Speed Bumps

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.