hear this word daily.  I am trying to teach the children that although I may have white skin, my name is Allison and not umuzungu.  It feels like an accomplishment when they call me by my name.  I also think I have identified a good person that can tutor me in Kinyarwanda.  Hopefully we can start next week or sooner.

Thank you for all of the kind birthday wishes.  I appreciate the love!  

Happy belated Thanksgiving!

Hello gente (Spanish for people)! I have a hard time believing that it has almost been a month since I last blogged.  Thank you so much to all of you that have taken the time to read and comment on my blog. I appreciate knowing that I have the support of so many great people.  J

Some things I love seeing in Rwanda (in no particular order):

Goats: they are so cute. Babies! Especially on the backs of women. It is adorable to see two little feet poking out from behind a woman’s back.  People walking around with dead chickens in their hands or hanging off bikes, something I have never seen in the states.  I am still impressed with people carrying things on their heads. I carried a smaller jug of milk on my head the other day and ended up having some milk in my hair; apparently I need to work on my technique.  Hills are really great to see as well!

Something that is fresh on my mind is Thanksgiving! I had a really great time preparing for the holiday with the other trainees.  Our efforts were impressive, as was all of the teamwork that went into recreating Thanksgiving for about 90 people in Rwanda.  Multiple shopping trips were made, teams were assembled, and good food was the end result.  We successfully made mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with a pineapple chutney and a ginger syrup, green bean casserole with beer batter onion rings, stuffing, ten turkeys, apple crisp, hot apple cider, and chai all without ovens and over charcoal stoves.  It was a lot of work, but I think we were all satisfied with the food and happy that we did not let the day go uncelebrated. 

Big news! I now know and have been to the site where I will be spending my Peace Corps service! I have been placed in the Eastern province, in Bugesera district, in a town called Juru.  I will be teaching at the secondary school in Juru.  My trip from Nyanza (where I am currently) to Juru involved a two hour bus to Kigali, an hour bus to Nyamata, and then a 20 minute motorcycle ride to Juru.  You should all imagine me with a large hiking backpack and a required Peace Corps motor-cross looking helmet on the back of a motorcycle. I am pretty confident it was an amusing sight.  The Eastern province is flatter and hotter than other parts of Rwanda.  Unfortunately I will not have running water or electricity at my house in Juru, but I am trying to romanticize the idea of using lamps and candles at night.  The headmaster, teachers, other community leaders, were very welcoming in Juru and took time to show me around and make me feel welcomed. 

Kinyarwanda is still a challenge for me, but I try to keep in mind that learning a language is not a race and does take time and patience.  Something that is particularly challenging for me is that there are 16 noun classes in Kinyarwanda. English has 2- singular and plural, Spanish has 4- singular feminine, singular masculine, plural feminine, plural masculine, Kinyarwanda has 16.  The noun is the central part of a sentence and depending on which class it falls in, it will change the way you construct the verb, adjective, etc.  Something that I can appreciate about the noun classes, however, is that it makes the sentence has quite a few alliterations which makes the language flow (and potentially become a tongue twister).  For example: the word for two is kabiri.  If you want to say I have two children, you would not say Mfite abana (I have children) kabiri.  You would say Mfite abana babiri. It sounds nice, but it can also provide some challenges.  I am find it interesting as I am learning to try to think about what the language can teach me about cultural differences.   

From what I have observed, it is more common in Rwanda than in the US to have hired help for cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.  Someone pointed our to me the other day that part of the reason it may be more common is because people in the US own machines that simplify these tasks and save time.  For example, I have not seen a washer, dryer, oven, microwave, dishwasher, toaster, coffee pot, refrigerator, freezer, vacuum cleaner, etc.  Some people pay a person to fetch water for them since having running water is a luxury.     

Next week we start model school which I am somewhat nervous about.  Since it is currently summer break in Rwanda and we need to practice teaching, we are offering 3 weeks of English instruction for local students.  Each class will have about 40 students and we will be teaching 7^th and 8^th graders.  It should be a good learning experience for us because in addition to teaching, we will be observing our fellow trainees as they teach. 

So…. we are still in training until January and I am enjoying spending time with the other trainees.  Tomorrow we might attempt to make pancakes and no bake cookies since we get some free time on Sundays.  Should be fun! 

Sending sunshine your way,

Allison 

Santa Vaca.. I'm in Rwanda!

Muraho (hello in Kinyarwanda) and greetings from Nyanza, Rwanda!
I've been in Rwanda for over a week now, but today has been the first day that we've been given some free time so I can write. I hope that this blog can be interactive, so please post your comments and questions below. That way I will also know that people are reading!

Where to start? I guess I could begin with Philly where we had staging- a short orientation to the Peace Corps. I had the opportunity to fly to Philly the day before which was great because I was able to meet some of the other Peace Corps Trainees (PCTs, we are not technically volunteers until we've completed training and sworn in).  I also was able to get a good night's sleep before the orientation started.  At home, in Wisconsin, it was easy to be somewhat nerous about the experience that was awatining me, but once I got to Philly it was very encouraging to meet the 70 people that are also currently training in Rwanda with me.  And the packing and preparations were done, so I was able to start enjoying the experience.  We were only in Philly for two nights but that was enough time for me to eat some Philly pizza, a Philly cheese steak sandwich, some Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and  take hot showers! After receiving a yellow fever shot (the first of many shots), we boarded two buses for JFK's airport.  Two people on the trip brought ukuleles and we were serenaded while driving. I also loved that another PCT, played the song Africa by Toto as we approached JFK and once we landed in Kigali.  I'm sure that song will continue to make me smile in the future. 

The flights went well to Kigali, Rwanda and we arrived without even losing any luggage. Miraculous!
Since Rwanda is right near the ecuator, the sun rises and sets around the same time all year long. Our hours of sunlight are approximately 6 am- 6 pm, which meant that when we arrived in Kigali the sun was already down.  We awoke the next morning to the surprise of our new surroundings.  Rwanda is green, lush, (it is currently the short rainy season) and very hilly.  I'm loving the beautiful landscape.  We spent a couple days in Kigali which served as our introduction for Pre-Service Training (PST) which is the training that I am currently in.  PST focuses on language training, training about medical concerns, safety and security, cross-cultural training, and technical training which in our case is education.  All 70 of us will be treachers here in Rwanda. The majority will be English teacheres and the others will be science or math teachers.  After Kigali, we took a bus for a few hours and arrived in Nyanza, where we are having PST.  I like that Nyanza is a smaller town and is less crowded.  I live in a house with 9 fellow trainees and 2 Language and Culture Trainers (LCTs). 

I'll explain briefly what a typical day in PST is like for me.  There is a lot of material to be covered, so days are long and we have scheduled activities on Saturdays and Sundays as well.  I wake up around 6:00 and get out of my bed that is covered by a mosquito net (my princess net, I'm thinking of it as) and get ready for the day by showering.  Sometimes there is running water and sometimes there is not.  Where there is not, I take a bucket shower.  I'm gettting better at this new approach to showering, it just takes some learning. We have breakfast from 7-8, sessions until 10, followed by a tea/coffee break, more sessions, lunch, sessions, and then dinner around 6 or so.  Sometimes we have things going on after dinner, but normally by that point I'm ready to unwind and go to bed. 

One thing that has been fun for me is that each of us is assigned to a resource family.  Peace Corps is new in Rwanda and host families were not an option, but this is a great way for me to learn more about Rwanda.  I cook and eat with my family twice a week and spend about 4 hours there each time that I go.  I have 4 resource siblings and they are 14, 12, 7 and 5 years old. It is nice for me to be with a family. The children are adorable and I love when they sing and dance. 

I know some of you are probably wondering about food, which is a pretty important thing.  So far I think they've been giving us a  mixture of Rwandan and American food to ease us into a new diet.  We've mainly been eating plantains, rice, potatos, pasta, meat, beans, cooked vegetables, etc for lunch and dinner.  For breakfast we normally have bread with peanut butter or jelly or omelets.  The fruit has been good. We've had small bananas, passion fruit, papaya, and another fruit called Japanese tree tomatoes (I think). 

Kinyarwanda is the most widely spoken language in Rwanda, although some more educated people also know some French and English.  It's a pretty challenging language, but I realize I have only been here about a week and cannot expect things to click just yet.  I can say hello, how are you, what's your name, and other greetings.  Kinyarwanda has quite a few sounds that my mouth is not yet used to making, consonant combinations that do not exist in English- mf, mw, mb, etc.  Words seem to be pretty long, for example the word for volunteer is umukorerabushake. Hopefully I will get pretty good at saying it! Right now I am tongue tied!  

The weather has been nice. It feels like spring or summer most days.  Compared to the majority of African countries, the climate is pretty mild.  I have worn a sweatshirt at night a couple of times and have even uttured the words: "I'm cold."  Being that the weather is not as hot, the risks are not as serious for certain diseases compared to Niger, for example. 
So thankfully, I've been feeling healthy and my body is reacting well to all of the food we've been eating.  Rwanda is at a considerably higher altitude, so I find myself getting out of breath, but I am sure my body will adjust.  

I am sorry if there are errors in this post, I have been trying to type quickly.  Disclaimer: I don't know how frequently I will have access to the internet, but my goal is to post about once a month.  Please be patient with my communication.  

Lots of love from Rwanda,
Wishing you all well,

Allison