Today is our last day in Gashora and at the Covaga center. Yesterday's work by the team had almost completed everything for the project (with the exception of the floor finishing that could only be done by the local workers) so the decision was made to have a later start and use the later part of the morning for visits with the women of Covaga and the construction workers. We spent about 1.5 hours with them at the site and there were many exchanges of gifts and tears shed at the goodbyes. We then had lunch at our regular spot in Gashora and got back on the bus for our trip back to Kigali.
For our last night in Rwanda we went to a wonderful restaurant called "Heaven". I would recommend it to anyone who wants a very good quality meal while in Kigali.
And so ends our journey to Rwanda. Many friends and lasting memories were made.
Rick Henery
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013
October 24: Additional Jobs
It was back to a normal workday on Thursday. However we are getting to the end of our project and we have fewer and fewer jobs and the same number of DWC volunteers. So rather than trip over each other Doug arranged for a couple of additional jobs that would keep some of us occupied. One of those was the digging of a waste hole that measured 5'x5' by 5' deep. Due to the hard clay base it took 6 people all morning working shifts to dig the hole. Others in the group were either assisting the local tradesmen with the finishing rock work or helping to bring trays of cement for the finish around the remaining doors and windows or for the specialists that were laying the top finish on the floor of the large room.
They ended up completing around 75% of that floor by quitting time however we did not see that as we left the job site at around 2:00 so that we could do cultural tours of typical Gashoran homes. We split the DWC workers into three or four groups with each having the opportunity to go to two or three different homes. When comparing notes afterward the stories were all the same. The poorest homes were usually no more than two rooms without electricity or water and very little on the way of windows or kitchen facilities. They usually have either dirt or cement floors and the beds are tatami reed mats. Cooking (when there is actually something to cook) is done outside over a small fire. There are usually very little personal things around the rooms. It brought home to all of us how. very, very lucky we are in the developed world. Also it reaffirmed the importance of the type of projects we do for DWC. What we are doing at Covaga will allow for more persons in this community to earn money and be able to assist in providing for increased living standards.
Rick Henery
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
They ended up completing around 75% of that floor by quitting time however we did not see that as we left the job site at around 2:00 so that we could do cultural tours of typical Gashoran homes. We split the DWC workers into three or four groups with each having the opportunity to go to two or three different homes. When comparing notes afterward the stories were all the same. The poorest homes were usually no more than two rooms without electricity or water and very little on the way of windows or kitchen facilities. They usually have either dirt or cement floors and the beds are tatami reed mats. Cooking (when there is actually something to cook) is done outside over a small fire. There are usually very little personal things around the rooms. It brought home to all of us how. very, very lucky we are in the developed world. Also it reaffirmed the importance of the type of projects we do for DWC. What we are doing at Covaga will allow for more persons in this community to earn money and be able to assist in providing for increased living standards.
Rick Henery
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
October 22: The GGAST School
The GGAST is a school that was brought into concept about 6 years ago by the owner of Costco and his daughter. The story we heard was that this family is really into philanthropy and had a vision of helping to advance the educational needs of girls in third world countries. We were told that their search for a worthy location was throughout the world and they ended picking Rwanda with the current site of the GGAST in Gashora.
The school has a yearly intake of 90 girls for the final three years of high school. A total of 270 students for grades 10, 11 and 12. It draws students from all over Africa and is considered after only three years of existence as one of the best preparatory schools on the continent. Last year one of their students was ranked number one in Africa and two others were in the top ten. This include boys and girls from all over Africa. So it is a very well respected institution in both Rwanda and Africa. That is amazing for such a new school. The campus is amazing to see considering the state of construction in the rest of Gashora (including the Covaga Center). There are classrooms, dormitories, lunch rooms and vegetable gardens that are first class. All students live on campus as do most of the teachers.
We were treated to lunch at the Academy which was very good. The students we talked to all had great things to say about their school. After lunch we returned to work at the Covaga site until around 3:00pm when we held an baseball clinic for the young children that have been hanging out around the work site. None of them had ever seen baseball before so it was fun teaching them to hold a bat and hit a ball. They had surprisingly good hand-eye coordination. We played for about 1/2 hour until our prearranged
visit to the Gashora Genocide Memorial.
The District of Bugesera, in which Gashora is located was severely affected by the Genocide. Having a population of only 20,000 at the start of the Genocide, their were 5,180 reported deaths during the Genocide. The loss of over 1/4 of the population of the region was initially devastating but the government has put appropriate building blocks in place that over time will assist the people of Bugesera to experience better socioeconomic conditions than they had previous to the genocide. The Memorial is very somber as one might expect. There are mass Burial sites which hold the majority of the bones of the victims found in Bugesera. The most memorable items at the Memorial, however, were the piles of old clothes that were placed on benches in the entrance way. They were some if the clothes that the dead victims were found wearing. Seeing the brown crusted clothing was emotionally numbing as it brought home the gravity of the situation faced by the victims at that time.
After viewing the Memorial we returned to the worksite as we had arranged for a basketball game between a group of local youth players and some members of the DWC group. Needless to say the Gashora youth led by Steven (one the assistants working with Lama of Building Bridges Rwanda - "BBR", and a former player with the Rwandan junior national basketball team) defeated us old white people 11 - 7 in a game of half court.
We calculated that the average age of our team was was more than double the average age of the Gashoran team. It was a very good opportunity for us to reach out to another sector of the community with which we would not otherwise have had any contact.
After such a busy day there were not many people who stay up late after dinner.
Today was likely the most diverse day that we have experienced in all the trips that we have been on with DWC. The morning started like most with Dougie organizing our work detail. We were finalizing the install of the windows and doors and continuing with the exterior parging. We worked extremely hard that morning and stopped at 11 am in order for us to take a side trip to the Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology (GGAST). The trip to the school was an adventure in itself. We were all transported the 2 km by bicycles that had been outfitted with an extra padded seat over the rear tire.
Rick Henery
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
The school has a yearly intake of 90 girls for the final three years of high school. A total of 270 students for grades 10, 11 and 12. It draws students from all over Africa and is considered after only three years of existence as one of the best preparatory schools on the continent. Last year one of their students was ranked number one in Africa and two others were in the top ten. This include boys and girls from all over Africa. So it is a very well respected institution in both Rwanda and Africa. That is amazing for such a new school. The campus is amazing to see considering the state of construction in the rest of Gashora (including the Covaga Center). There are classrooms, dormitories, lunch rooms and vegetable gardens that are first class. All students live on campus as do most of the teachers.
We were treated to lunch at the Academy which was very good. The students we talked to all had great things to say about their school. After lunch we returned to work at the Covaga site until around 3:00pm when we held an baseball clinic for the young children that have been hanging out around the work site. None of them had ever seen baseball before so it was fun teaching them to hold a bat and hit a ball. They had surprisingly good hand-eye coordination. We played for about 1/2 hour until our prearranged
visit to the Gashora Genocide Memorial.
The District of Bugesera, in which Gashora is located was severely affected by the Genocide. Having a population of only 20,000 at the start of the Genocide, their were 5,180 reported deaths during the Genocide. The loss of over 1/4 of the population of the region was initially devastating but the government has put appropriate building blocks in place that over time will assist the people of Bugesera to experience better socioeconomic conditions than they had previous to the genocide. The Memorial is very somber as one might expect. There are mass Burial sites which hold the majority of the bones of the victims found in Bugesera. The most memorable items at the Memorial, however, were the piles of old clothes that were placed on benches in the entrance way. They were some if the clothes that the dead victims were found wearing. Seeing the brown crusted clothing was emotionally numbing as it brought home the gravity of the situation faced by the victims at that time.
After viewing the Memorial we returned to the worksite as we had arranged for a basketball game between a group of local youth players and some members of the DWC group. Needless to say the Gashora youth led by Steven (one the assistants working with Lama of Building Bridges Rwanda - "BBR", and a former player with the Rwandan junior national basketball team) defeated us old white people 11 - 7 in a game of half court.
We calculated that the average age of our team was was more than double the average age of the Gashoran team. It was a very good opportunity for us to reach out to another sector of the community with which we would not otherwise have had any contact.
After such a busy day there were not many people who stay up late after dinner.
Today was likely the most diverse day that we have experienced in all the trips that we have been on with DWC. The morning started like most with Dougie organizing our work detail. We were finalizing the install of the windows and doors and continuing with the exterior parging. We worked extremely hard that morning and stopped at 11 am in order for us to take a side trip to the Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology (GGAST). The trip to the school was an adventure in itself. We were all transported the 2 km by bicycles that had been outfitted with an extra padded seat over the rear tire.
Rick Henery
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
October 21: Goodbye to Maryanne
Hi, this is Rick Heney from Kamloops filling in for our good friend Maryanne who had to return to the real world and her job in Canada a week earlier than the remainder of our DWC group. Maryanne, we wish you a safe and quick return home and I will do my best to continue the blog reports to the standards you have set. Even though I will not come close to matching you I will try.
We woke this morning on the shore of Lake Kivu in north west Rwanda which is close to the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The border between the two countries runs through the lake. It is a beautiful setting with rolling hills and cultivated fields as far as the eye can see along the shore of the lake. We were all able to breakfast with Maryanne and say our goodbyes before she left for the airport at 8:30 that morning. (At around 1:00 we received a text that she had arrived at the airport in time for her 3:00 flight.
The rest of us spent the time soaking in the sun or going for walks or boat rides. A few were even brave enough to try their hands at paddling a kind of dug out canoe over to the island that was about 800 meters offshore in front of the hotel.
Rick Henery
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
We woke this morning on the shore of Lake Kivu in north west Rwanda which is close to the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The border between the two countries runs through the lake. It is a beautiful setting with rolling hills and cultivated fields as far as the eye can see along the shore of the lake. We were all able to breakfast with Maryanne and say our goodbyes before she left for the airport at 8:30 that morning. (At around 1:00 we received a text that she had arrived at the airport in time for her 3:00 flight.
The rest of us spent the time soaking in the sun or going for walks or boat rides. A few were even brave enough to try their hands at paddling a kind of dug out canoe over to the island that was about 800 meters offshore in front of the hotel.
Rick Henery
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Saturday, October 19, 2013
October 19: Day 6 Gorilla Trekking
We have just checked into our hotel in Malahide Rwanda. We are 7km from the Congo border.
We had the most exciting day! It was amazing to have the opportunity to trek for the Gorillas in the Volcano Mountains of Mahahura Rwanda. We left our hotel at 6am and made our way to base camp check in. Our climb began around 9am. The broke us into 3 groups with low, med and high elevation climbs. We all trekked for over 2 hours until we saw the Gorilla 's. Our group reached 3010m in elevation.
The gorilla experience surpassed of our expectations. Many of us got with inches of them. They were so calm yet playful. They allowed us in their environment and did not see us as a threat except Kenny! One of the Gorillas while passing them literally punched him in the stomach. Wow! Lucky Kenny stayed on his feet and he was the only one in his group for this to happen too. We all joked the Gorilla was asked him to come along with the family as perhaps they thought he would fit right in.
We each saw different families and only one group a day get to observe that family for one hour. As they say time flies when you are having fun. The hour was up in no time. Their is a hierarchy in the family. Their is one older silver back male who is the head of the family and has a few partners which he fathers until he can no longer lead the pack. Once that happens another male takes over and the elder gorilla still stays with the family until his passing. They life span is 35 to 45 years of age. Their gestational period is the same as humans. 9 months.
Most of the pics we have uploaded to the blog we have not zoom into them which will give you a great perspective on how close we got to them.
We enjoyed a night of rest and relaxation at a "resort " called Paradis. Today for the team is some more "r and r" before the 6 hour trek back to Gashora village to start week 2 of the build. I am unfortunately heading back to Canada as duty calls. Rick H. has graciously volunteered to continue the blog in my absence to keep us all up to date on their progress of the build.
Best of luck team! I will miss you all! I know you guys will hand over an amazing project completed at the end of the week to Covaga and their members of the Gashora village.
Cheers,
Marianne Thompson
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
We had the most exciting day! It was amazing to have the opportunity to trek for the Gorillas in the Volcano Mountains of Mahahura Rwanda. We left our hotel at 6am and made our way to base camp check in. Our climb began around 9am. The broke us into 3 groups with low, med and high elevation climbs. We all trekked for over 2 hours until we saw the Gorilla 's. Our group reached 3010m in elevation.
 |
| Team climbing up to 3010m |
The gorilla experience surpassed of our expectations. Many of us got with inches of them. They were so calm yet playful. They allowed us in their environment and did not see us as a threat except Kenny! One of the Gorillas while passing them literally punched him in the stomach. Wow! Lucky Kenny stayed on his feet and he was the only one in his group for this to happen too. We all joked the Gorilla was asked him to come along with the family as perhaps they thought he would fit right in.
We each saw different families and only one group a day get to observe that family for one hour. As they say time flies when you are having fun. The hour was up in no time. Their is a hierarchy in the family. Their is one older silver back male who is the head of the family and has a few partners which he fathers until he can no longer lead the pack. Once that happens another male takes over and the elder gorilla still stays with the family until his passing. They life span is 35 to 45 years of age. Their gestational period is the same as humans. 9 months.
 |
| Big Boy Silverback! |
Most of the pics we have uploaded to the blog we have not zoom into them which will give you a great perspective on how close we got to them.
We enjoyed a night of rest and relaxation at a "resort " called Paradis. Today for the team is some more "r and r" before the 6 hour trek back to Gashora village to start week 2 of the build. I am unfortunately heading back to Canada as duty calls. Rick H. has graciously volunteered to continue the blog in my absence to keep us all up to date on their progress of the build.
Best of luck team! I will miss you all! I know you guys will hand over an amazing project completed at the end of the week to Covaga and their members of the Gashora village.
Cheers,
Marianne Thompson
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
October 18: Bitter Sweet...Bon Voyage...Off to See the Gorilla's
Our day started today a little earlier than most to allow us to get as much work time in as possible before we began our journey this afternoon to the Gorilla trekking excursion area. We continued our concrete mixing and Congo lines for transporting the concrete into the back room. We are so close to having all of the concrete floors completed! What a roller coaster of emotional the team has gone through this week during the build. Day 1 we were excited and ready to concur. Day 2 was a very difficult day. There was a lot of heavy slugging and the reality of the extensive labour required to complete the concrete floors deflated us. We thought it was going to be an entire two week job. A good night's rest brought us to day 3 which was our toughest yet most productive day. We got into a rhythm and we rock and rolled on the floor. Walking away at the end of day 3 we were all rejuvenated knowing we would complete the main kitchen area floor morning of day 4.
For me (Marianne), it was a better sweet day 5 as it was my last day on the job site as duty calls and I am only able to complete one week of the build. I had the opportunity of saying goodbye to the local trades we worked along side with and the members of Covaga weaver's. They opened their arms to us, showed us their craft and allowed us to get to know them and their families. They will hold a special place in my heart and I will think of them often. I hope their weaving coop sustain and provide income for them and their families.
We are travelling this afternoon from Gashora and stopping in Kigali for lunch before continuing our travels to Muhabura. Our lunch was a highlight of the day. We had Burritos and taco from a restaurant called Maze Fresh. It was so delicious and the closest we have had to North American food in over one week.
Next stop was changing buses at the bus terminal. We pulled in and it was like we were steaks in a pack of lions (Awesome analogy Shawn!). OMG Our bus was surrounded by locals and hands we coming into our Windows to either beg or sell us things. We were able to pull out and change buses in a secure area. Thanks for saving us Lama!
Our final stop was at Muhabura Hotel in Muhabura, Rwanda. During our drive the highest elevation we reach going up and down the mountains was 7012 m. Muhabura is 4127M. See the separate images posts from along our travels today.
12 hours and counting down to the beginning of our Gorilla trek! We feel so excited to be able to have this one in a life time bucket list opportunity….keep you posted as long as we escape the Gorilla’s…
Marianne Thompson
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
 |
| We taught the workers how to play teeter taughter during break time! Good laughs! |
For me (Marianne), it was a better sweet day 5 as it was my last day on the job site as duty calls and I am only able to complete one week of the build. I had the opportunity of saying goodbye to the local trades we worked along side with and the members of Covaga weaver's. They opened their arms to us, showed us their craft and allowed us to get to know them and their families. They will hold a special place in my heart and I will think of them often. I hope their weaving coop sustain and provide income for them and their families.
We are travelling this afternoon from Gashora and stopping in Kigali for lunch before continuing our travels to Muhabura. Our lunch was a highlight of the day. We had Burritos and taco from a restaurant called Maze Fresh. It was so delicious and the closest we have had to North American food in over one week.
Next stop was changing buses at the bus terminal. We pulled in and it was like we were steaks in a pack of lions (Awesome analogy Shawn!). OMG Our bus was surrounded by locals and hands we coming into our Windows to either beg or sell us things. We were able to pull out and change buses in a secure area. Thanks for saving us Lama!
Our final stop was at Muhabura Hotel in Muhabura, Rwanda. During our drive the highest elevation we reach going up and down the mountains was 7012 m. Muhabura is 4127M. See the separate images posts from along our travels today.
 |
| I guess you call that free riding?! |
12 hours and counting down to the beginning of our Gorilla trek! We feel so excited to be able to have this one in a life time bucket list opportunity….keep you posted as long as we escape the Gorilla’s…
Marianne Thompson
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
October 17: Day 4: Man Down!
Where did the day go? This was our feeling after the day was over! We continued our concrete mixing and our Congo lines to complete the main kitchen room floor. We knocked it off before lunch. A task a couple of days ago we believed it would take us two weeks.
Some of our team members did struggle today with handling the tray of concrete mix. I am told it was Kenny who dropped the most but I also saw trays being dropped by Sean, Rickie and Doug. Boys will be boys! They were trying to throw them down the line! Lol Who's buying the beers?
Unfortunately we had a man down today (DJ) due to a sinus cold. However we had his daughter Jodie arrive late last night and is a great addition to the team. Did we even miss DJ? Of course we did! The jobsite was a bit quieter! Lol Al kidding aside, we hope he is able to join us for our dinner and fire under the stars.
After work today we had an incredible experience of visiting the elementary school. The school houses 1070 students and 18 teacher's. They divide the students into 1/2 day sessions. School is provided for the children. However the parents must provide the uniform. The school has 12 computers and a satellite dish that was originally donated by Soft Choice and since the government has donated 400 laptops to the school. We proudly donated school supplies which was a collection amongst our team members! As we walked through the school yard the children came running to welcome us with open arms. We lost count how many hugs we all gave. This village has really welcomed us with open arms. This are special moments on this trip we will not forget.
Tomorrow...1/2 day ahead and then we will commute to our Gorilla trekking site accommodations so we are ready first thing Saturday morning to trek to find them. We are all so excited for this opportunity!
Marianne Thompson
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Some of our team members did struggle today with handling the tray of concrete mix. I am told it was Kenny who dropped the most but I also saw trays being dropped by Sean, Rickie and Doug. Boys will be boys! They were trying to throw them down the line! Lol Who's buying the beers?
Unfortunately we had a man down today (DJ) due to a sinus cold. However we had his daughter Jodie arrive late last night and is a great addition to the team. Did we even miss DJ? Of course we did! The jobsite was a bit quieter! Lol Al kidding aside, we hope he is able to join us for our dinner and fire under the stars.
After work today we had an incredible experience of visiting the elementary school. The school houses 1070 students and 18 teacher's. They divide the students into 1/2 day sessions. School is provided for the children. However the parents must provide the uniform. The school has 12 computers and a satellite dish that was originally donated by Soft Choice and since the government has donated 400 laptops to the school. We proudly donated school supplies which was a collection amongst our team members! As we walked through the school yard the children came running to welcome us with open arms. We lost count how many hugs we all gave. This village has really welcomed us with open arms. This are special moments on this trip we will not forget.
Tomorrow...1/2 day ahead and then we will commute to our Gorilla trekking site accommodations so we are ready first thing Saturday morning to trek to find them. We are all so excited for this opportunity!
Marianne Thompson
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
October 16: Day 3 - Mission Possible
Walking to the jobsite this morning we were all feeling great. A good night’s sleep, no hangovers and a couple of more climate adjusting days. We knew we had a tough day ahead with all of the concrete mixing and carrying work. Our day turned our great! It was our toughest day yet, most productive and the funniest day! Boy the day goes by fast when you’re laughing and having lots of fun in the sun! We are 17 people from all across Canada and one lonely American who have come together on this mission and we are a cohesive awesome team!!
Today we struggled slightly with supplies at the beginning. Running out of our key ingredient cement mix. We bought all we could from the Gashora village and then our local lead hand had to travel 35mins to the next village to be able to buy 8 bags there. How did the bags get from the other village to Gashora…well on bicycle taxi’s. You will see pictures below of the bicycles that carried our order for a couple of dollars for delivery. It would be an hour plus round trip for the bicycle taxis. Wow!
Water was the other key ingredient we ran out off. Not a lot of rain fall in Africa and we drained the tank. We quickly had a local hired to bring water out of the local river take and forth to us for the rest of the day. See how he carried the containers in the below pictures. Wow! Imagine his calf muscles!
Our conga lines worked great today getting the concrete from the mixing location into the building as well we had the local helpers on the mixing. We saved a lot of sore backs today! In the pictures below you will see our progress on completely the kitchen area floor. What we thought would be a two week task at the get go, we know believe it is possible to be able to complete it tomorrow. We will them move onto the two small rooms off the kitchen as well as starting to parge (Thin concrete mix that is flicked onto the wall with a trowel and smoothed over) the interior walls of the kitchen.
After we completed today, we went to the local pub for a “pop” and we were accompanied by one of our local lead hands who is a closet rapper. We convinced him to rap a couple of songs for us! He did a great job! Concrete mixer by day and rapper by night! LOL And to top it off, the beer was less expensive than our “resort”. 850 franc’s for a large pint. (672 franc = 1 USD) Yep beer is pretty cheap here!
Walking back to our home away from home, we felt good after our day! Knowing this mission is possible! We are already excited to see the end result…
Marianne Thompson
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
 | |
| Our local trades standing on the start of our concrete floor at the start of the day! |
Today we struggled slightly with supplies at the beginning. Running out of our key ingredient cement mix. We bought all we could from the Gashora village and then our local lead hand had to travel 35mins to the next village to be able to buy 8 bags there. How did the bags get from the other village to Gashora…well on bicycle taxi’s. You will see pictures below of the bicycles that carried our order for a couple of dollars for delivery. It would be an hour plus round trip for the bicycle taxis. Wow!
 |
| Dona and Hulio sitting on the job! |
Water was the other key ingredient we ran out off. Not a lot of rain fall in Africa and we drained the tank. We quickly had a local hired to bring water out of the local river take and forth to us for the rest of the day. See how he carried the containers in the below pictures. Wow! Imagine his calf muscles!
Our conga lines worked great today getting the concrete from the mixing location into the building as well we had the local helpers on the mixing. We saved a lot of sore backs today! In the pictures below you will see our progress on completely the kitchen area floor. What we thought would be a two week task at the get go, we know believe it is possible to be able to complete it tomorrow. We will them move onto the two small rooms off the kitchen as well as starting to parge (Thin concrete mix that is flicked onto the wall with a trowel and smoothed over) the interior walls of the kitchen.
 |
| Mark and Shawn loading up the dirt |
After we completed today, we went to the local pub for a “pop” and we were accompanied by one of our local lead hands who is a closet rapper. We convinced him to rap a couple of songs for us! He did a great job! Concrete mixer by day and rapper by night! LOL And to top it off, the beer was less expensive than our “resort”. 850 franc’s for a large pint. (672 franc = 1 USD) Yep beer is pretty cheap here!
Walking back to our home away from home, we felt good after our day! Knowing this mission is possible! We are already excited to see the end result…
 |
| Wow! The progress we made today! |
Marianne Thompson
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
October 15: Day 2
Today we wished we had access to a concrete truck! Wait…I think we will wish this the next many days of the build. This is the reality of building in a third world country. Today we mixed by shovel cement mix, stone (1 ½”) and sand. We lost count of the bags used and as you will see in the photo’s we have a large floor surface to cover. It’s going to be a long process. Backs are sore, arms are sore, it was a hot one and many walked back from the jobsite wearing concrete as well. Even though we have come accustom to the building processes and advanced tools back home, we keep our patience intact and enjoy the experience of working along side the local craftsmen and allow them to teach us how they build.As we discussed the day at our daily after work “pop” session, there was still laughter and fun left in the team.
It was a hard day and yet another great day working with the Covaga group and the locals of the Gashora village. Many of the lady weavers jumped in to help us today. Whether it was in the congo line so we could get the rocks from one side of the site into the new building or helping carrying the wet concrete mix into the building (Did I mention with babies on their back! They were our inspiration to keep going when we got tired!). As we worked along side, we had many conversations getting to know them and their families. They were quite eager to help us translate as well. Many can speak some English as well as French.
During our breaks when we should be resting, you would witness the team members talking with the young children, playing soccer with them, teaching them cart wheels or holding the very young babies. These are precious moments we experience during the day!
Night’s agenda will be sorting through all of the donations we all have brought to donate to the village. We have brought soccer uniforms, soccer balls, footballs, sports equipment and school supplies. It’s important to give to the village the right way so we do not cause a frenzy as well ensuring the most needy receive first. We also want to ensure the school supplies reach the school.
In the upcoming days, we will have the opportunity of visiting the local school as well a few of the locals have invited us into their homes proudly. Some exciting days to come….also 4 days until our Gorilla Trekking Excursion!
Marianne Thompson
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
 |
| Kenny working hard! |
It was a hard day and yet another great day working with the Covaga group and the locals of the Gashora village. Many of the lady weavers jumped in to help us today. Whether it was in the congo line so we could get the rocks from one side of the site into the new building or helping carrying the wet concrete mix into the building (Did I mention with babies on their back! They were our inspiration to keep going when we got tired!). As we worked along side, we had many conversations getting to know them and their families. They were quite eager to help us translate as well. Many can speak some English as well as French.
During our breaks when we should be resting, you would witness the team members talking with the young children, playing soccer with them, teaching them cart wheels or holding the very young babies. These are precious moments we experience during the day!
Night’s agenda will be sorting through all of the donations we all have brought to donate to the village. We have brought soccer uniforms, soccer balls, footballs, sports equipment and school supplies. It’s important to give to the village the right way so we do not cause a frenzy as well ensuring the most needy receive first. We also want to ensure the school supplies reach the school.
In the upcoming days, we will have the opportunity of visiting the local school as well a few of the locals have invited us into their homes proudly. Some exciting days to come….also 4 days until our Gorilla Trekking Excursion!
 | |||
| Our beautiful ston slugging work from yesterday. Today we began to add a cement layer on top. |
 |
| Team hard at work mixing concrete by hand. |
Marianne Thompson
DWC Volunteer Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
October 14: Day One on the Job Site
What an incredible day! Our day began with a 20 min. walk to the job site while our fearless leader took a motorcycle taxi with our head lead Dougie to get the job site prepared.
We arrived and inspected the site. Wow, we had 3 floors that needed to be leveled and stones applied over top before we can apply to complete the concrete floor. We knew it was going to be a tough slugging day.
We formed conga lines to move the stones faster from the rock pile to the building floor. We quickly realized how embracing the locals where of our presence and they joined into our conga line to help. Even the mother with babies strapped to their back. This village opened up to us with open arms. We had a very special day working along side them. At times we were singing together or learning each others languages by teaching words. Very special moments along the day.
Our lunch took us to a local restaurant in town called Lakeside. Far from being beside a lake. However, we enjoyed another very good African lunch of beans, rice, chips, pasta, spinach and pineapples for dessert.
After lunch we had the opportunity to understanding the Covaga Co-op which is a Weaving Co-op where 61 women and 1 man are members and sell their incredibly beautiful baskets and purses. We had the member present thank us for coming and helping build the kitchen for their site. These members spend countless hours weaving mainly baskets and they receive 90% of the sale price. The remaining 10% goes to the co-op for operations/administrations. One bowl/basket will take 2 days to create and will sell for 7500 francs ($11 CDN). The baskets are sold mainly to the groups who come to help the village, some locals and tourists.
Our day ended with a great dinner outdoors and a camp fire. It was newbie night for the campfire stick. This is where we stand in front of the group and share our thoughts from the day. All of the 7 new people who have not participated in a DWC trip before and most never to a third world country were blown away by the experience of the day to work along side the local residence to help build them a better future.
We are all looking forward to tackling day two...more to come!
Marianne Thompson
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
We arrived and inspected the site. Wow, we had 3 floors that needed to be leveled and stones applied over top before we can apply to complete the concrete floor. We knew it was going to be a tough slugging day.
We formed conga lines to move the stones faster from the rock pile to the building floor. We quickly realized how embracing the locals where of our presence and they joined into our conga line to help. Even the mother with babies strapped to their back. This village opened up to us with open arms. We had a very special day working along side them. At times we were singing together or learning each others languages by teaching words. Very special moments along the day.
Our lunch took us to a local restaurant in town called Lakeside. Far from being beside a lake. However, we enjoyed another very good African lunch of beans, rice, chips, pasta, spinach and pineapples for dessert.
After lunch we had the opportunity to understanding the Covaga Co-op which is a Weaving Co-op where 61 women and 1 man are members and sell their incredibly beautiful baskets and purses. We had the member present thank us for coming and helping build the kitchen for their site. These members spend countless hours weaving mainly baskets and they receive 90% of the sale price. The remaining 10% goes to the co-op for operations/administrations. One bowl/basket will take 2 days to create and will sell for 7500 francs ($11 CDN). The baskets are sold mainly to the groups who come to help the village, some locals and tourists.
Our day ended with a great dinner outdoors and a camp fire. It was newbie night for the campfire stick. This is where we stand in front of the group and share our thoughts from the day. All of the 7 new people who have not participated in a DWC trip before and most never to a third world country were blown away by the experience of the day to work along side the local residence to help build them a better future.
We are all looking forward to tackling day two...more to come!
Marianne Thompson
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
October 14: La Palisse, Our African Home
Here are some pics for our home away from home....
The team enjoying a "pop" after our long trek.
Our home away from home rooms...yes we have walls! :)
La Palisse is located right alongside a small lake that has both crocs and hippos. Guess no swimming is allowed!
Marianne Thompson
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
October 13: Arriving in Gashora
Good evening, we are all tucked in safe and sound at our new home. What we thought would only be an hour trek from Kigali turned into us arriving at Gashora at 3pm.
We had an interesting drive from the city. Many of the locals we walking along the road side in their Sunday best. We believe they must have been returning home from church. Three quarters of the drive was on a two lane paved road. This road was put in 4 years ago. We then turned on a road called "African Message Road" by our guide. It was a dirt road with pot holes. Compared to the dirt roads some of us have travelled on in other African countries it was pretty smooth.
Even though Rwanda is the poorest country in Africa, we had such an encouraging drive. We saw many houses be build. Many of high quality construction with doors, windows, columns out front as well as porches. We saw factories being built in these remote village which will bring jobs to these communities and improve the quality of the locals lives.
Even though we have accommodations with walls and doors, many of us were reminiscing about our accommodations we had in Tanzania. Actually missing the opportunity to sleep with just a mosquitoes net between us and nature. We now have a mosquitoes around our beds in our rooms with 4 walls, electricity and running water.
Our first team dinner! We had a fabulous authenic Africa meal on African time. (Long service! Nothing is fast in Africa.)
Sandy taking a picture of our special guest Raymond and his bride to be Maria! Raymond was our tour guide in previous builds in Tanzania and came to visit us during our short stay in Kigali! It was so great to see them!
Our fearless leader Rick addressing the team of our exciting build!
Lama from Building Bridges with Rwanda and Julio from Calgary
Our guide Steven with me!
We did not get a chance to visit the job site and the locals after we arrived. We are all so excited to get there tomorrow morning to inspect the site, set the plan and get hard at work. We expect tomorrow to be low 30's in temperature and the humidity does not seem as high here as Tanzania. Fingers crossed it's not too hot for our first day!
The Internet is not working where we are staying so we will do our best to keep you updated and have pictures posted.
Wish us luck for our first day....
Marianne Thompson
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
We had an interesting drive from the city. Many of the locals we walking along the road side in their Sunday best. We believe they must have been returning home from church. Three quarters of the drive was on a two lane paved road. This road was put in 4 years ago. We then turned on a road called "African Message Road" by our guide. It was a dirt road with pot holes. Compared to the dirt roads some of us have travelled on in other African countries it was pretty smooth.
Even though Rwanda is the poorest country in Africa, we had such an encouraging drive. We saw many houses be build. Many of high quality construction with doors, windows, columns out front as well as porches. We saw factories being built in these remote village which will bring jobs to these communities and improve the quality of the locals lives.
Even though we have accommodations with walls and doors, many of us were reminiscing about our accommodations we had in Tanzania. Actually missing the opportunity to sleep with just a mosquitoes net between us and nature. We now have a mosquitoes around our beds in our rooms with 4 walls, electricity and running water.
Our first team dinner! We had a fabulous authenic Africa meal on African time. (Long service! Nothing is fast in Africa.)
Sandy taking a picture of our special guest Raymond and his bride to be Maria! Raymond was our tour guide in previous builds in Tanzania and came to visit us during our short stay in Kigali! It was so great to see them!
Our fearless leader Rick addressing the team of our exciting build!
Lama from Building Bridges with Rwanda and Julio from Calgary
Our guide Steven with me!
We did not get a chance to visit the job site and the locals after we arrived. We are all so excited to get there tomorrow morning to inspect the site, set the plan and get hard at work. We expect tomorrow to be low 30's in temperature and the humidity does not seem as high here as Tanzania. Fingers crossed it's not too hot for our first day!
The Internet is not working where we are staying so we will do our best to keep you updated and have pictures posted.
Wish us luck for our first day....
Marianne Thompson
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
October 12: Cultural Tour Day
Good afternoon friends,
For some of our group it is our first full day in Kigali, Rwanda. A day for sight seeing and a cultural tour before we head to our build site tomorrow. Our team members that were here already visited the Genocide Memorial yesterday and highly recommended it to us.
Visiting the Genocide Memorial was very humbling as well very emotional. Learning that women and children were targeted first was very heard to hear. The images we viewed were heart breaking. Many stories of how the women were raped, infected with HIV, beaten before being killed as their young children watched before they were killed. Our hearts went out to the deceased as well as the survivors. We cannot imagine the trauma the survivors must be living with.
The Mass Grave sites
The Garden of Reconcillation
Wall of Victims Names
We all sat quiet and still after the 1 1/2 visit to sit and digest what we had just heard and saw during the visit. The memorial gardens are beautiful and an amazing tribe to those who lost their lives. So glad we had the opportunity to visit it and truly understand what caused the Genocide and how they have overcome those tragic days.
One of my favourite cultural experiences is have the opportunity of visiting a local market where artists sell their crafts. We found the Caplaki market this afternoon.
Visiting the local artist's market. Yes I still wearing the same clothes as my luggage still had not arrived. My luggage arrived 24 hrs after I arrived!
With team mate Julio and local women
The market was made up of little shops where each local sold their goods. Many spoke English and French.
Tonight is our first team dinner where we will discuss the week ahead of our build in Gashora, Rwanda. We will head there tomorrow and have the first look at our job site! We are all anxious to see the village, meet the local people and get to work.
Will update you tomorrow once we arrive in Gashora tomorrow...
Marianne Thompson
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
For some of our group it is our first full day in Kigali, Rwanda. A day for sight seeing and a cultural tour before we head to our build site tomorrow. Our team members that were here already visited the Genocide Memorial yesterday and highly recommended it to us.
Visiting the Genocide Memorial was very humbling as well very emotional. Learning that women and children were targeted first was very heard to hear. The images we viewed were heart breaking. Many stories of how the women were raped, infected with HIV, beaten before being killed as their young children watched before they were killed. Our hearts went out to the deceased as well as the survivors. We cannot imagine the trauma the survivors must be living with.
The Mass Grave sites
The Garden of Reconcillation
Wall of Victims Names
We all sat quiet and still after the 1 1/2 visit to sit and digest what we had just heard and saw during the visit. The memorial gardens are beautiful and an amazing tribe to those who lost their lives. So glad we had the opportunity to visit it and truly understand what caused the Genocide and how they have overcome those tragic days.
One of my favourite cultural experiences is have the opportunity of visiting a local market where artists sell their crafts. We found the Caplaki market this afternoon.
Visiting the local artist's market. Yes I still wearing the same clothes as my luggage still had not arrived. My luggage arrived 24 hrs after I arrived!
With team mate Julio and local women
The market was made up of little shops where each local sold their goods. Many spoke English and French.
Tonight is our first team dinner where we will discuss the week ahead of our build in Gashora, Rwanda. We will head there tomorrow and have the first look at our job site! We are all anxious to see the village, meet the local people and get to work.
Will update you tomorrow once we arrive in Gashora tomorrow...
Marianne Thompson
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2013
Friday, May 31, 2013
May 27: Covaga Kitchen Almost Complete!
The roof is done! Today we secured the last few metal roof sheets and the Covaga kitchen looks fantastic! Nothing is more satisfying than completing something so very tedious.
This past weekend was so amazing! We worked half a day on Friday alongside the members of a local bicycle taxi cooperative. In addition to working on the roof we spent the morning moving rocks from the field behind Covaga to the work site, where the smallest ones were used to level the ground for the patio of the future restaurant.
Afterwards the bicycle taxis took us to the Gashora Girl's Academy. After having visited and had lunch at this amazing school we all agreed that we wished we could have gone to school there, and many of us are dreaming of how amazing it would be to teach there. The academy is especially important because it is a girls-only school, providing young girls with the opportunity to get a high school education and become their country's future leaders. As a science and technology school, many girls go on to become doctors, engineers, and so much more. The girls we met were all so mature and had big dreams to go on in university and bring their skills back to Rwanda. They were truly inspiring.
After our visit we showered, packed, and headed to Kigali for the weekend. On our way into the city we stopped at ABC, a bagel cooperative, which is newly owned by a Canadian from my own province of Ontario. It was so weird recognizing her accent half way across the world! The bagels were AMAZING. We bought them for the next morning too, and treated ourselves to fresh bagel chips and tortilla chips!
Friday evening we went to an amazing Indian restaurant and followed that with a night of dancing. Kigali has an awesome night life.
Saturday we went to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre and Hôtel des Mille Collines (the real-life hotel from the movie "Hotel Rwanda".)
On Saturday evening we went out to a Mexican restaurant and ate burritos for dinner - they were sooooo good!! Dinner was followed by a bonfire and more dancing. On Sunday we stopped at a market on our way out of the city and got some more shopping in. The fabric and jewelry here is just stunning!
Tomorrow we will start the construction of kitchen gardens for some local Gashora families. Stay tuned!
Sarah May
DWC Student Team Participant
Rwanda, May 2013
This past weekend was so amazing! We worked half a day on Friday alongside the members of a local bicycle taxi cooperative. In addition to working on the roof we spent the morning moving rocks from the field behind Covaga to the work site, where the smallest ones were used to level the ground for the patio of the future restaurant.
Afterwards the bicycle taxis took us to the Gashora Girl's Academy. After having visited and had lunch at this amazing school we all agreed that we wished we could have gone to school there, and many of us are dreaming of how amazing it would be to teach there. The academy is especially important because it is a girls-only school, providing young girls with the opportunity to get a high school education and become their country's future leaders. As a science and technology school, many girls go on to become doctors, engineers, and so much more. The girls we met were all so mature and had big dreams to go on in university and bring their skills back to Rwanda. They were truly inspiring.
After our visit we showered, packed, and headed to Kigali for the weekend. On our way into the city we stopped at ABC, a bagel cooperative, which is newly owned by a Canadian from my own province of Ontario. It was so weird recognizing her accent half way across the world! The bagels were AMAZING. We bought them for the next morning too, and treated ourselves to fresh bagel chips and tortilla chips!
Friday evening we went to an amazing Indian restaurant and followed that with a night of dancing. Kigali has an awesome night life.
Saturday we went to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre and Hôtel des Mille Collines (the real-life hotel from the movie "Hotel Rwanda".)
On Saturday evening we went out to a Mexican restaurant and ate burritos for dinner - they were sooooo good!! Dinner was followed by a bonfire and more dancing. On Sunday we stopped at a market on our way out of the city and got some more shopping in. The fabric and jewelry here is just stunning!
Tomorrow we will start the construction of kitchen gardens for some local Gashora families. Stay tuned!
Sarah May
DWC Student Team Participant
Rwanda, May 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
May 24: One week to go ...
Today marked yet another milestone on the worksite: we finished roofing the main room of the building! It took more than a week of us rotating working on the roof's frame and hammering in hooks from below, but now the main room which will make up the innovation centre's kitchen is fully covered.
After work, we went on a walk. We visited a farming cooperative that was founded sixteen months ago by a guy who is only twenty six years old! Already, the cooperative of young farmers and landscapers is turning a profit. One of my favourite characteristics of Gashora is the large amount of cooperatives that are run in the town. It really builds a strong community, and keeps its inhabitants invested in improving the town. I can't help but think that Canadian cities could benefit from some sort of system similar to the one in Gashora.
On a much sadder note, today also marks one week until our last day in Gashora. We leave Rwanda next Saturday, but will be spending our last night in Kigali. I cannot believe how fast this amazing month has gone by. It really does feel like we just arrived, but at the same time, every single minute was filled with warm memories and huge accomplishments. With that in mind, it feels like we have in fact been together in Gashora for much longer than just three weeks. I feel like I have known the group members and our friends that we have met in Rwanda for years, and I will truly miss being around them all the time when we need to part ways at the airport.
The relationships I have built with Rwanda and the people I met here have deeply changed me. Though it is devastatingly depressing to think of leaving in just over a week, I know that I will find a way to return to this amazing country as soon as possible to see the progress that has been made at Covaga and the country as a whole.
After work, we went on a walk. We visited a farming cooperative that was founded sixteen months ago by a guy who is only twenty six years old! Already, the cooperative of young farmers and landscapers is turning a profit. One of my favourite characteristics of Gashora is the large amount of cooperatives that are run in the town. It really builds a strong community, and keeps its inhabitants invested in improving the town. I can't help but think that Canadian cities could benefit from some sort of system similar to the one in Gashora.
On a much sadder note, today also marks one week until our last day in Gashora. We leave Rwanda next Saturday, but will be spending our last night in Kigali. I cannot believe how fast this amazing month has gone by. It really does feel like we just arrived, but at the same time, every single minute was filled with warm memories and huge accomplishments. With that in mind, it feels like we have in fact been together in Gashora for much longer than just three weeks. I feel like I have known the group members and our friends that we have met in Rwanda for years, and I will truly miss being around them all the time when we need to part ways at the airport.
The relationships I have built with Rwanda and the people I met here have deeply changed me. Though it is devastatingly depressing to think of leaving in just over a week, I know that I will find a way to return to this amazing country as soon as possible to see the progress that has been made at Covaga and the country as a whole.
Natasha John
DWC Student Team Leader
Rwanda, May 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
May 20: Akagera National Park
I'm writing this post by the lake as the sun sets, after a laid back day of work at Covaga.
This weekend was incredible! We woke up at 4am on Saturday, packed sandwiches, and waited for our safari jeep to arrive so that we could go to Akagera National Park. We went to the park with Cedric (who is one of the university students that has been helping and guiding us on the construction site and off), and one of the Covaga ladies, Anastasia. The drive to the park was long and bumpy, but the view as the sun peaked out of the hills was absolutely gorgeous.
Akagera is very different from the rest of what we have seen in Rwanda. Instead of lush, green hills and mountains Akagera boasts the plains and grasses that Africa is so well-known for. We spent the day driving through Akagera on small rough-cut roads. Our jeep opened at the top, making the ride both totally fun and perfect for picture-taking. We saw so many animals! They included antelope in several different parts of the park, topi (a kind of antelope), hippos, two giraffes, water bucks, zebra, monkeys, a crocodile, water buffalo, a fish eagle, and warthogs. At the end of the day we stopped at the park hotel to have a bite to eat and were super excited when a family of baboons walked right by us. Little did we know how smart these particular baboons are, however, and as we were taking out our cameras to get some great shots of them they ran forward and stole away our food! The ironic thing was that the main thing they took were bananas! Over-all it was an amazing day.
On Sunday we took a bus to a town about 45 minutes away from Gashora, where our construction "boss" Peter lives. Peter, Cedric, and the other university students were all there and hosted a lunch for us, with cassava bread taking centre stage. It was delicious!
After lunch we walked to the town's Genocide Memorial, which at the time had been a church that thousands of Tutsis hid in and around. During the Genocide the church became a site of mass massacre, so today it is a memorial that is filled with the clothes and bones of those who died. This visit was emotionally difficult for us all, but it was so important that we went so that we can truly be part of an international community that works in solidarity with Rwanda today while also never allowing ourselves to forget what occurred 19 years ago.
Sunday evening we went to Mayor's house and he hosted a dinner for us. Mayor oversaw last year's construction team the way that Peter does for this team. Dinner was followed by live music and dancing!
This week at Covaga we are slowly starting to put up the metal roof panels of the building. It's a slow process but it looks like it will be completed by Friday!
Sarah May
DWC Student Team Participant
Rwanda, May 2013
This weekend was incredible! We woke up at 4am on Saturday, packed sandwiches, and waited for our safari jeep to arrive so that we could go to Akagera National Park. We went to the park with Cedric (who is one of the university students that has been helping and guiding us on the construction site and off), and one of the Covaga ladies, Anastasia. The drive to the park was long and bumpy, but the view as the sun peaked out of the hills was absolutely gorgeous.
Akagera is very different from the rest of what we have seen in Rwanda. Instead of lush, green hills and mountains Akagera boasts the plains and grasses that Africa is so well-known for. We spent the day driving through Akagera on small rough-cut roads. Our jeep opened at the top, making the ride both totally fun and perfect for picture-taking. We saw so many animals! They included antelope in several different parts of the park, topi (a kind of antelope), hippos, two giraffes, water bucks, zebra, monkeys, a crocodile, water buffalo, a fish eagle, and warthogs. At the end of the day we stopped at the park hotel to have a bite to eat and were super excited when a family of baboons walked right by us. Little did we know how smart these particular baboons are, however, and as we were taking out our cameras to get some great shots of them they ran forward and stole away our food! The ironic thing was that the main thing they took were bananas! Over-all it was an amazing day.
On Sunday we took a bus to a town about 45 minutes away from Gashora, where our construction "boss" Peter lives. Peter, Cedric, and the other university students were all there and hosted a lunch for us, with cassava bread taking centre stage. It was delicious!
After lunch we walked to the town's Genocide Memorial, which at the time had been a church that thousands of Tutsis hid in and around. During the Genocide the church became a site of mass massacre, so today it is a memorial that is filled with the clothes and bones of those who died. This visit was emotionally difficult for us all, but it was so important that we went so that we can truly be part of an international community that works in solidarity with Rwanda today while also never allowing ourselves to forget what occurred 19 years ago.
Sunday evening we went to Mayor's house and he hosted a dinner for us. Mayor oversaw last year's construction team the way that Peter does for this team. Dinner was followed by live music and dancing!
This week at Covaga we are slowly starting to put up the metal roof panels of the building. It's a slow process but it looks like it will be completed by Friday!
Sarah May
DWC Student Team Participant
Rwanda, May 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013
May 17: Birthday Celebrations and Rwandan Healthcare
Today was a huge day. First of all, it is Jenna's birthday. They day started off with the exchange of handmade birthday cards -- written with pen on ruled paper -- and the usual vats of delicious Rwandan coffee.
Then, at work we finished plastering the walls of the entire innovation centre. We've been plastering pretty much every day since starting to work at Covaga, so it is a huge accomplishment. We also finished making the "portable scaffolding" that we started on yesterday. These will allow us to paint the welded seams between the poles that are now serving as the roof's skeleton.
Also, a big group of bird watchers came through Gashora today, so the women of Covaga brought out all their wares onto the lawn. It was an amazing sight to see, the dozens of women decked out in colourful clothes among the hundreds of woven baskets.
After work, the group went to see Gashora's health centre. Rwanda has made very impressive leaps in the past two decades with regards to social services. We learned earlier that eighty-five percent of Rwandans have health insurance, and that the least wealthy of the population do not pay for any health services. What stood out the most for me while visiting the health centre was the importance placed on family planning and maternal health. Almost half of the main building is dedicated to those services, and couples are encouraged to visit the family planning counsellor where they have access to free contraception.
As our time in Rwanda goes on, my admiration for this country grows. The dedication that it shows towards caring for its people is outstanding, and should serve as an example for other countries not only in Africa, but further abroad as well
Natasha John
DWC Student Team Leader
Rwanda, May 2013
Then, at work we finished plastering the walls of the entire innovation centre. We've been plastering pretty much every day since starting to work at Covaga, so it is a huge accomplishment. We also finished making the "portable scaffolding" that we started on yesterday. These will allow us to paint the welded seams between the poles that are now serving as the roof's skeleton.
Also, a big group of bird watchers came through Gashora today, so the women of Covaga brought out all their wares onto the lawn. It was an amazing sight to see, the dozens of women decked out in colourful clothes among the hundreds of woven baskets.
After work, the group went to see Gashora's health centre. Rwanda has made very impressive leaps in the past two decades with regards to social services. We learned earlier that eighty-five percent of Rwandans have health insurance, and that the least wealthy of the population do not pay for any health services. What stood out the most for me while visiting the health centre was the importance placed on family planning and maternal health. Almost half of the main building is dedicated to those services, and couples are encouraged to visit the family planning counsellor where they have access to free contraception.
As our time in Rwanda goes on, my admiration for this country grows. The dedication that it shows towards caring for its people is outstanding, and should serve as an example for other countries not only in Africa, but further abroad as well
Natasha John
DWC Student Team Leader
Rwanda, May 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
May 15: 'Muzungos' Hard at Work
Today was our 8th day working on the Covaga Kitchen and things are moving along great! We start and end every working day in the most amazing way possible: the kids in Gashora absolutely love us "muzungos" (Kinyarwanden for "white person") and will run in huge groups when they see us coming down the road so that they can walk us to our destination. There is nothing cuter than seeing a dozen young children running at you with open arms yelling and screaming for others to come and join them.
We are still finishing up some last plastering of the higher parts of the walls in the building. We also have a frame for the roof well on its way - thanks to the skilled labour of some hired welders. It is totally fascinating to see the many ways that they make do with the limited tools that they have. They are very innovative and do not waste anything in the construction process.
We are all fully enjoying our weekly purchases of the Covaga products. Their baskets are absolutely stunning and they also make beautiful bags, bracelets, earrings, coasters and other items. We are spreading out our purchases between the women in the cooperative and throughout the duration of the trip so that they have money each week to spend on more materials.
Goats are everywhere in Rwanda. We see them walking through town on leashes all the time, often easily mistaking them for dogs. On our walk home today we saw an adorable baby goat and its momma by the side of the road munching away on grass. The kids picked up the baby so that we could pet it. Cuteness overload!
This weekend we will be going to Akagera National Park in a safari jeep. We are all super excited!
Sarah May
DWC Student Team Participant
Rwanda, May 2013
We are still finishing up some last plastering of the higher parts of the walls in the building. We also have a frame for the roof well on its way - thanks to the skilled labour of some hired welders. It is totally fascinating to see the many ways that they make do with the limited tools that they have. They are very innovative and do not waste anything in the construction process.
We are all fully enjoying our weekly purchases of the Covaga products. Their baskets are absolutely stunning and they also make beautiful bags, bracelets, earrings, coasters and other items. We are spreading out our purchases between the women in the cooperative and throughout the duration of the trip so that they have money each week to spend on more materials.
Goats are everywhere in Rwanda. We see them walking through town on leashes all the time, often easily mistaking them for dogs. On our walk home today we saw an adorable baby goat and its momma by the side of the road munching away on grass. The kids picked up the baby so that we could pet it. Cuteness overload!
This weekend we will be going to Akagera National Park in a safari jeep. We are all super excited!
Sarah May
DWC Student Team Participant
Rwanda, May 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
May 14: The Country of a Thousand Hills
It's been a few days since a blog post because our team had a wonderful second weekend in Rwanda exploring the many rolling hills of the North West. They certainly call it the country of a thousand hills for a reason! The view during our many bus rides was breathtaking and frequently kept me from napping or reading.
We ended work early on Friday, and that worked out perfectly as it was the first morning we have had so far where we were limited in what we could do by persistent rains. We are still finishing up the plastering of some high walls of the building, but the rain slowed down that process. So instead we finished most of the painting that needed to be done. We are currently painting the metal for the roof with an anti-rusting solution that also happens to be an eye-catching bright red.
The bus ride from Gashora to Munsanze was bumpy and cramped, but it was also quite interesting. People in Rwanda are so friendly that we had many conversations with other bus riders in English, French, and some simple Kinyarwandan. Children waved at us from the side of the road too -- everyone wants to say hello not only because it is a friendly culture but also because Western visitors are still quite rare here.
After a fantastic dinner at our hotel most of the team went out dancing with local university students and stayed out super late - but not by Rwandan standards!
The next morning we went up a winding mountain road to visit a Twa cultural village that reminded me a bit of Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto. The really cool thing is that this village is at the base of the mountain that hikers take to visit some of the last Silverback Mountain Gorillas in the world. Although we couldn't afford the permit cost to visit them ourselves, being so close to their home was super cool.
My favourite part of the cultural village was probably the target practice where several members of our team tried to shoot a target with a traditional bow and wooden arrow. It's harder than it looks! I can only imagine how much harder it would be as a moving target (an animal). The Twa people have since shifted from a hunter gatherer society to an agricultural one, mostly in an effort to protect Rwanda's environment and endangered species - but they also sell beautiful carved wooden items and woven baskets similar to those at Covaga. Shopping this way is simply the best. I also quite enjoyed the dancing and drumming at the end of the visit, which we all participated in.
Saturday evening and Sunday morning were spent by the shores of Lake Kivu - so beautiful! We saw the prettiest sunset followed by a stunning light show of lighting in the distant mountains. Lake Kivu is absolutely huge -- very comparable to our Canadian Great Lakes at least from the biased vantage point of our hotel.
Everyone we speak to asks us to go back to our country as ambassadors for them, sharing with others how beautiful and peaceful it is to travel to Rwanda. And that we will! Many of us are already thinking of ways to come back again in the future. It's so unfortunate that most of the world still views Rwanda as a frozen image of its past when things have changed so very much in the past 19 years. On our bus rides I noticed several different Genocide memorials. They are in many towns and cities, so it is always remembered even as the country moves forward and leads the way in gender equality and environmental stewardship.
Sarah May
DWC Student Team Participant
Rwanda, May 2013
We ended work early on Friday, and that worked out perfectly as it was the first morning we have had so far where we were limited in what we could do by persistent rains. We are still finishing up the plastering of some high walls of the building, but the rain slowed down that process. So instead we finished most of the painting that needed to be done. We are currently painting the metal for the roof with an anti-rusting solution that also happens to be an eye-catching bright red.
The bus ride from Gashora to Munsanze was bumpy and cramped, but it was also quite interesting. People in Rwanda are so friendly that we had many conversations with other bus riders in English, French, and some simple Kinyarwandan. Children waved at us from the side of the road too -- everyone wants to say hello not only because it is a friendly culture but also because Western visitors are still quite rare here.
After a fantastic dinner at our hotel most of the team went out dancing with local university students and stayed out super late - but not by Rwandan standards!
The next morning we went up a winding mountain road to visit a Twa cultural village that reminded me a bit of Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto. The really cool thing is that this village is at the base of the mountain that hikers take to visit some of the last Silverback Mountain Gorillas in the world. Although we couldn't afford the permit cost to visit them ourselves, being so close to their home was super cool.
My favourite part of the cultural village was probably the target practice where several members of our team tried to shoot a target with a traditional bow and wooden arrow. It's harder than it looks! I can only imagine how much harder it would be as a moving target (an animal). The Twa people have since shifted from a hunter gatherer society to an agricultural one, mostly in an effort to protect Rwanda's environment and endangered species - but they also sell beautiful carved wooden items and woven baskets similar to those at Covaga. Shopping this way is simply the best. I also quite enjoyed the dancing and drumming at the end of the visit, which we all participated in.
Saturday evening and Sunday morning were spent by the shores of Lake Kivu - so beautiful! We saw the prettiest sunset followed by a stunning light show of lighting in the distant mountains. Lake Kivu is absolutely huge -- very comparable to our Canadian Great Lakes at least from the biased vantage point of our hotel.
Everyone we speak to asks us to go back to our country as ambassadors for them, sharing with others how beautiful and peaceful it is to travel to Rwanda. And that we will! Many of us are already thinking of ways to come back again in the future. It's so unfortunate that most of the world still views Rwanda as a frozen image of its past when things have changed so very much in the past 19 years. On our bus rides I noticed several different Genocide memorials. They are in many towns and cities, so it is always remembered even as the country moves forward and leads the way in gender equality and environmental stewardship.
Sarah May
DWC Student Team Participant
Rwanda, May 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
May 8: Teamwork, Hardwork, and a Beer by the Lake
Today was our third day in Gashora but already it feels like home. I would never have imagined that going to work in such a dramatically different country than my own with a bunch of strangers (save for extensive prep emailing) could be so easy. Our group immediately became a tight-knit team, which has really helped us to get down to business at the work site right away.
Today was so far the hardest in terms of heat (the sun blazed without respite all day) and the previous two days' effects on my body that is unaccustomed to manual labour have become apparent. My shoulders are sore, my hands at the risk of blistering, and my hair a tangled mess. Despite these setbacks, today was yet another super-productive day. We went through bags of cement at record speed, and tirelessly climbed all over the scaffolding we helped build yesterday.
At lunch, you could tell that the group was absolutely beat, but lemon Fanta and the group's collective motivation pushed us through the rest of the day. So much so, in fact, that we worked an hour later than usual.
Today was so far the hardest in terms of heat (the sun blazed without respite all day) and the previous two days' effects on my body that is unaccustomed to manual labour have become apparent. My shoulders are sore, my hands at the risk of blistering, and my hair a tangled mess. Despite these setbacks, today was yet another super-productive day. We went through bags of cement at record speed, and tirelessly climbed all over the scaffolding we helped build yesterday.
At lunch, you could tell that the group was absolutely beat, but lemon Fanta and the group's collective motivation pushed us through the rest of the day. So much so, in fact, that we worked an hour later than usual.
Tonight will most definitely be one spent doing laundry and stretching out the day's work with some yoga. We'll probably squeeze in a pre-dinner beer by the lake as well. Life is good.
Natasha John
DWC Student Team Leader
Rwanda, May 2013
Natasha John
DWC Student Team Leader
Rwanda, May 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
May 6: Welcome to Gashora!
We've arrived in Rwanda! Our team is ten students from across Canada and we are having a blast already, just five days into this great adventure! Rwanda is a beautiful and lush country and as it is the end of their rainy season we're experiencing some great weather: humid and sunny for most of the day with showers and brief heavy rains to cool us down while we work. The people we have met so far both in Kigali (the capital) and in Gashora are so incredibly welcoming - and funny! Even through the language barrier we're sharing jokes, singing, dancing and cracking up throughout the day as we work.
We arrived Saturday night and stayed in La Palisse in Kigali, where we were paired up into adorable little cottages in a secluded and tropical area. The next morning we got our first taste of Rwandan buffet-style food and so far we're loving it! Their dishes have LOTS of carbs (potatoes, plantain, rice, beans and pasta) but they also have a wide selection of fresh fruits and veggies that are grown locally. The avocados here are the biggest I've ever seen!
Sunday we explored Kigali a little bit and did some shopping. Then we all got on the bus and travelled an hour and a half to rural Gashora, which is our home base and work site for the duration of the trip. Our La Palisse hotel here is on a stunning property overlooking a beautiful lake. There are so many birds here! They do a great job of waking us up at 6am each day! In fact, on Monday morning we saw a GIANT eagle of some kind right by our outdoor breakfast buffet - flying away with an even more giant tree branch. Sadly the photo I got is only a blur, but I hope to see another eagle like that soon - perhaps at Akagera National Park mid-month.
After breakfast on Monday we walked down the road 20 minutes to the worksite at the Covaga Innovation Centre. The women of the weaver's cooperative welcomed us with open arms and sang and danced for us, and we got to work! We are currently working on a building that will serve us a restaurant for Gashora visitors and as a kitchen to hold cooking and nutrition classes for the community. Monday was spent plastering the inside walls of the building, and today we finished most of the plastering and began building scaffolding for the roof. We are working with some hired locals and have been making great progress!
It's lots of hard work each day but it is so fun and we take awesome breaks by playing with the children when they are off from school. They all love to be photographed and to take photos while wearing our terribly muddy sunglasses - they are such a joy! They follow us in large groups as we walk down the road back to the hotel, and many of them speak fantastic English. I wish I could say the same about my Kinyarwanden!
We will be working five days a week and spending weekends exploring other parts of Rwanda. This weekend we will be going north to Lake Kivu and a cultural centre in Musanze. Can't wait!
Sarah May
DWC Student Participant
May 2013, Rwanda
We arrived Saturday night and stayed in La Palisse in Kigali, where we were paired up into adorable little cottages in a secluded and tropical area. The next morning we got our first taste of Rwandan buffet-style food and so far we're loving it! Their dishes have LOTS of carbs (potatoes, plantain, rice, beans and pasta) but they also have a wide selection of fresh fruits and veggies that are grown locally. The avocados here are the biggest I've ever seen!
Sunday we explored Kigali a little bit and did some shopping. Then we all got on the bus and travelled an hour and a half to rural Gashora, which is our home base and work site for the duration of the trip. Our La Palisse hotel here is on a stunning property overlooking a beautiful lake. There are so many birds here! They do a great job of waking us up at 6am each day! In fact, on Monday morning we saw a GIANT eagle of some kind right by our outdoor breakfast buffet - flying away with an even more giant tree branch. Sadly the photo I got is only a blur, but I hope to see another eagle like that soon - perhaps at Akagera National Park mid-month.
After breakfast on Monday we walked down the road 20 minutes to the worksite at the Covaga Innovation Centre. The women of the weaver's cooperative welcomed us with open arms and sang and danced for us, and we got to work! We are currently working on a building that will serve us a restaurant for Gashora visitors and as a kitchen to hold cooking and nutrition classes for the community. Monday was spent plastering the inside walls of the building, and today we finished most of the plastering and began building scaffolding for the roof. We are working with some hired locals and have been making great progress!
We will be working five days a week and spending weekends exploring other parts of Rwanda. This weekend we will be going north to Lake Kivu and a cultural centre in Musanze. Can't wait!
Sarah May
DWC Student Participant
May 2013, Rwanda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)