New Friends, New Moves

The center has had two groups visit us in the past week: People to People International and Catalyst Rwanda. Here are some photos of what we've been up to!

Eric mastering a new move

Pervez of Catalyst Rwanda and the boys

Drumming for People to People

Gifts from People to People

No idea...

Sporting the new "Live 2 Break" shirt

Getting ready for traditional dancing

Learning some hip-hop moves

Dariya in her traditional outfit

Kate busting some moves with the boys

All 126 learning to break at the same time!

Catalyst Rwanda

I have mentioned many times over that the boys of the center love hip-hop. Not a day goes by that I don’t hear music blasting from the stereo or see a group of boys working on their latest choreography. This week, a group called Catalyst Rwanda arrived at the center, bringing 130 T-shirts and their love of hip-hop and break dancing to share with the boys. This project has almost been a year in the making, starting with an old acquaintance of Rafiki’s who works as a cultural producer in the United Kingdom. Together, they hatched a dream to give the boys the opportunity to learn how to dance.

The boys showing the group their moves

ALL of the boys sporting their new "Live 2 Break" shirts

Yesterday, I witnessed 126 dreams come true. The boys spent the day practicing their dances to show this group their best moves. Everyone was introduced, the boys performed what they had prepared (donning neon green vests that appeared out of nowhere) and the boys eagerly awaited an example of what they would be learning over the next ten days. Brett, a filmmaker but also a breaker himself, gave the boys a few of his moves. What happened next was utter pandemonium. The boys, who had been sitting, jumped out of their seats and climbed on top of one another to get a better view. In the process of it all, a bench collapsed, but the boys could care less. They continued to hoot and yell in excitement. It was better than Christmas.

Pervez dancing for the boys

Catalyst Rwanda has their own blog, which they will be updating here in Rwanda. Check it out: http://catalystrwanda.org/

You can also follow Catalyst Rwanda on Facebook

Stay tuned for more updates!

Fun Fact #1

I have been learning many interesting tidbits about Rwanda during my stay here and have decided to share them with you through a weekly fun fact segment in my blog! Here’s the first one:

According to the Rwandan National Museum in Butare, Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa with 283 people per square kilometer. 

Nyungwe Rainforest

This weekend, Claire, her dad and I decided to conquer the Nyungwe rainforest in southern Rwanda. We left for Butare on Friday, stopping at the National Museum to catch up on the history of Rwanda. We spent one night in Butare and then we were off into the mountains.

I immediately recognized the road we took because I had ridden a coffee bike along it just two years before with my fellow Harwood students. The road led us through small villages, dependent on coffee and tea cultivation. As we drove, we saw women with huge baskets upon their heads packed with tea leaves. Children on the side of the road yelled “abazungu!” which translates to “white people!” As we drove higher and higher into the mountains, it became clear that we were distancing ourselves from the hustle and bustle of Kigali. Villages became smaller, fields became vaster, and the mountains became larger. Soon, tea fields dominated the landscape. Tea bushes are thick and low to the ground. They were planted in large swaths so closely together that I still don’t understand how it’s physically possible to walk in between the rows to pick the leaves. For two nights, we stayed at a guesthouse on a tea plantation, which was affiliated with the Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management. It was a beautiful area just outside the Nyunguwe National Park entrance. 

Tea fields below our accommodations

Picking some tea

Driving through tea country

During the weekend, we took two hikes. The first one was less than two hours and only skirted the main road. The second was what I would consider a real hike. We started at the far entrance of the park and walked through the tea fields to find the trail. Our guide led the way, pointing out certain plants, trees (especially the oldest tree in the world, the Fern Tree), and animals along the way. As we hiked further into the forest, we could hear the rushing of water growing louder. Two hours into our hike, we descended, working our way down switchbacks until we came upon our destination: a gigantic waterfall. Our guide stopped to explain that the water would eventually feed into the Congo River. We were already soaked from the mist, but we weren’t done yet. Our guide continued to lead us closer to the waterfall up slippery rocks until we were right in front of it. It was absolutely amazing!

On our hike!

The view from a clearing on the trail

Claire's dad and the legendary Fern Tree

The path leading up to the waterfall.
Please note the railing/ladder to the left above our guide.

The waterfall

Me in front of the waterfall!

We also saw monkeys! As we drove through Nyungwe on our way to our second hike, we saw a few monkeys hanging out on the side of the road. As we continued, we began seeing more and more. Claire, who is a monkey expert, identified them as we went, including the identification of an Owl-faced monkey. We later told our guide what we had seen and he was shocked. He told us that there were only 8 Owl-faced monkeys reported to be in Nyungwe and it is extremely rare to come across one!

A mountain monkey

Day 2 in the Field: Contrasts

Today was my second day in the field since I’ve arrived in Rwanda. Throughout this month, the social workers will be visiting many of the boys’ homes because 30 will be reintegrated in December.

Reintegration is just another part of how the center works. Many of the boys have at least one surviving parent. The ultimate goal of the center is to prepare the boys to transition back into their normal life and become contributing members of their family and society. Many of the boys who leave the center become leaders of their family, using the knowledge and skills EDD has taught them. The center will continue to pay school fees until the boy completes secondary school and also provides the family with financial assistance if needed. Before each boy in reintegrated, the social worker makes one final visit to the family to make sure they are prepared to receive the boy.

Out of the four home visits (Eugene, Innocent, Fils, and Jean Paul) we did today, two stuck with me the most. The first one was Fils’ family. Fils is a boy who was very reserved when I first met him. Although it may seem that he is indifferent to what is going on around him, I soon learned that his mind and heart travelled beyond the center’s walls to a small mud hut on the outskirts of Gisozi, a region in Kigali. His mother lives there, a small frail woman with a tired face, but a kind smile. She has suffered a bout with tuberculosis that has rendered her incapable of doing any physical labor. Because of this, she is currently unemployed. This makes it extremely difficult to feed and take care of her three children who live with her. Although she owns her small house, they must use the neighbor’s toilet.

As I sat in one of the small dark rooms of the hut, fanning flies away from my face and admiring the posters of the Holy Family, Paul Kagame, and a potty training toilet advertisement, it was clear to me why Fils seems so distant and preoccupied. In one month, he will be reintegrated with his family. He will join his mother, his brother, and his sisters in this hut. He will become the leader of the family, shouldering many responsibilities at only the age of 15. These are responsibilities I haven’t even faced at the age of 20. His mother said she was very eager to receive him. It will be a much-needed relief to have someone to help share the stress of life.

After we said goodbye to Fils’ mother and his siblings, we jumped back into the truck and continued to Jean Paul’s home, about fifteen minutes down the road. Jean Paul’s house sits just below the road. It’s a strong, cinder-block house with cement floors, a tin roof, and many windows which let the sunlight pour in. Jean Paul welcomed us all into the living room, furnished with plush couches and a coffee table. A few family photos and classroom posters outlining the alphabet, numbers, and parts of the body decorated the walls. His sisters were well dressed and both were enrolled in school.

I couldn’t help but compare the lives of these two boys who lived less than 15 minutes apart. Jean Paul and Fils both decided to leave their homes and live on the street at some point in their life. In one month, they will be returning to very different circumstances. The fate of Fils’ family rests on his small shoulders, while Jean Paul will just focus on finishing his schooling.

This contrast reins true throughout the country and probably all of Africa. African-suburbias, for those who can afford it, are popping up all around Kigali, flanked by mud huts and slum-like conditions. New buildings, hotels, and businesses are under construction in the capital city. Kigali is a wealthy region of Rwanda. Many things have changed since my last visit two years ago. But if you were to venture outside the city, many live in the most desperate of conditions. There is a complete lack of infrastructure and resources being allocated to these areas. Perhaps they are forgotten. It’s a difficult contrast for me to accept and I don’t know if I ever want to. 

Home visit from earlier in the day: Eugene and his father

Earlier: Adorable children at Innocent's house

Olé, Olé, Oléeeeee!

Today, Claire and I traveled with the boys to a big football game (that’s soccer if you’re American) against SOS Children’s Village International. It was definitely an exciting occasion as the boys were able to break out their team uniforms and cleats. Once they were all packed into a mini-bus, we were on our way.

The EDD Team and I 

Les Enfants de Dieu were the champions, winning the match 3-0. Both sides put forth a great effort, but our boys dominated for most of the game. Not even a sudden downpour of rain could dampen their spirits. Soaking wet and tired, we all piled back in the van and headed back to the center.

A boy playing a vuvuzela made it feel like it was the World Cup!

My favorite part of the day was definitely the ride back. We had more than 22 people in a mini-bus (normal capacity 15) and we were stuck in the middle of rush-hour traffic in Kigali. No problem! We passed the time cheering and singing. I will never forget singing the Olé, cheer as my boys waved their jerseys out the window and clapped their hands. It felt as if they had won the World Cup. 

Small World

On Sunday I met up with my friend Annie from St. Mikes. She is studying abroad in Uganda this semester through an SIT program. Part of the program was an excursion in Rwanda, so naturally we made plans to see each other.

Annie and I at a restaurant in Kigali

It was so nice to talk about our different experiences on the African continent and compare and contrast Uganda and Rwanda. She has been living in Gulu for the majority of the semester which is in Northern Uganda, a region that has been plagued by conflict as recently as 2006 and continues to recover from the attacks from the LRA (Lords Resistance Army). If you are interested in Annie’s study abroad, you should check out her blog: http://anniesblog3591.blogspot.com/