August 25
Well elections of come and gone. Luckily there is nothing to worry about, everything was peaceful and Paul Kagame won by 93%. He now has another 7 year term so there will be no more presidential elections while I’m in the country. I spent that week in Musanze with my friends. I think Musanze is one of my favorite places in Rwanda. It has the coolest weather and the town is surrounded by 4 volcano’s. The site is so beautiful. All the volcano’s are hikes that take 1 to 2 days. On my friends birthday we are going to hike Karisimbi which is a 2 day hike and it sometimes has snow on top of it, we are hoping to see snow as we will hike it in January.
Things are still going great with my new Rwandan family. Though they come knock on my door to invite me over everyday and some days I just do not fell like going over there so I have to tell them over and over I am too tired today. But they are all incredibly nice especially the Mama. She actually has a home restaurant. I did not realize this before but all the random people she feeds are her customers in her own home. She says she loves cooking and being with her family this way she never has to leave her home to make a living. Her husband died in the genocide so she is a single mom now and has I think about 6 children and at least 2 grandchildren that I have met.
A few weeks ago another peace corps volunteer who used to live with VSO volunteers moved in with me. The people she lived with were finished their service and went home. She is a health volunteer from the first group of volunteers that came in January last year. She only has a few months left before her COS (close of service). Its great having a roommate. We can come home and have someone to take to about the frustrating things that happened that day. Also because she is leaving soon I will be able to take over the projects she is starting. We are going to start and English class at the hospital soon and she want to start and Anti- AIDS club at the university near by. I have also heard there is a school for special needs children in the area that one day I want to go check out. It’s great having someone around whose been here a year longer than me.
I recently found out there is another American (not with Peace Corps) who lives in my village, 5 minutes walking distance away from me. I met her for the first time last week and we went over to her house for dinner a few nights ago. She has a real oven which is very exciting I can now make baked goods and cook them at her house. She is a food for the hungry volunteer and has been in Rwanda for over 4 years.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I’m so glad to be living in such a small country!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Holiday Camp in Rwanda- Banana's of the World Unite
August 25,2010
Well about two weeks ago I finished up working 2 weeks of overnight holiday camp each camp hosting about 500 children in secondary school (between the ages of 14- 25). The first camp was hosted in the District next to me Ruhango. And the second one was in Muhanga my District. The camps were 5 days, 4 nights and designed just like an American summer camp. They got 3 meals a day which is probably the only time those children were able to eat 3 meals a day. There were about 30 facilitators so the children were divided up by region into groups of about 30 and placed with there own teacher. The camps were very chaotic and the whole first day was spent of completing the children's paperwork and school fee’s. (One of the hidden agendas of these camps was to get all the beneficiary children in one place to deal with school fee issues all at once, its a genius plan.) CHF pays for thousands of children’s secondary school fee’s in this country. I don’t know how they choose the children I was not involved in that process it was already decided before i got into the country but they have chosen children who cannot afford secondary school. (Secondary school can cost up to $250 per year.)
The theme of the camp was Ndi Abahizi meaning I am a beneficiary who has the power to change my life. They had many activities to think about their future, what they want in their lives, what they want to be, and how to get there. One of my favorite activities was the skits they made. They were told to write skits about a 5 year reunion when they would see each other again in 5 years what they will be doing. It was really powerful and they kids got really into it. There was always at least one person playing the “loser” character who smoke and drank and got no where with their life. It was cool seeing that they knew a smoker/drinker person would not live out his/her dreams. They then acted the skits out in front of everyone and had a lot of fun with it. Both weeks that talent show ended up turning into a dance party that lasted until midnight so to say the least I was exhausted after 2 weeks of this.
The kids got to make flags and chants for their groups as well. Some got very creative having traditional dancers on their flags or colors which they made a key to say what each color represented. Many included Peace as a color. They all had a lot of fun presenting their flags and chants. A tree of hope was another activity done in each classroom. A student either drew a tree or the class used a tree outside. Each student cut out a leaf and wrote all of their hope and dreams on that leaf , then each student hung their leaves on the tree. Then the teacher made a paper watering can and asked each student to write something in the water can that would help them reach their dreams. Honesty, friends and family, and studying hard in school were some of the responses.
Though camp for sure had its problems and was terribly disorganized the kids got stuff out of it. I was even able to teach some American camp songs to the kids such as “We come from the mountains” and “Peel banana” which they loved, even the older kids seemed to enjoy singing them. I got to play volleyball and basketball with the kids. Many were surprised we had volleyball in America. They think the only sport in America is basketball which I think is pretty funny. In Ruhango I got to meet the women’s junior national volleyball team and in Muhanga I met the men’s national junior volleyball team. They even let me play a little with them but they are really good way better than I am but it was really fun.
Well about two weeks ago I finished up working 2 weeks of overnight holiday camp each camp hosting about 500 children in secondary school (between the ages of 14- 25). The first camp was hosted in the District next to me Ruhango. And the second one was in Muhanga my District. The camps were 5 days, 4 nights and designed just like an American summer camp. They got 3 meals a day which is probably the only time those children were able to eat 3 meals a day. There were about 30 facilitators so the children were divided up by region into groups of about 30 and placed with there own teacher. The camps were very chaotic and the whole first day was spent of completing the children's paperwork and school fee’s. (One of the hidden agendas of these camps was to get all the beneficiary children in one place to deal with school fee issues all at once, its a genius plan.) CHF pays for thousands of children’s secondary school fee’s in this country. I don’t know how they choose the children I was not involved in that process it was already decided before i got into the country but they have chosen children who cannot afford secondary school. (Secondary school can cost up to $250 per year.)
The theme of the camp was Ndi Abahizi meaning I am a beneficiary who has the power to change my life. They had many activities to think about their future, what they want in their lives, what they want to be, and how to get there. One of my favorite activities was the skits they made. They were told to write skits about a 5 year reunion when they would see each other again in 5 years what they will be doing. It was really powerful and they kids got really into it. There was always at least one person playing the “loser” character who smoke and drank and got no where with their life. It was cool seeing that they knew a smoker/drinker person would not live out his/her dreams. They then acted the skits out in front of everyone and had a lot of fun with it. Both weeks that talent show ended up turning into a dance party that lasted until midnight so to say the least I was exhausted after 2 weeks of this.
The kids got to make flags and chants for their groups as well. Some got very creative having traditional dancers on their flags or colors which they made a key to say what each color represented. Many included Peace as a color. They all had a lot of fun presenting their flags and chants. A tree of hope was another activity done in each classroom. A student either drew a tree or the class used a tree outside. Each student cut out a leaf and wrote all of their hope and dreams on that leaf , then each student hung their leaves on the tree. Then the teacher made a paper watering can and asked each student to write something in the water can that would help them reach their dreams. Honesty, friends and family, and studying hard in school were some of the responses.
Though camp for sure had its problems and was terribly disorganized the kids got stuff out of it. I was even able to teach some American camp songs to the kids such as “We come from the mountains” and “Peel banana” which they loved, even the older kids seemed to enjoy singing them. I got to play volleyball and basketball with the kids. Many were surprised we had volleyball in America. They think the only sport in America is basketball which I think is pretty funny. In Ruhango I got to meet the women’s junior national volleyball team and in Muhanga I met the men’s national junior volleyball team. They even let me play a little with them but they are really good way better than I am but it was really fun.
What's my Job Again
Written July 23, 2010
I am understanding more and more every day what Duhamic Adri and CHF and USAID actually do and what my role is in it all, even though if i was not here everything would still go on just fine without me but that is besides the point. There are many cooperatives that already exist in the Muhanga area. What we are doing is helping them to develop. Many of them are not officially registered as legal cooperatives so we are helping with that as well. It is a very long expensive process that has to go through the district, sector and national level. Also most of these cooperatives are anywhere from 100 members to 600 members. Throughout the month of August and September my coworker and I will be traveling to different sectors to start up ISLG’s (internal saving and lending groups). The cooperatives already exist but we want to break up the members into groups of 10-20 people so they can start saving money together. There are 3 specific cooperatives of focus one makes tie die cloth, one makes baskets, purses and picture frames out of banana leaves and the other does farming.
Most people in this country do not know how to save at all. Even the rich don’t save there money. On their monthly pay day they take out all the money from the bank and spend most of it in the first week and then have nothing left for three weeks. They will go out to dinner, buy beer and fanta, or if it’s a women buy shoes and clothes at the market. Saving is a huge lesson needed all over the country. A friend of mine told me her supervisor says he cannot afford a car but he makes enough money each month where if he started saving he could buy one in about 2 years time. But they have this mentality that if they can’t afford it that month they can never afford it.
Though I do not particularly like having a real job to report to everyday (or even a few times a week.) I do love my co-workers and my supervisor. She loves to tell me that she is my Mom and I am her baby. (She has 4 children all grown up the youngest is my age.) I would prefer to just be a community volunteer as most people who join the peace corps are. But instead I am one of the 1,000 volunteers Peace Corps has who work with PEPFAR funding. (President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief.)
So that's pretty much the gist of my job right now.
I am understanding more and more every day what Duhamic Adri and CHF and USAID actually do and what my role is in it all, even though if i was not here everything would still go on just fine without me but that is besides the point. There are many cooperatives that already exist in the Muhanga area. What we are doing is helping them to develop. Many of them are not officially registered as legal cooperatives so we are helping with that as well. It is a very long expensive process that has to go through the district, sector and national level. Also most of these cooperatives are anywhere from 100 members to 600 members. Throughout the month of August and September my coworker and I will be traveling to different sectors to start up ISLG’s (internal saving and lending groups). The cooperatives already exist but we want to break up the members into groups of 10-20 people so they can start saving money together. There are 3 specific cooperatives of focus one makes tie die cloth, one makes baskets, purses and picture frames out of banana leaves and the other does farming.
Most people in this country do not know how to save at all. Even the rich don’t save there money. On their monthly pay day they take out all the money from the bank and spend most of it in the first week and then have nothing left for three weeks. They will go out to dinner, buy beer and fanta, or if it’s a women buy shoes and clothes at the market. Saving is a huge lesson needed all over the country. A friend of mine told me her supervisor says he cannot afford a car but he makes enough money each month where if he started saving he could buy one in about 2 years time. But they have this mentality that if they can’t afford it that month they can never afford it.
Though I do not particularly like having a real job to report to everyday (or even a few times a week.) I do love my co-workers and my supervisor. She loves to tell me that she is my Mom and I am her baby. (She has 4 children all grown up the youngest is my age.) I would prefer to just be a community volunteer as most people who join the peace corps are. But instead I am one of the 1,000 volunteers Peace Corps has who work with PEPFAR funding. (President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief.)
So that's pretty much the gist of my job right now.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
MAIL!
I have a P.O Box in my town now!
Please send packages to
Sonya Alexander, PCV
PC/ Rwanda
B.P. 146
Gitarama, Rwanda
AIRMAIL
Please send packages to
Sonya Alexander, PCV
PC/ Rwanda
B.P. 146
Gitarama, Rwanda
AIRMAIL
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