May 25th
Today definitely deserves a blog entry that is for sure. So today is Monday, I’m back from the workshop I had in Butare last week finally ready to spend a few weeks at site and not at workshops or meetings in Kigali. I wake up bright and early ready to go to the office in Muhanga for the first time since I moved in. So I walk to the office to find no one there and it’s closed and locked. It figures, so what do I do now. I could call my supervisor who is at work in Kigali or I could just enjoy a day in town getting to know the area and meeting neighbors so that is just what I did. I decide my goals today will be to make French toast and to buy another kitchen towel. I bought 3 towels on Saturday but 2 were stolen off my fence while they were drying. I was very disappointed in my neighbors and now I don’t trust to leave anything to dry outside. I did leave them overnight which I probably should not have done but luckily it was just towels and not clothes. So anyway I go to the market to buy another towel. I check all the vendors prices and go back to the first guy who I got down to what I thought was 400 FRW. My Kinyarwanda is still not the greatest. I gave him 1000 expecting change and he asks me for 100 more and gives me 500. I’m very confused but wanting to move on so I give up take the loss and move on. It’s time to look at fabric; fabric is a very handy thing to have here it can be used as a rug, curtains, apron and towel. So I need more of it. I found some I like buy it and when I turn around a man is standing there that I do not recognize telling me I owe more money. I then realize it’s the guy who sold me the towel and I’m like “No, the sale is over I don’t owe any more”. And he keeps standing there speaking to me in Kinyarwanda. I’m like great this happened to someone else once so I was a little worried. As it turns out he was trying to find me because I paid too much and he wanted to give me the rest of my change. He hunted me down, 10 minutes after I left to tell me I paid too much. This just made my day and restored my faith in the Rwandan people. Though someone stole 2 towels someone else hunts me down because I paid too much.
I also have made friends with the hardware store man. He sold me a lock for my front door the other day and while I was there I wanted nails to hang things around my house. Since I wanted so few he just gave them too me which was incredibly nice. It defiantly insured I would be going to him for all my hardware needs and not some other shop.
Anyway off to make French toast. I’ve realized it really helps your spirits to have 1 or 2 small goals everyday rather than making week or month goals, it makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something everyday rather than feeling useless which is how I feel a lot of the time here.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Meetings,meetings, meetings and the view from the window of my house
Written May 14th
Well it looks like my first two weeks are going to consist of many meetings. Day 1 I helped interview and hire 6 new people for Duhemic Adri. Therefore there are many new people here with me so we are all getting to be trained and learn together. It’s good but boring considering the meetings are in French or Kinyarwanda. The funny thing is that the meetings start 2-3 hours after they are suppose to so I end up sitting and literally twiddling my thumbs for hours, then after they are over I do some more sitting until its time for my supervisor to leave. I forgot to mention I have to go the Kigali for these meetings, that’s where headquarters are, so I stay at my supervisor’s house. I think in a few weeks things will calm down a bit and I’ll get to stay in muhanga with the cooperatives. But I thought my first few weeks would be slow and they have been nothing but go go go for me. Next week I am going to Butare for a 3 day training by CHF (American organization funded by PEPFAR- the presidents emergency action plan for AIDS relief) on how to train trainers.
And things just keep getting better
Written May 10th at night
So after a nice relaxing day of unpacking and getting an idea of the area I hear a knock at the door. It’s my co-worker coming to say hello. Or so I thought, apparently he was actually coming to pick me up and take me to Kigali for a workshop. It was so unexpected but I just go with the flow, quickly pack up some clothes and my computer and I’m off and ready to go. We tell the neighbor I’m leaving so they know to watch the house. As I get into the car I realize I must tell Peace Corps whenever I leave sight. So I get out my phone and call to let them know I have to go to Kigali for work. I am then told this will not be possible, I cannot drive at night, Peace Corps prohibits it, this is being told to me as I’m driving down the road. Luckily we had only left minutes ago but I don’t know what to do. The co-worker talks to the Peace Corps. He then calls my supervisor. Then the safety and security officer is on the phone wanting to speak with him also. By this point he already understands the situation and takes me back to my house. He has a conversation with the safety and security officer. I am told everything’s ok and they understand these things happen but I feel so stupid for not saying anything sooner. Peace corps did tell us 300 times not to drive at night but things were happening so fast that was the last thing on my mind. Long story short it only takes me 1 day to get myself into trouble but all is well and I suppose I will go to Kigali tomorrow. They so were not kidding when they say be flexible you never know what’s going to happen next.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Site Installation on Monday May 10th
Written May 11th
I was installed yesterday at approximately noon. Installation is Peace Corps fancy way of saying site move in day. And yes it really is as traumatic and scary as everyone says it is. At 7:00am I woke up to finish some last minute packing. With all the shopping days in Kigali my luggage seems to have doubled yet space has not, except we were given large trunks so that is where I was able to fit most of my stuff. So then comes time to load the trucks. I and one other girl shared a pickup truck with our stuff. It was very full but it all fit. Then I and 2 others took a bus to our sides. At the guest house we were staying at we had to say goodbye to all our other friends not knowing when the next time we may see them again. The first stop was Kamonyi to drop off one of the girls in my bus. She had her own pickup truck with all her stuff so she got out and we drove away. Just like that she was at her site and we were off to my site. After seeing how that went I think I got even more nervous. I live just off a paved road, but my house is on a dirt road. It’s a perfect size in my opinion. It has 3 bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. My bathroom has a flushing toilet and a working shower. My house has electricity and running water. I am definitely not roughing it in this house. But this may only be temporary for 2-3 months.
So once arriving at my house the whole neighborhood helped unload the truck and bring stuff inside for me. I then road around with my counterpart to see all the places I needed to see. We went to both markets one very close but small and one is very large and a bit farther away. We stopped to see the office and then we went to two carpenters to compare bed frame prices. We went to the gas station to get petrol for my kerosene stove which is how I will cook my meals. And then I was dropped off at my house again and abandoned. I had all my things to unpack and organize but I can’t even explain how alone I felt and the feeling of having no idea what I was supposed to do next. So taking the advice from another peace corps volunteer who said do not just sit in your house and feel sorry for yourself that will only make things worse. I was also told the first 2 weeks would be a lot of sitting and waiting and meeting the neighborhood and letting them know who you are. So I went out to my front porch and sat there, saying Mirirwe to everyone passing by. My next door neighbor came out and sat next to me. She is at an English speaking university studying Psychology and computer science. She was really nice and we got to talk for a while. I even got invited over her house to meet her brother and sister. They all are very intelligent English speakers. I watched 24 with them in French. It was a lot of fun and I felt like I already have friends. Then as I leave their home for the night the man who I knew was coming to meet me came to take me to meet the boss of my umudugdu. I was surprised and happy to find out she is a women. Then I was invited to the man who took me to meet her back to his house which it turns out is right behind my house, in fact our houses are attached. I later realize he is my land lord and owns my house. He feed me beer and somosa’s and I met his whole family. Everyone is so nice. His wife even walked me home and gave me curtains to hang over my windows. This morning I woke up and finished unpacking then walked around town to see what I could find. I was happy to find a shop that sells French baguettes. I also found how to get to both markets, found a gym and a sauna. Muhanga is the second largest city in Rwanda so I think almost anything can be found, it just may take me a few weeks to really learn my way around.
I was installed yesterday at approximately noon. Installation is Peace Corps fancy way of saying site move in day. And yes it really is as traumatic and scary as everyone says it is. At 7:00am I woke up to finish some last minute packing. With all the shopping days in Kigali my luggage seems to have doubled yet space has not, except we were given large trunks so that is where I was able to fit most of my stuff. So then comes time to load the trucks. I and one other girl shared a pickup truck with our stuff. It was very full but it all fit. Then I and 2 others took a bus to our sides. At the guest house we were staying at we had to say goodbye to all our other friends not knowing when the next time we may see them again. The first stop was Kamonyi to drop off one of the girls in my bus. She had her own pickup truck with all her stuff so she got out and we drove away. Just like that she was at her site and we were off to my site. After seeing how that went I think I got even more nervous. I live just off a paved road, but my house is on a dirt road. It’s a perfect size in my opinion. It has 3 bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. My bathroom has a flushing toilet and a working shower. My house has electricity and running water. I am definitely not roughing it in this house. But this may only be temporary for 2-3 months.
So once arriving at my house the whole neighborhood helped unload the truck and bring stuff inside for me. I then road around with my counterpart to see all the places I needed to see. We went to both markets one very close but small and one is very large and a bit farther away. We stopped to see the office and then we went to two carpenters to compare bed frame prices. We went to the gas station to get petrol for my kerosene stove which is how I will cook my meals. And then I was dropped off at my house again and abandoned. I had all my things to unpack and organize but I can’t even explain how alone I felt and the feeling of having no idea what I was supposed to do next. So taking the advice from another peace corps volunteer who said do not just sit in your house and feel sorry for yourself that will only make things worse. I was also told the first 2 weeks would be a lot of sitting and waiting and meeting the neighborhood and letting them know who you are. So I went out to my front porch and sat there, saying Mirirwe to everyone passing by. My next door neighbor came out and sat next to me. She is at an English speaking university studying Psychology and computer science. She was really nice and we got to talk for a while. I even got invited over her house to meet her brother and sister. They all are very intelligent English speakers. I watched 24 with them in French. It was a lot of fun and I felt like I already have friends. Then as I leave their home for the night the man who I knew was coming to meet me came to take me to meet the boss of my umudugdu. I was surprised and happy to find out she is a women. Then I was invited to the man who took me to meet her back to his house which it turns out is right behind my house, in fact our houses are attached. I later realize he is my land lord and owns my house. He feed me beer and somosa’s and I met his whole family. Everyone is so nice. His wife even walked me home and gave me curtains to hang over my windows. This morning I woke up and finished unpacking then walked around town to see what I could find. I was happy to find a shop that sells French baguettes. I also found how to get to both markets, found a gym and a sauna. Muhanga is the second largest city in Rwanda so I think almost anything can be found, it just may take me a few weeks to really learn my way around.
I made the News in Rwanda!!!
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14252&article=28838
34 US Peace Corps sworn-in
By Irene V. Nambi
A group of 34 American Peace Corps volunteers were yesterday sworn-into serve in various sectors in a bid to help in the achievement of the country’s major development goals.
The swearing in ceremony was held at the residence of the US Ambassador, Stuart Symington.
According to the Country Director of Peace Corps in Rwanda, John Reddy, the group has undergone a 10-week training programme in Nyanza that mainly focused on learning Kinyarwanda as well as technical and cross-cultural studies.
“The volunteers will stay in Rwanda for two years and during that time, they will be assigned to work with various organisations in the areas of health, capacity building and economic growth issues,” Reddy explained.
Ambassador Symington challenged the volunteers to strive to change the world, adding that they should use these networks to advance the vision that was initiated by President John F. Kennedy.
“In 1960, when John F. Kennedy called upon the youth to serve in other nations of the world, we were a nation of immigrants. Today, America is not only connected to the world by the things we buy, but there are direct links, even for our President.”
“Let us hold onto the vision to reach out and do something that no one else has done. It has followed generations and it is now in your hands,” Symington said.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, also noted that Rwanda is a country that has a miraculous recovery story.
She acknowledged the role of the partners, adding that the new group will join in the country’s journey to achieve major development goals.
On behalf of the volunteers, Portia Washington, said that Rwanda is a very beautiful country adding that the group is determined to play their part in the respective sites that they have been assigned to.
This is the third group of Peace Corps volunteers to serve in the country since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. So far, 94 Peace Corps volunteers have worked in the Education and Health sectors.
SWEAR IN
Written May 9th
Well it has been quite a while since I wrote a blog. I wish I could blame it on the internet never working but I don’t actually need the internet to write the blogs. So I guess I can’t really use that excuse. But Training is officially over and I am an actual Peace Corps volunteer now. (If you didn’t know before I was a Peace Corps trainee for the past 10 weeks.) Our swear-in ceremony took place on May 5th at the Ambassador’s house. He has a beautiful house and the ceremony was televised and made the newspaper called the New Times: Rwanda’s First Daily the May 6th edition. I am actually pictured on page 3 so hopefully I can put an electronic copy on my blog for you all. The oath we took is the same oath as everyone in the U.S government takes including the military and congress. That’s right Nick I took the same oath as you
I, Sonya Alexander, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, domestic and foreign, that I take this obligation freely and without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion and that I will well and faithfully discharge my duties in the Peace Corps, so help me God.
So after swear in we got to spend 4 days in Kigali to buy things we need and to relax and hang out. I love shopping so this has been a really fun couple of days. The peace corps gives us a move in allowance to buy things like appliances and furniture for our houses. We have also gotten to test many restaurants in Kigali. Night one, we ate at what we thought was Thai food but in reality it was owned by a French man and mostly only had French foods. The guy didn’t even know what Pad Thai was. So I had noodles and vegetables in a peanut sauce which was as close as I could get to pad thai. The next day we stuffed ourselves at the ambassadors house after our swear-in ceremony. So for dinner we just had the famous Rwandan bar food brochettes and fires. The next day we had dinner at a pizza place called sun and moon. The pizza was really good they were just a bit stingy on the cheese but cheese is very expensive here so that understandable. My friend ordered a cheese pizza with olives and literally got one whole olive cut into about 8 pieces on her pizza. Even with all that I would recommend the place because it’s good and cheap. Friday we ate at a little coffee shop located outside the market called aromas. It was so-so but cheap and owned by a Texan. I had a burger and fries which were not as good as at this coffee shop Bourbon. Speaking of Bourbon it is like a little America in Rwanda. It’s like Starbucks but better. The food is really good and comes out really fast. Service is great. They have amazing ice cream that’s real Italian gelatti. The only glitch is that they are really expensive. We also ate at an Indian restaurant which was good but not so good non. A few weeks ago a few of us came to Kigali and ate at a really nice Indian restaurant. The food is amazing the non and chicken tika masala is amazing but it’s one of the most expensive restaurants so we can’t really afford it on the peace corps budget. Today we found a really great cheap burger place with good milkshakes so that was exciting also.
I feel like all I ever blog about is food but it’s a big part of happiness here in the Peace Corps. The theory goes that women gain weight and men lose weight. I will hopefully not be part of that statistic. Luckily in Rwanda it’s somewhat ok to go running unlike in other countries where it is completely unacceptable.
Well it has been quite a while since I wrote a blog. I wish I could blame it on the internet never working but I don’t actually need the internet to write the blogs. So I guess I can’t really use that excuse. But Training is officially over and I am an actual Peace Corps volunteer now. (If you didn’t know before I was a Peace Corps trainee for the past 10 weeks.) Our swear-in ceremony took place on May 5th at the Ambassador’s house. He has a beautiful house and the ceremony was televised and made the newspaper called the New Times: Rwanda’s First Daily the May 6th edition. I am actually pictured on page 3 so hopefully I can put an electronic copy on my blog for you all. The oath we took is the same oath as everyone in the U.S government takes including the military and congress. That’s right Nick I took the same oath as you
I, Sonya Alexander, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, domestic and foreign, that I take this obligation freely and without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion and that I will well and faithfully discharge my duties in the Peace Corps, so help me God.
So after swear in we got to spend 4 days in Kigali to buy things we need and to relax and hang out. I love shopping so this has been a really fun couple of days. The peace corps gives us a move in allowance to buy things like appliances and furniture for our houses. We have also gotten to test many restaurants in Kigali. Night one, we ate at what we thought was Thai food but in reality it was owned by a French man and mostly only had French foods. The guy didn’t even know what Pad Thai was. So I had noodles and vegetables in a peanut sauce which was as close as I could get to pad thai. The next day we stuffed ourselves at the ambassadors house after our swear-in ceremony. So for dinner we just had the famous Rwandan bar food brochettes and fires. The next day we had dinner at a pizza place called sun and moon. The pizza was really good they were just a bit stingy on the cheese but cheese is very expensive here so that understandable. My friend ordered a cheese pizza with olives and literally got one whole olive cut into about 8 pieces on her pizza. Even with all that I would recommend the place because it’s good and cheap. Friday we ate at a little coffee shop located outside the market called aromas. It was so-so but cheap and owned by a Texan. I had a burger and fries which were not as good as at this coffee shop Bourbon. Speaking of Bourbon it is like a little America in Rwanda. It’s like Starbucks but better. The food is really good and comes out really fast. Service is great. They have amazing ice cream that’s real Italian gelatti. The only glitch is that they are really expensive. We also ate at an Indian restaurant which was good but not so good non. A few weeks ago a few of us came to Kigali and ate at a really nice Indian restaurant. The food is amazing the non and chicken tika masala is amazing but it’s one of the most expensive restaurants so we can’t really afford it on the peace corps budget. Today we found a really great cheap burger place with good milkshakes so that was exciting also.
I feel like all I ever blog about is food but it’s a big part of happiness here in the Peace Corps. The theory goes that women gain weight and men lose weight. I will hopefully not be part of that statistic. Luckily in Rwanda it’s somewhat ok to go running unlike in other countries where it is completely unacceptable.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
written May 9th
In Kigali something very amazing happened the other day. So back story, there are many kids who ask muzungu’s for amafaronga (money). All the time they hold out their hands and say give me money. (By the way please does not exist in this language neither do any words we would use to be polite. This includes store and restaurant settings they say I want or give me. No please, no polite statements its just the culture not because they are rude. Oh and also hissing at a waiter or waitress is how to get their attention.) So anyway back to my story a kid was asking me for money so I held out my hand and asked him for money. He gave me 25 francs, then continued to ask me for money so I gave him back the money he gave me and he continued to ask. It was really unexpected and maybe a little rude of me but who would have guessed he would actually give me money. Well a few days later my friend did the same thing, asked the kid begging for money and she was given 100Francs. That’s actually a descend amount of money, enough to buy a lolli-pop or a chocolate truffle. She gave it back but still its so crazy that this has now happened twice in the same area.
In Kigali something very amazing happened the other day. So back story, there are many kids who ask muzungu’s for amafaronga (money). All the time they hold out their hands and say give me money. (By the way please does not exist in this language neither do any words we would use to be polite. This includes store and restaurant settings they say I want or give me. No please, no polite statements its just the culture not because they are rude. Oh and also hissing at a waiter or waitress is how to get their attention.) So anyway back to my story a kid was asking me for money so I held out my hand and asked him for money. He gave me 25 francs, then continued to ask me for money so I gave him back the money he gave me and he continued to ask. It was really unexpected and maybe a little rude of me but who would have guessed he would actually give me money. Well a few days later my friend did the same thing, asked the kid begging for money and she was given 100Francs. That’s actually a descend amount of money, enough to buy a lolli-pop or a chocolate truffle. She gave it back but still its so crazy that this has now happened twice in the same area.
They call me Mukundwa
Written May 9th
A little about my last week in Nyanza…
I celebrated a friend’s birthday at my other friends host family. We all went to their house together and taught them how to make grilled cheese and tomato soup. It was a really fun time but think they doubted how well it would turn out because on the side they also made beans and rice. Then later that week I had dinner with my host family. I hadn’t really spent as much time with them as I should have but they were a really awesome family and extremely nice but spoke no English so it was very difficult to communicate. I did find out however that the dad was a construction worker and also the boss of the village/umudugudu. The mother owned a fabric shop in town which I frequented a lot. They had 4 children but one I never met because I think she was at boarding school. I learned that the dad used to live in the area I am moving to before 1994 but everything was destroyed and he moved to Nyanza. This was all in Kinyarwanda and with actions so it was hard to handle and I can be sure before of the slashing actions he was showing me. I didn’t really know how to react to such a statement.
That night I got to cook dinner with them. I peeled potatoes, and tomatoes. Broke string beans, Cut potato’s simultaneously cutting my finger as well. So then I sat out on the rest but dinner was really good. We had cow meat, rice, fries, tomato sauce, green beans, and banana wine. They had me sit at a large table with me the father and mother. The kids had to sit outside and as far as I can tell they are only fed the left over’s. This does make me extremely uncomfortable but everyone says that’s how it is at their host families also so it’s just the norm here. A friends of the families came by and took like 15 photos of me eating. Then a few more with me posing with the family. They gave me a kinyarwandan name. Here it is tradition to after 10 days of birth to be given a name. Mine is now Mukundwa meaning peace. Then they gave me a gift. At first I thought it was fabric which is what I love so I was ecstatic. I took it out of the bag to find a dress that she had my umudosi make for me with the measurements she already had from the dress she made me before. It was super cute and I love it dearly. The next day we had tea and a goodbye ceremony with all of our host families. I got to wear the dress and I think that made my host parents very happy.
A little about my last week in Nyanza…
I celebrated a friend’s birthday at my other friends host family. We all went to their house together and taught them how to make grilled cheese and tomato soup. It was a really fun time but think they doubted how well it would turn out because on the side they also made beans and rice. Then later that week I had dinner with my host family. I hadn’t really spent as much time with them as I should have but they were a really awesome family and extremely nice but spoke no English so it was very difficult to communicate. I did find out however that the dad was a construction worker and also the boss of the village/umudugudu. The mother owned a fabric shop in town which I frequented a lot. They had 4 children but one I never met because I think she was at boarding school. I learned that the dad used to live in the area I am moving to before 1994 but everything was destroyed and he moved to Nyanza. This was all in Kinyarwanda and with actions so it was hard to handle and I can be sure before of the slashing actions he was showing me. I didn’t really know how to react to such a statement.
That night I got to cook dinner with them. I peeled potatoes, and tomatoes. Broke string beans, Cut potato’s simultaneously cutting my finger as well. So then I sat out on the rest but dinner was really good. We had cow meat, rice, fries, tomato sauce, green beans, and banana wine. They had me sit at a large table with me the father and mother. The kids had to sit outside and as far as I can tell they are only fed the left over’s. This does make me extremely uncomfortable but everyone says that’s how it is at their host families also so it’s just the norm here. A friends of the families came by and took like 15 photos of me eating. Then a few more with me posing with the family. They gave me a kinyarwandan name. Here it is tradition to after 10 days of birth to be given a name. Mine is now Mukundwa meaning peace. Then they gave me a gift. At first I thought it was fabric which is what I love so I was ecstatic. I took it out of the bag to find a dress that she had my umudosi make for me with the measurements she already had from the dress she made me before. It was super cute and I love it dearly. The next day we had tea and a goodbye ceremony with all of our host families. I got to wear the dress and I think that made my host parents very happy.
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