Earth Mother

Home Sweet Home

2010-04-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

I got home late Thursday night after 38 hours of travelling; I was on the last flight out of Brussels due to the volcano eruption in Iceland. I do not think the Whole Planet people made it home because they left a day after me and were going through Amsterdam. After less than 24 yours in Capitola, I fondly remember all of my experiences in Kenya but am now back to 24/7 Seventh Generation. Emails, conference calls, reports, analysis, catch-up with the Natural Specialty Team and brokers etc. now dominate my life.

At this point there is little integration between my passion and my work; luckily I work for a company I believe in that does good things. I look forward to when I can mesh both and maintain the excitement and pleasure I experienced throughout the trip to Kenya. Lots of decisions to make about how and where to spend my time after my commitment to SVG is up at the end of 2011. I will take time later this year to develop a plan that provides the balance and purpose I want for the rest of my life. I am so jealous of people that have that now!

Stay tuned to where and how I will live during the next phase of my life...

Field Trip Continued…

2010-04-14T05:02:00.000-07:00

By the time we arrived at the Mount Kenya Safari Club to spend the night, it was after 9:30PM. We saw an incredible lightening show through the last half of the trip and Mt Kenya was highlighted during many of the strikes. It was a very powerful vision. The club was originally owned by William Holden (famous actor in the 1950s) and a few of his friends. This historic club is situated on the Equator at the foot of Mt. Kenya. The members and visitors before it became a Fairmont Hotel were royalty, heads of state as well as stars of stage and screen. They have an extensive animal orphanage on sight as well. We had a late breakfast and I have a picture of Susan, the Outreach Director of Jamii Bora before we left to an office in Nanyuki.

We met Nancy who was recently robbed because she sits alone in a small office without the benefit of the bullet proof glass or other safety features of a regular bank. Her office was next to the new Nakumatt (Kenya’s Wal-Mart). I thought Joy, Jewel and Genie (all from Whole Planet Foundation) would like to see a supermarket and they will have much to share with their teammates when they return. We then started the last leg of our journey to visit one of the newer branches opened last September in the Embu District.

The branch manager was a young man (most are older women) and he had a different perspective when it came to his clients because he wanted to bring in more young people and does a big outreach at local schools and organizations with 18-25 year old. We met some of their clients but one young woman spoke very eloquently about why she became a member. At first she did not believe the concept of Jamii Bora was “on the level” and was very skeptical. It took a few months and her girl friends explaining how they saved and were able to get a 10,000 shilling loan. She finally talked to the people in this branch and because it looked just like a bank, she thought her savings would be safe and she found five other friends to join with her. She almost has enough savings to get her first loan. I was glad to hear this story because so much of what I hear are the immediate successes and now I know they can explain the program and concept to all and make it available through the outreach programs.

I am sorry to say I did not take an extra memory card so I have no photos of this part of the trip but you can go to the Whole Planet site to see many. It was another long and emotional day but I would not have missed it! The van dropped us off at the Fairview around 7:30PM and we said goodbye to Susan. We look forward to her visit to the USA in July. I leave tomorrow but The Whole Planet Team will have some one-on-one time with Ingrid Munro.

I will write my reflections of the trip when I return home on Friday.

Jamii Bora Field Trip

2010-04-14T04:05:00.001-07:00

We arrived in Nyeri after a three hour journey from Nairobi. The branch team and clients met us singing as they did last time. It was like a homecoming for me to see so many of the same people and I was shocked by some of their comments.
Both the men and women remembered my visit last August and I was touched by their comments. One of the farmers was telling his story and he said that he now uses “organic” fertilizer for his crops because of the comments I made on the last trip about how harmful the chemicals were to him, his family, livestock and the crops. He also said he could get more money for it and it is paying off for him and he is telling other farmers to do the same. I was shocked and very pleased that I had this kind of impact on their practices.
Another women in a beautiful red dress remembered that when I came she just started with her first loan and considered herself poor. Now she has a 20,000 shilling loan and has a shop and wanted me to see how much better off she is now.
We were then invited to visit two farms and it was an amazing experience. It was just like Rwanda where they were so honored you came to their home to meet their family and to see their farm. They also had to provide refreshments and during the course of the day ate lots of bananas, sweet potatoes and arrowroot.

This farmer (who has a degree in thelogy) was showing how he grafted different types of coffee plants to be more resilient. He pointed out his composting and manure systems to fertilize the crops and it was rudimentary but very impressive.
A woman farmer had just bought a water pump to help irrigate her fields and was waiting to install it next week. Here daughters performed a poem for us after we visited her fields.

We traveled to the Kagumo branch where we met more clients and visited another larger farm of a member who farmed as well as had the welding shop in town. This group was the most lively and entertaining as well as successful. There were three generations on the farm with the grandmother, daughter and baby. The contagious happiness and joy of this family and their friends was another highlight of the trip.

Our last stop for the day at 6:30 in the dusk was a new member who was a widow. We saw the lack of repair on her farm but with her first loan she was buying a cow to help her with organic materials to use a fertilizer and to sell the milk.

We saw many different types of clients who have been touched by Jamii Bora and there is so much more to they can do by adding banks in more communities.

KIBERA

2010-04-11T04:01:00.000-07:00

Kibera is a neighborhood and division of Nairobi, Kenya. It is the largest of Nairobi's slums, and the second largest urban slum in Africa, with a population estimated at 1.5-2 million inhabitants; most of whom lack electricity and running water. To give some perspective, it is a little smaller than Central Park in New York City. Kibera accounts for less than 1% of Nairobi's total area, but holds more than a quarter of its population. If you want to see Kibera, it is featured in Fernando Meirelles's film The Constant Gardener, which is based on the book of the same name by John le Carré.

Thanks to the open sewage system and the frequent use of "flying toilets"; it is contaminated with garbage, and human waste. The lack of sanitation combined with poor nutrition accounts for many illnesses and diseases. It is estimated that one-fifth of the 2.2 million Kenyans living with HIV live in Kibera.

We met at the Jamii Boro bank branch and then went to the top of a six story building to see it from a distance. We were all standing near the laundry lines listening to a history lesson. After that we toured the market that Jamii Boro helped to rebuild after the violence during the last election. One of our guides, John was the leader of the gang that destroyed the market. He is now a promoter for Jamii Boro and has been recruiting gang members to turn around their lives like he did. There are other promoters who were prostitutes, alcoholics, criminals, and beggars. The philosophy of the organization is you have to “walk in their shoes” and speak the same language in order to help.

We met a number of their clients in the market and one from the Muslim village (a total of 15) invited us to see her home. Eleven people lived in a 10x10 shack…words cannot describe it and since it was in the Muslim community, they would not allow photos.

We traveled to another village to a restaurant owned by one of the clients and had goat, tomatoes, spinach and maize for lunch. It was all finger food and not the best meal of my visit. I wish I was a beer drinker because the ice cold Tuskers looked great. I settled for a bitter lemon and it hit the spot after six hours in the sun. We were asked if we wanted to attend a football match after lunch but we decided to come back to the hotel.

As I took my shower and began to feel like a “human being” again, I could not help but think about the fact that none of the people I saw today would have that luxury. The words of the one speaker who said sanitation means dignity, really hit home. This experience will help me make some decisions when I return. Tomorrow, we head to Northern Kenya to meet the clients in the coffee producing areas.

An Amazing Day

2010-04-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Each day I am amazed by the quality of the speakers and the timeliness of the topics. As a business person, today had the most interesting and engaging sessions for me. The highlight of my day was meeting Professor Yunus and Professor Latiffee of the Grameen Trust. I had the opportunity to discuss Seventh Generation and why we are a Social Business and partner with Whole Planet Foundation. I also met Hans Reitz, the CEO for the Grameen Creative Lab. Hans is someone I think Jeffrey would enjoy meeting and discussing how to tie into his global network of Social Businesses. Another fascinating speaker was the Founder of Bamboo Finance/Blue Orchard Fund from Switzerland talking about financing social business for profit. The passion they all expressed was contagious.

I attended a session that tug on my heart more than others on “Microfinance in Conflict and Disaster areas.” The speakers from Afghanistan and Occupied Palestine told their stories and managed to leave me with hope. The final session ended at 8:00PM (a very long day) with speakers talking about best practices and included Philip Sansone the President of the Whole Planet Foundation.

We took a little side trip into Nairobi Center to pick up Chicken and Chips for dinner and met the best taxi driver. Peter reminded me of Eric, our safari guide on my last trip. He will take us on a few adventures in the coming days. Tomorrow is another busy day because we will tour Kibera (largest slum in Africa).

Day Two

2010-04-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

Lots of great speakers and sessions on sustainability and how to use microfinance to propel investment in renewable energy, water and sanitation. One started off his session with this quote form Ghandi “Sanitation is more important than Independence” another said “Sanitation is Dignity”. Over 3 billion people have no toilets and the world needs a sanitation transformation. Most of us take this for granted. One example in Kenya was described where public toilets are multifunctional and you can have your shoes shined, buy mobile minutes, and charge your phone etc while you use the toilet. Another program is awaiting approved form the government to use urine fertilizer on crops. Sanitation can create many jobs for collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of human waste that can be funded by microcredit.

Grameen Shakti is an example of renewable energy program: solar panels, biogas and stoves using less wood to provide more heat. This is very successful in a number of countries and a Jordanian official outlined their solar program as well.

Water.org was represented and the spokesperson said “water is life” and everyone has a right to clean drinking water but over 1/3 of the world’s population does not have access to it.

Another session focused on sustainable cities and that 1 billion people have no adequate housing today. The discussions were around slums and how to change and renew them. They gave interesting examples from around the world on how to transform slums into viable human habitats.

The best part of the day was a reunion with people from Jamii Bora, especially Susan and Ingrid. I am so looking forward to the two days with the clients in Northern Kenya after the summit concludes on Sunday.

I joined the WPF team for a lively dinner with thought provoking discussions on numerous subjects. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend this event and share my time with some extraordinary individuals.

Day One of the Summit

2010-04-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Microcredit Summit started today and in the opening session we heard from the President of Kenya, the Queen of Spain and a Princess from the Netherlands but the most dynamic speaker was Professor Muhammad Yunus (Nobel Peace Laureate and Managing Director of Grameen Bank) talking about the global financial crisis and the worlds poor. He said now is the time to redesign financial architecture to reinvent these institutions to serve all. What a powerful man and message.

In another session Ingrid Munro and her team from the Jamii Bora Bank (yes, they are a bank now) were the stars talking about all the program they have developed and success stories like my friend Joyce who I met on my last trip.

I attended a session on “reporting standards” because it ties in with so many things we are trying to do at Seventh Generation. It was organized by the SEEP Network (Small Enterprise Education and Promotion) connecting microenterprise practitioners from around the world. Presenters from Palestine, Uganda, Kenya and the US talked about best practices in their countries; some of them are applicable to business.

I met a fascinating woman who works for the UN in Sudan and Care fundraiser who invited me to a party on Friday night. Since my name tag says Whole Planet Foundation, I usually have lots of explaining to do when I meet new people.

Some of the microcredit clients were selling their wares in booths outside the meeting so I will not have to go to the market for presents.

My reflections on the first day…
• There are so many amazing things going on in the world that give me hope for the future
• Business can and should do more to help alleviate poverty
• I want to be a part of this movement in a peripheral way now and more involved when I am able to retire from full-time work

2010-04-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

It was an amazing day in nature...
First stop was the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to visit the feeding of the 21 orphaned elephants from the age of 2 weeks to 2 1/2 years.
The older elephants can take as many as three bottles (6 pints each) every three hours. I adopted Kimana (a male) for my niece Grace's Birthday. The $50 helps feed him for a few weeks a year and others will adopt him as well. Here is a photo of him taking his third bottle in less than two minutes!
I met his keeper and he showed me where they sleep together every night. In about a year, he will be taken to Masi Mara and become part of a herd.

After that my driver Peter (a Jami Bora taxi client) took me to Giraffe Manor.
Two orphaned giraffes were added to the 8 in the sanctuary so the guide said it was a difficult morning due to the new dynamic. It's good to know all families have interesting dynamics.

Lazy Day

2010-04-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

I made it to the hotel around 1:00 AM Monday morning and immediately crashed.
Between the cold and jet lag, I spent the day resting and exploring (in between rain showers) the charming hotel...The Fairview, a country hotel in town. It is set within five acres of beautiful gardens and is owned and manged by the same families that opened it in 1946. It uses solar power and sustainable practices in every area of hotel operations. Coming at the end of the rainy season (they have had lots of rain), it is very different than last summer during the severe drought. The plants and flowers are beautiful.

I will visit the elephant and giraffe sanctuaries tomorrow. On the way back to Nairobi, I will stop by a store to buy a usb cable that I forgot to bring to download photos to the blog.

The Whole planet team arrives at various time tomorrow and we will meet up on Wednesday AM to attend the conference.

First flight was painless

2010-04-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

I was upgraded to First Class from SFO to ORD and it looks like I will make it into Business Class for the flight from here to Brussels. I napped most of the time but woke up due to a coughing fit.
The self medicating seems to work for 4 hours max(even with NyQuil)and then the sneezing and coughing starts again.
Connecting through Chicago has an added benefit...Garrett's Popcorn. When I had my braces I was not able to have any so I made up for it today and my hands are orange from all the messy cheese!
I only have a 70 minute connection in Brussels so I am hoping both my luggage and I make it onto the Nairobi flight. My friend Betsy would have carry on for two weeks but not me...I did not know what to bring and have two bags checked plus a backpack and a messenger bag.
I can't wait to get to Africa, I have missed the energy, joy and peace it brought me last year. Part of me belongs there so I have lots to figure out for my future; perhaps I will gain an understanding on how I can coexist in both worlds. The best thing about this trip is the time it offers me to break away from my chaotic life and ponder my next passage.

I am off to Nairobi

2010-04-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

Just a short introduction and more to come when I am on my way tomorrow...

This trip starts with anticipation and excitement, with none of the fear I had when leaving last year for my sabbatical. I only wish I felt better and did not have a terrible head cold. I am sure my seat mates for the 22 hour flight will not be very happy with me. I am hopeful that my self medicating will knock me out for most of it.

I will miss Easter this year due to flights and the time change so I ask that you remember me in your prayers on Easter Sunday.

I will attend the International Microcredit Summit at the Kenyatta International Conference Center and visit the wonderful people I met from Jami Bora last year. I am fortunate to be part of a group from the Whole Planet Foundation who will also attend so I will not be on my own most of the time.

I have one day for fun and plan to visit the Elephant and Giraffe sanctuaries outside of Nairobi on Tuesday. I wish Betsy and Luanne could join me for many reasons but they are also much better photographers than I am so the pics I will add to the blog will not be as fantastic as many form our safari and time in Rwanda.

Transition and Growth (my last post)

2009-09-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

It has been six days since I returned from Africa but it seems longer because my old life is now foreign to me. I wonder if they have a support group to help people re-enter after spending time in the Third World; if not, maybe I should start one.

I have had long waits in voice mail hell trying to reconnect all my services, shopped to refill the fridge & pantry, gone through endless piles of mail, and fought jet lag for the first few days. I also had time to walk and ride my bike around Capitola and saw it from a fresh perspective…I live in a beautiful and magical place. I was able to visit the monastery to sort out new feelings brought about by the African experiences.

I have more questions than answers right now but I am committed to integrating the “New” with the “Old” (not chronologically) Susan. I realize I need a new framework to analyze my life of abundance and work. Developing this will be the most profound and important part of the journey for me and the most personal.

I want to thank all of you for your support over the past four months and look forward to showing off the” New” Susan in the months to come.

Reentry

2009-09-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

I am home (weary and tired but safe after over 48 hours of travelling) and the next few posts will be from me. The transition from Rwanda to home was made much easier by being with Bets and Luanne on one of our “Trips of a Lifetime”.

David and Gracie met me at the airport and I got goose bumps when Gracie ran up to me as I came out of Customs. I knew I had been gone a long time when I saw her carrying a purse and a magazine with Miley Cyrus on the cover; when I left, she was still into everything “Princess”.

We drove down the Coast Highway so I could see and smell the ocean. When I got home, there was a welcome home sign from my friend Jeff who took care of everything while I was away including paying my bills. He left a bankers box of mail sorted into different categories and only the last two months of magazines (an overwhelming pile).

Some of my superficial observations in no particular order include:

• Seeing family helped ground me because I am still disoriented with a leg in each continent
• The beauty of the CA coast still takes my breath away
• Re-stocking my pantry and fridge at Trader Joe’s, the local produce stand, and Nob Hill was a far cry from Nakumat and “the market”
• My teeth feel clean for the first time in two months because I could buy and use a water pik (both of ones I took with me blew out and I could not find one anywhere in Rwanda)
• Using my credit card made the need for a budget obsolete (not a good thing)
• Cold filtered water from the fridge was a delight
• Not having extension cords everywhere and having to plug and unplug things as I use them is much more convenient but I use more electricity
• Running water every time I turn on a faucet is a luxury
• Not having to ask a friend to make a call so I could be understood saves time and energy
• While unpacking the four bags, I realized how much “stuff” I bought because as I bought presents, I packed them…I have many more presents for people than I thought I did
• How quiet it is when you do not have a roommate or “domestics” around all the time
• My allergies are worse at home than they were in Africa
• The first time I drove the Prius I had trouble remembering how to operate it and my hand instinctively went for a gear shift and foot for clutch pedal that were not there
• Traffic was a breeze due to lights and four-way stops but it was not as much fun driving without the rotaries and having all the craziness of the motos and aggressive drivers

I have started re-reading my journal and have many issues to process. Before I left for Rwanda, I scheduled three days at the Monastery in Big Sur to help discern the “still voice” within me and guide me to make the changes I need to make to incorporate this life-changing experience into my life. With the Wild Fires in Monterey and parts of Highway One closed, I may not have the opportunity.

I am glad to be home and eagerly await how the sabbatical will manifest outward changes because the inner changes are immense.

Countdown to our Safari’s end

2009-08-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

Posted by Susan

We had our final afternoon game drive and saw more elephants, zebra’s buffalo’s, lions, giraffes and assorted animals and an incredible sunset. We were late returning because we were so busy watching and filming a beautiful lioness. We hurried to get ready for dinner and decided to dress up for our last day because of the “party”.

Eric joined us and had a warm Tuskers (we found out most Kenyans do not even like cold drinks let alone ice or ice cream). Our pizza (Betsy’s request) was better than we thought it would be and Luanne was thrilled with the banana split; we did not know we would all get one. I asked for a coconut cake and it had a hint of coconut. The singing and dancing of the wait and kitchen staff was wonderful and Luanne filmed most of it. Eric was a delightful dinner companion and fun was had by all.

We asked Eric to see if he could move up our departure time tomorrow so we will leave immediately after the game drive and breakfast with the hippos. Because we will be in Nairobi six hours earlier, we can finally explore the city.

Last full day on Safari

2009-08-27T05:27:00.000-07:00

Posted by Susan

Bets and I went on the early morning game drive while Luanne slept. We saw mating lions, hippos in the river, lots of Nile crocodiles who did not get any wildebeest for breakfast during a very brief crossing of about 100 animals. We saw an injured hyena with his left flank bleeding; Eric said he would not last long today. We also saw our regular faves: giraffes, zebras and elephants. I never tire of seeing these magnificent animals and marvel at the rules of the wild.

Luanne finally awoke around 10:00 AM feeling rested and better than she has in days. We got her room service so she could stay in her jammies and continue to heal. The Serena staff is very customer service oriented and very accommodating. We have liked the Serena properties the best and if/when we travel to Tanzania that is where we will stay.

We have one more game drive this afternoon and I have arranged a party for us tonight to celebrate our birthdays and we have invited Eric to join us for the final night of the trip so we can honor him with a poem, his tip and clothes we will not be bringing back to the US. We have enjoyed his company and calming influence on all of us…we adopted him as our brother (although he could be our son!).
It is very difficult for me to comprehend that I will be home in 6 days time and back to work in two weeks. I will need to make some major adjustments to get back in the groove!

Mara at Night

2009-08-27T05:25:00.000-07:00

Posted by Susan (no night photos)

We took a nighttime game drive to give us a totally different perspective of the park. The three of us had a staff of three (driver, spotter and guard with rifle) to drive us around for two ½ hours. It was colder than usual and we were wearing as many clothes as possible and I lifted a heavyweight beach towel to help bundle up the ailing Luanne. This was the worst day of her head cold and sore throat and she finally decided to take some antibiotics.

We viewed the nocturnal animals that are usually not out in the daytime for assorted reasons. We saw a pride of lions stalking their dinner but we were happy we did not see the kill itself. We saw the cowardly hyena’s; both spotted and striped Mongooses, hippos, foxes, jackals, hares (everyone’s favorite appetizer), assorted birds with night vision, zebra’s, buffalos in a heard and what is called the retired generals (those older lone males kicked out of the pack by the young bucks), other assorted hoofed animals and giraffes.

Besides the cold, we all thought this was a great adventure and we learned about a whole different group of animals and their habits. I often wonder what the animals are observing us as we watch through binoculars and cameras and what their blog post would say…perhaps someday a chimpanzee will be able to do just that.

My Mara Expereince

2009-08-27T05:12:00.000-07:00

Posted by Luanne

Of the BIG FIVE - we have seen the Rhinos (white and black), Lions, Cape Buffalos, and Elephants and were only missing the Leopard. Susan has been searching the tops of trees the last few days on "tail watch" as we know they spend a lot of day time in the trees. The best we could hope for was a sighting by seeing a black tail hanging from a high limb or on our one night game drive where we understand we will primarily see predators in action - I don't think you can get too close when that happens.

Eric saw some vehicles parked a few hundred yards from us - as we approached the driver in another car signaled him to go the other way. He then heard the report that a leopard was sighted and we could see "something" in the field of tall grass - we were hoping to get a glimpse and maybe a photo of it before he disappeared. As you can imagine we were stunned when we saw him, he was coming SLOWLY toward the van. He walked in front of our vehicle and then within 2 feet the length of it before sauntering off into the grass and then deeper brush. WOW - Eric said that was very rare and it was only because he was a juvenile that we saw him so openly; they are usually very shy animals.

You would think that would be enough to call it the best day - BUT no, we knew this area was best known for the migration of the Wildebeest across the Mara River. As we passed over the river yesterday, it was obvious that the river flow was not a fraction of what it had been as the water was so low and were we told the Wildebeest hardly had to swim, mostly walk across the river. But you may recall having seen the National Geographic or other depictions of how they line up in herds waiting for one to take the lead and they follow in lines down a steep cliff where they leap into the water and swim across. After seeing the leopard we drove to the side of the river and saw rows of safari tour vehicles with standing guests intently studying the scene through binoculars and we saw masses of black animals on the other side - but were all a good way back and could not see the river. But thinking of all those animals running down the embankment so quickly would be exciting. The anticipation was building, but there would be no way of knowing if this would all begin in days or hours. After waiting about 40 minutes someone yelled there that one had started and sure enough the dust began to fly and we could see the animals headed down. What we were not expecting was that all the drivers would take off (quickly) at the same time in what appeared to be a race to get a much closer view - what a wild and bumpy ride as we were all trying to balance the cameras and keep our footing while standing up (we usually only stand when we are in one place observing the animals).

When we stopped and grasped what we were seeing, it was exhilarating - they started to come down from different paths and there were some Zebras mixed in with the Wildebeest. Soon we could hear some braying that was coming from our side of the river. Eric said they were offering encouragement to the others. I was able to get video and photos of the event and am glad I won't have to rely on my memory. It was amazing sight of enormous proportions. On the way back Eric spotted some lions (yawn) and eagles for us - we had yet to come down from the clouds with thoughts of the wildebeest herds - thousands and thousands within 20 - 30 minutes.

Bets and Susan opted out of the afternoon ride in favor of relaxing and reading. We went along different promontories overlooking the river to find more crocodiles than I ever imagined - they were huge and very well camouflaged and blended in this the sandy shore and in the water. We also saw the first sighing of Hippos who stay in the water all day where they can regulate their temperature and come out at night to graze. They live peacefully alongside the crocs because they both have such big mouths and teeth! We also saw a lone wildebeest that was limping and left behind during the river crossing. It was very sad to realize that he would be someone’s dinner.

On the way back we stopped to see the lion and lioness we had seen earlier. They were laid out sleeping, oblivious to the fact that two vehicles were parked within five feet of them. It’s a great photographic moment when one lifts its head and yawn, but this developed into several yawns and them slowly waking up. Within a matter of seconds we witnessed the mating ritual which is performed after the male and female stray away from the group for their week spent together, during which they are sexual y active 250 times (yes you heard that right). That was a stunning number until we witnessed the process which did not last more than 20 seconds, immediately after which, both of them promptly lie down and went to right back to sleep.

For the Love of Cats

2009-08-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

Posted by Betsy
I can now understand how one could get lulled in to the belief that they are the “Cat Whisperer” or in the case of Grizzly Man, the “Bear Whisperer.” We have now seen several Lions, a leisurely strolling leopard and a Cheetah dining on an Impala. They are so cute and appear so soft and cuddly, as in the case of the sleeping Lion King pictured, that you want to believe they are as harmless as Kasha, my sweet deaf kitty that lived to be 19 years old.

We got very close to the napping male and female lions. Even though we were but a leap away from them, they were no more interested in us than our lazy little Ruby, when she has appropriated the livingroom sofa.

Then this morning, a Leopard ambled right up to and around our van. In the picture you can actually see the shadow of Susan, Betsy and Luanne as we snapped pictures from the car, just a few feet above. Leopards are notoriously shy and elusive so it was amazing to see one so calm, confident and slow moving. I again had to remind myself that my head was one swipe away from being an appetizer for this beautiful cat.

We then came upon two Lions in a mating ritual and in no time, there were seven cars and vans at the site. No privacy for these cats. There is a rule in the Mara that no more than 5 vehicles can gather and for no more than 20-minutes at a time and since our guide is of great integrity and ethics, we split as the cars piled up. Apparently, the two consummated their relationship shortly after we left. No regrets from us, as Eric has shown great skill in creating special experiences for us.

Last night he suggested that we have a morning drive at 8am after breakfast rather than 6am before. That way, if it seemed possible that we would catch the annual migratory river crossing of the Wildebeest, we would have more patience and be able to hang out until lunch time. This is the major attraction in Masai Mara this time or year, yet it is a total gamble when you may have a chance to see the ritual and many wait for days and do not see it at all. Within a half-hour of our arrival, it was show time! And that is all I am going to tell you – Luanne will fill you in on the rest.

I just want to assure Brian that he is not destined to take allergy medicine for the rest of his life – I will not be bringing home a Cheetah!

Lake Nakuru and on to Masai Mara

2009-08-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Posted by Susan
After what seemed like a very long drive (only 3 ½ hours), we arrived at lunchtime at the Lake Nakuru Lodge. It is located in the heart of Kenyan wetlands, which is a misnomer due to the drought. The highlight of this area was to be the birds, especially the flamingos. The lake had receded so far that we drove on the lakebed very close to the shore. Dead bird bones were everywhere. They usually have over two million birds migrate to the lake and this year they had about 200,000.
We did see several white Rhinos, lots f Cape Buffalo, and a few Rothschild’s giraffes (endangered species) at the park.

This was the worst accommodations we have had to date. The rooms were dark and you could not open the doors at night so I roasted (no windows in the room!). The lunch we had when we arrived was in a dining hall that was very uninviting and the buffet smelled of sterno. We chose not eat dinner and asked for a plate of cheese and fruit. You would have thought we asked for the moon. If you ever travel to this location, do not stay here.

We could not wait to leave at 8:00AM for our six hour drive to Mara. The lodge provided a box lunch which we gave to some needy people on the drive and we stopped at a nice restaurant. We had a van pit stop to blow all the dust off the engine so the van could maintain the 80KMP: a governor is located on the vehicle. We did 80KMH on one of the worst roads we have encountered on the trip but when we entered into Mara, it was magical because we found lions…several sleeping and one black-maned who was strolling and stopped to roar which elicited a response from far away.

This place is difficult to describe because there is forest, green bushes and long golden grass. The elevation is a mile high and has more rain than most areas of the country. We experienced our first rain around 4:30 PM which was a short burst of heavy rain and then blue sky. It has wide vistas that we tried to capture in our photos but it is impossible.

We saw 1000’s of zebra’s, lots of elephants, buffalos, waterbucks, warthogs, baboons, impala, and giraffes and over a million wildebeest. We met a man from Italy who was here last year at the same time and he said there are half as many animals here now due to the drought and out guide said the same thing.

The Worst of the West

2009-08-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

Posting by Betsy
So often I have visited countries and was saddened by how we seem to export to them the worst of the West. We live in such a magnificent country in the US and somehow, it is Brittney Spears and our plastic bag obsession that seem to make it abroad. We have witnessed this all over Africa and wonder what we can do to help change this. Rwanda, to its credit, does not allow plastic bags into the country and the difference this makes in the roadside litter, is stunning.

Many of you know of my anti-bottled water obsession and yet as tourists, it has been necessary to drink bottled water to maintain our health. In an effort to minimize this consumption, I have been pretty dehydrated for the last two weeks! As we drive through the beautiful Kenyan countryside, we see plastic bag and water bottle litter everywhere. Most shocking to me is the litter we see in the game parks, which I expected to be completely protected and pristine. Once the litter hits the ground in the parks, it does not get picked up - leaving your vehicle may make you dinner for a lion.

I am also struck by the poverty in Kenya, where much of the power and money is still resides with European concerns. Just this week, 800 tea-pickers lost their jobs and homes due to mechanization of picking at one of the large European Tea companies. The same is true of the booming flower industry. The build-up to Valentine’s Day is huge in Kenya flower-growing regions, like Lake Naivasha, where the flowers are exported to the US and Europe. It is important to remember that that $80 bouquet of roses we received from our sweetie was cultivated, picked and prepared by a Kenyan making $1/day.

Many Kenyans that do have some economic success work in various aspects of tourism. Many of them leave their family to relocate to one of the parks area, working in the lodges with 3 days off per month. We witnessed this last year in Nicaragua, as well. Because they receive room and board as part of this arrangement, wages are low so hardly an economic boom to these hard-working folks. It is impossible for these employees to bring their family as there is not housing provided and often no schools available to their children.

You read earlier how disheartened Susan and I were to visit the Samburu tribal village. We had to balance our feelings of exploitation of the Samburu people with their need for income. With the current drought and the death of all of their cattle, we realized that our money – for the tour, the school and buying their crafts would go a long way toward food, when a bag of rice costs $30.

We are having a fabulous trip yet it is not possible to ignore the ills of this country. I wish a similar experience could be had by all in the USA, thereby expanding our capacity for gratitude for what we have and compassion for others.

Sweetwater

2009-08-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the private conservancy around noon after seeing giraffe on the drive in. They were “sleeping” (10minutes to 2 hours a day) by sitting on the ground and leaning their neck against another giraffe; they will die if they put their head down. They eat over 16 hours a day and are just the opposite of the lions who sleep approximately 20 hours a day.After one of the best meals we had in Kenya, we were able to get on “bushmail” and post three blog entries. We were so excited that the wireless worked that I will post two more before we leave!
We went to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and saw six of the 45 that live in the compound. How they came to the sanctuary are very sad commentaries on people and the logging industry in Africa. One chimp, Socrates was a pet and he was caged in a garage for over nine years and he could only stand. Another was confiscated in Kigali from a couple from Belgium when they tried to send him as checked luggage to Brussels. By cutting down the natural habitats, the logging industry has forced them out of their homes. Most of these companies are owned by Europeans and they provide guns to poachers who either kill or capture these endangered animals. We adopted a chimp and enjoyed our guide, Paul telling us the stories of all the chimps we met.

The next part of the day was a game drive where we saw several new species and met some of the oddest cows we have ever seen. We were all bent out of shape because they were in a temporary corral that was so small that they could hardly move. When we met the guide, he explained that the cows are afraid of open spaces and if they had a bigger space would still jam them together for safety. Also by bunching them together, if a lion, cheetah or leopard attacks they would only get one cow.

Next stop was another sanctuary area for a beautiful, blind, black rhino. Baraka had another incredible story due to his blindness from catartacts and an absess. He listens to music to know where he is and if people are around. This compound is a great example of how to preserve wildlife in Kenya.Now for a little self deprecating humor…as many of you know, I am not a great photographer.

Both Betsy and Luanne improving everyday and continue to give me grief. I have promised to carry their water and bags and if they to allow me to download their photos.It is cold tonight and it has not helped Luanne’s sore throat…we have high hopes that the hot water bottle will warm her up and help he feel better.

Beautiful Women

2009-08-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Post by Susan
I bet you were thinking I was going to talk about us…we are beautiful and it manifested itself through our empathy for these beautiful women at the Samburu village.

Betsy and I went to visit the Samburu village while Luanne nursed her cold in the morning. Overall it was a very depressing experience because these once proud people needed to prostitute themselves to buy food and necessities for their tribe. We felt like voyeurs on their lives but we know the money we paid for admission, contributed to their education foundation and gifts we bought would help keep them alive during this devastating drought. Almost all of their cows have died and they have a few calves they are keeping alive by feeding them porridge. Their goats are alive but emaciated.

We had a guide (Simon) who was educated by the Catholic missionaries through secondary school and he came back to his village to teach and take a wife. Since he is educated, he did not become a warrior like most of the young men. The process of becoming a warrior begins at age 15-19 with a tribal circumcision ceremony. All these young “warriors” tend their herds and keep the tribe safe from predators. After 15 years as a warrior, they return to their clan’s village and begin the process of choosing a wife from another clan (total of 8 in the Saburo tribe). The bride will be 16, the age of womanhood but Simon made a point that they no longer practice female circumcision. All children are now educated through primary school but few leave the village.

We danced with the warriors and women, had a tour of one of their homes (you do not want to hear about that) and finally had to walk the “gauntlet” of each woman selling her weaving and jewelry.

It was a very demeaning experience for all but when you need to feed your children you will resort to almost anything. That is why I showed you the picture of these proud, beautiful women because as we quoted before, they can never retire from motherhood and they had to feed their children.

On to Samburu

2009-08-23T04:07:00.000-07:00

Blog by Betsy
I have been trying to send an email to my husband for three days and had no phone or internet service. Even though the lodges say that they have internet, AKA “Bushmail,”, it rarely works. I hope Brian does not think I am dead on the side of one of the treacherous Kenyan roads.

Yesterday (Friday), we have our first game drive and saw 2 types of Zebras, Elephants, Oryx, Baboons, Giraffe-neck Gazelles, Crocodiles, Dic-Dic, Cape Buffalo, Bush backs, monkeys, Impalas and last night a Genat cat came to visit at dinner.

This morning (Saturday) we got to see many Giraffes (my favorite), as well as a Cheetah eating an Impala.

We got a clear picture of the devastation the drought is causing. Our lodge is on a river, which is not flowing. There was not a drop of rain during the rainy season, March-May. The Samburu area, in Northern Kenya, is already one of the driest areas of the country and without the usual rain, it is parched. Animals are emaciated and dying from dehydration and starvation. The local Samburu tribe has lost all of its cattle to the drought, and as a result, its livelihood. Eric says this is the worst he has seen in his nine years of guiding.

We were touched by the animal mothers and babies we saw. Knowing how hard it is to survive individually, one can only imagine the sacrifice and drive to raise a baby in this harsh environment. Yet we had a chance to see many Babies – Elephants, Zebra, Giraffe & Oryx – all in the protection and care of their Mothers. “A Mother Never Retires…”

From Nairobi to Mt. Kenya

2009-08-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

Posted by Betsy
Today we were supposed to leave at 8am but due to breakfast with Ingrid from JamiiBora, which was a true honor, we did not get on the road until 11am. We met our wonderful guide, Eric, who patiently waited for us to wrap up our meeting. After a 3-hour drive and only a few miles from the lodge, we had a car breakdown just outside a military depot where we were monitored by a soldier with an AK-47 while we distributed M&Ms to our unofficial chaperone from the local community, a boy of about 10-years old.

The lodge was a beautiful place, simple and elegant with a huge picture window in my room overlooking the watering hole where all the animals come to drink, day and night. We saw elephants, Cape Buffalo, Baboons, two types of monkeys, Bushback (small antelope), Bushbuck (big antelope), Forest hogs and a Genat Cat. We went for a walk with the naturalist and got a rare and stunning glimpse Mt. Kenya, often shrouded in fog, at dusk.

The watering hole was an extremely popular gathering spot, as Kenya is experiencing one if it’s worst droughts in history. We had no idea how bad until we reached our next stop, Sambura National Park.

BREAKFAST WITH AN ICON

2009-08-23T03:52:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate to receive a message from Ingrid Munro, founder of JamiiBora, that she would meet us for breakfast at 7:30 before we left Nairobi. We had heard a bit of her story from many people, several of her were beneficiaries of her thoughtful generosity. She was working with the Pan African Housing Development in Nairobi for several years before her retirement. Once she retired, many of the recipients of the agency’s aid did not understand the concept of “retirement”. Since many of her clients called her “Mama”, they felt she had abandoned them. They told her “a mother does not retire”. While living in Nairobi, Ingrid adopted two street children and through them met the mothers of her children’s friends and came to understand the plight of the most impoverished and least served members of the community.

Ingrid knew these mothers wanted to improve their lives but had neither the means nor the understanding of sound financial practices to advance themselves, as theirs was a hand to mouth existence. She told them if they saved 2 schillings a day (equivalent of 12 cents at that time) for five days for five weeks then she would get them a loan of 500. This made no sense to the mothers because any coins they managed to scrap together was spent immediately. They were skeptical until Ingrid decided to lure them with free maize and beans once a week at the same time they were to give her their “savings”. The group started with 10 women who met in the garden of Ingrid’s home every week. Those women all transformed their lives by taking the small loan to buy a chicken, potatoes, charcoal, or another product to sell. Each time they made a payment on their loan, Ingrid saw that they also set aside savings so they learned it was their savings that they were able to leverage to advance to another level.

Ingrid says it’s always the bravest who go first, then the second bravest until finally the coward’s will come forward and the others help pull them up the ladder.

Ingrid has advanced the concept of traditional micro loans to a holistic approach, providing assistance in multiple areas of a person’s struggle with financial difficulties. They created a training program, a drug and alcohol abuse counseling center and most recently have acquired a bank. Today each member must pay health and loan insurance which JamiiBora has secured for them with health insurance averaging the equivalent of $15.00 per year (yes, you read that right) and the loan insurance depends on the amount of the loan.

We were in awe of the many experiences Ingrid shared with us. When we expressed our admiration for all she accomplished and the number of lives that have been touched by her, Ingrid quickly pointed out that it was the two generations of women that came before her who set the stage for her success by securing women’s right to vote and establishing themselves in the workforce. Susan and Betsy noted that my mother, who will celebrate her 90th birthday next month, took flying lessons in college, went to work in the Panama Canal Zone upon graduation and was one of the first three women hired by Eddie Rickenbacker as President of Eastern Airlines to fill management positions. She also joined the American Red Cross, serving in Paris, after which she attended the Nuremberg trials and went to law school. Ingrid asked questions and was very interested to hear about my mother’s life as it supported her sense of obligation to that generation. I have added this portion of our extended 2 hour meeting as a tribute to my mother and that she knows that Susan shares my pride in her accomplishments.

Meeting Ingrid for an extended conversation made our last hours in Nairobi so meaningful and gave us confirmation of the individual successes we had witnessed in the day before. This large organization did in fact grow from the heart and mind of just one “retired” person who saw a need and was compelled to apply her core values and years of experience.

Late, Late, Late

2009-08-23T03:49:00.000-07:00

We would not have given up our breakfast with Ingrid Munro but it set-off a set of circumstances that plagued us all day: I will start from the beginning…
Ingrid arrived around 7:20 and luckily I was just coming down in the elevator to meet her. I decided to take her up to the Hilton Club Room because it was a smaller, more intimate setting for breakfast. Betsy had tried to reach our safari coordinator several times last night and in the morning to ask him to come at 9:00 instead of 8:00 but was not able to reach him. He and the driver showed up at 7:30 and she went down to explain about the unscheduled breakfast meeting and they were understanding once she told them it was the Founder of Jamii Bora. She told them we would be ready to go by 9:30 at the latest. At 9:40 we received a call from our guide asking us if we were on our way and we had no idea of the time due to the wonderful dialogue with Ingrid. (Luanne will post about this aspect of the day).

Since we did not get back to the hotel until late, we could not go to the bank so we needed to get money before the trip and Luanne and I left our jackets at the Gorilla Lodge in Rwanda and the guide said we had to have something warm for today because it would be very cold at Mt. Kenya. Since Luanne saw a little of the city, she had seen some clothing stores but they were super expensive. One sales clerk told her about an outfitter two blocks away that would have just want we needed. We set-off immediately to find it was also expensive but they had some souvenir sweatshirts. We each bought one that made us feel like idiots but boy did we need them later in the day. On the run back to the hotel, one of us went in search of diet soda and the other to get smaller bills because we did not want to tip everyone with 1000 shilling notes (about $7.70) that we had wads of from the ATM.

As we arrived at the front of the Hilton, Betsy was coming out at we finally left at 11:00 AM (three hours late). Those of you who know Betsy and I will know how uncharacteristic this behavior is and we apologized profusely to Eric (our drive and promised it will not happen again). We drove on the same road as we did to Nyeri the day before so we were familiar with the road and scenery. Luanne took some photos she missed because it was dark when we returned last night.

We stopped at a gift shop around 1:00 for a bathroom break and around 1:45, Eric told us we really needed to get going because the Mountain Lodge was waiting lunch for us and we were still an hour away. This was a local cooperative with beautifully made things (can’t tell you what because many are gifts for you) and we bought over $800 worth of items between us!

We were hungry so all the food we had were M&M’s and cashews; so we snacked and assured Eric we would be better in the future. All was well until the car broke down and we waited and watched poor Eric pull most of the Van apart until he was able to fix the diesel pump. We showed up at the lodge at 4:00 and had a very quick lunch and immediately set out for our forest walk. That was when we knew everything happens for a reason because it was only the 3 of us instead f 30 and we were able to see amazing animals and flora with our private naturalists. We stopped for 10 minutes for a “Bush Tea Party” and proceeded to the blind in front of the water hole. We saw elephants, buffalo, bushbucks and other animals from 15 feet away…an amazing experience. We will not be able to post photos from here because we have dial-up of what is referred to as bush mail.

During a light dinner with very lively discussion about the events of the day, we went to a seminar about the land and animals we will see on our trip. A wonderful Naturalist (same guide on the walk, Edwin) we turned in with our hot water bottles at our feet around 11:30 with anticipation for the rest of the adventure.

Can you say JamiiBoro?

2009-08-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

Post by Betsy
Today we spent the day with JamiiBoro, one of Whole Foods Whole Planet partnerships in micro-lending. They are located in Nairobi and serve their members all over Kenya through branch offices. Jamiiboro means “Better Families” and this is how it works:
Since 1999, JamiiBoro has helped 240,000 members bring themselves out of poverty with loans as small as 900 shillings, or just over $10 dollars. The organization started with the initiative of 50 Nairobi street beggars who were promised a way out of poverty if they would save just 10% of the money they hoped to borrow. We spent the day with Joyce, who lived in the slums of Soweto her entire life and was able to start a produce and clothes washing business. She saved 3500sh in one year and then borrowed 7000sh to open a small restaurant. Then she started a 2nd restaurant and rented it, bought a van to deliver food and built a house, which sadly, burned to the ground. With the hope and support that Jamiiboro provided she rebuilt and is about to open another restaurant. She is now the owner of Seven Businesses and employees 62 people. In the process she learned English in addition to her native Swahili. I told her in the US, we would call her a “Rock Star.”

So you can see how this one loan resulted in financial independence for a woman and her five children and jobs for many other people. Now multiply this by their 240,000members and you have a true miracle. We will be posting more of the stories and pictures of the day over the next couple of weeks. We ended up spending a 12-hour, exciting, emotional and exhausting day with Joyce, Susan – the National Outreach Manager, and other Jamiiboro members in Nairobi and a small village two hours from the city. Spending time in any country in Africa will quickly cure what my husband Brian calls “I want disease,” when you see how much we have and others do not. Simply finding water can take walking for the better part of the day for many families.

On another note, we are still trying to understand how people are able to breathe in this city so cloaked in diesel pollution that your eyes sting worse than with Los Angeles smog in the ‘80’s. Also had another opportunity to appreciate our good fortune when using a pit commode in the restaurant at which we ate lunch. Let’s just say, the concept of “good aim,” is important or things can get a little splashy.
Tomorrow we are having breakfast with Mama Ingrid, founder of Jamiiboro and then off on the vacation part of our vacation. Of course, at Seventh Generation we never sleep so Susan and I are wrapping up a project for John before we head off to see the elephants.

Kwa heri (Adios in Swahili)

Post by Susan

I did not think I could have had a more powerful or inspirational experience than I had at the REACH Reconciliation Seminar but JamiiBora was equally moving. Bets gave you an overview and I will talk about the children of JamiiBora…
Because their parents are successful (varying degrees based on the amount of time they have been a member of the “family”), the children grow up with a positive role model and want to emulate and support their parents efforts. This is the epitome of “teaching the person the fish” analogy and it is working for over 240,000 families in Kenya. All three of us were struck by the difference in the welfare system in the US vs. the successful micro financing models in developing countries. I have personally experienced how the Grameen Bank and Whole Planet Foundation have changed the lives of people in Costa Rica and now seeing what their grant has done to open six branches outside Nairobi makes me a believer in the system.

We may not have Internet Access on the Safari but plan to write our posts and send whenever possible; if nothing else, we will send many from Heathrow during our layover.

Street Market Nairobi Style

2009-08-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived in Nairobi around 6:00PM and got a cab to the Hilton. Sorry we did not get any photos but try to visualize…cars stopped in traffic with men, women and children selling things to people in stopped cars including: machetes, knives of all kinds, pillows, tools, various food stuffs including peanuts in a white cones, flags, maps, balloons, stuffed animals, safety cones, etch a sketchs, soccer balls and newspapers to name just a few of the items.

The haze was stifling from the diesel exhaust and a five mile trip took 45 minutes. I am sorry to say we will need to go in the same direction tomorrow for the Whole Planet Foundation project meeting so we will be out of here by 7:15 AM. Too bad we do not have time to buy masks so we can breathe.

As we drove into the Hilton, they had a gate with several guards who checked our luggage and the entire car with a long handed mirror to look for bombs. We ran into Luanne as she was coming into the hotel after several hours of exploring and wondering when we were going to arrive. Since we were so late, it was dark and we had no time to check out the city center before our SKYPE meeting with John. So we ate some snacks at the Club lounge and after our meeting started working on a few projects that are due before we leave on Safari. It will be a challenge because we only have my computer.

BTW, it is approximately $31.00 for my internet connection in the room for one day!

Best Laid Plans

2009-08-18T05:03:00.001-07:00

Jamie “passed by” to say goodbye and brought me a farewell gift (he wrapped it himself) with enough tape to keep anyone form opening it. It was a beautiful piece of native artwork. We loaded the car with my four bags and Betsy and Luanne’s hand luggage. We arrived at the airport to find out Luanne’s flight was on time but ours was delayed until 3:00PM. Luanne went off by herself and we are on the final hour (will be a total of 4 ½) at Kigali International Airport (size of San Luis Obispo). We have chatted, read and culled out are photos during the wait. We only had one brief power outage!

We finally were able to get on the internet and received a revised schedule for our trip to visit Jamii Bora in Nairobi tomorrow (part of the Whole Foods Foundation project). It will go from 8-5:30; which limits our chance to see Nairobi but Luanne will have five hours to tour without us.

I became weepy a few times this morning while packing and saying goodbye to Claire, Francois and Jamie. We had a quick dinner last night with Eddie and Brigitte and that also brought tears to my eyes. I have made a few good friends on this trip and met many memorable characters who I will miss. I am journaling about my feeling on what this trip has meant to me and sometime soon I will share some of them.

We need to head through security so more after our visit with the largest micro financing program in Kenya tomorrow.

Last Day Craziness

2009-08-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

It has been a whirlwind trying to complete all my tasks before leaving and it did not help to have car trouble on the way home from the Mountain to see the Gorillas and Golden Monkeys. All of us will post more on that incredible experience while we are in Nairobi.

I needed to go to the bank to deposit the $2800 in checks for the Hope Center and it took me over 90 minutes plus it will end up costing about $90 in fees and the funds will not be available for 30-45 days. I have all the wire transfer information so it will be easier in the future. While I was doing this and running to the Embassy to sign the $4000 grant for textbooks before I left, Betsy and Luanne went to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Since I was not able to take them, they had another unique experience in a local cab…and they thought my driving was bad!

I will miss all the wonderful people I met here and facilitating relationships between NGOs. It is amazing that it takes an outsider to help point out synergies and opportunities for collaboration.

Betsy's Insights

2009-08-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Susan has done amazing things in Rwanda. I am sure that it comes as no surprise that she moved beyond her original plan and has helped many others with their dreams. The Center of Hope is but one, and it was a moving experience to go to the school and meet Maria, the founder and director. This amazing woman created a school with no idea how it would be funded but knew she had to help the children of Rwanda, many who are orphaned. I was struck by how she understands the emotional component of helping these kids succeed. With the loss of so much family and so many friends in the genocide, they lack the confidence and positive outlook on life that usually exists in young folks their age. My big worry is about the school’s continued funding. Maria needs to align with partners in Rwanda that can support her mission, and also file for the charity status she needs, for US citizens to comfortably contribute to the school (we all want our charitable giving tax deduction).

On another note, we are now on our African travel adventure. Yesterday we left Kigali for the mountains to go on our Mountain Gorilla trek. On the way, we stopped at the farm and store of Gerard, who established a program to help the local villages learn to farm and then have a vehicle for selling their produce to him, which he sells at this store. This seems to be a meeting place for the community and we were fortunate enough to arrive just in time for a traditional Rwanda dance performance by a group of young Rwanda men and women. We were the only Muzungo (white folks) present among the crowd of 100+ people. A few minutes into the performance, one of the male dancers came over to us and tried to pull us in to dance. Susan and Luanne begged off but I love to dance so had another very special experience. All the little children were giggling – not sure if it was because they had never seen a Muzungo dance or if perhaps my dance resembled Elaine’s, from Seinfeld. We were happy to arrive at the guest house after a bit of a stressful drive on bad country roads. I have driven with Susan many times over the years, but I must tell you she has now developed her skills to a new level. She can now come within an inch of clipping another car, bike or pedestrian with confidence. She really fits right in with fellow Rwandan drivers.

Visiting the Gorillas - what an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. There are several Gorilla families residing in different areas of the Virunga range and the park strictly manages all human contact. With only a limited number of visitors allowed each day, we had to get our passes in March to be able to visit today. Once we hiked in, we got to spend one hour with the Gorillas. I think this now must be part of their daily routine and just like people, may or may not be in the mood for visitors. My Gorilla family was acting a bit illusive today, while the family Susan and Luanne met practically invited them into their living room. Viewing them near or far, is an awe inspiring experience. It makes me incredibly grateful to the guides, Gorilla trackers who follow the Gorilla families all day as their protectors, and the park rangers with the AK-47s, for preserving this natural gift.

Hope Center

2009-08-15T01:29:00.000-07:00

We met Maria and travelled down the terrible road to the school. They have completed some major improvements since my last visit and were doing the finishing touches on the masonry work. Much to our surprise, we walked into a decorated hall with three place settings to honor us. We visited the culinary and salon classes and reviewed the strategic plan with Maria while the students completed preparations for our special meal (since we were not expecting a meal at 3:00 PM, we had a big lunch at Happy Rwanda).

We presented Maria with the checks totaling $2800 and she said that would provide the needed funds for four months. She also had more good news from her meeting with REACH; she will have an intern that will be paid by that organization and one of her first responsibilities will be local fundraising. She will also help Maria to upgrade her Board to include a banker, a hotel and restaurant owner and someone form the Ministry of Education.

The time I have spent working with Maria and Philbert has been very rewarding and I hope to continue my support through email and fundraising efforts in the US. It was hard to say goodbye to both of them because I will miss them as people and working so closely with them.

There will be much more about the day’s activities from Luanne and Betsy when they post their impression of visiting the school, meeting Maria and the staff and enjoying a meal with the students.

Road Improvements too late for me

2009-08-15T00:58:00.001-07:00

Over the past week they have been digging ditches for street lights on the major road leading to my house…if only this had been done four months ago. Luckily I never hit any pedestrians, bicycles, motos, or other cars but I had some very close calls!

The digging was done with picks and shovels (just like the fiber optic cable) because manual labor is less expensive than bringing in machinery. It will be interesting to hear how long it takes for them to be turned on considering the problems with their power grid.

Some things that still boggle my mind are entering a 20 digit code for “Cash Power” and a 22 number code to add extra minutes to your cell phone. They are experimenting with paying for your cell phone minutes at the end of the month through an automatic deduction from your bank account but a very small % of people have one.

Luanne and Betsy asked me what I will not miss about Rwanda and I immediately said driving!

First Impressions

2009-08-13T01:42:00.000-07:00

It was so interesting to experience Kigali for the first time again through someone else’s eyes. When we drove up to the market we were surrounded by at least 20 screaming young men with their faces pressed against the windows wanting to help us shop or watch the car. They saw three white women and dollar signs; Luanne said she felt like Paris Hilton. We were there to help Hillary buy presents to take back to Boston tomorrow. We spent time browsing those aisles and of course we bought things as well. She had lots of presents to buy so I took Luanne for a tour of some of the other parts of the market; Luanne’s amazement made me smile.

We met for lunch across the street for one of the African buffets that include at least 5 starches some vegetables and either meat or fish. This one had soup a well but I was not interested in eating hot soup after spending over an hour in the stifling market. We were all impressed when we were presented our own box of dessert that included one small banana!

After a nap, we got dressed for dinner at the Deputy Chief of Station's (2nd in command of the US Embassy) home. Ann and Karl were great hosts and the dinner was one of the best I have had in Kigali but it was the conversation that was most enjoyable. Ed, the Political Officer also joined us so there was lively discussion about many African issues including: AIDS, corruption, US policies, the drought, healthcare and the list goes on.

Luanne saw more rural sights on her way to visit schools in the Nyamata district while I completed work on two projects.

We had dinner at Republika and she met the wonderful Solange and a few of her sisters who were also there for dinner. I made one last visit at the gift shop and bought myself another necklace (I have really gotten into jewelry here) and a t-shirt I know David (my brother in law) will like.

My volunteer work is completed. We will pick Betsy up late tonight and the last remaining thing to do before our adventures will be to deliver the very generous donation from Seventh Generation and the Community to the HOPE CENTER Friday afternoon.

Luanne's first experiences

2009-08-11T02:30:00.000-07:00

Luckily she made all connections and arrived on time last night. After six hours of sleep, she walked the neighborhood with me and got a feel for the community I have lived in for three months. I took her to the FOREX in downtown Kigali to change money and most of what she brought was old series bills so I am hopeful it will not be a problem in Kenya.

She was impressed with my driving skills and was amazed when I drove her through downtown streets to see the hustling crowds and small business. We almost had to make a stop at the hospital because my friend Erin had found a worm that borrowed into her foot that caused swelling and an infection. She was able to find the medicine she needed at a Pharmacia and did not need a prescription. Luanne was disappointed she would not expereince the emergency room in Kigali...

The rest of the day is busy with the Market and dinner with friends. I hope she can stay awake!

Gisenyi

2009-08-09T23:25:00.000-07:00

Beautiful bougainvillea surrounded us as we entered Paradise (hotel on the shore of Lake Kivu) this weekend. It had the best customer service of anyplace I have visited in Rwanda and the Mucho, the owner/manager set the perfect tone for his staff.

It was a very peaceful spot a short distance from Goma. The contrasts between the two are immense. One is a small sleepy town and the other is a center of commerce; one is beautiful and the other is still recovering from the volcanic eruption and everything is covered in black lava dust; one has a few policemen and the other has armed troops from the UN and the DR of Congo to fight rebels. You get the picture and why the State Department warns against going to Goma but Hillary Clinton will be there on Tuesday to meet with the President of the DR of Congo.

I spent time reading in my little hut on the beach, and watched native dancers around the fire pit on Saturday evening. It was a very relaxing spot and I am glad I had a chance to visit before I left Rwanda.

Getting there and back was another story; I rode the bus because my car had problems and the owner had them fixed over the weekend. Yes, you heard correctly that I took a bus willingly! After taking my motion sickness meds, I met my friend at the bus terminal and sat in a single seat by the window, all was well until we made the second stop in Kigali when all seats were needed so they had these pull down seats for the aisle. We lucked out and had one of the 10 overweight people in Rwanda sit between Hillary and I. Needless to say we were very uncomfortable because she was double the size of the space which meant the three hours seemed like an eternity. That is why the peaceful open space of Paradise was so welcomed.

The trip home was not as bad but as I was getting ready for the fashion show I received a frantic call for the young women hosting the event and 45 minutes before it started she said she would have to postpone it because they did not have the proper permits…only in Africa!

Speed Bumps

2009-08-07T03:34:00.000-07:00

It is very quiet without Chad and I was able to bang out a marketing brochure for REACH’s multi-purpose facility but missed the instant feedback on how to upgrade and improve the copy.

To celebrate the completion of another project, I went on a city hike and found an interesting sign; I passed by it daily in the car but never noticed it. It symbolizes the two largest speed bumps I have encountered in Rwanda (or anywhere).

I have asked people why Rwanda has speed bumps on main roads and all I get is to deter speeding. I would think all the police on the roads would be a deterrent and that there are better ways to reduce speeding. These bumps take a serious toll on cars and buses resulting in costly repair jobs. The bad news is they are adding two more to the road leading to my house. The speed bumps and diesel pollution issues will need to be addressed very soon because Kigali is getting very congested.

I am off to Gisenyi, the northern most city on Lake Kivu and the sister city to Goma in the DR of the Congo. I return Sunday night to attend a fashion show and will have much to blog about on Monday. I will miss Hillary Clinton’s visit by one day!

Goodbye Chad

2009-08-05T23:57:00.000-07:00

It has been very interesting having a roommate (especially a 37 year old boy/man) for the past 6 weeks…we have developed a strong friendship that will continue to grow when we return to our lives in the USA. I already know his sister and husband from their visit and talk to his Dad almost daily on Skype. I only need to meet his wife and two Chocolate Labs in Little Rock as he completes his Masters at the Clinton School. The photo is of Chad and Francois sharing their last beer together.

Our experiences with Project Akilah showed we had similar values and with time we knew we enjoyed each other’s personality and wit. One of the reasons we clicked is I did not try to be his social peer and vice versa. We developed other relationships and enjoyed sharing our exploits.

It has been awhile since I had any communal living arrangement and I am thinking about having a roommate when I return because with the right person it can be fun and rewarding. Luckily Luanne and Betsy will be here soon so I will not be alone for long!

Just one of the many lessons I learned on my sabbatical.

USAID Meeting

2009-08-05T23:40:00.000-07:00

I had a meeting with Dennis Weller the Mission Director of USAID Rwanda yesterday.
I outlined a Hospitality/Culinary Arts School through the partnership of the Hope Center and REACH and asked if there was any chance for funding under their existing programs.

Based on my website search I thought there were a few initiatives we could tie into:
• Economic Growth and Capacity Building
• Investing in People through Education
• Eco Tourism
• Global Competitiveness
• Faith Based Community Building

Unfortunately, 80% of all the dollars in Rwanda are earmarked for two health initiatives (HIV/Aids and Malaria) and all programs are managed by large third party organizations or companies. There is one youth program that we might be able to fund the internships program but right now, that is it.

He did give me some other organizations to discuss the proposal and wants to visit the sites of the two programs. If all the people working in USAID programs are as compassionate and understanding as Dennis, our tax dollars are in good hands.

A “domestic’s” life

2009-08-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

You have heard me mention Francois (guard/gardener) before and I wanted to show you a little of what he does around the house (rickety, handmade ladder) and how happy he was when we gave him a mattress and sleeping bag. He was previously sleeping on a piece of cardboard and covered himself with cardboard as a blanket.

I continue with his lessons but it is slow going and found a literacy class for “Domestic’s” but I do not think his future employers will be as generous to send him there for lessons. I feel sad that I could not do more for him.

2009-08-03T23:39:00.000-07:00

I blog about them as a gift for Hillary and they arrive at my doorstep...

Look what I woke up to this morning; a herd of cows across the street in a field of weeds. I guess they call it grazing land in Rwanda.

A call for volunteers with Graphic and Website Design skills

2009-08-02T05:06:00.000-07:00

If you have been following my blog, you know I am working with an NGO involved in the very important reconciliation, peace and unity work in Rwanda called REACH. Based on the two days of meetings in Kabuye to review its mission and vision plus develop a five year strategy plan are the reason I am asking for your help…we need to re-brand the organization from a strong faith based organization in Rwanda to a global, neutral religious/faith based program. You can visit their website and it will give you an idea of why we need to upgrade the message and graphics. http://www.reach-rwanda.org/

I have prepared a creative brief and can provide additional information to assist you in developing a new logo and website. I know some of you are teachers so if you can make this a class project, that would also work. You can comment on the blog or send me an email at earthmother7thgen@gmail.com if you can help in anyway.

Thanking you in advance for your support.

Highest honor from a Rwandese

2009-08-01T04:40:00.000-07:00

While we were in Kabuye, Hillary (Divinity Student interning with REACH) did a number of tutorials for Alphonsine (REACH Accountant) on Excel spreadsheets. All of the budgets, projections, and accounting procedures up to now have been done with a calculator and then put into a MSWord table.

After Hilary created spreadsheets and explained how to use formulas, Alphonsine said she would like to give Hillary a COW… Philbert explained that giving a cow to someone is the highest honor anyone can bestow on another person in Rwanda

Here they are as new “Best Friends” on one of the islands in Lake Kivu.

2009-07-31T06:05:00.000-07:00

We started from Kigali at 8:00 AM Wednesday for our adventure/retreat at a guest house on Lake Kivu. It was a two hour drive on the most winding roads I have traveled so far. We stopped to see a water fall but realized it was too steep for us to climb down in street shoes. When we got back to the car it was surrounded by a group of young boys (approximately 8 between the ages of 7-14). Luckily I locked the car and the back window managed to stay up. They wanted us to hear them sing before we left. One had a makeshift instrument made with a toilet float on one end attached to a long stick and wire. Believe it or not, it sounded like a violin. I asked if I could take a picture and they said no (we were told to always ask if it is ok to film someone). We listened for a minute and wanted to leave but they asked for money. We all gave them some coins but they were not happy. Philbert told us when we got in the car that packs of boys like them are always on the lookout for an open car and have probably been involved with the police in the past since they would not allow us to take a photo.

We moved farther down the road and finally saw the Lake and it was beautiful. We drove a short distance around it and drove up a hill to the guest house we were staying (approximately $30.00 per night). During the afternoon we started writing a 5 year strategic Plan for REACH and broke into groups based on our expertise. I was handling the Sales and Marketing components and Executive Summary based on previous materials I have read.

Our rooms were right on the water’s edge with cozy porches leading to the water. We shared a wonderful bottle of Shiraz I brought back from South Africa while watching the sunset and listening to the lapping of the lake. We continued talking through the sunset and into dinner. By 9:00 we were exhausted and headed for our rooms. I slept well and it was the first time I slept under a mosquito net.

I was awakened early by fishermen almost outside my porch netting sardines. Since I was up, I sat and watched the lake alive with fishermen and swimmers.

We continued our work until 3:00 when we went on a boat ride. We walked a two mile circuit around an island and saw beautiful poinsettias growing everywhere.

I begged to go to another restaurant for dinner (four meals in the same place is my limit) so we drove to another hotel on the water for a very bad meal. I will spend another night under my net and think about what we have written for REACH and how the organization continues to save lives through peace and reconciliation.

We met on Friday AM to finalize our sections of the plan and drove back to Kigali for other meetings in the afternoon. Unfortunately car problems delayed us but all things considered, it was a good trip.

It was an honor to be asked to assist REACH in its long term planning and along with Center of Hope I will continue to support them from afar after I leave.

Lake Geneva of Rwanda

2009-07-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

I am off to Kibuye, a stunning location spread across a series of tongues jutting into Lake Kivu. I will pass through the mountains that are called the Swiss Alps of Rwanda.
I will not have internet access so I will post when I return on late Friday.

Signs

2009-07-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

There are all sorts of signs and many are not in English. One that always makes me smile is the Rwandan Beauty and Barber shops that are called Saloons.

I have seen many interesting signs in Africa but these two are my favorites so far… The first was on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania and epitomizes how the Rwandan Government wants to be perceived.

The other was on a street in South Africa. At Seventh Generation we attend two major Expos a year but nothing like this one!

Rusumo Falls and a step into Trazania

2009-07-25T03:28:00.000-07:00

We took a quick side trip on Thursday afternoon. The Rwandan border guards allowed us to cross the bridge to take photos of Rusumo Falls. It is a waterfall located on the Kagera River on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania (the most distant headwaters of the Nile River). Although the falls themselves are not of a significant height in comparison to other waterfalls, they have played an important part in the history of Rwanda.

The falls gained international fame during the genocide, as thousands of dead bodies flowed underneath the bridge while a simultaneous stream of refugees crossed ''over'' it, fleeing into Tanzania to escape the fighting and prosecution of their crimes.

The Kagera drains water from all areas of Rwanda except the far west, and consequently carried all the discarded corpses from the rivers nationwide. This led to a state of emergency being declared in areas around the shore of Lake Victoria, where all of those bodies eventually washed up.

Chad took a photo of each of us crossing the border since we did not get a passport stamp.

Peace House and Village Children

2009-07-25T02:52:00.001-07:00

We visited a new home constructed for Stephanie (one of the victims). It has three rooms and no running water or electricity. It has a separate kitchen in the back that has a wood burning stove and a pit toilet. It costs the equivalent of $10,000 for materials but the labor is free due to the public service projects. The land belonged to the victim before the genocide so there is no cost to her.

We saw many local children from the village and none had ever seen a picture of themselves. Kristen showed them the video she took of them and they were mesmerized. The pictures tell the story…

Healing and Reconciliation

2009-07-25T02:08:00.000-07:00

Words cannot describe the three days I have just experienced…I would never have guessed that I would spend time and begin to care about men who murdered 1000s of people. Many were truly sorry for what they had done while others just went through the motions so they could be released from jail.

There were over 50 perpetrators and 10 victims who came together for a three day seminar sponsored by REACH (Reconciliation Evangelism and Christian Healing). This is the same organization that I wrote about earlier when I attended the dedication of CUP (Center of Unity and Peace) in Kigali.
http://www.reach-rwanda.org/
The choir provided inspiration and joyfulness throughout the event by performing the songs they wrote and choreographed.

I gained so many insights into why people were lead to kill their family, friends and neighbors. Very few knew that Belgium issued identity cards based on how many cows you owned, or the shape of your head, and that it was possible to become a Tutsi is you acquired more cows. This was the root cause of the conflicts between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes who had always lived in harmony. They were given a short history lesson to set the stage for the small group discussions where they would share their stories. There were many biblical messages and sermons on repentance and forgiveness to encourage dialogue so they could reach reconciliation.

They viewed a video that many of them were featured in entitled “Building Houses of Forgiveness”. One of the public service projects they participate in is the building of houses for the victims. This group has constructed 22 houses for the victims in the Eastern Province. It is the process of building the house and getting to know the victims so they can live in peace in the same village.

I will not share their testimonies because they were too personal and I could not possibly do them justice. I will show some group shots of the event because they agreed to allow us to use their photographs. Some of their testimonies will be used in a documentary produced by a group from Cambridge MA on does the reconciliation process really work?

The event ended on a hopeful note when the seven ministers (several different denominations) prayed over the victims and perpetrators who asked for healing and peace.

Personally, I could not believe how they reach forgiveness and reconciliation where murder, disfigurement, rape, and being infected with HIV through rape are involved when it is difficult for me to forgive family, friends and co-workers for trivial things.

2009-07-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

After I completed a fundraising brochure for Hope Center (shortened the name for simplification) and reviewed the Strategic Plan for its parent NGO, I took the afternoon to visit the Rwanda Natural Museum. It was a very interesting building that was a gift from Belgium to commemorate 25 years of independence. It had some interesting ethnological and archaeological displays. The Lonely Planet said it was one of the best museums in East Africa…if that is the case; the others must be pretty bad.

Tomorrow I leave for a Peace and Reconciliation program in the Eastern Province (10 km form Tanzania). This process brings together the perpetrators of the genocide and the victims. A documentary will be made of the two day program and you can read more about it on www.peacedocumentary.org

Because of the location of this program I will not have internet access until Friday evening and will post about this incredible experience.

Party Time

2009-07-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

I wanted to have a party to thank all the people who have helped and supported me in Rwanda. When I was finished with the guest list, it was over 30 people and my house would not hold that many. Friends with a very big house and yard offered me the use of their home as the venue and I hired the man who runs the restaurant at the US Embassy to prepare an All American cookout. I have been to a number of African Buffets at people’s home so I wanted to do something typically American.

On Sunday evening we had hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, and topped it off with apple pie. There was plenty of beer and wine to go around as well. Fun was had by all!
Here are just a few pics…

Tears, Laughter, and Rhythm

2009-07-18T04:12:00.000-07:00

I wore my new Rwandan Formal Outfit yesterday but when my housekeeper saw me in the morning, she made me take it off. Once she dressed me, it fit much more comfortably! I attended the dedication of CUP (Center of Unity and Peace), a conference center that will hold seminars and programs to bring about reconciliation between the committers of the genocide and the victims.

The crying part of the morning came when a prisoner “testified”. I had goose bumps and tried not to listen as he told of killing 12 people in his village with a machete, destroying their property, his exile in Tanzania and eventfully the return to Rwanda and prison because he could not handle his guilt. Jean Paul got on his knees and then prostrated himself before the crowd of over 500 people and asked for forgiveness (he has been through the formal process of reconciliation in his village and is doing his public service building houses for the victims). The room was dead silent and then one of the bishops attending, shouted Hallelujah and it was then infectious as people stood and shouted Hallelujah and Amen. I sat there in awe for several minutes. Then Stephanie came up to give her testimony as a victim (she is the owner of one of the houses Jean Paul has built). She told of the killing of her husband and parents and how she wished she had been killed because she was pregnant and had two other children and felt she could not go on. She contemplated suicide but could not do it because of her kids. She heard of a program to help her with her anger, rage and need for revenge. After several years and counseling from many sources, she began to forgive and now works with the women and children whose husbands and fathers are in prison. To say the least, it was very moving experience I will never forget.

After that a celebration of singing and dancing from other victims began and they expressed such joy and hope. There were many speeches, entertainment and finally the government minister (guest of honor) who is responsible for the reconciliation programs in the prisons and manages the NGOS like REACH who facilitate these programs. SHE spoke very eloquently about the strides this tiny country has made to mend the terrible rifts that have plagued their country due to colonialism. Now countries from around the world come to Rwanda to find out how to use the techniques they have initiated under President Kagame, the churches and NGOs.The event was over 5 hours long and started 90 minutes late (what people call Africa time) so I had to rush home, eat something quickly and change clothes for the evening events of an International Performing Arts Program.

Now to the Laughter and Rhythm parts of the day…

There was a Rwandan comedian who could be on Comedy Central; his monologue on how to write about Africa was so funny he had everybody howling. His body movements (very tall and thin) were so well timed that it all come together effortlessly.

Next up was a Rwandan Hip Hop group of five boys ranging in age from 13-18 who performed to a standing ovation. The boys attended a workshop earlier in the day sponsored by the US Cultural Envoy Program that brought over two US Hip Hop artists; Rha Goddess and Ana Rockafella Garcia to teach and perform throughout Rwanda

Rha and Ana performed for about an hour (included two encores)and the last 15 minutes had the Rwandan boys up on the stage with them. They brought the house down and everyone was dancing and those who know me, know I do not dance very well. I was sober, moving to the music and having a great time.

It was a long day but held many memorable moments, just sorry there are no pics of the evening events because some of you will not believe the Rhythm part of the story!

Center of Hope Graduates

2009-07-16T05:31:00.000-07:00

I am developing a fundraising brochure for the Vocational Center of Hope and wanted to meet graduates and their employers. Today I met four graduates and visited their work places.

A young woman named Emerance is a cook at CARWASH; quite literally a carwash but it has a brilliant garden bar that serves some of the best Bar B Q in Kigali. She did her internship there and they hired her the day she received her certificate. We met the manger of the restaurant, Walter and he said he would take more than one student this year because Emerance was so good in the kitchen. Her English is poor so the kitchen work is all she can do but what he really needs is trained wait staff who speak English. He suggested that the program at least double the English component. One of the young men, Robert started a bakery with two other students after their internships. Robert’s English is very good and he asked Walter how much more a waiter could make than a cook and he said at least double and if you are very good 4x as much. That really opened the eyes of the four and Robert asked to interview for a waiters position. He has an interview with Walter tomorrow and I will let you know if he gets the job.

John and Yassin were the other graduates who started the bakery that we visited after the CARWASH. They specialize in special occasion cakes; you can see a beautifully decorated cake for a Birthday party tonight. I asked how much they charge for a cake like that and they said 5000RWf or about $9.00. I asked them how they determined the pricing because it seemed too cheap. I will send them a website that gives a formula to help them cost out their products. They also made beignets, small muffins and samosas. I bought a few of each and they were all very good. I have ordered special occasion cake and will serve to my expat and embassy friends. Hopefully it will be very good and I can drum up some business for them.

It was inspiring to spend time with them and communicate as best I could. I believe by developing these materials and making more connections for the alumni and Executive Director, the programs will get better every year.

Something Different...Basketball Camp

2009-07-16T04:37:00.001-07:00

I told Chad I would watch his camp for 6-12 year olds this morning and it was well worth it. There were over 40 kids of varying ages, abilities, and English skills. It is a good thing he could whistle and point! The kids thought I was his Mom who came to take pictures of their session; I really wanted to bring a few of the younger one home with me.

Chad has been doing this for three weeks and started with 4 kids so through word of mouth, the program have grown every day. All of the kids were enthusiastic and wanted to please COACH. The program ends tomorrow but the kids want it to continue. The problem is the gym will be used next week for sitdown volleyball (for amputees) and there are very few gyms in the country.

As part of Chad’s project, he has set-up a Non-Profit called One Court to build Basketball courts throughout Africa.

Francois

2009-07-15T04:29:00.000-07:00

I found out last week that the guard at my house was illiterate and could not read and write in any language. The Estate Agent was over because of another H2O problem and we were waiting for the plumber when I asked him some questions about both of the “Domestics” who went with the house. He knew more about the housekeeper because Claire is the one who speaks to him often about the house but he knew very little about Francois. He called him into the house and by the look on his face, he thought he had done something wrong and was going to be fired.

Francois is 26, his older siblings were killed in the genocide but his parents are alive and live on a subsistence farm about 2 ½ hours south of Kigali. I asked Jamie to find out if he would like to learn some English while I am here and he said YES, PLEASE in Kinyarwanda. I then asked how many years he attended school and was surprised that he never went to school because he was needed to work on the farm.

He could not spell or write his name in any language so I downloaded ESL materials from the web and we started his lessons last week. Today he can print his name and knows the alphabet by sight. I am now using a deck of cards to teach him numbers. Most of the other guards are in the same boat and now Francois is showing them all the worksheets I have given him. I do not know what he is teaching them but he is doing something to help them. I am looking for a basic literacy class for all of them but no luck so far. They are a lost generation because they were growing up during and right after the Genocide and if they do not learn English, they will never be able to improve their skills and income.

There are laws now that every child must go to through level 9…but in the rural areas there are still kids who do not go to school because they do not have money fees and uniforms. To some, Education is still a luxury.

President Obama’s Africa speech

2009-07-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

I returned from the gym around 11:30 to no electricity. About half of Kigali was dark from 10:30 AM until 6:45 PM. Luckily a friend from the Embassy called to see if I wanted to come and watch the speech with Rwandan News Media, Educators, and Government Representatives. There were about 35 attendees (I was one of four whites in the room) who applauded several times during the speech but it was the dialogue after the speech that I found most interesting.

Every person present gave him high marks and made comments based on their own professional viewpoint. They welcomed the partnership approach and the fact that aid will not be given to countries where officials get rich and corruption reigns…to a person they said that would allow more funds for Rwanda because it is the least corrupt country in Africa.

The media loved the free press comments, the government officials welcomed his thoughts on good governance and aid based on a sustainability model, but the educators did not think he spent enough time on its importance. They believed there could be no lasting peace, democracies or development if the people were illiterate. After those comments others began to point out some of the difficulties in carrying out the new policies and hope that the US officials responsible for implementation will be open to local solutions instead of the cookie cutter approach used in the past.

Since the power did not come back on until long after the speech, I had to wait to see how it was received across the world and watched the BBC and Al Jazeera. He received high marks from most of the talking heads but one in the UK said he “scolded” Africa but went to Russia to “discuss”; he felt his policies are flawed.

I feel the time is ripe for partnership and most of the African governments and people responded well to his remarks.

A literal whirlwind

2009-07-09T01:47:00.000-07:00

The day started at 8:30 when I met my driver, Santo and we headed to Cape Point. The drive reminded me of Big Sur with higher mountains. Santo had lots of information and stories to tell. He left Portugal in 1962 when he was 18 and arrived in Joberg. He had no skills or English so he stayed in the Portuguese community for a few years until he knew he had to learn English if he was to survive. He started working in a hotel where they had English classes for their employees. Hotel Management wanted “Europeans” to work in the hotels and not “Coloreds” (mixed race) or “Niggers” (blacks). The three classifications are still used today but not officially; no one needs to carry their “lifebook” as they did until the late 80’s showing their heritage.

We made a number of stops so I could walk and take photos. I went to the Penguin Beach and could not believe the noise they made…they are called Jackass Penguins because they bray just like donkeys.

At one stop I was taking a picture when Santo yelled for me to get in the car NOW and I jumped in just as a huge male baboon was coming toward the car. Santo clicked the locks immediately so when the baboon tried to open the car door, he couldn’t. After he could not get in, he ran and climbed over an eight foot barbed wire fence. I almost wet my pants because I looked out the window he had his face pressed against it making loud noises. Santo said Baboon attacks are happening more often because they are looking for food. After a few minutes to calm both of us, we drove a little farther and I saw the sign that said Danger: Baboons are not friendly and Do not feed; that was when I realized I did not have my camera (I dropped while jumping into the car). We back tracked and luckily the baboon had not stepped on it. By that time all I wanted to do was get away from there so we did not stop for me to take another picture until we got to the Cape of Good Hope. From there we went to Cape Point which was also very windy and desolate. They had a small museum under the lighthouse that talked about all the ship wrecks and lost sailors to the Point. We had a wonderful lunch overlooking the point of Kingklip a mild white fish.

There were fees to enter every section of the National Park and Santo said it has become cost prohibitive for the locals to take their families. They just increased the fees by 25% and will do the same amount in October. He said everything is going up because of the World Cup and by next summer and the fees will have doubled by then to milk the tourists. It was a total of $20.00 in fees (not counting the Funicular to the light house at Cape Point) for the day but I can understand why it was cost prohibitive for many South Africans.

We drove over the Mountains to Stellenbosch (wine country) to visit a few wineries and again the scenery was breathtaking. It reminded me of the wine tours I have taken around Santa Barbara and Monterey counties more that Napa or Sonoma. Being winter, the fields were grey but I could imagine coming in January and hopefully will be able to in 2011 (after the World Cup). We only had time for one stop at Simonsig and they had a 2006 Pinotage that was rated 5 star with multiple awards made by a female winemaker that was extraordinary. I bought several bottles and reloaded my luggage so they would fit and hopefully not break on the flight home.

We then headed to the airport where I saw a Township (this was a slum for coloreds). All I saw were shacks for over five km. I wanted to stop and take a picture but Santo said it was too dangerous. There were children playing on both sides of the highway and medium because it is the only grass. It was very depressing to see that at the end of a day of such beauty.

I want to come back to this beautiful country and spend more than 72 hours because I now have Africa in my blood and want to experience more of it.

I could live in Cape Town...

2009-07-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

It is an amazing city. I did the Red Bus tour this AM and then spent the afternoon going back to interesting places ending up on the beach for a “sundowner”. The beaches are beautiful and the water is warmer in the winter than summer due to the Southeast winds. Its natural beauty makes it breathtaking from every angle plus it is very clean and easy to maneuver. If Dutchgirl travels this way sometime, she will be able to pronounce all the street names!

I hiked up Table Mountain and took the funicular down, walked all over the city center, the Company Gardens and in between went to a wine bar for lunch. It was written up in Food & Wine magazine and I wish John could have joined me because they are reported to have the best sushi in the city. Of course I did not go for the sushi but tasted four great reds and two whites. It is a good thing you can buy a one ounce taste.

After a brief rest and clothes change, I went to dinner at another fabulous restaurant. I met some people from New York; we all tasted a few more wines and told stories of our African Adventures.

I had to make a decision if I wanted to visit Robben Island or drive down to Cape Point and then to Wine Country before leaving for Kigali and Cape Point won. This has been a perfect interlude and I know I will come back to Cape Town again.

Here are a few of the better photos of my day...

Shopping Mall Dentistry

2009-07-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

I was surprised the Orthodontist’s was in a downtown Mall next to a Sporting Goods chain. It was very busy and I would characterize it as assembly line dentistry. They were all very nice and professional but no personality. Because I blew out both the water picks I brought during my first week in Rwanda (wrong voltage) I asked to have my teeth cleaned as well. I only bring this up because it was so inexpensive. It was less than ½ the price I pay in the states.

I also stopped at a Shop Rite Supermarket in the same mall (Jim, I do not think it is affiliated with Wakefern) to see if they had Diet Pepsi, water and toothpaste. Yes, they had Pepsi Light and everything was much less expensive than in Rwanda; so it is not just the services that are cheaper.

In walking to the Mall, I was struck by all the differences between Cape Town and Kigali. Of course CT is much bigger and the population is more white than black but everything is Westernized...I kind of miss Kigali expect I can use my credit cards here! I also walked past an American Express Office and was able to cash my remaining Travelers Checks with only a 5% fee (much less than Kigali at 12%). Because I need cash for everything (rent, power, gas, water, food, cell phone minutes, etc), I will visit an ATM everyday to take out the maximum in SA Rands and exchange into dollars at the airport on Thursday.

One of the biggest things Rwanda can do for tourism is modernized their banking system so out of country ATMs can be used and merchants to accept credit cards.

Travels with Susan

2009-07-06T06:02:00.001-07:00

Considering all the flying I do for my job, I thought I was a pretty seasoned traveler…wrong.

When I arrived two hours early for my flight at Kigali, I went to what I thought was the a small ticket counter but it was only for purchasing future tickets (cash only) and was told I needed to go through security before I could check-in. They would not allow me to carry on my bag so it was checked to Joberg and my final destination was Cape town. The flight was only an hour late but with headwinds, it took almost four hours in Regional Jet. I do not know how they stay in business because there were only seven people on the flight; they served a full meal and all the beer and wine you wanted.

I forgot to bring my immunization card and was turned away at the passport control at 12:30 AM. They told me I could go to a 24 hour clinic and for $90.00 I got my second yellow fever vaccination (about double what I paid for it in CA). Once I had the card, I went back through passport control. By this time it is about 1:30 AM and the Domestic Terminal was closed until 4:30AM. I had three hours with no place to go in one of the most dangerous cities in the world. I had a very small taste of what it is like to be alone, afraid and briefly homeless. Finally a policeman let me into the baggage claim area where there were over 100 people waiting for early morning flights. All the benches were taken so I was happy I had my luggage. I was able to get a sweater and jacket because it was freezing on the concrete. I longed for even the worst Red Carpet Club!

It was my own fault for forgetting my immunization card but it was not part of my travel routine but it is now. I also forget to bring an adapter to plug in computer, IPod and Kindle.

I arrived to drizzle and could not see much of the city but it has cleared up a little and this is a picture of the city and Table Mountain outside my window in one direction and the Port in the other.

4th of July Rwanda Style

2009-07-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

I went to the US Embassy with about 300 other citizens to celebrate with hamburgers, chips, potato salad, chocolate cake, music and games. It was a who’s who of the NGO and government scene and I met people from many organizations; it was a networkers dream. Sorry I have no photos but my camera was confiscated as I went through the metal detectors but was returned to me when I left…I did not know that photographs cannot be taken in or around any Embassy.

The Ambassador read a speech from President Obama for all citizens living outside the USA. Ambassador Symington added his thanks for all the good work our organizations were doing in Rwanda and he is never surprised by what we can all accomplish together.

The Ambassador came from a much bigger celebration at Amahoro (Peace) Stadium where 25,000 Rwandans were celebrating 15 years of Liberation. The TV coverage of the event dominated the news and Sarah Palin had a few mentions on Al Jazeera and the BBC. I do not know if it was the editing but she came across more of a caricature than she did during the campaign.

I am off tomorrow to South Africa and will take lots of photos of the adventure. It will be much cooler there and I will finally be able to wear the jeans and long sleeve shirts that have just been sitting in my closet. Wish me luck with my braces!

as we forgive

2009-07-02T04:10:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended the opening of a very important movie entitled as we forgive. It is the cornerstone of the “as we forgive Rwanda Initiative”; a non-profit public/private partnership to encourage greater dialogue about the process of repentance, forgiveness and ultimately reconciliation. It has relevance for Rwanda but all who see it will find ways to use the process to help themselves move toward reconciliation in their own lives.

The award-winning documentary (Gold Winner, Student Academy Awards in 2008) will be used as an educational tool in schools, churches, prisons, and villages. The initiative will encompass a nationwide tour and discussion program to encourage honest and healing conversations about this very difficult subject. A group of dedicated professionals trained in different reconciliation techniques will customize the program for each audience. They have also developed metrics to determine if and how successful they are in reaching their goals (to be determined based on the audience).

I was impressed with the movie, the four main characters and their stories (they were in attendance at the launch party), and how the Initiative was presented. The US Ambassador introduced the film by telling his story of how the film affected him when he first saw it last year and how he uses as part of the orientation in Rwanda and suggested it be used in every location that is or has been involved in conflict. An incredible Anglican clergyman and the Minister of Culture also spoke eloquently about the project and their hopes. One of the main proponents for this project was not able to attend because he is recuperating from surgery; Bishop John. He runs a Prison Ministry and the reconciliation program was his brainchild after the genocide. He is interviewed throughout the film and based on books I have read; he is a powerhouse in Rwanda. I am hopeful he returns to his ministry before I leave so I can meet him. Gregor mentioned him to me before I left and said I must meet him!

The film tells the story of two women survivors of the genocide who come face to face with their families killers and chose the painful but hopeful journey of reconciliation. Talk about powerful stories… The film was the master’s thesis for Laura Waters Hinson and I have included the website if you would like more information.

www.asweforgivemovie.com/rwanda

Rwanda Independence Day

2009-07-01T00:48:00.000-07:00

Today is a National Holiday but as you read the editorial below, not all Rwandans feel like celebrating. On July 5th, they celelbrate another Holiday; Peace and National Unity Day.

A brief history lesson may help you understand why

Rwanda was first colonized by Germany and later by Belgium. The Europeans played on ethnic differences to divide and conquer the population. At that time power was concentrated in the hands of the Tutsi, with the king (mwami) playing a central role.
In 1956 the King called for independence and Belgium began to switch allegiance to the Hutu majority. After the death of the King in 1959, armed clashes between Hutu and Tutsi marked the beginning of an ethnic climate. Following independence in 1962 the Hutu majority came to power and the first exodus of Tutsi began. Intertribal tensions continued to erupt with some of fighting caused by events in surrounding countries (Uganda, Burundi and The Congo). 1990 marked the beginning of a Civil War which culminated in the Genocide.

This Editorial appeared in THE NEW TIMES this morning. It is the opinion Gloria Anyongo

Today, 1st July, Rwanda celebrates its Independence Day. Unlike other African states in the region, one cannot feel the enthusiasm that comes with the day.
Independence Day is described as an annual celebration commemorating the anniversary of a nation’s assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another state. Most countries honour their respective independence day as a national holiday.

Today, the significance of this day is not regarded highly.

It passes almost unnoticed because of the implications that come with it.
Instead of peace and freedom, Rwanda was characterized by divisionism and oppression of its citizens. Refugees increased in number as a series of massacres continued.
This does not describe Independence at all. For this reason many Rwandans today are not so enthusiastic about the day.

There is nothing much to celebrate about that day because it was not a happy day. It was a sad day that led to unrest that affected the country for years to come. The rest is history, anyone would say.

Freedom by its simplest definition is a state of feeling free. If you do not feel free, then you have no freedom.

This was the case for Rwanda 47 years ago when on July 1st 1962 they assumed ‘independence’ from its colonial rule. Unlike the true meaning of independence, this was an ‘apparent independence’ from the colonial powers that had subdued Africa.

For Rwanda, this subjection lasted from 1900 to 1962 when the Rwanda-Urundi still existed. If Rwanda-Urundi in the Berlin Conference of 1885 was not designated as a German sphere of influence, then the United Nations trusteeship in 1946 would not have given Rwanda-Urundi to the Belgians and Rwanda would not have became a Belgian Trust Territory. Rwanda becoming Belgium’s ‘trust territory’ broke the nation.

In his book ‘Dynamics of Violence in Central Africa’, Rene Lemarchand, a professor of Political Science at the University of Florida, correctly wrote against all those who saw ‘ruin’ at the end of colonial dominion in Africa. He argued that, “despite the brevity of the colonial interlude, its impact was overwhelming. In Rwanda, it unleashed one of the most violent upheavals ever witnessed by an African state at a similar stage of its evolution…”

With the help of Belgian military at that time, the first genocidal crisis in Rwanda was sparked in November 1959 when the Tutsi Monarchy was terminated. The aftermath was bloodshed. Thousands fled the country and moved to neighbouring countries as they were hunted down, young and old. Rwanda post independence was not independent.

Through a sequence of leaderships with the e first President Dominique Mbonyumutwa, then Gregoire Kayibanda, the first elected president of September 1961, and finally Juvenal Habyarimana who presumed power after coup and later starved his predecessor Kayibanda, Rwanda was not experiencing freedom but only divisionism.

Thus I say ‘Independence Day’ for Rwanda and Rwandans was when we experienced the first taste of real freedom. This was after Liberation Day in 1994.

CASH POWER

2009-06-29T22:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new economy…pay before you use it.

You must buy electricity credits before you use it. This was news to me until the power went off (not a system blackout) but my meter was dry. Stores sell electricity credits just like they sell minutes for your cell phone. You buy a card and punch the code into your meter. People who do have electricity conserve it though power strips and keeping all non-essential lights and appliances turned off. One night I forgot to turn off the front light after I drove in and the neighbor’s guard came to the gate to ask my guard to have me turn it off…amazing.

In the documentary, FLOW, it showed several parts of the world where the water was privatized and people had to buy tokens before they could go to the local well. It seems that in the “Developing World” the people least able to pay are charged up-front and at premium rates (because they can only buy small amounts and there is a price break for the more you buy).

This experience has taught me to place more than monetary value on the resources I take for granted at home.

Umuganda in Rwanda

2009-06-29T04:36:00.000-07:00

Umuganda is a unique Rwandan experience...it is compulsory community service on the last Saturday of the month from 7:00-Noon for everyone over the age of 18. All businesses are closed and EVERYONE participates. It took place last Saturday and my local cell planted trees, cleaned the community garden and put up playground equipment.

Rwanda is, and has been a highly organised society. The country is divided into administrative regions called prefectures (the equivalent of counties); these are divided into districts which are divided into sectors then into communes which are finally divided into cells. This organisation, and the officials who control each region, pass on instructions from Rwanda’s leaders that are quickly carried out by ordinary people. This is how the genocide was able to spread so quickly.

Umuganda is a tradition which dates back to before the arrival of the Europeans. Some Rwandans return to their home cell (for many in Kigali this means going back to the village they were born) to receive instructions from the cell leader. They all carry out whatever type of community service has been decided on for that month – for example picking up trash, planting trees, clearing fields, fixing roads (I have not seen any improvement!), building houses, etc.

No one is exempt from this community service – the President, Ministers, Members of Parliament and even foreign diplomats participate. I will participate on July 25th and give you a first person account.

I found an interesting Opinion article on this subject in the English language newspaper The New Times. It talks about how much more powerful this tradition could be and gives examples of how to improve it.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200806030466.html

Can you imagine the impact if we all gave five hours for Community Service a month in our cities or towns? Would Americans embrace this idea and give up one Saturday morning a month? Interesting questions…

Powerful Message for 2009 Graduates

2009-06-29T03:44:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey Hollender, the Chief Inspired Protagonist of Seventh Generation sent us an email containing the Commencement Address by Paul Hawken to the 2009 Class of the University of Portland.

Paul Hawken is a renowned entrepreneur, visionary environmental activist, and author of many books, most recently Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming.

Reading the speech had a significant impact on me and more than it would have a few months ago. Being in the "Developing World" and seeing so many issues first hand, it touched me personally. I am changing every day due to my experiences, new knowledge and being exposed to diverse perspectives and opinions.

You can find the speech on his website and it is well worth the five minutes if you have not read it yet.

http://www.paulhawken.com/

Star Gazing

2009-06-28T23:50:00.000-07:00

I attended the final ceremony of the Film Festival last night and met Danny Glover!

He spoke very eloquently about his thoughts on Africa, being a Good Will Ambassador for UNICEF and how important it is for everyone to tell their story and preserve it in any means possible…film being the best way.

He explained that he was invited to come to Rwanda in 1997 as a UN Ambassador for a previous Development program (after the genocide) and did not come. He said many of the issues addressed in the documentary FLOW For the Love of Water were things the UN was addressing at that time but are no longer priorities.

http://www.flowthefilm.com/

The film asks the question “Can anyone own water?” and discusses the tug-of-war between public health and private interests. Interviews with scientists and activists outline the next biggest political and environmental crisis for our planet. I did not know that Water is the third largest industry in the world. I find that having the luxury of time to read, watch films and diverse TV programming, I have learned more in the past six weeks than I have in quite awhile.

FLOW tries to awaken and galvanize the viewer and gives some practical solutions that do not involve multi-billion dollar loans from the World Bank. Just as I recommended WAR CHILD, I think many of you would be very interested in FLOW.

I have included a few other photos and Helen, I think my friend Barbara (Nurse Practitioner) could be a relative and she is with Eddie the PAO (both from the US Embassy). Since the Festival started earlier, I was able to get a good photo of the inflatable screen they use to take the Festival into the Hills and how we watched FLOW under the stars last night.

Driving in Kigali

2009-06-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

I have had the car for five weeks and driving in Kigali continues to be a challenge for a number of reasons:

• No Maps
• No Street Names
• No House Numbers
• Speed bumps everywhere
• 100’s of Motos (scooters that carry people and things)
• People always walking in the roads (major problem at night)
• No Street lights
• Very few traffic lights and several congested roundabouts

When someone gives directions they may use local names of streets or roads that a newcomer has no idea where they are. They also say things like “travel about 1 km until you see a utility pole and dirt road”…well there are hundreds of those and nothing to distinguish them. I am ok on the main roads and have even found a few shortcuts on the dirt or brick roads to save time and speed bumps but not having a 4-wheel drive makes those roads difficult to traverse.

I was invited to dinner and left when it was still light so I could follow the directions I wrote down. After three phone calls, my host had to come and pick me up at a gas station (asking someone to talk to him on the phone to tell him which Kobil station I was at, was also a great experience). Dinner was an hour late but everyone took it in stride. I am sorry to say I got lost driving home that night as well.

The photos are of a few interesting sights I have seen on the roads of Kigali: a truck full of live chickens hanging by their feet and a man on his bike with a 20 gallon milk container hitching a ride up a hill.

Power outage offers a different opportunity

2009-06-26T00:14:00.000-07:00

The continuing issues of power and water struck again last might when Eddie and I went to the Film Festival Showing of the "Iron Women of Libriera". We went to the restaurant (photo of screen) and ordered our dinner while we waited for the movie to start. Then the power went off and Chez Robert was in total darkness. I used my cell phone flashlight for some light until they brought out a few candles. It lasted about 15 minutes and during that time one man deicide to leave and took a header off the top step. It took him about 5 minutes before he could sit up and finally stand (we wanted to call an ambulance but he said no he was just a little shaken up).

When the power came back on, the equipment did not work so they postponed the movie and eventually moved it to another venue. We finally got our dinner (not the best) and decided to attend the opening of an art exhibit instead. I am very glad we did because the artist had some fantastic work and Eddie and I each bought a piece. The paintings are an invitation to look through (Umutima w’Urugo); the heart of the family. The faces are expressive and sometime haunting. She captures the simplicity of life by placing women at the center of all activities. The Artist, Arlette Vandeneycken came to Rwanda 16 years ago with her Rwandan boyfriend and stayed. I looked for a website to show you but she does not have one, only a Facebook page.

This beuatibul painting is hanging in my living room in Rwanda and they will pack it when the time comes to get it back to California. In a way, the power outage “opened another door” and I found a beautiful memento of the trip. I would still like to see the documentary about three female ministers in Liberia and how they will determine the fate of the country, but it interferes with attending a debating society event on Sunday afternoon. I have become a social butterfly!

A few thoughts on Rwandan TV

2009-06-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

I have a total of 26 stations: 4 French, 2 Chinese, 2 Arabic and about 10 in various African Languages that sometime provide English programming and the rest in English. When I do turn on the tube, I generally watch Al Jazeera/English. I am very impressed with the scope of coverage and professional reporting. To me it is more informative than the BBC Africa (I do not get CNN International). I find they spend more time on each story so it is more like PBS due to in-depth reporting. They also are not as repetitive as the 24 hour stations in the US. Their investigative reports have helped me to understand some of the issues facing nations and people that I knew little or nothing about.

I also get a geography lesson each time they do the weather. I try to memorize 5-6 new cities and make the change from Celsius to Fahrenheit as my daily brain teaser! One of their major Bureaus is in Doha and I had to look up where that is (in case you don’t know either, it is the Capital of Qatar).

I recently watched a report on the tunnels being built in Myramar with North Korean support and how the missiles they will house will change the balance of power in the entire region. I am sorry to say that I know nothing about this until I watched the report. It made me realize that I need to broaden my list of new sources everyday to be better connected with the world and not just the US and our issues and politics.

I have also watched a portion of a Chinese soap opera with English sub titles that was too difficult to follow all the characters and interconnections and a two Bollywood films. Needless to say I do not watch much TV (the same in the US) and thank God I downloaded over 50 books on my Kindle before I left. I just started Crime and Punishment last night. I intersperse a classic in between novels and business books.

Another Unique Rwandan Experience...getting a Dress Made

2009-06-23T23:47:00.000-07:00

I need to attend a dedication in July and have been asked to dress in a Rwandan Traditional Dress. There are no “ready to wear” stores so I started my saga at the textile corner in Kigali. I was fortunate to have a guide by the name of Liberata or else I never would have maneuvered through the process.

We chose fabric (much bartering and many people involved) and then went to the tailor shop. I thought we would just drop off the material and I would come back for a fitting and pick it up. Wrong…four people worked on the outfit for about 90 minutes and we walked out with a beautiful Traditional Dress for 30,000 francs about $55.00. It is silk and had about six man hours into it so it was a real bargain.

I do not know how many times I will wear in the US but I am sure I can think of something…maybe when I do my brown bag presentation on my sabbatical!

It is all about the Story

2009-06-23T23:27:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to shower (over 48 hours without H2O) last night before I saw an incredible documentary at the Film Festival, WARCHILD. It tells the story of Emanuel Jal, a Hip Hop artist. Being Sudanese and a former child soldier, he has many tales to tell and some are horrific. His is an unbelievable journey and some parts of the film were very difficult for me to watch. It has UN footage of him at age seven in a refugee camp, concert footage and glimpses of his life until he returned to Sudan in 2007. He is now in his late 20’s and sings his stories around the globe. His inspirational message of peace and reconciliation is powerful and well worth a Netflix.

You can learn about him and the movie by checking out these websites. I especially like his logo of an AK47 with a microphone at the end of the barrel.

http://warchildmovie.com/
http://www.emmanueljal.org/

2009-06-22T23:40:00.000-07:00

The water truck came around 8:00 PM and they could not get the pump to work. There was very little light so I gave them my flashlight to help them see what they were doing. The pump was very old and three men worked for 45 minutes to try and fix it with only the flashlight illuminating their way. They finally gave up and said they would come back by 7:00 AM tomorrow. They gave me two “jerry cans” of water to tide me over until they returned. Now I can relate to about 90% of the population who do not have running water and go to neighborhood pumps to fill their cans for the day.

It is now 8:15 AM and they have not shown up yet; over 48 hours without water. Another cold splash shower and dirty hair. Stay tuned…

NO H2O....

2009-06-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

I called the landlord to ask what the deal is and he said he was sorry he forgot to let me know there would be a lapse for approximately 24-36 hours with no water in this part of the city. When I asked why he said it was “our neighborhoods turn” so apparently there is a roaming water shortage.

I have never experienced turning on the faucet and no water coming out. I have a pan in the kitchen and one in the bathroom but they are almost gone. I bought two, four liter jugs at the store for about $6.00 each for drinking and cooking so I should be ok until the truck comes. Bathing with cold water in a bucket is not my idea of fun and hope this shortage does not hit my neighborhood again before I leave or hopefully it will take place while I am in South Africa.

Today was market day and this time I agreed to have a guide help me (Vincent, number 120). If he told me his name and number once, he did it at least 10 times so I would ask for him next visit. There are usually 25-30 guides waiting outside the market and wear white smocks with their number on it. He saved me about 1000 francs by bartering and when I went to give him 1000 francs he said it was too much so I ended up giving him 500. He was very proud of the service he provided and he insisted on carrying all my purchases to the car. His English was excellent and it amazes me he has to do this for a living.

He also gave me a lecture on eggs: Rwanda eggs have yellow yolks and have more vitamins while Ugandan eggs have white yolks and according to Vincent are inferior. He said each Rwandan egg is 100 francs and worth the extra cost (Ugandan eggs are 70 francs each). I have had omelets at restaurants and they were very anemic looking and had a different flavor than I am used to; so I guess there is something to buying them at the market and fixing them at home.

I wish they had an etiquette book to help foreigners know how to deal with all the cultural issues like what to pay someone like Vincent. Plus I still do not know how to deal with the housekeeper and guard. People ask me why I do not hire a driver because it would save me from getting lost so often; getting lost will be the topic of another blog...no street names or addresses make a directionally challenged person wander aimlessly!

It is different having a cleaning service come to my house in CA regularly but to have someone around for 10 or 24 hours a day wanting to wait on you is disconcerting to me.

Where is AAA when you need them?

2009-06-22T04:17:00.000-07:00

I opened my door for a walk on Sunday AM to see a flat tire; no doubt due to the bad roads yesterday. The good news is I had a spare but the bad news, no jack. After pointing and using many hand gestures, Francoise (my guard) was able to call four of his fellow guards and between them they had the appropriate tools (lifted from the cars of the people they work for). An hour later, the spare is on and flat is in the trunk.

As always, I am at a loss of what to pay them so I gave Francoise 2500 francs, which would be 500 a piece and they all lit up and shook my hand before they left to return all the tools to their owners cars. That equates to about $.90 cents but I guess when you earn a $2.00 a day, it is considered a windfall.
It indeed took a village to change the tire and I am not done yet; I must go to the tire repair shop.

They showed me a slit on the side of the tire so I needed to buy a tube and wait for it to be completed. They called me “auntie” and found a chair for me to sit in while I watched. When they were done I asked how much and they said 10,000 francs and I looked at them for a moment and then they said 5000 francs. I would have gladly given them 10,000 to have it fixed but my moment of hesitation made them decide not to charge more because I am a “mazungu” white person.

I can’t remember if I told you that my house came with two workers as part of the lease. It is disconcerting to have them around all the time and wanting to wait on me. Clare irons everything including my underwear and Francoise washes the car everyday even when I tell him it is a waste of water. They are told what to do by the owner and they can not deviate. Clare does not live here and when I tell her she can go home because I have nothing for her to do, she sits under a tree outside until her normal quitting time; people could learn from their sense of responsibility. If I did not employee them, they would join the 60% of people that are unemployed and the last thing I want to do is take away their livelihood.

Some of the domestic help who work and live in Kigali have families out in the village and they send most of their money to them and they have domestic help. I guess it is part of the culture that persists while the country is modernizing.

KWITA IZINA…Gorilla Naming Ceremony

2009-06-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

Three of us traveled in my study Toyota sedan early Saturday (6:00AM) and made a brief stop at SINA Gerard’s facility about 45 miles outside of Kigali for breakfast. It is called URWIBUTSO and it is a framing and food processing operation. This organization helps more than 2000 local farmers to grow fruits and crops by giving them seeds, technical advice as well as marketing support. It is also has an educational component to teach them how to grow the crops properly and gain the best yield.

They produce, farm fresh juice, jam, wine, chili sauces and powders (peri-peri very popular in Africa), honey and operate a bakery and restaurant. All is grown organically and fresh products are sought after in Rwanda and are now being exported to other East African Nations. I read a blog that can really give you more of the feel and importance of this operation and suggest you visit the site

http://talesofawaysideinn.wordpress.com/

After juice and pastries we continued to Ruhengeri for the ceremony. We arrived around 8:30 and large crowds were already forming. Since we were on the “US Embassy List”, we were able to enter the Tent with chairs. The “masses” were standing in large fields surrounding the stage on three sides with the tent on the fourth. I was embarrassed that everything was played to the tent and not to the Rwandans who had walked for many miles to attend.

Since this part of Rwanda does not receive much entertainment, the Ceremony consisted of lots of music, dancing and short skits interspersed with dignitary’s speeches and the actual ceremony to name the Gorilla. For someone who does not speak Kinyarwanda, it was difficult to follow and at times loud and boring but the main event was well worth it. The 18 dignitaries who named a gorilla were dressed in traditional garments and theywere brought to the stage surrounded by drummers. I was again reminded how dramatic drumming is and sets the tone for all that what follows.

Each person explained why they were there and gave the Kinyarwanda and English name for their gorilla and why they choose it. I have searched the local papers and web for al full list to include but it does not exist yet. I will forward as soon as it is released.

A few observations: I and my friends would have bought many t-shirts if they had them and will send a letter to the organizers that they missed an opportunity. If you looked at the website, you saw how cute those photos were of the Gorillas and with the backdrop of the Volcanoes it would be a no brainer to raise funds.

Secondly I will recommend the stage be set-up in the future so all people can see what is going on, not just the “special” people in the tent.

It was a long day and when we pulled back into Kigali at 6:00, we were exhausted but very happy we attended.

Amanda's Farewell Dinner

2009-06-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

I had my first dinner party last night and I had to borrow things from most of the attendees in order to prepare and serve the meal. That is the norm in Rwanda because every rental house has different pots, pans, utensils, serving dishes etc so everyone contributes. It was inconvenient when the oven did not work but we pulled it together. I received two bottles of wine and one of them was “Two Buck Chuck from Trader Joes”; I wonder how that got here!

The evening was a celebration and send off for Amanda, a talented young woman (In the photo above with Filbert) I have worked with the past six weeks on Project Akilah. Her pedigree is impressive being a graduate of the Hospitality Administration Program at Cornell. She has accomplished much as Country Director and if it had not been for her, Project Akilah would have NGO status or the MOU signed for the school land grant. She has also been involved in developing the curriculum. She has worked very hard to make things happen on the ground and the fundraising support will determine how quickly we can begin the next phase of work. Amanda will be missed by all the people she has touched in Rwanda.

The food was good and the conversation very stimulating. All ages (22-60) were present with every decade covered. Lot’s about everyone’s volunteer projects or work in Rwanda, people we have met, situations that are different from “home” (wherever that is) and how FRIENDLY everyone is here. It is amazing to all of us how many NGOS and non-profit organizations from around the world are working in Rwanda. The government supports growth and development that will help all Rwandans therefore it has an atmosphere of accessibility and partnership. In the next 5-10 years, many people will be trained and educated so organizations will be run by Rwandans instead of people from around the world.

Filbert is an Anglican priest and Executive Director of an organization called REACH. We talked a lot about his peace and reconciliation work with prisoners and victims. His new facility in Kigali (Photo of great hall under construction above) will be dedicated on July 18th and is very impressive. You can learn more about his project at

www.reachusa.com

Erin is a student in Social Entrepreneurship at TCU and works with a jewelry coop that sells their products in the states. Most of the products are beads made of recycled paper. You can visit her site at

www.Keza.com

I feel very fortunate to have met and continue to meet such inspiring and interesting people.

Updates

2009-06-15T01:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Chad and I went to Butare to pick up my bracelets at the Tin workshop I mentioned in a previous blog. Here is a picture with the man who made them for me. We also passed a number of agricultural and fish farms where the genocide prisoners were working (in pink uniforms). It is interesting that every Genocide Memorial is done in purple and the prisoners are in pink. I have not been able to find out why they chose the colors.

It was First Communion for 23 children and quite a pagaent and very long service o Sunday!

I have a busy week with Project Akilah work, attending two Kigali Women Associations meetings and a road trip to the “Gorilla Naming Ceremony’” in Volcanoes National Park on Saturday. They will name 18 baby gorillas this year. Please go to this site for more information

http://www.kwitizina.org/index.php

Several of you have offered to contribute to the Center for HOPE and I trying to find a way to get them on Razoo.com and will let you know in a future post.

Rwanda Film Festival

2009-06-13T22:54:00.001-07:00

Rather than show my very amateur photos, please go to

http://www.inflatablefilm.com/

This tells the story of a crew from Washington State following the filmmakers and events last year.

To say the least, the Hillywood event was something to behold. I could not help but watch the people watching the film because it was so intense. I look forward to volunteering for the Children's event on Wednesday.

Youth Vocational Training Center of Hope

2009-06-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

Don’t you love the name!

Chad and I visited this school in a very poor village just outside of Kigali today. They have 90 students in two programs: Catering or Beauty Services. As you can see from the photos, the girls were weaving black extensions into my hair and polishing my nails.

I had a much more emotional response to this school because the Director is trying to do so much for these young people with very little money. Neither she nor her three teachers have been paid for the past few months to keep the school going. Coming off the trips to the Kibbutz and other privately funded schools with endowments of 10-20 million dollars, this one breaks your heart. I paid her what a manicure would have cost in the states ($20.00) and she said this would buy food for the practical cooking lessons for next week.

As always, Chad took lots of photos and had the students do a five minute video on his flip cam. We will write their story and send to KIVA to see if the students can receive loans to pay for the program. If each of the students could get a $25.00 loan, it would go a long way to sustainability for this wonderful program and they could pay them back when they got a job.

They receive a certificate after one year of classes and a 2 month internship. Since its inception, it has graduated one class and over 60% of the students received jobs and have come back to donate money to keep the school running. A testament to playing it forward...

Working and cooking at my new house

2009-06-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

It is so nice to come home to my new house! We have all been congregating at my Dining Room table completing the Project Akilah Prospectus. Having the internet all day has helped us research many of the topics we needed to address in the document.
We also had very good news today…our International NGO status came through and the MOU for the land in Bugesera will be signed tomorrow. We are getting closer to starting the renovations on the school.

Chad and I will spend some time as volunteers for the Rwanda Film Festival. The first week is called “Hillywood” because they take documentary films out to the villages and show then at dusk on a large inflatable screen on the side of a hill. Many of the films have been made by local film makers and address issues they are passionate about. I will be able to meet “Number One” (what some people call President Kagame) at the opening ceremony.

I have included a photo of the bounty from my trip to the market and will be able to cook in my small kitchen with all organic produce.

Kibbutz in Rural Rwanda!

2009-06-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Agahozo Shalom Youth Village is a Kibbutz 50 KM from Kigali and is by far the most amazing school I have visited to date. The first class of 125 students range in age from 14-19 and are all orphans of the genocide. These kids do not know much about Judaism but they can explain "tikkum halev" and "tikkum olam"…healing the heart and healing the world. It has adopted the methods of rehabilitation from the Yemin Orde Youth Village founded in Israel for the orphans of the Holocaust.

It is not a traditional Boarding School because the student homes are separate from the school; it is a village at the bottom of the hill. 16 children live in a family home with a Rwandan “mother” who is also a genocide victim. For some kids this is their first family and for others it is a chance to call someone Mom, sister or brother again. The family home gives them a feeling of security because many have been shuffled from homes, institutions or have even been heads of a household themselves.

The school is on the top of a hill overlooking a lake with picture windows out of each classroom. The vision of the sky and clouds allows them to reach for them and all their potential while gaining knowledge and skills that will provide structure for a new life as citizen leaders. They begin grade 9 and will graduate 4 years later and each year a new class of 125 will enter to the maximum of 500 at the time of the first graduating class. The 11 Rwandan teachers were trained in Jerusalem at the Feuerstein Institute for three months last fall. They were instructed on a method of teaching for traumatized children. Jean Pierre Nkuranga, the Principal was very passionate about why these methods work with his student population and said some will be adopted for all Secondary Education by the Minister of Education next year.

The students participate in after school activities that provide emotional support and a means for reconciliation. Sports, drama, art and music therapy are very important aspects of this program as well as tutorial assistance with English and computer skills. One counselor, Sarah said it was difficult for some students to accept using games and art as a way to learn and heal. There is in an incredible outdoor mural and art work created by the students throughout the school with the help of local artists and therapists.

Another portion of their time is spent on house and farm chores. These responsibilities make them feel part of the community and teach valuable lessons that will help them assimilate in society when they graduate. The farm is very impressive and will help them become sustainable and sell produce to the community surrounding the school.

This is a school on a grand scale because they constructed all buildings to house the 500 students they will have in next three years. The Kitchen, Dining, Activities Hall is as big as a football field. There were Aids and Safe Sex posters in the Dining Room because this is a coed school for young adults.

It opened its doors to students in December 2008 and will have a formal dedication in late June. The school is named after the corporate sponsorship, Liquidnet Holdings, a NY based Financial Technology firm.

I was very impressed with the school, staff and students...and will keep in touch with contacts to follow their progress.

Maranyundo School Visit

2009-06-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Another incredible day at the site on Friday with a local architect, two Electrigas Representatives , and a wonderful women by the name of Joy who is interested in working with us to open the Akilah Institute. After a 90 minute site visit, we returned to Nyamata to see the Maranyundo School, named for the mountains in the distance. The Maranyundo Initiative was started in Boston at a chance meeting in 2000 between Sister Ann, who ran the Paraclete Center in South Boston, and Senator Aloisea Inyumba of Rwanda. They both attended a Women Waging Peace conference at Harvard.

http://www.maranyundo.org/our-story/history

The partnership took years to get off the ground. After saying yes to Inyumba, Sister Ann was stymied. She'd tell people about her plan for a school in Rwanda and they'd reply, "That's nice." It wasn't until November 2005, when she took her first group of women to Rwanda that the project moved beyond a promise. Over the next two years, the Maranyundo Initiative raised $1.8 million.

The original construction began four years ago on eight arid acres that were the former site of a concentration camp for the Tutsis. A little history on the Bugesera District in the country's east province…it was ground zero for the genocide, a killing field where no place - not the church or town hall, not even buried up to one's neck in a swamp - was safe. In one month, five of every six Tutsis here were hacked with machetes or bludgeoned with nail-studded clubs. Most of the women who weren't killed were left widows; many were HIV-infected through rape. Thousands of children were orphaned, many of them becoming heads of households before age 10. With so many Rwandan men killed, or in exile or prison, women are rebuilding the country.

It's a startling irony: The genocide killed their loved ones and shattered their country, but it gave women power they never had before. Discrimination was rampant and women had few rights and little to no education. But the government under Paul Kagame has made it clear that educating girls is crucial to the country's recovery.
The school is located on a beautiful oval-shaped campus of orange-brick buildings, including computer and science labs, dorms, dining room, library, and classrooms. New construction is underway and next year they will have 180 girls in grades 7-9.

The Akilah Institute is about 10 miles away from the Maranyundo School and will educate young women ages 18-24. It is another example of how educating women is an answer to a sustainable future.

2009-06-04T02:10:00.000-07:00

Road Trip to Sonrise School
On the road to Ruhengeri (Northwestern Rwanda) we needed four wheel drive and I bounced around to the point that my keys fell out of my bag and did not realize it until I was dropped at my car around 8:00PM. Luckily I took a motion sickness pill but still felt a little queasy because I was on a bench seat in the back of a Land Cruiser and thankfully they found my keys and brought them back to me. Betsy, Luanne and I will need to travel on this same road to visit the Gorilla’s so I will rent a 4 Wheel vehicle and drive myself. Hopefully, I will be able to maneuver the HUGE potholes and areas of unpaved road. One of the biggest public works projects is to make this into a four lane highway because it leads to the biggest tourist attraction in Rwanda at this time; too bad it will not be completed before my return trip in mid-August! Gad, the young man who drove us and gave us a running commentary on all things Rwandese, said some people will miss the “rustic” road to the Mountains.

As we started to climb the first 7.5% grade into the mountains and volcanoes that separate Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo, we were bombarded with beauty. As usual, my photos are amateur but i am trying!

We arrived in time for lunch and had one of the local delicacies… forest honey. We dunked fresh bananas into the honey and I bought a jar to bring back to Kigali. Dan, I wish you could taste it and enjoy the “woodsy’ taste and admire the clear amber color.

Sonrise School was the vision of Bishop John, a man revered by all in Rwanda. He is an Anglican Bishop who wanted to assist as many orphans of the genocide as possible. Due to his extensive fundraising contacts in the US and Europe and with the help of the local diocese, he began construction in 1999 and opened the boarding school for grades 1-4 in 2001. They added a grade each year and will graduate there first High School class in 2010. They have a primary school with about 565 students and High School with over 500 students. They are building a new wing to the high school that will house more computer and science labs. All 6, 9 and 12th graders must take the standardized test and since its opening, Sonrise has always been in the top 4 for each grade with many number one honors. With the first graduating class next year taking the 12th grade test, it will be interesting to see how many of the students will be given scholarships to University based on their rank on the test.

http://rwandafriends.wordpress.com/sonrise-school/

It has a very impressive campus and employs over 130 people to keep it running. We met the Headmaster (age 27) and several teachers who ranged in age from 20-35; another indication that Rwanda lost a generation. We saw all parts of the school including the dorms, classrooms, churches, kitchen, dining halls, playing fields, dairy, dispensary, and the school management was very supportive in providing information that will be helpful in opening the Akilah Institute next year. Perhaps some of the young women graduates form Sonrise who do not qualify for University will attend our school next year.

Reminiscence of a Past Adventure

2009-06-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

While watching the BBC, I was reminded that 20 years ago today I was at the Shangri-La Hotel in Hong Kong with a CA Trade Delegation watching the events at Tiananmen Square enfold. It had special meaning for us because we were scheduled to leave for Beijing the following day. Needless to say, we were not allowed to leave and spent a few more days observing the events in China and similar demonstrations in Hong Kong.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Remembering_Tiananmen_Square_20_Years_Later/1746092.html

That was my first extended business trip outside North America and was my most interesting adventure until this trip in Rwanda.
Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, and Hong Kong were exotic locales but full of every modern convenience and food I could relate to. There are inconveniences for me here but 57%of Rwandans live below the poverty level defined by the UN of less than one dollar per day.

Rwanda has worked hard to emerge “from the dead” and is forging a remarkable path to development. It is the safest and least corrupt country in Africa, with the highest % of female members of Parliament in the world-49%. It has a low % of HIV/Aids at 3% and all suffers receive antiretroviral drugs at no cost. One of its biggest investments is in Education. President Kagame knows that in order to reach their 2010 Vision, Rwanda needs an educated population and there is currently a 60% deficit of trained people in the private sector.

Whether it is philanthropic or private, US organizations and companies are assisting Rwanda on education, energy, water, railroads, eco-tourism, consumables, etc. I may have to deal with some inconveniences but I am fortunate enough to work for a company that allowed me time to contribute to a cause greater than myself…

Three posts in one due to poor internet access

2009-05-31T23:29:00.000-07:00

Serendipity
Many of your know I have supported Heifer International for over 20 years and I was very excited to meet Charles Stewart at a hotel on Friday. He is the past Chairman of the Board of Heifer International. We talked about the projects in Rwanda and he introduced me to another Charles, the Heifer Rwanda Director who invited us to tour some of the project in June. The government gave many rural families cows but did not train them on the proper care and use of the animals and those projects were not very successful. The Rwandan Department of Agriculture has asked Heifer to take over those projects and teach their sustainability methods. As with many things, EDUCATION is the key! They are teaching people to be more than subsistence farmers and a few projects have 15-20 people working at the dairy farm coops. They are selling milk, cheese, and yogurt so they can to buy more cows, continue to employ local people and expand.
Several of these local Dairy Cooperatives are part of the East Africa Dairy Development Project that was initially funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. There are so many linkages between non-profits, the government and foundations in Rwanda and they are all working to improve the economy and standard of living for all.

Food and Entertainment
I have been experimenting with different foods and on Friday night I ate at a local hot spot called CARWASH. They specialize in Kenyan BBQ and I had slow roasted goat. It will not be high on my list of things to have again. Overall, meat tastes very different here due to the animals diet. So far I have liked chicken and Tilapia dishes but not much else. I have found a wonderful lunch buffet at HAPPY RWANDA that is filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, beans rice and sometimes pasta. They always have Tilapia and a meat dish as well. You can’t beat the price at about $7.50 for all you can eat.
On Saturday night we ate at a restaurant call HEAVEN. It is a beautiful place overlooking the city and they have movie night on Saturdays. We watched Iron Man on a big screen (there are no movie theatres in Rwanda) and after dinner ate popcorn. I had dinner there with the Cultural Attaché at the American Embassy and although Rwanda does not have any movie theatres, they will have a film festival in June where they will take documentaries out to the villages and show them on equipment with generators they will carry from place to place. It will culminate with a showing of the films in Kigali at several outdoor venues. If anyone is interested in starting a business, entertainment would be a good one in Kigali.
I had my first hamburger that night and it will also not be on my repeat list. It was about $15.00 and I cannot describe the taste. One thing is universal; all food is expensive whether in grocery stores or restaurants.

Church in Rwanda
I have attended a few different churches and in two of them I was the only white person in a sea of Black. The services were one hour and 45 minutes to two hours long with two in Kinyarwandain and one in French. I have not found one in English yet but all had uncomfortable wooded benches. When I asked my new Rwandan friends about the length of the service, they laughed and said this was short in Rwandan standards because they usually last 3-4 hours every Sunday and the wooden benches are your penance!
There is much signing, clapping, arm waving and finger pointing by the priest; it is a much more emotional experience than Mass in CA. I returned to the original Eglise of Norte Dame today for Pentecost and although I did not understand any of the words, the Spirit was there. I noticed my response to the drumming was on several different levels. Drumming is part of the church service but also everyday life. I think Marc was onto something when he had us drum until our beat was one.
As I walked back to the apartment I thought about the experience and decided I found my new congregation. If I can feel welcomed as I did today without understanding anything, I believe that is where I belong.
We have a busy week ahead with a meeting with the Educational Minister and three school visits to develop best practices for the Akilah Institute. I will also meet with the Orphans of Rwanda Director, and I may be able to do some work with them while I am here and spend time with children.

Chad Williamson joins the team

2009-05-28T05:58:00.000-07:00

I was very excited to meet Chad and welcome him to the In-country Project Akilah Team. His enthusiasm is contagious and he has incredible experience in education, hospitality and public service. He is working on his International Project as part of his degree from President Clinton’s School of Public Service. I have found out he is an avid picture taker and video producer; he never goes anywhere without his camera. So maybe that practice will rub off on me! He visited the school for the first time today and I will try to insert his video.

We will focus our energies on developing a 1, 3, and 5 year Strategic Plan for Project Akilah and an operational plan for the school. The work I have been doing on the curriculum will be incorporated into the Plan. It feels good to have the three of us working on the Project and collaborating with various Government agencies and schools.

Good News, I will move into a three bedroom house with FAST wireless on June 8th. That will make my life so much easier plus it is closer to several of the people I have met. I will share photos when I move in.

2009-05-26T00:17:00.000-07:00

Peace Week started in Rwanda on Saturday. The kick-off was the Jazz for Peace Dinner and Concert that evening. Rick Della Rata Jazz for Peace performed as he has throughout the world using music as a reconciliation vehicle. The theme of the event was violence against women so it stressed reconciliation within families as well as the country. There were many dignitaries present from the Rwandan Government, the UN, and assorted Embassy people from 7 countries.
High School age kids enacted two plays they wrote about the violence they have experienced firsthand in their short lives and although I could not understand the words, their actions told a very sad story. There was also one of the best “Kodak” moments that I missed because I did not take my camera…The Inganzo Ngali Dancers performed native dances to drums and chanting. It was beautiful and the rhythm hypnotizing. I found a short video of the 2009 Folk dance completion to give you an idea of what I saw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-HqRUP94Ws

Now for the social interaction; I met a number of people closer to my age and have been invited to attend a book club next week and a social club gathering on Friday night. On Sunday I went to Lake Muhazi, a six mile long finger lake that I saw as I flew into Kigali. The people I met last week plus a number of other Americans and Rwandan employees at the Embassy were there. It was difficult to meet in Kigali because so many roads were closed due to the Marathon where over 5000 participants from around the world participated.
The lake was an hour’s drive with more beautiful rolling hills on another road I had not yet traveled. The Embassy structure was primitive and you had to bring a bucket of lake water to flush the toilet but we had a great time.
The pot luck picnic included lots of different foods and beverages. I had my first Diet Coke since I arrived because one person uses her allotment for “consumables” (products each state department employee is allowed to ship to a foreign country) for Diet Coke, Fresca and chips.
Some people went out in the boat; others played badminton but most sat around, talked, laughed and told wonderful stories of their postings around the world. I got home around 8:30 after having the most fun so far.

Road Trip

2009-05-22T01:46:00.000-07:00

We headed out of Kigali for the 125 KM ride to the previous capital, Butare. We passed many villages and small towns and saw hundreds of people working on the fiber optic project as well as prisoners working on agricultural projects. There were two groups of prisoners: those in orange jumpsuits, first offenders and those in pink pants and tunics for habitual offenders. The Rwanda justice system has a very interesting process on what happens between the period when someone makes a complaint against another person and the trial.
The person who swore out the complaint needs to show up at the jail three times a day to feed the prisoner and if he/she is convicted, the state takes over the cost. Needless to say, this is a deterrent to reporting civil crimes and makes people work things out without bringing the “LAW” into it. This is the opposite of a litigious society.

Our first stop was at an Artisan project established in by a Catholic priest in the 1970's and they now provide beautiful art and functional items (cups, trays, plates etc) made out of tin, the only mined product in Rwanda. The project has grown to six buildings around a courtyard with as many as 10 workshops in each building. One of the reasons we visited is to see how we can use some of their bigger pieces at the school to enhance the learning environment. We really want to incorporate local art and possibly provide art and music activities to supplement the Hospitality curricum.
But the second reason we wanted to meet this COOP Director was to determine if their products could provide a fundraising avenue for Akilah. A “Hot” boutique jewelry company is interested in designing a bracelet made from local resources and crafted by local artists to market at upscale stores in the US with a portion of the profits going to our organization.
They have never done anything like this before but as we looked at their work we found a number of pattern/examples they currently use on other products that could work for a cuff bracelet design. More to come on who will be designing this for us...
We then headed to a local pottery Coop to see their basic place settings and how we can use these for the dining room at the school.
They were all hand done and inexpensive so we would be helping the COOP and providing unique products at the school.
In our travels, we passed the university, a shade coffee project, and a member’s coop for other art. Cow Dung is dried and painted for wall art, masks are hand carved from various woods, drums, (John, I can send a dozen or so drums for Sales use if you are interested!)Baskets and ceramics are available as well.

Architects for Humanity will be very happy with the local art we found and will be able to incorporate them into our school design.

I am haveing trouble downloading the photos of the Tin and pottery workshops but when I get a better connection I will just send some pics and no commentary.

I am heading into a busy social weekend with a dinner and jazz concert on Saturday and the ealry Memorial Day picnic with Embassey people on Sunday. A new Consultant arrives on Saturday so I help aclumate him to his new home.
Thinking of all you and miss you! Susan

2009-05-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

At FAWE, a boarding school for girls that concentrates on the Sciences, I interviewed five extraordinary young women who spoke English well, and who were articulate, perceptive and engaging.
They answered questions that will assist Architecture for Humanity complete the Akilah Institute master plan by giving their preferences on aspects of the school’s design.
They currently live in large dorms and sleep in bunk beds with a matron on each floor. They have pit toilets (very gross) and need to carry buckets of water for their showers. Of course they would prefer smaller rooms for 2-3 girls with single beds, ceiling fans, and a place to lock personal belongings. They would also like flush toilets and smaller bath and shower rooms.
They currently eat porridge every morning and have beans at every meal supplemented by rice or potatoes. On Sunday they get bread. They loved the idea of the variety of food that would be available at a School for Hospitality.
Again I am reminded of how few comforts they have and yet they were so happy attending this school.
We then discussed their perception of Hospitality careers and what we can do to help improve this image in Rwanda.
Christine described hospitality as “character and how we receive someone that creates warmness in your heart”. I love it…
Most had bad experiences in smaller local restaurants where they were made to feel badly because people were rude. They think it is very important to train employees how to handle customers, keep a cool temper and be kind in busy situations. They also said good communication skills are critical because people will be more confident and able to give good service.
They all said there is a stigma with Hospitality jobs. They did not know that a wait person could move up the ladder to become head waiter or manager if they had the right skills. What they considered dead end jobs did not interest these girls because most would be offered scholarships to University.
We asked them what they would do if they did not get into the university and the answers surprised us; Art School, Theatre School, Music School, Tourism and Hospitality. It was ironic that three of the girls do not even like science and would prefer studying the Arts.

On Tuesday I made my first visit to the site of the Akilah Institute in the district of Bugesera (about 25 miles outside of Kigali). It was formerly a school started by a European organization in the 60s and recently it became a government vocational school. It is located on 85 acres on the edge of Lake Cyohoha. It is quite rundown but has infinite possibilities.
The school includes three classroom blocks, a large activity hall, two small dormitories and staff houses, a workshop area, administration office block and storage sheds. We plan to construct a new housing area with dorms, living space and gardens, more classrooms, a new culinary training area/kitchen, computer lab, library and dispensary. We will also renovate the existing buildings to improve the learning environment. All designs will be green and sustainable which we hope will attract donations, and publicity for both the new model of teaching and sustainable architecture.
I stated the facts above but would like to share some thoughts and sights as we drove up to the school. There were hundreds of people of all ages walking along the sides of the road carrying everything imaginable on their heads. We passed a large swamp area about 10 miles outside of Kigali where Tutsi’s lived for months during the genocide. I had a hard time imagining walking to the swamp let alone living in it for extended periods of time. But my life has never been threatened…
I saw firsthand why the country is called the Le Pays des Milles Collines’ or the Land of a Thousand Hills. It is beautiful and green everywhere you look.
There were also large numbers of men and women digging a trench on the left side of the road for fiber optic cable. It was like the 21st century meeting the 19th with all of the rural farmers walking their cows and goats to a market in Nyamata.
We needed an off road vehicle to reach the school (Toyota Land Cruiser called the Beast) and it was a pretty bumpy ride through soy bean and sorghum fields and grazing lands for various animals.
All and all this has been an incredible two days and I will post again after my adventure to Butare on Thursday.

Busy weekend

2009-05-17T02:24:00.000-07:00

I feeling much better and think I hit my stride; my work is coming together and I am meeting people. I shouldn’t feel too bad because it has only been a week…
Solange, the Owner of Republika Restaurant (very good review in Lonely Planet Guide) allowed me to interview her staff on Friday night before dinner and I learned a great deal about their education and skill level plus training needs. Their English skills varied so I used my rudimentary French, and pointed to things during the interviews. All were professional, enthusiastic and never stopped smiling (especially Claude the headwaiter). Bezo was a trickster and after we spoke went up to Solange and said “I am so good, the lady said I should get a raise!” When Solange told me that and mentioned he asked her for a raise last week we all had a very big laugh.
Fidel, the cashier is in his last year of Law School and speaks excellent English. Since he has a view of everything that goes on in the restaurant, I asked him what he saw as the challenges and he said “language and not being able to establish a relationship with the guests”. So much of the training we will develop will include English as a second language and customer service skills.
On Saturday I attended a Food Fair at the US Consulate. They were booths we native food from the following countries: USA, Belgium, Holland, France, Ethiopia, Russia, South Africa, China, Japan, Italy, Egypt and a few others I cannot remember. I viewed each offering and sampled some things. Many people from the International community as well as locals attended and Amanda introduced to several people. I now have an invitation to a lake picnic with folks from the US Embassy on Memorial Day and the opportunity to attend two different women’s clubs and a book club. I think my social life will pick up and will need to rely on Amanda as much.
I also got my car (Toyota Carnia) on Saturday afternoon and made my first trip to town and the grocery store this AM. I did not stall (even on the hills) and did not get lost. Of course I did this adventure at 7:00 AM so there would be minimal traffic!
I have a busy week planned so stay tuned for posts about my visit to a girls Secondary School (high School), our School site and a road trip to Butare to visit a tin and pottery factory and various Ministry meeting.

A Haunting and Moving Experience

2009-05-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Every day I have the opportunity to meet more of a multi-cultural team working through the Ministry of Education and Rwanda Development Office. I have met other Americans, Europeans, Africans, Australians, Chinese and Indonesians; the diversity makes it very exciting and exotic…very different from BTV!
On a much more somber note, I took time this afternoon to visit The Kigali Memorial Center. No matter who you are, you walk away a different person.
First of all, the entire center is built on a mass grave of the 10 of thousands people killed in the Kigali area during the 1994 genocide. All the other bodies from mass graves around the city were brought to this central resting place. There is a beautiful garden where I met a few people reflecting on the genocide and the loss of loved ones who are buried under the center; a very haunting experience
The exhibition itself tells the story from 1959 to events in 1994 using photographs, written accounts, video and artifacts. The tears keep coming and I could not go into the “bone” room. There is a moving section dedicated to the children. I have read extensively about the events but it did not prepare me for the descriptions and personal accounts of killings, rapes and mutilation.
It also addressed the lack of world support and the politics involved. Saying it is a disgraceful part of history like the Holocaust, Armenia, Cambodia, and Bosnia is an understatement. Most of the world looked at what was going on in Rwanda and decided it did not affect them and chose to do nothing.

First Business Meeting in Kigali

2009-05-12T00:59:00.000-07:00

Amanda and I met Leah Maringa from the Rwanda Tourism College today. We discussed some of the challenges Project Akilah will face with the population we will serve and how we can partner with the College (four year degree program).
It is no surprise that language skills will be the biggest obstacle so I have asked my friends at the Community College District to help me with ESL (English as a Second Language) contacts.
In the past few days with my shopping trips, trying to set up a bank account, and eating at a few local restaurants, I can see why President is so adamant about needing a quality labor pool to build the tourism business. He was out at one of the better restaurants and had terrible service but good food; that seems to be the norm at hotel reception, reservations, housekeeping etc.
Our boarding school for girls will provide many opportunities to instill a strong customer service ethic. They will take turns serving one another at meal times and participate in role playing exercises throughout the program.
There are two photos in this post, the outside of my Prima 2000 building and the meeting with Amanda and Leah. It took me about 50 minutes to post the last blog with the photos of the apartment so I will need to go to the airport to post photos in the future. It is amazing what I take for granted every day; employment, safety, fast internet, grocery stores, good roads, the list goes on for a spoiled American

I have arrived...

2009-05-10T05:20:00.000-07:00

After a delay in Nairobi, I finally arrived in Kigali around noon on Friday.
I flew on a small Regional jet and asked for a window seat so I could see some of the country. Rwanda is lush and green, hilly and dotted with lakes. We landed at Kigali International Airport which is the about the size of Santa Barbara airport.
A young woman who is also working with Project Akilah, Amanda, waited over four hours for me at the airport. We took a short taxi ride on a very good road with no traffic (very different from my Cairo experience) to my new apartment at PRIMA 2000. I am in apt 604 which is on the fifth floor.
I have included some photos of the apartment and views from my deck so you can see what $2065 a month will buy you in Rwanda.
I was very tired after the overnight flight and errand running so around 8:00 PM I started getting ready for bed. I had hooked up my water pick and blew a fuse and burnt out the appliance itself. Luckily I packed a flash light and was able to find my way to the porter at the front gate. He only spoke French and Kinyarwandain. Thank heavens I made it through level one of the Rosetta Stone French! It took about an hour for the maintenance engineer to arrive and he showed me where the fuse box is because he said I will probably do it again with my hair dryer or some other appliance. Hence I have air dried my hair.
Amanda has been an incredible help in working through issues with the apartment manager, bank, supermarket, transportation etc. On Saturday we did a few more errands (bought an inexpensive cell phone) and tried to get passport photos taken because I need them to open a bank account. The photographer was in the store but she said she could not take the photo until Monday and gave no reason why. I am beginning to understand what doing things on Africa time means.
She and her friend Gad took me to an outdoor restaurant on one of the hills surrounding Kigali for lunch and it had a great view of the city. On the way, Gad was a great tour director and pointed out many things of interest.

Speed Tourist

2009-05-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a whirlwind; the Citadel, the Coptic and Egyptian Museums assorted Mosques and a souk rounded out the day.
I just tried to download a photo but I must have hit the video setting instead and have no photos... John, you can stop laughing now!
It has been speed tourism at its best but now I am ready to reach my new home and life in Kigali.

Susan of Arabia

2009-05-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

The only way to get up close to the Giza pyramids is on camel or horseback. I arranged a ride on Moses and here we are smiling for the camera. We started around 9:00 AM so it was not too hot and crowded yet. It was well worth the expense…

After several hours exploring Giza, I headed off to Imhotep and Saqqara. They had a small museum and I was able to walk down into one of the tombs. This chamber was for one of his three wives.

My guide and I had lunch in a restaurant called the Oasis in a Bedouin tent. We ate all our food with our fingers and about 4 hours later I had a much extended stay in the bathroom. The good news is Achmed had just dropped me off at the hotel so I did not embarrass myself.
This is the smiling Acmed and I must say most people I have encountered were always smiling whether I had my camera out or not.
The last stop was Mit Rahina in Memphis where I saw a fabulous statute of Ramses.

Everyone I have met has been extremely friendly and most speak English very well. They are interested in providing service but they expect tips for everything. One person who pulled off part of my ticket at the museum asked out for a tip as did the tourism police. Acmed explained the average salary for people working at Tourist sites is 600 Egyptian Pounds about $100 US a month. It is a very poor county and he explained there are an upper class and the poor, no middle class and he believes until Mubarak is replaced as their leader, there will not be a middle class. This is just one man’s view of politics and economics in Egypt.
I had arranged a trip to Alexandria today but my stomach was not settled yet and I cancelled the trip and took it easy with a little shopping in the afternoon. I visited one of the Carpet schools (could not take pictures of students on the looms). If they work for 4 hours at the carpet school, they are able to go to regular school for five hours a day at no charge. I fell in love with 12 year old twins working one loom. They said it’s boring but they could not afford to go to school if they did not work at the Carpet school. They only work on silk and the school produces beautiful work. Of course I found a small red one that will hang in my living room when I return. I wish the twins got a % of the sale.
Tomorrow will be my last day in Cairo and I will visit the Cairo Museum, The citadel, Arab and Old Cairo, the bazaar etc. before I leave for Nairobi and finally arrive in Kigali on Friday morning.

2009-05-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

Day One Cairo
I did not have a very good introduction to Cairo because our pilot pulled out of the landing and amid screams of the passengers we ascended and five minutes later we were told that the sand storm was too blinding to land on that runway and we would make another approach from a different angle. Luckily we landed the second time but deplaned in no man’s land and took buses to the main terminal. The sand storm was still kicking up and we all covered our heads with whatever we had to keep from inhaling.
After over 20 hours in route and no sleep, when I saw my name on the Le Meridien sign I thought all would move swiftly…wrong. The young man was an expediter to help me get through the system which included taking my temperature and passing a number of checkpoints. Troops and police were everywhere. It was a good hour before I was in the car.
You all know how I can get car sick well let me tell you I have never had a ride like the one from the airport to the hotel; a four lane highway turned into two and then one but cars, trucks, buses, bikes and even some donkey and horse driven carts shared the road with thousands of pedestrians. There were no lanes or rules of the road and horns blared. It was difficult to see much because of the sand and pollution but you could smell plenty. After another hour and 15 minutes we arrived at the hotel which is directly across the street from the Pyramids. The entrance to the hotel was blocked and a bomb sniffing dog was walked around the car before we were able to pass through to the hotel entrance and I had to go through security screening before I could get into the lobby. I was definitely not in Kansas anymore.
It is now 9:00 PM Cairo time and I have lost track of the time in CA and body clock so I will try to sleep and be ready for my 9:00 AM tour of the Pyramids including a camel ride (a photo op for sure).

2009-05-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Betsy, all my French lessons are on my Ipod and David helped me download the photos to my first blog posting...it takes a village to get Susan on her way to Rwanda!

The kids gave me a goup hug goodbye and I am ready for the adventure to begin.

A very astute young woman sent me this quote and suggested it should be my African mantra:

" Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the Life you imagined...Herny David Thoueau. I am ready to begin and will post agian form Egypt.