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
Saturday, May 18, 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
Monday, October 29, 2012
October 26: Building the Covaga kitchen, a construction perspective!!
Under the guidance of our tradesman and our Boss Pierre (the Mayor) our team helped build the columns and walls for the Covaga Kitchen. We learned to break stones, make bricks, carry bricks, make mortar and carry mortar. Kim, Brenda and Chris picked a column then a wall and started building. Mike and Faran jumped on bicycles with their kids as helpers and rode to the nearest slough for water, complete with tadpoles! When it started raining so hard we were able to fill all of the containers and a make a shift pool, all in aide of making mortar with Vincent our local tradesman cement man, singer, dancer and youth worker. Jess and Hasti worked steadily on the back curved wall and were lifting the blocks higher and higher as the wall progressed. Jen spent much of her time helping tradesman Thomas (Fresh) keeping him supplied with cement while at the same time answering all of everyone’s questions. I helped tradesman Edward and hauled bricks to various stations. None of us were afraid to have some fun and take a break to photograph the kids, or play some games. Cedric, our guide and interpreter worked with us building, interpreting and teaching us culture and having fun. We all worked hard as a team with the tradesman and are happy to have accomplished so much in two weeks but we are also sad to be leaving our new friends including the tradesman, the children and all of the wonderful weavers at the Covaga Innovation Center. Next project … Building the roof!!!!
Russ Carmichael
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2012
Russ Carmichael
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2012
October 22: "Umuganda" and Weaving
Today was our 2nd week of work on our community project at the Covaga Innovation Centre in Gashora. But enriching our experience today was a ½ day of Government initiated “umuganda” community service that occurs once every month in the district. On this day the entire community pitches in to work on roads, fields and anything else to benefit the residents of the community.
This was the most amazing experience, because we had the opportunity to work with everyone in town! Women, children and men alike, all sharing tools and working side by side. Members of other cooperatives, Government workers, shop owners, families and everything in between. I would like to see this activity at home – a chance for the community to come together, learn from each others skill sets and to find out who our neighbors are. Rwanda may not be a developing country after all!
Today we also had the opportunity to try our hand at weaving, thanks to the wonderful, talented weavers at the Covaga Co-op. Braiding and weaving headbands, flip flops, baskets and some things we're not even sure what they were to start! It amazes me that these women, some of them in their 50s and 60s, sit on the floor hunched over their projects for hours on end every day, without any ill effects, and then jump to their feet to sing and dance.
The remainder of the day included lunch (shockingly, rice, beans and potato again – but today a new feature – baked sweet potato) while getting to know my fellow travelers and another ½ day of working on the Covaga kitchen walls. Team work abounds between the Rwandan skilled workers we work with, the Covaga co-op members, the children and the DWC volunteers. I’m continually amazed by the fact that it matters not what language we speak – somehow we’re able to laugh, learn and build together towards a common goal. It’s a small world.
Brenda Garcia
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
October 21: Friendly faces and amazing animals
Well, we begin week 2 tomorrow in Gashora! We will be starting with the brick work on the walls now that the rock columns are finished. It is very exciting to see the progress we have been making over the last week. So many friendly faces in Gashora and every other place we have visited. We also got to meet some of the people that live around the medical center project being built in Kazo today. Everywhere we go they welcome us with open arms and friendly smiles. Such an amazing place…we also went on safari today and saw baboons, hippos, giraffes and many other amazing animals. Can’t wait to see what this week has in store for us!
Mike Baillie
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2012
Mike Baillie
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
October 17: Pea soup!
Today we had pea soup. It was a very welcome change as we have grown tired of the usual rice, beans and potato wedges. Though peas have been readily available throughout our stay in Rwanda, having them in liquid form caused an excitement at the dinner table! Aside from the food, the constant supply of 0.0% Bavaria beer has kept my spirits afloat. Working on the New kitchen at Covaga has been cool too :)
Faran Mahboubi
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2012
October 15: An eye-opening and heart warming start
The past few days have been eye-opening and heart warming. After landing in Kigali, we visited the genocide museum, which was emotional and difficult. But it was informative, and we learned so much about the history of genocide in Rwanda, and throughout the world. It was inspiring to see how Rwanda is dedicated to moving forward and healing as a nation.
Our group is an amazing bunch, and we have bonded in such a short time. We are all open to this experience and after spending the afternoon visiting the Covaga Centre, we have seen firsthand the efforts of past teams and the great work they have done. We viewed the weaving boutique and the amazing women who are working hard at their craft to help earn money for their families. We will begin work on the kitchen tomorrow which will serve as a training center where locals can learn not only how to compost and dry their harvest, but prepare it as well. This is part of the nutrition initiative that was started by the Western Washington University students. The collaborative efforts are apparent everywhere.
After walking back to our hotel, we held many children’s hands and their warm smiles and innocence made us laugh. Faran was a star with the children, teaching them rap music and having marathon races in the village. It was an incredible experience to connect with the children, who were clearly thrilled at us “muzungos”.
I can only imagine what the next 2 weeks will bring. To think that last week I was standing in my kitchen and unhappy with my kitchen counter tops, to being here and realizing how important our efforts are! I can’t wait to start mixing some concrete and building walls which will be the structure for the kitchen. There is no question that this trip is life changing, rewarding, and unforgettable!
Kim Hotzon
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2012
Our group is an amazing bunch, and we have bonded in such a short time. We are all open to this experience and after spending the afternoon visiting the Covaga Centre, we have seen firsthand the efforts of past teams and the great work they have done. We viewed the weaving boutique and the amazing women who are working hard at their craft to help earn money for their families. We will begin work on the kitchen tomorrow which will serve as a training center where locals can learn not only how to compost and dry their harvest, but prepare it as well. This is part of the nutrition initiative that was started by the Western Washington University students. The collaborative efforts are apparent everywhere.
After walking back to our hotel, we held many children’s hands and their warm smiles and innocence made us laugh. Faran was a star with the children, teaching them rap music and having marathon races in the village. It was an incredible experience to connect with the children, who were clearly thrilled at us “muzungos”.
I can only imagine what the next 2 weeks will bring. To think that last week I was standing in my kitchen and unhappy with my kitchen counter tops, to being here and realizing how important our efforts are! I can’t wait to start mixing some concrete and building walls which will be the structure for the kitchen. There is no question that this trip is life changing, rewarding, and unforgettable!
Kim Hotzon
DWC Participant
Rwanda, October 2012
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